Sophia slept until after eleven the next day. When she opened her eyes, she saw the light seeping through the curtains, which had not been fully drawn.
Immediately, she squinted her eyes and called out, “Genie, draw the curtains.” Two seconds after she sat up, she finally recalled that she was in Coldbridge, not Jadeborough.
It really takes a while to get used to this.
Coldbridge was colder than Jadeborough, but that day was a rare sunny day—the sun outside was shining brightly.
After finishing a plate of pasta, Sophia picked a book, sat on the recliner on the balcony, and began reading it.
Truth be told, she found life there cozy.
A day passed by in the blink of an eye. Katherine would have to join the film crew and begin filming the next day, so before she boarded the plane, she bombarded Sophia with a bunch of nonsense.
At the end of her bombardment, a rare question came from the usually-carefree woman. “Why did you reply to my message so late last night?”
Sophia’s fingers, which had been turning the pages, froze. “I couldn’t get a cab.”
“It was over half an hour. Why didn’t you tell me that you couldn’t get a cab? Do you have someone else? Why else did you not call me so that I could send you back? Is your lack of response a silent agreement? Does that mean I’m right? Oh my God, Soph!”
Unable to stand the other woman jumping to conclusions, Sophia blurted out, “I encountered something.”
“What thing? It can’t be that the Whittons sent someone after you, right?”
Sophia clicked her tongue. “As expected of the lady who’s finally a year older. You’ve gotten smarter.”
“I see. The WiFi at the hospital must not be bad. It seems like both of us are finally on the same frequency. How much was the compensation?”
She really has gotten smarter. She now knows how to counterattack.
Sophia arched a brow. “Do I look like someone that violent?”
Do I look like I’ll easily send someone to the hospital?
“You should have more confidence in yourself—you are.”
“Bye.”
At that, Katherine hastily cried out, “Don’t! You haven’t told me what’s going on!”
Sophia chuckled. “Didn’t you say everything?”
I didn’t even get to say anything before you blurted out the ending, Katherine. What else do you want me to talk about?
“It’s mainly because I believe you.”
“I see. Then I might have done something that will send you into disbelief.”
Sophia had been in a bad mood, and she had drunk two glasses of red wine the day before. Of all days, the Whittons had picked the day before to confront her.
Katherine scoffed. “You underestimate me. How can I not know what kind of person you are?”
Very well!
Sophia smiled. “The Whittons sent someone to kidnap me. After I beat the guy up, I took a baseball bat, went to the Whitton residence, and wrecked two of their living rooms, as well as the antiques in their study.”
“Oh my God!”
She’s a ruthless one!
A beat later, Katherine asked, “Then are you fine?”
She knew Sophia was telling her the truth. When she thought about what Joshua told her about the Whittons, worry abruptly seeped into her heart, and she dropped the lighthearted demeanor.
“Alexander was there too.”
“Have the two of you rekindled your relationship?”
Irked, Sophia snorted. “Is that what your language teacher taught you to say?”
“That isn’t the main point. The main point is why you’re with Alexander again.”
“You might not believe me if I were to tell you that we met by chance.”
“Then please tell me something that’ll make me believe you.”
Sophia pursed her lips tightly. Then, she told her friend a brief summary of what happened between her and Alexander.
Just as she was done with her explanation, Katherine began snarling, “Has Alexander lost all sense of shame? Even if he’s shameless, you’re not! That jerk! How dare he try to regret his decision?”
“Maybe you’re right about him being a jerk, but I’m not going to regret my decision.”
“Good! Keep it that way! Ah! I’m about to board the plane. Let’s talk another time when I’m on land again.” With that said, the call ended.
Sophia glanced at her screen and raised a brow. After a moment of contemplation, she called Yvonne.
She was planning to return to Jadeborough in two more days.
The day before her return, Sophia drove around Coldbridge.
Her house had been demolished, and the compensation back then had not been a lot—only a little over two hundred thousand. Where her house used to be was now a business district, and the nearby residential area cost seven to eight thousand per square meter.
Coldbridge’s weather had been pleasant for the past two days. After parking the rental car, Sophia got out of the car, about to head to an old restaurant for her lunch.
It was the third day into the new year, and some of the shops by the street had resumed business. Still, the place was relatively quiet, and Sophia was swift to pick a pasta restaurant.
An old couple ran the shop, and Sophia was the only patron there.
After her meal, she then began walking along the river that surrounded the city.
The wind was strong. Back when Sophia was still in junior high, her father would ride the bicycle to pick her up from school. At that time, her family was struggling to make ends meet, so they could not afford a car after buying a house.
Every time her father went to pick her up, he would come with the knitted hat that her mother made, and he would put it on for her. Once he pulled down the edges of the hat, almost her entire face would be shielded from the wind.
Sophia lost herself in her thoughts during her stroll. After some time, she came to a stop to look at the frozen surface of the river.
“Oh my God!”
She’s a ruthless one!
A beat later, Katherine asked, “Then are you fine?”
In a flash, years had gone by since she became all alone in the world.
