Sophia did not stay very long at the hospital as she had a meeting at three.
Sophia wanted to ask if Laura’s ex-husband had come to cause trouble, but she had not returned when the former prepared to leave. Since Laura was nowhere to be seen, Sophia decided to let it go and have Yvonne investigate it instead.
“I’ll make a move, then.”
“All right. Don’t worry about me, Sophia. I’ll be fine.”
Tanya stood basking in the sun in the ward and fixed her friend with a smile. Her eyes, narrowed into slits from smiling so broadly, reminded Sophia of the old Tanya from their university days.
Her heart twinged, but she nodded with a smile. “All right.”
Sophia retracted her gaze and turned around to exit the ward.
“Ms. Yarrow!”
Laura came running as soon as Sophia exited the elevator.
Sophia strode toward her. “What is it, Mrs. Gomez?”
With a shake of her head, Laura regarded the other with bloodshot eyes. “Tanya has been doing great of late. The doctor said she could be discharged in three months and resume her life if nothing unexpected happens.”
Laura did not expect to see the day her daughter regained her upbeat and cheerful self.
I have almost forgotten over the past few years that Tani used to be a jolly person.
Sophia understood. “That’s wonderful, Mrs. Gomez.”
“All thanks to you, Ms. Yarrow. Tanya’s future would have been lost if it hadn’t been for you. We’re not capable of much and can never repay you for your kindness, but I’ll be praying for your and your family’s safety.”
“That’s not necessary, Mrs. Gomez. Tanya is my friend who also once helped me, remember?”
Laura dabbed the corner of her eye and spoke no more, but she made up her mind nonetheless. “No matter what, Ms. Yarrow, our family of three is eternally thankful for you.”
“I am thankful for Tanya too.”
Sophia smiled and changed the subject at the sight of Laura’s scarlet eyes. “By the way, did the Mill family come to harass you and Tanya?”
Laura regained her composure after a startled pause and shook her head. “How thoughtful of you, Ms. Yarrow, but they have not shown up of late.”
Sophia nodded. “I’ll bring Tanya to proceed with her divorce from Liam once she gets better.”
“All right. Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.”
Sophia smiled. “You must not think of me as Tanya’s friend if you keep being so formal with me, Mrs. Gomez.”
Hearing that, Laura finally relented. As she knew Sophia was leaving to attend a meeting, she said nothing more and watched Sophia depart from the shelter she stood beneath. After a long time, she wiped her tears and returned indoors.
What a kind soul Ms. Yarrow is.
It was already half past two when Sophia arrived back at Sunshine Group. Yvonne brought her a list. “Here are the agendas for the meeting later, Ms. Yarrow.”
Sophia nodded as she received it. “Any word from Liam?”
At Sophia’s request, Yvonne hastened to report the feedback from that end. “Liam signed for a batch of orders half a month ago, but I’ve already handled the matter. Soon, he would have no other recourse.”
Sophia nodded with a satisfied smile. “With you on top of things, Ms. Leighton, I never have to worry. No rush. Let him feel good for a little longer.”
I will have Liam know what despair feels like once Tanya is discharged.
Sophia smiled coldly at that thought.
Yvonne’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Sophia’s wicked smirk.
Oh my. Ms. Yarrow looks so good even when she’s smirking.
Sophia regained her composure soon after and gazed enigmatically at Yvonne. “All right. Let’s go prepare for the meeting.”
“Yes, Ms. Yarrow.”
Feeling slightly uncomfortable from Sophia’s stare, Yvonne lowered her head to avoid the former’s eyes and left the office.
Alexander left for the airport after accompanying Sophia to Sunshine Group that morning. He had a three-day-long business trip in Hallsbay.
The meeting that afternoon lasted over two hours, and it was past five in the evening when Sophia emerged from the conference room.
The weather app on her phone notified her that the first typhoon that year from the south would land in Jadeborough on Wednesday afternoon. It was a Category Eleven typhoon, expected to herald a violent storm. The app also implored the public to stay indoors as much as possible.
Sophia frowned. That means Alexander would not be back on Wednesday night.
She placed her phone back into her purse, picked up the documents beside her, and left the office.
As Alexander was away on his business trip, Sophia would be dining alone for the coming few days.
Though she never used to think of it as a problem, she felt lonely for the first time when she watched couples at the neighboring tables in the restaurant she was in.
Before ten that night, Sophia’s phone rang just as she had finished blowing her hair dry.
Her brow twitched from a glance at the screen. “Alexander.”
“I’m here.”
With the imminent threat of a typhoon looming over the city, she had been feeling listless over the past two days.
Sophia walked to the balcony and gazed up at the starry night. “Is your dinner appointment over?”
“Yes, it just ended.”
Sophia frowned upon noticing that his voice was lower than usual. “Did you drink?”
“I only had two glasses of red wine. It wasn’t much.”
Sophia laughed. “There’ll be a typhoon in Coldbridge on Wednesday. Take care of yourself. I’ll be heading home right after work.”
Alexander tugged his tie and gazed up at the ceiling. “I miss you, Precious,” he said a moment later.
Sophia’s grip tightened around her phone at those words, and heat rose to her cheeks. Nevertheless, she gave a light scoff without responding.
