Seeing that Alexander was about to leave with Sophia, Felix hurriedly called out to him, “Mr. Xenos, you still have a conference scheduled for this afternoon.”
Alexander stared at Sophia’s back before glaring at Felix. “Do you think I’ve forgotten about the conference? I don’t need you to remind me. I’ll be there on time. Get the meeting details ready and send them to my email.”
After saying that, Alexander immediately chased after Sophia without giving Felix another glance.
It was not Alexander’s first time taking a subway. However, it had been a couple of years since he had last boarded the subway, and he thought he still had to purchase the tickets with loose change.
Thus, when Sophia was about to pay for her ticket, he decisively pressed the plus button, increasing the ticket number from one to two. Sophia could only watch that happen before her eyes.
She frowned and stared at Alexander without saying a thing, but she did pause from paying for the tickets.
Is he out of his mind? The subway ticket doesn’t even cost that much. So why is he expecting me to pay for his ticket?
Sophia looked at Alexander, but he did not feel embarrassed at all. Instead, he calmly said, “I didn’t bring enough loose change with me.”
Hearing that, Sophia could not help but let out a chuckle.
Giving Alexander an amused look, she took out her phone and paid it through her digital wallet.
After getting the tickets, Sophia did not bother to stand on ceremony as she said, “The ticket costs seven dollars and fifty cents.”
Alexander took out his phone and transferred the ticket fee to her digital wallet. He then followed her to board the subway.
Everyone else was still busy at work or school at this hour. It was rare for someone like Alexander to experience taking the subway with Sophia during this time.
The subway was always packed with people getting to work or off work, but it was rather empty when Alexander and Sophia boarded the train.
Sophia deliberately picked a twin seat and placed her bag on the seat next to her. The empty space was obviously not enough to fit another adult.
However, Alexander was not someone with an ordinary mindset. He took her bag in his hands and sat down next to her.
With his tall frame and slender legs, the spacious two-person seat suddenly felt somewhat cramped for Sophia.
She tilted her head to look at him. “Don’t you see there are other empty seats around us?”
“Those empty seats don’t have you sitting next to me.”
Alexander had a wicked tongue, but he was also an expert in making cheesy pickup lines.
Sophia smacked her lips and moved to the other side, forcibly putting almost ten centimeters between them.
The ride took up an hour and a half of their time, but the subway station was still three kilometers away from the mansion.
It was raining and hailing outside.
Sophia had spent the last five minutes trying to book a taxi on her phone, but no driver was willing to accept her booking.
After Alexander hung up his phone, he saw that she was still trying to hail a taxi on her phone. He asked, “Do you need my help?”
“No, it’s fine.”
She did not bother to even look up at him.
Alexander walked up to her and reached out to pull her.
Sophia was forced to take a few steps backward after being pulled away by him. She turned to look at him and said, “I’ll call the police if you dare touch me again without my consent.”
She looked serious about that.
Alexander knew Sophia was not kidding when she said that. The last time when Kristen and Thalia had caused a scene in front of her house, Sophia had also mentioned calling the police, and she did make the police report in the end.
“It’s raining heavily out there. You should stand further inside to avoid being drenched in the rain.”
Sophia looked at the rain that was splashing in and remained silent.
She figured she would not be able to hail a taxi in this weather, so she put her phone away in the bag.
It did not take long for Alexander’s car to arrive. His black Bentley was the iconic symbol of his wealthy background. Sophia did not even have to guess that it was his ride.
His driver walked toward them with a black umbrella and was startled when he saw her. “Greetings, Mr. Xenox, Ms. Yarrow.”
Sophia hummed in response and looked away, distracting herself by staring at the subway advertisement billboard next to them.
Alexander walked away with his driver. Turning back around, Sophia watched as his figure disappeared in the rain and mist. She figured Alexander might be tired of showing his kindness to her already.
Lowering her head and staring at her ankle boots, she lifted the corner of her lips and smiled wryly. I knew it…
“Let’s go.”
All of a sudden, the man who had walked away had returned to her side with a black umbrella.
Alexander held back his urge to caress her face and said, “It’s hard to get a taxi in this weather. I’ll send you back.”
Sophia stared at the roadside. Not wanting to torture herself by refusing this kind offer, she said, “Thanks.”
The umbrella was huge, but it was not big enough to cover two adults.
Sophia wanted to keep some distance from Alexander. However, after walking a few steps away, she suddenly felt a weight pressing on her shoulders. Then she heard him saying, “The rain is too heavy.”
His excuse was reasonable. Sophia glanced at him, but she did not say anything to refute that.
The heater inside the car was turned on. After Sophia got inside the car, she finally felt her cold limbs warming up.
Alexander handed her a handkerchief. Sophia was suddenly reminded of the incident where she was pushed into the swimming pool. At that time, she saw Alexander running in her direction and taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, but the handkerchief was not meant for her. Instead, he gave it to Thalia’s best friend, who, ironically, was the person who had pushed her into the swimming pool.
That day, her heart was warmed when she saw him coming over to her. She was overjoyed when she saw him taking out the handkerchief. However, once she saw him giving his handkerchief to someone else, she felt as though someone had thrown a basket of cold water on her on a winter day.
She felt coldness wrapping around her at that moment.
Thinking back on the memories, Sophia schooled her features into calmness. She did not take the handkerchief and instead took a pack of tissue papers from her bag and wiped her hands and boots with the tissue papers.
Katherine bought the boots for Sophia in Pillere. They were said to be made of genuine leather. Unfortunately, the leather boots had already been damaged after she had worn them in the rain last night and just now.
Sophia’s changes of emotions took place in less than a couple of seconds.
Yet, Alexander could still feel the changes in her emotions. He turned around to look at her. Sophia’s scent had filled the air in the relatively small car.
He was reminded of that moment in the plane where she had leaned against him and fallen asleep. He swallowed a lump in his throat and said, “I haven’t given anyone this handkerchief before.”
In fact, his handkerchiefs were all for one-time use only. He would toss a handkerchief away once another person had used it.
Alexander thought that was her concern.
Sophia looked at him and snorted. “Do you still remember three years ago when Thalia and her best friend pushed me into the swimming pool at Old Mr. Queen’s birthday party?”
Alexander was startled for a moment. Then he lowered his gaze, covering the regret in his eyes as he said, “I do.”
“That day, when I was pulled out of the swimming pool by someone else, I saw you squeezing through the crowd and walking in my direction. I thought you were coming for me. At that time, I was hopeless and delusional, but I was about to think I could forgive you for everything you did, including your indifference toward me. I was about to cry when I saw you take out your handkerchief, but you gave it to someone else instead.”
She had been so naïve back then to think that he had gone to give her the handkerchief. He was, after all, her husband.
However, when the handkerchief was passed to Thalia’s best friend right before her eyes, Sophia had the urge to jump back inside the swimming pool to sober herself up and recognize the harsh reality.
Alexander remembered what had happened that day. Noticing the wry smile on Sophia’s face, he said helplessly, “Although I have let you down that night, I hope you can hear me out. It’s not what you think it is.”
He paused before continuing, “I only gave her the handkerchief because her makeup was ruined, and she looked hideous when she was talking to me.”
He had to admit that he had ignored Sophia’s feelings that night.
“I’m sorry.”
It was my fault.
