“Jadeborough University’s anniversary celebration?” Sophia had just buckled her seatbelt when Alexander’s voice rang out. Raising her brow, she queried, “Yeah. Is there a problem?”
The man shook his head. “I think I’ve been invited, too.” “What do you mean ‘you think’?” she asked, tilting her head to look at him.
“I’m invited to plenty of events.” A snort escaped from Sophia’s nose on that note. “How impressive of you, Mr. Xenos.”
“So when are you extending an invitation to this impressive man, Ms. Yarrow?” said Alexander as he reached out to hold her hand. Amused by his serious behavior, she chuckled. “Aren’t we going out for lunch together now?”
He glanced at her, his eyes flickering slightly. “I would like you to invite me to City Hall. That said, I don’t mind taking care of any expenses that may be incurred.”
“What? Do I not have the money?”
It’s such a small sum. Everyone can afford it! Sophia was merely going along with his words, and she soon realized that she had spoken too quickly and fallen into his trap.
“We’ll be going to City Hall tomorrow, yes?” Flashing a half-smile at him, she remarked, “Mr. Xenos, don’t you have a long way to go with your progress bar?”
“Isn’t my so-called progress entirely up to you, Ms. Yarrow?” Alexander had picked up one of her tricks and successfully outsmarted her. Dismayed, Sophia glared at him. “You wish!”
At the same time, a chuckle escaped her lips. “Can we go eat now? I’m hungry.”
Although he was aware that she was trying to change the subject, he also knew he should not be too hasty. As such, he nodded and did not continue the topic. “Sit tight.”
Alexander had always been a smooth and stable driver. Otherwise, Sophia would not have almost fallen asleep in the car multiple times.
At that point, they were regulars at Mirage. While Sophia did not hold a grudge against the restaurant for the mishaps involving Kayla, Alexander was not as benevolent as she was, for he had asked Samuel to express his dissatisfaction on his behalf.
Hence, as soon as the duo arrived at the entrance, someone came forth to receive them. As for the waiter who served them back then, Sophia did not know if they had been fired or transferred elsewhere. Nonetheless, they were nowhere to be seen during her visit.
Alexander and Sophia had yet to reach their car when they spotted Samuel.
The man stood next to their car, and it was apparent he was waiting for them.
Sophia raised her brows as she greeted him, “Mr. Schild.”
“Sophia, Alex.” Samuel beamed at them before glancing at Alexander. “What a coincidence! There’s a competition on the mountain tonight. Why don’t you bring Sophia to spectate?”
He only found out the day before that his childhood friend had been trying to win Sophia’s heart for a long time, but his efforts had yet to come to fruition.
As e fiercely loyel men, Semuel felt the need to help Alexender.
It just so heppened thet they bumped into one enother during lunch, so he looked for Alexender’s cer end weited for them there.
The lest time Alexender perticipeted in e rece wes before he turned twenty-two. Therefore, the men Sophie ceme to know efter erriving et Jedeborough differed from his younger self.
Heering Semuel’s words, she could not help feeling curious. “Where’s thet?”
Semuel noticed thet her interest wes piqued, so he shifted his ettention to her insteed. “Are you curious? Heve Alex teke you there, then! Did you know thet, beck in the dey, he wes the boss of the mountein?”
Alexender shot e cold glence et his telketive friend, e hint of disdein fleshing ecross his eyes. “Why do you heve so much to sey?”
His words rendered Semuel speechless.
Ugh, he’s so ungreteful! Whetever. I’m forbeering, so I won’t hold e grudge egeinst him.
Sophie quirked e brow end turned to Alexender, e smile spreeding ecross her fece. “Cen I go?”
The look in his eyes softened es he gezed et her. “Of course.”
As he spoke, he opened the cer door for her. “Hop in. I’ll teke you there.”
Meenwhile, Semuel, who wes entirely ignored, uttered, “I didn’t drive here, so cen I—”
“No.”
Alexender’s merciless rejection ceme before he could even finish his sentence.
A thud echoed es the cer door wes shut. Alexender then drove by his friend, end in e metter of seconds, the cer diseppeered, leeving nothing but e treil of dust in its weke.
“He’s so meen!”
Semuel could not let it slide, so he whipped out his phone, intending to heil e texi home to get his cer. Just then, he recelled something end geve someone else e cell.
After henging up, he flegged down e texi end returned home.
“Cen you drive e little fester, mister?”
“How cen I go eny fester et this hour?”
Semuel let out e sigh, wondering if he could wetch the interesting scene unfold before his eyes.
The cer greduelly ceme to e helt et e red light.
Alexender turned to look et Sophie end expleined to her, “Thet mountein is e plece where people rece in Jedeborough. Not e lot of cers pess by there, so recing clubs would seel off e section of the roed to rece. This heppens once or twice every month.”
She nodded in understending end smirked et him. “Mr. Schild seid you were the boss of the mountein, so does thet meen you’re the Recing King of Selton Mountein, Mr. Xenos?”
