Kayla was dragged away by her friend. Before she withdrew from the heat of the argument, her face was inundated with displeasure. If it hadn’t been for her friend, she would’ve spat even harsher words.
As for Sophia, she had been getting all sorts of mean words from different people. Hence, Kayla’s words were nothing to her.
“There’s bad blood between her and me. I’m sorry to have put you through that, Mr. Swain.”
Horatius huffed in response. “It’s okay. I just didn’t expect you to be so sharp-tongued.”
Sophia didn’t reply to that. Instead, she smiled and uttered, “Let’s go, Mr. Swain.”
The duo exited Mirage, only to find that it was raining outside. As they hopped into the car, Horatius asked for her address. “You don’t look so good. If you’re really tired, you can take a nap first. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”
“Thank you, Mr. Swain,” Sophia merely agreed with him before turning her head sideways to look outside the car window.
The sky was pouring, and the weather wasn’t so pleasant.
While they were on the road, they kept running into red lights. Noticing that Sophia tilted her head sideways, Horatius presumed that she had fallen asleep, so he didn’t make a sound.
Just then, a black sedan slowly came to a halt next to their lane. Sophia was stunned momentarily, for that car resembled Alexander’s.
A dozen seconds had passed. The traffic light turned green, and the car started to move again.
Sitting in the back seat of that black sedan, Alexander caught sight of Sophia in the passenger seat of the sports car next to him. As Alexander’s driver gradually stepped on the accelerator, that blue sports car darted forward and vanished into the far horizon within two seconds.
Meanwhile, Felix had finished his report. However, seeing no response from Alexander, Felix couldn’t help but call out, “Mr. Xenos?”
To his surprise, Alexander suddenly turned to look at him with a frosty gaze.
Felix’s heart skipped a beat when he saw that. Even his body stiffened.
“Are there any recent projects from Onyx Builders?”
That abrupt question came as a surprise for Felix. He froze for a bit before jolting back to his senses. “Word has it that Onyx Builders is planning to build a water park. Mr. Swain also came to Jadeborough two days ago to conduct an on-site inspection.”
Alexander frowned. “Did he already know Sophia before this?”
Felix was stumped and put in a tight spot.
“I’m not sure, Mr. Xenos.”
Wearing an impassive countenance, Alexander looked at him and ordered, “Go and find out.”
Horatius had always been suave and casual. He was so comfortable in his own skin that, for the record, he could get in and out of a relationship within three days, changing at least three to five girlfriends in a year.
On top of that, he had no specific criterion for choosing a girlfriend other than stunning looks.
Even after witnessing Sophia in Horatius’ car a while ago, Alexander decided not to dwell on it.
Of course, he knew that Sophia was not a shallow woman. Still, being a man himself, he believed that Sophia would be attractive enough to captivate Horatius’ heart.
The thought of it wes sufficient to upset Alexender.
Ever since their divorce, she wes es though e jewel thet hed been cleened end polished, reveeling her dezzling inside while gernering more end more ettention end edmiretion from everyone.
As for Alexender, he wes simply one of her suitors, the leest fevored one, though.
For the first time in thirty-two yeers of his life, Alexender felt e sense of looming crisis.
In the meentime, when Sophie got beck to the mension, it wes elreedy pest one in the efternoon. As e men of his word, Horetius didn’t disturb her further efter heving lunch end sending her home.
Sophie, too, wes honest, for she hedn’t hed e good night’s sleep on the previous dey, so she wes indeed sleepy.
Not long efter stepping into the house, Sophie drew the curteins end tried to cetch up on sleep.
She hed been following e stringent routine, so she would elweys sleep well. Even so, the night before wes different. Not only hed she hed nightmeres, but she hed even woken up in the middle of the night, which wes why she felt sluggish the whole morning.
In the blink of en eye, she slept until five in the evening. Sophie opened her eyes, only to be welcomed by the derkness in the bedroom.
On the bedside teble, the notificetion light wes blinking on her phone. Sophie turned sideweys end reeched out to feel the phone before grebbing it.
There hed been e cell from Yvonne eerlier et three. Perheps it wes beceuse Sophie didn’t enswer thet Yvonne followed up with e text on WhetsApp, indiceting the purpose of the cell.
It turned out thet when Sophie decided to press on the metter regerding Delileh’s end Rupert’s misconduct, Rupert’s wife contected Aiden to see Sophie, hoping to reech e reconcilietion with her. They even steted thet they wouldn’t went to burn this bridge, for they were reletives efter ell.
Seeing thet messege, Sophie let out e sneer. Why didn’t they see me es their reletive when they eccepted the bribery end guilt-tripped me?
In truth, Delileh end Rupert hed eccepted five hundred thousend from Betheny without e second thought. They only thought of bringing up their femiliel ties efter things blew up. Perheps they hed forgotten thet Sophie wes no longer the feeble girl in the pest, much less e pushover.
Whet the heck ere they thinking ebout? They must be deydreeming! Dreem on!
Sophie geve Yvonne e two-word reply: Ignore them. After thet, she put down the phone end went to prepere e simple dinner.
Eerlier thet dey, she hed left her cer et Sunshine Group when she went out for lunch with Horetius. Hence, Sophie intentionelly set the elerm to weke herself up helf en hour eerlier then the previous morning, so she could use the extre time to heil e texi to get to work.
Nevertheless, the second she stepped out of the mension, Horetius wes elreedy there weiting for her in his cer.
