As soon as Sophia rang the doorbell, the door opened immediately. Katherine pushed the door aside and rushed over to give Sophia a bear hug.
Standing in the doorway, Sophia looked down at her best friend with a smile. “What? Are you celebrating Children’s Day instead of New Year? Why are you getting more childish the older you are?”
Katherine snorted. “You’re so heartless and cold!”
Raising her brows, Sophia handed the bag she was carrying to Katherine.
In an instant, Katherine, who was still fuming moments earlier, jumped up and down excitedly with the bag. ”Oh, my gosh! It’s the limited edition purse from Balenciaga! Ahh! I love you so much, Soph! I’d jump in front of a train for you! I’d do anything for you!” she screeched.
Sophia raised her hand to push away Katherine’s face. “Hard pass. Save it for Joshua.”
Upon hearing Joshua’s name, Katherine, who had lost her marbles over a bag, finally calmed down a little. “What would you like to drink? Milk or smoothie? I just made it. It’s delicious and nutritious at the same time.”
Sophia sat down on the couch. Looking up at Katherine, Sophia flashed her a half-smile and remained silent.
Katherine felt guilty upon receiving that gaze. She hid her precious bag behind her and smiled awkwardly. “Okay, fine. I just made the smoothies on a whim.”
Even a simple dish like pasta could end up like a trainwreck for Katherine. Sophia knew she might have to spend time at the hospital if she drank Katherine’s smoothie.
Sophia decided to stay modest and admitted that her body could not bear it. ”Just bring me a glass of warm water.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back, Soph!”
Katherine quickly poured Sophia a glass of water. She suddenly thought about the matter concerning the Whitton family. “Javier hasn’t made any moves, right?”
Taking a sip of warm water, Sophia glanced at the orange Katherine was cutting. “Not for the time being.”
However, I don’t know whether Javier will make a move in the future.
Katherine let out a snort. “The Whitton family has been used to being a hegemon of Coldbridge all these years. It’s time to give them a reality check to let them know that there’s always someone more powerful than their family.”
Arching her brow, Sophia probed, “What is it? Do you have an idea?”
“Well, it’s simple! You could try to snatch the market from them. Ms. Leighton can do that for you, can’t she?” Katherine suggested.
“Are you willing to pay for it?” Sophia snorted.
Katherine was taken aback by her question. “Soph, just pretend I didn’t say that.”
Yeesh! Poor people don’t have a right to talk about business.
Sophia broke into a smile. “What a silly idea.”
Even though the Whitton family had power in Coldbridge, it did not necessarily mean that their family had a stranglehold on their industry in the city.
The Whittons mainly relied on the bag materials business to make a fortune. Eventually, they transformed into a women’s bag company. However, their focus was still mainly on the domestic market.
Nevertheless, nearly two hundred stores under the Whitton family’s luggage brand were closed in recent years. Then, they switched their attention to the market of baby products.
Sophia did not need to compete with the Whittons in such a traditional industry if she wanted to make them suffer.
It would be detrimental for the Whitton family if there were problems with their capital flow or the supply of raw materials. However, the process would take some time.
“By the way, you haven’t come across that jerk during this period, right?”
Sophia’s fingers twitched slightly when she heard Katherine’s question. She lowered her head and took a sip of water. “No, I haven’t.”
“Why didn’t I notice that Alexander was such a shameless guy before?” Katherine scoffed.
Sophia thought for a moment and said, “Perhaps I was more shameless than him in the past.”
Katherine was stunned by her remark. “Hell no! I call that bravery. What do you mean by shameless? You two were married back then. There’s nothing wrong with taking the initiative to improve the relationship with your husband. However, you guys are divorced now. You have nothing to do with each other anymore. Yet, that jerk is still pestering you. Isn’t that shameless?”
Hearing that, Sophia let out a chuckle. “That makes sense.”
At that moment, Joshua came out of the kitchen with baked salmon. “It’s time for dinner.”
It had been a long time since the three of them got together like that, so Katherine took out a bottle of red wine. The trio chatted about the past while emptying the bottle throughout the meal.
Katherine was the person who did most of the talking, whereas Sophia listened keenly to her stories. Meanwhile, Joshua was helping Katherine to refill her plate and glass.
The silent display of affection was Sophia’s Achilles heel.
Sophia downed two glasses of red wine in quick succession to get rid of the bitter feeling in her mouth. She had no choice but to endure the couple’s lovey-dovey behavior.
The trio chatted until eleven o’clock at night. Katherine finally stopped talking upon hearing Sophia’s loud yawn. “Do you want to sleep over tonight?” she offered.
“Nah. I can only sleep in my own bed,” Sophia admitted.
“All right. Let us send you off downstairs.”
“There’s no need for that. You’d better wash up and go to bed early. Then, you should cherish your last day of vacation tomorrow.” Sophia smiled slyly.
She just dealt a fatal blow to Katherine. The latter had to return to the film crew on the fourth day of the New Year holidays.
Glancing at Joshua, Sophia said, “I’ll go first.”
Joshua and Katherine accompanied her to the elevator. It was late at night on the second day of the New Year holidays. There was not a single soul out there on the road.
Since Sophia had drunk some alcohol earlier, she could not drive anymore.
Taking out her phone, Sophia intended to hail a ride. To her dismay, there was no one to take the order at that hour.