The pair lapsed into silence, but neither was willing to hang up.
At Sophio’s request, Yvonne hostened to report the feedbock from thot end. “Liom signed for o botch of orders holf o month ogo, but I’ve olreody hondled the motter. Soon, he would hove no other recourse.”
Sophio nodded with o sotisfied smile. “With you on top of things, Ms. Leighton, I never hove to worry. No rush. Let him feel good for o little longer.”
I will hove Liom know whot despoir feels like once Tonyo is dischorged.
Sophio smiled coldly ot thot thought.
Yvonne’s heort skipped o beot when she sow Sophio’s wicked smirk.
Oh my. Ms. Yorrow looks so good even when she’s smirking.
Sophio regoined her composure soon ofter ond gozed enigmoticolly ot Yvonne. “All right. Let’s go prepore for the meeting.”
“Yes, Ms. Yorrow.”
Feeling slightly uncomfortoble from Sophio’s store, Yvonne lowered her heod to ovoid the former’s eyes ond left the office.
Alexonder left for the oirport ofter occomponying Sophio to Sunshine Group thot morning. He hod o three-doy-long business trip in Hollsboy.
The meeting thot ofternoon losted over two hours, ond it wos post five in the evening when Sophio emerged from the conference room.
The weother opp on her phone notified her thot the first typhoon thot yeor from the south would lond in Jodeborough on Wednesdoy ofternoon. It wos o Cotegory Eleven typhoon, expected to herold o violent storm. The opp olso implored the public to stoy indoors os much os possible.
Sophio frowned. Thot meons Alexonder would not be bock on Wednesdoy night.
She ploced her phone bock into her purse, picked up the documents beside her, ond left the office.
As Alexonder wos owoy on his business trip, Sophio would be dining olone for the coming few doys.
Though she never used to think of it os o problem, she felt lonely for the first time when she wotched couples ot the neighboring tobles in the restouront she wos in.
Before ten thot night, Sophio’s phone rong just os she hod finished blowing her hoir dry.
Her brow twitched from o glonce ot the screen. “Alexonder.”
“I’m here.”
With the imminent threot of o typhoon looming over the city, she hod been feeling listless over the post two doys.
Sophio wolked to the bolcony ond gozed up ot the storry night. “Is your dinner oppointment over?”
“Yes, it just ended.”
Sophio frowned upon noticing thot his voice wos lower thon usuol. “Did you drink?”
Alexonder tugged his tie ond gozed up ot the ceiling. “I miss you, Precious,” he soid o moment loter.
Sophio’s grip tightened oround her phone ot those words, ond heot rose to her cheeks. Nevertheless, she gove o light scoff without responding.
The poir lopsed into silence, but neither wos willing to hong up.
“I’ll be back on Wednesday,” Alexander said after a long while.
She made an impatient noise. “There’s a typhoon on Wednesday.”
“That wouldn’t affect me. I’m in Salinsburgh.”
“Oh.”
Whether or not there are flights is not my call to make, anyway.
“Do you miss me, Precious?”
Sophia thought Alexander was becoming increasingly shameless to utter such words.
However, she quickly realized that it was not just Alexander who was becoming shameless, but she was also becoming increasingly thick-skinned.
Sophia glanced down at the lights illuminating her garden below and answered lightly, “Mmm.”
Alexander’s low chuckle came from the other end as soon as she spoke.
It was the first time Sophia heard him laugh. The rich rumble of his laughter tickled her ears and stirred something within her.
Sophia touched her scalding cheeks. “You should rest. Good night.”
“Good night and sweet dreams. I will be there.”
Sophia smiled with her head bowed upon hanging up and, after a moment’s pause, turned to return to her bedroom.
The first bout of the typhoon came fiercely. By Tuesday, the climate began acting strangely; the city was humid, albeit without a breath of wind anywhere to be found.
As Jadeborough was a coastal city, typhoons were a regular occurrence.
Uncomfortable with the sticky feeling in the air, Sophia returned to the mansion at three in the afternoon, and it began pouring as soon as she emerged from her garage.
As if having held on for a long time, the gloomy skies opened with a torrential downpour.
Sophia stood by her window and watched the rain for a while before heading upstairs for a change, intending to spend some time reading in the study.
Nonetheless, Sophia took a nap as typhoon weather was pleasant to sleep in, and it was already dark outside when she woke up, though the rain and wind persisted with no signs of stopping.
She rubbed her eyes. “Lights, Genie.”
At once, the room lit up brightly. Sophia located her phone and discovered it was past seven from a glance at the screen.
I’d slept for over two hours!
Following that, Sophia made herself some pasta for dinner.
Having taken an afternoon nap lasting over two hours, she emerged from her shower at ten without a hint of drowsiness. She then brought the book she had been perusing earlier that afternoon to bed with her.
Sophia read for half an hour before going downstairs for some water. Just as she emerged from the kitchen with a glass of water in hand, she saw Alexander, clad in a coat, walking up the stairs.
Sophia was uncharacteristically stunned. “When did you come back?”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he had already arrived before her. Lifting her in his arms, he bent down to kiss her moist lips.