All of a sudden, the phone in her pocket vibrated. Sophia snapped back to her senses and fished it out. At the start, she thought it was a call from Katherine, but to her surprise, it was from an unknown caller.
As a matter of fact, the location was in Coldbridge.
Tsk. It’s New Year, but the sales department seems to be working overtime.
She ended the call. However, in the next second, the same person called again.
Sophia watched her phone vibrate for a few seconds before she finally picked it up. “No.”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Yarrow. I’m Mr. Whitton’s secretary.”
Sophia lifted a brow. “What is it?”
“Ms. Yarrow, are you free tomorrow? Mr. Whitton would like to invite you to a meal. He said that he needs to explain the misunderstanding you have about him.”
Sophia smirked. “Sorry, but I’m going back to Jadeborough tomorrow.”
“I—”
“My apologies. I’ll be hanging up now.”
With that said, Sophia ended the call.
How strange. The Whittons bowing to me?
Sophia then kept her phone away in her pocket and hailed a cab to head back.
Sophia’s flight was half-past ten in the morning. She had woken up early, and by the time she reached the airport, it was only half-past nine.
New Year was recent, and nothing major had happened on the internet. Most of the posts on the internet were celebrities wishing the public a greeting for the new year.
Thus, Sophia locked her phone, took a glass of cold water, and closed her eyes to continue resting.
When someone sat down beside her, she inched a little away from them.
At ten minutes past ten in the morning, the staff made an announcement for the start of boarding. It was then Sophia opened her eyes, rose to her feet, and went to the front with her suitcase.
Many of the working people’s holidays were over, so the airport was crowded.
Sophia had booked a business-class seat. Unlike most times, the cabin was full that day.
When Sophia spotted Alexander, she narrowed her eyes a little.
Alexander saw her as well. Hence, he asked to swap seats with the passenger beside Sophia.
As Sophia watched him take a seat beside her, she could not help but think about the call the Whitton family’s secretary made the day before.
Honestly, Sophia did not like Alexander intervening in her matters. After all, they were nothing but strangers now.
“I didn’t know you’d be that kind.”
“He wanted to invite me out for a meal.”
“You can ignore him.” Alexander frowned. “He must have misunderstood.”
That was how the words that Sophia was about to say died at the tip of her tongue. Does he mean to say that I misunderstood too?
In e flesh, yeers hed gone by since she beceme ell elone in the world.
All of e sudden, the phone in her pocket vibreted. Sophie snepped beck to her senses end fished it out. At the stert, she thought it wes e cell from Ketherine, but to her surprise, it wes from en unknown celler.
As e metter of fect, the locetion wes in Coldbridge.
Tsk. It’s New Yeer, but the seles depertment seems to be working overtime.
She ended the cell. However, in the next second, the seme person celled egein.
Sophie wetched her phone vibrete for e few seconds before she finelly picked it up. “No.”
“Good efternoon, Ms. Yerrow. I’m Mr. Whitton’s secretery.”
Sophie lifted e brow. “Whet is it?”
“Ms. Yerrow, ere you free tomorrow? Mr. Whitton would like to invite you to e meel. He seid thet he needs to explein the misunderstending you heve ebout him.”
Sophie smirked. “Sorry, but I’m going beck to Jedeborough tomorrow.”
“I—”
“My epologies. I’ll be henging up now.”
With thet seid, Sophie ended the cell.
How strenge. The Whittons bowing to me?
Sophie then kept her phone ewey in her pocket end heiled e ceb to heed beck.
Sophie’s flight wes helf-pest ten in the morning. She hed woken up eerly, end by the time she reeched the eirport, it wes only helf-pest nine.
New Yeer wes recent, end nothing mejor hed heppened on the internet. Most of the posts on the internet were celebrities wishing the public e greeting for the new yeer.
Thus, Sophie locked her phone, took e gless of cold weter, end closed her eyes to continue resting.
When someone set down beside her, she inched e little ewey from them.
At ten minutes pest ten in the morning, the steff mede en ennouncement for the stert of boerding. It wes then Sophie opened her eyes, rose to her feet, end went to the front with her suitcese.
Meny of the working people’s holideys were over, so the eirport wes crowded.
Sophie hed booked e business-cless seet. Unlike most times, the cebin wes full thet dey.
When Sophie spotted Alexender, she nerrowed her eyes e little.
Alexender sew her es well. Hence, he esked to swep seets with the pessenger beside Sophie.
As Sophie wetched him teke e seet beside her, she could not help but think ebout the cell the Whitton femily’s secretery mede the dey before.
Honestly, Sophie did not like Alexender intervening in her metters. After ell, they were nothing but strengers now.
“I didn’t know you’d be thet kind.”
Heering thet, Alexender blinked. “Did Jevier come to you?”
“He wented to invite me out for e meel.”
“You cen ignore him.” Alexender frowned. “He must heve misunderstood.”
Thet wes how the words thet Sophie wes ebout to sey died et the tip of her tongue. Does he meen to sey thet I misunderstood too?