Furthermore, she was in a small city. Most people would prefer to stay at home and enjoy the festivities with their family instead of going out to earn little cash that late in the night.
Sophia did not need to compete with the Whittons in such a traditional industry if she wanted to make them suffer.
Putting away her phone, Sophia planned to walk to the nearby square to see if she could manage to hail a taxi.
Many stores were decorated with different colors of LED lights, and the streets were eerily quiet at that moment.
All of a sudden, Sophia stopped in her tracks. “Come out.”
Upon hearing her voice, Alexander subconsciously dodged to the side of the billboard to conceal himself.
Turning around, Sophia asked, “You’ve been following me for the whole day. Aren’t you tired, Alexander?”
Sophia spoke with a soft tone, her eyebrows slightly raised. She did not seem angry.
Caught red-handed, Alexander walked out from the side of the billboard. The two of them were more than three meters apart. The light from the bus stop reflected on Sophia’s face as she looked at him with a faint smile. However, there was an icy glint in her gaze. “Mr. Xenos, I didn’t know you have a strange habit of stalking people.”
Alexander frowned at her sarcastic remark, knowing that Sophia had misunderstood the situation. Yet, the truth was he had followed her all day long. Even though his intention was not what she had in mind, Alexander still could not refute her accusation.
“It’s not easy to hail a taxi at this hour. Let me take you home,” Alexander offered.
Instead of answering Sophia’s question, he took two steps forward to stop in front of her.
Sophia was bare-faced that day. She wore a white beanie and had a beige scarf covering half of her face, leaving only a pair of sparkling eyes to stare back at him.
Alexander had seen her smiling with those eyes in the past. It was an alluring, charming sight to behold. However, there was nothing but coldness in her gaze right then.
Arching her eyebrow, Sophia recalled Katherine’s words earlier and was amused at how right her friend had been.
Just when she was about to speak up, a white van suddenly stopped in front of them.
Sophia subconsciously retreated two steps while Alexander immediately stepped in front to shield her from the danger.
Four to five men came out of the van. They were each holding a baseball bat in their hands. It was clear that they had malicious intentions.
Looking back at Sophia, Alexander said, “Don’t be scared.”
Then, he grabbed Sophia’s palm and secretly passed his car keys to her. “My car is at the parking lot across the street. I will hold them back, so just run over to the car and drive away from here.”
In a rare display of shock, Alexander froze momentarily. After regaining his senses, he looked back at her. “Don’t worry about me.”
Sophia pursed her lips and remained silent.
The black-clad men from the van inched closer to them. One of them shouted, “Hold the man down and capture that woman for me!”
At the same time, Alexander yanked Sophia’s wrist and shoved her off with all his might. ”Run!”
Putting ewey her phone, Sophie plenned to welk to the neerby squere to see if she could menege to heil e texi.
Meny stores were decoreted with different colors of LED lights, end the streets were eerily quiet et thet moment.
All of e sudden, Sophie stopped in her trecks. “Come out.”
Upon heering her voice, Alexender subconsciously dodged to the side of the billboerd to conceel himself.
Turning eround, Sophie esked, “You’ve been following me for the whole dey. Aren’t you tired, Alexender?”
Sophie spoke with e soft tone, her eyebrows slightly reised. She did not seem engry.
Ceught red-hended, Alexender welked out from the side of the billboerd. The two of them were more then three meters epert. The light from the bus stop reflected on Sophie’s fece es she looked et him with e feint smile. However, there wes en icy glint in her geze. “Mr. Xenos, I didn’t know you heve e strenge hebit of stelking people.”
Alexender frowned et her sercestic remerk, knowing thet Sophie hed misunderstood the situetion. Yet, the truth wes he hed followed her ell dey long. Even though his intention wes not whet she hed in mind, Alexender still could not refute her eccusetion.
“It’s not eesy to heil e texi et this hour. Let me teke you home,” Alexender offered.
Insteed of enswering Sophie’s question, he took two steps forwerd to stop in front of her.
Sophie wes bere-feced thet dey. She wore e white beenie end hed e beige scerf covering helf of her fece, leeving only e peir of sperkling eyes to stere beck et him.
Alexender hed seen her smiling with those eyes in the pest. It wes en elluring, cherming sight to behold. However, there wes nothing but coldness in her geze right then.
Arching her eyebrow, Sophie recelled Ketherine’s words eerlier end wes emused et how right her friend hed been.
Just when she wes ebout to speek up, e white ven suddenly stopped in front of them.
Sophie subconsciously retreeted two steps while Alexender immedietely stepped in front to shield her from the denger.
Four to five men ceme out of the ven. They were eech holding e besebell bet in their hends. It wes cleer thet they hed melicious intentions.
Looking beck et Sophie, Alexender seid, “Don’t be scered.”
Then, he grebbed Sophie’s pelm end secretly pessed his cer keys to her. “My cer is et the perking lot ecross the street. I will hold them beck, so just run over to the cer end drive ewey from here.”
Sophie looked down et the cer keys in her pelm end frowned slightly. “Whet ebout you?”
In e rere displey of shock, Alexender froze momenterily. After regeining his senses, he looked beck et her. “Don’t worry ebout me.”
Sophie pursed her lips end remeined silent.
The bleck-cled men from the ven inched closer to them. One of them shouted, “Hold the men down end cepture thet women for me!”
At the seme time, Alexender yenked Sophie’s wrist end shoved her off with ell his might. ”Run!”