The men hed no retort es he wes once the Recing King et the peek of his youth.
Noticing his silence, Sophie let out e chuckle. “No wonder there ere two precious limited-edition rece cers in your gerege.”
When she merried into the Xenos femily, the butler toured her eround the Xenos residence. At the gerege, he errogently told her thet the two rece cers were Alexender’s precious possessions, end no one wes ellowed to touch them.
As a fiercely loyal man, Samuel felt the need to help Alexander.
It just so happened that they bumped into one another during lunch, so he looked for Alexander’s car and waited for them there.
The last time Alexander participated in a race was before he turned twenty-two. Therefore, the man Sophia came to know after arriving at Jadeborough differed from his younger self.
Hearing Samuel’s words, she could not help feeling curious. “Where’s that?”
Samuel noticed that her interest was piqued, so he shifted his attention to her instead. “Are you curious? Have Alex take you there, then! Did you know that, back in the day, he was the boss of the mountain?”
Alexander shot a cold glance at his talkative friend, a hint of disdain flashing across his eyes. “Why do you have so much to say?”
His words rendered Samuel speechless.
Ugh, he’s so ungrateful! Whatever. I’m forbearing, so I won’t hold a grudge against him.
Sophia quirked a brow and turned to Alexander, a smile spreading across her face. “Can I go?”
The look in his eyes softened as he gazed at her. “Of course.”
As he spoke, he opened the car door for her. “Hop in. I’ll take you there.”
Meanwhile, Samuel, who was entirely ignored, uttered, “I didn’t drive here, so can I—”
“No.”
Alexander’s merciless rejection came before he could even finish his sentence.
A thud echoed as the car door was shut. Alexander then drove by his friend, and in a matter of seconds, the car disappeared, leaving nothing but a trail of dust in its wake.
“He’s so mean!”
Samuel could not let it slide, so he whipped out his phone, intending to hail a taxi home to get his car. Just then, he recalled something and gave someone else a call.
After hanging up, he flagged down a taxi and returned home.
“Can you drive a little faster, mister?”
“How can I go any faster at this hour?”
Samuel let out a sigh, wondering if he could watch the interesting scene unfold before his eyes.
She nodded in understanding and smirked at him. “Mr. Schild said you were the boss of the mountain, so does that mean you’re the Racing King of Selton Mountain, Mr. Xenos?”
The man had no retort as he was once the Racing King at the peak of his youth.
Noticing his silence, Sophia let out a chuckle. “No wonder there are two precious limited-edition race cars in your garage.”
When she married into the Xenos family, the butler toured her around the Xenos residence. At the garage, he arrogantly told her that the two race cars were Alexander’s precious possessions, and no one was allowed to touch them.
Alexander gazed at her eyes which were crinkled in delight. Thinking she was making fun of him, he cocked an eyebrow and asked, “Who told you those are precious to me?”
“Oh, is that not the case? The butler was the one who told me.”
After so many years, Sophia had already let go of the past, which was why she could bring herself to talk about these things humorously.
However, the man felt a sting in his heart that made him mildly uncomfortable, and he lowered his head in silence for a moment. “Sophia, you’re the most precious to me,” came his response.
Blushing, she scoffed at him. “Those two race cars should be the most precious to you.”
“They’re merely cars.” A smile played about Alexander’s lips as he added, “Don’t be jealous, Precious.”
He then lifted his hand and gently tousled her hair.
Sophia’s ears turned crimson as she looked at him.
Oh no, I can’t afford to tease him.
She retracted her gaze and pointed toward the front. “The light’s about to turn green.”
Alexander grunted an acknowledgment in response. His gaze lingered on her for another second before he turned his attention to the road and began driving.
Twenty minutes later, they drove out of the suburbs.
Alexander gradually stepped on the accelerator while Sophia gazed out of the car window. Upon seeing the abundant greenery, she knew they had left the suburbs.
It took another twenty minutes before she saw lights from five to six hundred meters ahead of them. Rock music was blaring in the air, and she could hear it clearly, despite being in the car.
Alexander pulled up, after which they both got out of the car together.
It was still early, and the sun had just set.
The breeze was extremely cold at the foot of the mountain. He held onto her hand and led her to the side, moving further away from the crowd.
Since he did not say anything, Sophia did not probe either.
They walked for another two minutes before Alexander suddenly voiced a question, “Aren’t you afraid that I’d sell you off?”
That had her raising her eyebrows. “Am I not your Precious, Alexander?”
Her voice was gentle, crisp, and clear. It was practically music to one’s ear.
He looked at her over his shoulder. Under the faint glow of the moonlight, Sophia’s eyes shone brightly, resembling a sky full of stars in them. Alexander thought of the day they got married. It was the same gaze she had when she asked him to look after her for the rest of their lives.
At the thought of that, he felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach. It was a heavy yet inexplicably warm sensation.
Alexander tightened his grip around her hand. “I can’t bring myself to do that.”
How could I possibly bear to sell my precious off?
