Hence, the dutiful Felix had to make several late-night phone calls to enquire how to care for roses bought on the street. After that, he compiled the information and typed it all out before sending it to Alexander.
It turned out it was not all that difficult. Nonetheless, whether or not the flowers could be kept alive still partially depended on luck.
Initially, Sophia had thought Alexander was merely kidding. To her surprise, he carefully followed the information Felix had given after they returned to the mansion, dividing the flowers into three bunches and using different methods to keep them fresh for each.
It was her first time seeing a tall man like him wielding scissors to trim the stems of roses. She took a sip of water and walked over to him. Unable to hold it in any longer, she said, “Let me do it.”
“Okay.” He passed it to her, then stepped aside to watch.
She snorted. “Are you worried I don’t know what I’m doing?”
“No.” He paused briefly, then glanced up at her. “You’re prettier than the flowers.”
That’s why I can’t help but look.
Her hand holding the scissors shook slightly at his words.
“Don’t go picking up tips from Mr. Schild.” She trimmed another stalk of rose before adding, “Until now, he still doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
That’s why you shouldn’t learn from him.
He murmured an acknowledgment. Suddenly, he hugged her from behind and said, “I have a girlfriend.”
He said it in such a smug tone that she raised her brows and burst out laughing. “How amazing of you.”
“I agree,” he replied without a shred of shame.
Meanwhile, Samuel was leaving Midway Media after working late when he sneezed a few times consecutively. “Did I catch a cold?” he wondered aloud before quickly dismissing the thought. That doesn’t make sense. Not in this hot weather!
After lunch the following day, Alexander sent Sophia to the airport.
As she waited to go through security, he stood next to the line and kept his gaze fixed on her the entire time. For a split second, it reminded her of the big dog her family had more than ten years ago. Every time she got back from school, it would also look at her in a similar manner.
It makes my heart ache to see him looking at me like that. However, I’m only going to Doveston for three days. No, not even that. I’ll be returning to Jadeborough the day after my birthday.
When she got to the front of the line, she withdrew her gaze and stepped forward. Due to the divider, neither she nor Alexander could see each other. As soon as she had passed the security check, her phone suddenly vibrated upon receiving a text message from Alexander.
Tapping to read the message, she could not help but smile. She responded with a brief reply, then put away her phone.
She did not have to wait long before boarding the plane. The flight took around two hours, and by the time she landed, it was already past six o’clock.
Right after she turned on her phone, she got a call from Lukas.
“Lukas?”
“I’m at gate A13.”
“Okay. I’ll come out now.” She hung up, sent Alexander a text message, then hurried toward the airport exit.
She spotted Lukas from afar. He was usually busy on Fridays, so she had not thought he would come to pick her up. Feeling somewhat flattered, she asked, “Why did you come personally?”
“I had some free time.” Raising his head and casting her a glance, he added, “You seem to have gotten thinner.”
“I didn’t. My weight is still the same,” she answered in embarrassment.
“It’s better for women to put on a little more weight.” To him, she was still a little too thin.
She laughed. “I don’t do diets.”
The cousins chatted as they headed to the parking lot. She had only just fastened her seatbelt when she heard him say, “I’ve heard some rumors about Alexander recently.”
Her heart lurched. “Oh?”
His gaze flitted toward her. As he drove, he continued, “You already know about this, don’t you? He’s not related to Zachary by blood.”
Sophia pressed her lips together briefly. “I like him for who he is, not for his family.”
“Even if he were really a Xenos, he wouldn’t be good enough for you.” In other words, Lukas meant that without the Xenos family, Alexander was even more undeserving of her.
“Lukas, I genuinely like him a lot,” she replied. Finding a well-matched partner in terms of socioeconomic status is important, but how one feels about the other is also crucial. When I liked him before, it was only a one-sided affair. At that time, it felt as though my feelings for him were merely an illusion, unable to grasp it. But now, they’re being reciprocated. The more I spend time with him, the deeper my feelings become. Even though that three-year marriage was a failure, there’s no denying that I have good taste in men. There’s no way a man I like would turn out to be all that bad. We’re getting increasingly compatible now, aren’t we?
“If that’s the case, he’ll have to mentally prepare himself to be put through the mill by Grandpa.”
Hearing that, she chuckled. “He’s all prepared.”
Lukas snorted coldly in response, then fell silent.
Susan had dropped by the mansion several times after the previous incident, but Kylie had never been around. It could not be any more obvious what that meant. Now, she had come with her brothers under the pretense of asking if they could help with anything for Perrin’s upcoming birthday celebration, never expecting she would bump into Sophia.
News about Sophia’s and Alexander’s relationship had spread like wildfire within the industry. It never crossed Susan’s mind that Sophia, someone who popped up out of nowhere, would not only end up gaining favor from Alexander but also from the major shareholders of both companies. Susan did not know much about business matters, but others in her family did. The future of technology was boundless. Thus, as one of the founders of Technology Innovations, the money Sophia could potentially make was also limitless.
That previous incident doesn’t seem to have hurt her in the slightest. Seeing her now after a few months have passed, she’s clearly doing much better than I imagined.
Focusing her gaze on Lukas, she asked, “Did you have to work overtime today as well?”
“No. I went to pick Sophia up,” he answered, glancing at her indifferently.
Her expression stiffened at his reply, and she gritted her teeth as she glared at Sophia.
At that moment, Kylie said to the three siblings, “It’s getting late. As your parents must be waiting for you for dinner, we won’t keep you.”
After saying that, she flashed a smile at Sophia.
It was the first time they had been asked to leave in such a manner. It’s already time for dinner, yet they don’t even bother to invite us to stay for a meal!
Unwilling to be driven away just like, Susan replied, “Our parents are out having a date night today, Aunt Kylie. Mmm, something smells good! Did you make grilled pork today? You wouldn’t mind if the three of us stayed for dinner, would you? My brothers and I haven’t eaten with your family in ages!”
Given what Susan said, Kylie could not possibly insist that they leave. Hence, she responded with a smile, “How silly of you to say that. We always cook more. I only said you should go home because I thought your parents were waiting. Since you don’t have anything to eat at home, you should join us.”
Susan shot Sophia a triumphant look upon hearing that. Seemingly wanting to gloat further, she went to loop her arm through Kylie’s. “Aunt Kylie is still the best.”
As she spoke, she arched an eyebrow smugly at Sophia.
“Your mother would hit you if she heard what you just said,” Kylie said with a smile as she pulled Susan’s hand away. That action felt like a slap in the face for the latter.
Glancing at Susan in amusement, Sophia proceeded to head upstairs to look for Perrin.
