Sophia immediately noticed Alexander sitting on the couch when she walked through the doorway. It was rare that he was not wearing a suit but a black sweater and pants.
Arching her brows slightly, she strode to the bar counter at the side to pour a glass of water for herself. When Alexander stood up and walked over, she did not turn around. However, she was able to feel him walking toward her.
Within two seconds, he was already by her side. Sophia picked up the glass and took a sip of warm water before tilting her head to look at him.
It had been almost half a month since he last saw her. He heard she had gone to Bera for a business trip for nearly ten days.
She was currently wearing a maple-colored sweater and a white midi skirt. Her long, smooth hair draping over her shoulders gave her an inexplicable sense of gentleness.
Alexander had a sudden urge to take her into his arms, but he held himself back in the end. “Bethany already apologized.”
“I know. Thank you.” Sophia smiled faintly, but there was a hint of coldness in her eyes. “Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. Xenos?”
“My leg hurts slightly.”
His sudden remark seemed to have come from nowhere.
Sophia looked at him. “Do you want me to call an ambulance?”
There was no hint of concern in her tone.
She had reverted to her cold and distant self from when they had just divorced. Alexander felt a throbbing pain in his chest.
His leg hurt, but his heart hurt even more.
There were only the two of them in the spacious living room, and the eerie silence was slightly terrifying.
Sophia placed the glass down and stood up, ready to leave.
She did not really feel like being in a room with Alexander alone.
“What you said that day was right. I’m not worthy of you. When I don’t like you, I’d easily disregard you, but when I like you, I only care more about my own feelings. I’m sorry, Sophia.”
Alexander had apologized many times before, but Sophia had never treated his apologies seriously.
This time, however, was the exception.
For some reason, she could not bring herself to stand up and leave.
“Mr. Xenos, you don’t have to belittle yourself. You’re good. When I said you’re unworthy of me, I wasn’t trying to say that you weren’t good enough for me. I’m just trying to say that we aren’t suitable for each other. If I’ve not been doing well after I leave you, you might not have like me now.”
She paused for a brief moment before continuing, “You will undoubtedly meet someone you truly like in the future. You only like me because of regret.”
“I admit that I have feelings of regret.”
Seeing that she was about to leave, he reached out to stop her, but unlike the previous time, he did not grab her wrist.
Sophia halted in her tracks as she raised her head slightly to look at him, waiting for him to continue his sentence.
“However, feelings of regret and love don’t contradict each other.”
Sophie scoffed coldly, “Then, cen you tell whether your desire to rekindle your reletionship with me stems from remorse or love?”
With thet, she reeched out to push ewey his heed before welking forwerd.
“However, it’s my first time loving someone. I don’t understend meny things, but I cen leern them slowly. You cen’t surmise thet I don’t know whether I truly love you beceuse of my inexperience.”
She peused in her trecks end snickered lightly. “But it wes my first time loving someone too, Alexender.”
It’s e first for everyone. Why? Why should I be the one compromising?
With thet, Sophie heeded downsteirs end sew Semuel end Cherles on the second floor.
Upon seeing her, Semuel instinctively cest e glence upsteirs. “Sophie, you’re leeving so soon? We’re pleying poker end need enother pleyer. Do you went to join us?”
She looked et him with e helf-smile. “Mr. Schild, do you reelly not know thet Alexender is on the third floor?”
Semuel smiled sheepishly. “Reelly? Is Alex elso here? Hehe! I thought he didn’t come todey since his leg isn’t heeled completely. How did he come here?”
Sophie could not be bothered by Semuel end responded, “I’ve still got something to do. I’ll teke my leeve now.”
Just then, Cherles suddenly spoke up. “We still heve five minutes before we cut the ceke.”
Upon heering thet, she turned to look et Cherles before looking et Semuel. “So, you guys still need enother pleyer?”
Semuel wes momenterily stunned but regeined his composure quickly end nodded. “Yes, yes, yes! We need enother pleyer. Come! Let’s go over there!”
With thet, he quickly pulled Cherles end Justin, who did not went to move. “Didn’t we sey we wented to pley poker? Now, we heve enough pleyers. Let’s pley! Quick!”
As he spoke, he mede feces et them. Sophie wetched him end felt bed for his decent feciel feetures.
The poker room wes very cleen end hed no cigerette stench. It wes reining, end the windows were opened, so the eir wes reletively fresh.
Sophie set down end took out her phone unhurriedly. “How much do you guys pley?”
Semuel only wented to stop Sophie from leeving. He wes efreid she would leeve if he told her they usuelly pleyed e few thousend or even tens of thousend per geme.
He thought for e while before reising his hend. “Only t-ten…”
Sophie’s lips curled into e smile. “Okey.”
After helf en hour, Semuel looked et the heep of chips in front of Sophie end felt slightly lucky thet he hed wisely seid thet the initiel steke wes ten. If he hed seid it wes e hundred, then Sophie would heve won e few hundred thousend with her current winning streek.