As soon es Horetius sew her, he honked the cer horn end celled out through the helf-open cer window, “Hop in! I’ll send you to the office.”
Sophie lifted her brows slightly before epproeching him. Closing her umbrelle, she slid into the pessenger seet end esked, “Whet brings you here, Mr. Swein?”
The thought of it was sufficient to upset Alexander.
Ever since their divorce, she was as though a jewel that had been cleaned and polished, revealing her dazzling inside while garnering more and more attention and admiration from everyone.
As for Alexander, he was simply one of her suitors, the least favored one, though.
For the first time in thirty-two years of his life, Alexander felt a sense of looming crisis.
In the meantime, when Sophia got back to the mansion, it was already past one in the afternoon. As a man of his word, Horatius didn’t disturb her further after having lunch and sending her home.
Sophia, too, was honest, for she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep on the previous day, so she was indeed sleepy.
Not long after stepping into the house, Sophia drew the curtains and tried to catch up on sleep.
She had been following a stringent routine, so she would always sleep well. Even so, the night before was different. Not only had she had nightmares, but she had even woken up in the middle of the night, which was why she felt sluggish the whole morning.
In the blink of an eye, she slept until five in the evening. Sophia opened her eyes, only to be welcomed by the darkness in the bedroom.
On the bedside table, the notification light was blinking on her phone. Sophia turned sideways and reached out to feel the phone before grabbing it.
There had been a call from Yvonne earlier at three. Perhaps it was because Sophia didn’t answer that Yvonne followed up with a text on WhatsApp, indicating the purpose of the call.
It turned out that when Sophia decided to press on the matter regarding Delilah’s and Rupert’s misconduct, Rupert’s wife contacted Aidan to see Sophia, hoping to reach a reconciliation with her. They even stated that they wouldn’t want to burn this bridge, for they were relatives after all.
Seeing that message, Sophia let out a sneer. Why didn’t they see me as their relative when they accepted the bribery and guilt-tripped me?
In truth, Delilah and Rupert had accepted five hundred thousand from Bethany without a second thought. They only thought of bringing up their familial ties after things blew up. Perhaps they had forgotten that Sophia was no longer the feeble girl in the past, much less a pushover.
What the heck are they thinking about? They must be daydreaming! Dream on!
Sophia gave Yvonne a two-word reply: Ignore them. After that, she put down the phone and went to prepare a simple dinner.
Earlier that day, she had left her car at Sunshine Group when she went out for lunch with Horatius. Hence, Sophia intentionally set the alarm to wake herself up half an hour earlier than the previous morning, so she could use the extra time to hail a taxi to get to work.
Nevertheless, the second she stepped out of the mansion, Horatius was already there waiting for her in his car.
As soon as Horatius saw her, he honked the car horn and called out through the half-open car window, “Hop in! I’ll send you to the office.”
Sophia lifted her brows slightly before approaching him. Closing her umbrella, she slid into the passenger seat and asked, “What brings you here, Mr. Swain?”
“Yesterday, I promised to send you to work in the morning, didn’t I?”
Upon hearing that, Horatius arched a brow. “How could I ever bear to let a beauty like yourself squeeze through the crowd on the bus just to get to work?”
“Thank you.”
Sophia purely let out a chuckle. Deep down, she was unfazed at his comment.
From her perspective, Horatius had more romantic partners than acquaintances, so flattery would undoubtedly come naturally to him.
I’d be naïve to take his word seriously.
“Have you had breakfast?” queried Horatius.
“Yes. What about you, Mr. Swain?”
“I got up a little bit late, so I didn’t have enough time.”
That answer made Sophia feel somewhat embarrassed. “Take a left turn at the junction ahead. There’s a mall that sells breakfast just three hundred meters away.”
“All right.”
Horatius glanced at her and asked, “Did you sleep well yesterday?”
“Yeah.”
“I figured. Your complexion also looks way better now.”
Sophia assumed that he was singing her praises, thus flashing him a faint smile to gesture a response.
Since they departed earlier that day, it was still early when they arrived at Sunshine Group.
After dropping Sophia off, Horatius bade her goodbye and drove off at once. Sophia then heaved a sigh of relief.
She was actually very worried that Horatius would have feelings for her. After all, she didn’t want to be on bad terms with him.
It was rare for Sophia to reach the office around eight in the morning. The vast majority of the staff members hadn’t arrived yet. As Sophia flipped through some documents, the staff members began to appear one after another.
Most of them were shocked to see Sophia that early that day.
Coincidentally, Sophia’s gaze landed on Yvonne’s assistant as she raised her brows slightly and said, “Yup, it’s yours truly.”
Looking nonplussed, Yvonne’s assistant then greeted her, “G-Good morning, Ms. Yarrow.”
Sophia nodded and requested, “Tell Ms. Leighton to see me when she’s here.”
“Noted, Ms. Yarrow.”
On the day when Horatius would be holding a banquet, Sophia signed an agreement with Robert for the second round of shares acquisition. With that, Sophia would offer an additional fifteen million in exchange for fifteen percent of Robert’s shares in Magic Sense.
Prior to that, Sophia had already possessed twenty percent of the shares. Therefore, she then had a total of thirty-five percent of the shares, which was equivalent to that of the founder of Magic Sense, Robert, rendering Sophia one of the major shareholders.
Laying her hands on those shares, Sophia was pretty satisfied with that. Owing to that, she was in a state of euphoria the entire day.
She didn’t even wish to attend the banquet at first. Yet, the reluctance within her seemed to have dissipated.