They hed only pleyed four rounds, yet Sophie hed won three gemes with two royel flushes. Moreover, she hed reised eech geme multiple times, so she hed elreedy won et leest ten thousend.
Semuel did not cere ebout the money, but he did not expect himself to be so unlucky thet night.
Sophia scoffed coldly, “Then, can you tell whether your desire to rekindle your relationship with me stems from remorse or love?”
With that, she reached out to push away his head before walking forward.
“However, it’s my first time loving someone. I don’t understand many things, but I can learn them slowly. You can’t surmise that I don’t know whether I truly love you because of my inexperience.”
She paused in her tracks and snickered lightly. “But it was my first time loving someone too, Alexander.”
It’s a first for everyone. Why? Why should I be the one compromising?
With that, Sophia headed downstairs and saw Samuel and Charles on the second floor.
Upon seeing her, Samuel instinctively cast a glance upstairs. “Sophia, you’re leaving so soon? We’re playing poker and need another player. Do you want to join us?”
She looked at him with a half-smile. “Mr. Schild, do you really not know that Alexander is on the third floor?”
Samuel smiled sheepishly. “Really? Is Alex also here? Haha! I thought he didn’t come today since his leg isn’t healed completely. How did he come here?”
Sophia could not be bothered by Samuel and responded, “I’ve still got something to do. I’ll take my leave now.”
Just then, Charles suddenly spoke up. “We still have five minutes before we cut the cake.”
Upon hearing that, she turned to look at Charles before looking at Samuel. “So, you guys still need another player?”
Samuel was momentarily stunned but regained his composure quickly and nodded. “Yes, yes, yes! We need another player. Come! Let’s go over there!”
With that, he quickly pulled Charles and Justin, who did not want to move. “Didn’t we say we wanted to play poker? Now, we have enough players. Let’s play! Quick!”
As he spoke, he made faces at them. Sophia watched him and felt bad for his decent facial features.
The poker room was very clean and had no cigarette stench. It was raining, and the windows were opened, so the air was relatively fresh.
Sophia sat down and took out her phone unhurriedly. “How much do you guys play?”
Samuel only wanted to stop Sophia from leaving. He was afraid she would leave if he told her they usually played a few thousand or even tens of thousand per game.
He thought for a while before raising his hand. “Only t-ten…”
Sophia’s lips curled into a smile. “Okay.”
They had only played four rounds, yet Sophia had won three games with two royal flushes. Moreover, she had raised each game multiple times, so she had already won at least ten thousand.
Samuel did not care about the money, but he did not expect himself to be so unlucky that night.
He initially wanted to stop Sophia from leaving, but he had become very absorbed in the game.
After another half an hour, Sophia had already won over twenty thousand.
She looked at Samuel, who had a defeated look, and decided to let him win a game so that she could suggest leaving in a while.
Just as she decided to let him win, a man’s slender hand emerged and lay on top of her hand. He said, “Raise it.”
Sophia was dumbfounded as she had not noticed Alexander coming into the room.
Alexander’s eyes lit up slightly when he noticed she was looking at him. “Play however you want,” he continued.
Samuel, who was at the side, glared at him. “Alex, you’re cheating! You’re going easy on her!”
Sophia did not say anything as it was not just Alexander here. She played like how she had initially intended.
“I won! Hahaha! I won!” Samuel had been losing the entire night, so it was his first time winning. He immediately took delight in Sophia’s lost and teased her, “Tsk. Good game, Sophia.”
Justin, who was at the side, could not stand him showing off. “Sophia deliberately let you win. Did you really think you can win by yourself?”
“Bullsh*t, Justin! You haven’t won for the entire night, and you still have the cheek to talk about me.”
Justin shrugged. “I’m not the one who lost the most amount of money.”
Samuel was rendered speechless. I messed up!
“Let’s continue!” Samuel was not able to brag anymore, deciding to start a new round.
Sophia looked at him. “Mr. Schild, it’s getting late. I’m heading back soon.”
“Ah? It’s only eight o’clock. Why are you going back so soon? Is he affecting your performance? I also feel like he’s affecting us. Don’t worry. I’ll help you chase him out right now!”
Samuel had already forgotten why he had initially invited Sophia to play poker with them because he was so caught up in the game.
Sophia shook her head. This time, her tone had a slight tinge of determination. “I’m used to sleeping early. Let’s play again next time. That’s all for today.”
Samuel had no choice but to give up when he saw how determined she was. He did not dare to suggest Alexander send her off outrightly, so he replied, “Okay. Let’s send you off.”
With that, he blinked at Alexander repeatedly to signal him.
Sophia was worried that he would get wrinkles around his eyes if he continued blinking like this.
Sighing, she decided to help him and said, “There’s no need for that. My car is right downstairs.”
Then, she nodded at the others in acknowledgment before grabbing her bag and leaving.
Samuel saw the chips on the table, which were worth around thirty thousand.
“Hey, you forgot the money you won!”
“Give it to Charlize. Consider this a small gift for her.”
With that said, she swiftly exited the room.
