Sophie Winslow’s emotions were on the verge of spiraling completely out of control. A potent mix of embarrassment, disgust, anger, and panic left her utterly exhausted. Still, she knew exactly what she was doing. Only by acting out in the extreme would they stop forcing her to unlock her phone. She was a woman with a secret, and she couldn’t afford to gamble even a fraction of it.
Even Evan York was momentarily taken aback. He wondered if Sophie was being a bit too dramatic and if it was really necessary to go this far just over checking a phone.
For a moment, even Seth Sutton forgot to keep up his fake wailing. He turned his head from Stella Sutton’s embrace to stare at Sophie.
Julian Sterling’s expression barely changed, but his darkening eyes resembled a frigid winter night, devoid of the slightest trace of warmth. His gaze, previously locked on Sophie’s face, slowly shifted to the shattered remains of the phone.
"It seems I’m not allowed to look?" Julian remarked.
Sophie had never been one to easily lose control of her emotions. Her behavior today made it seem as though there was some unspeakable secret hidden in that device. The atmosphere instantly grew rigid.
Ignoring everyone’s reactions and leaving Julian’s question unanswered, Sophie bent down to pick up the broken phone. She then turned to Stella. "No one likes taking grotesque photos, nor does anyone want to save filthy things on their phone. You opened your mouth and immediately resorted to slander. Furthermore, no one likes having their privacy violated. Since you started this mess, you are going to pay for the phone."
Stella frowned immediately. "I wasn’t the one who smashed it. Can you be reasonable for once?"
Sophie wiped the dust off the device. "He’s not your husband, yet you scrambled to sleep with him anyway. After acting like a thief and reaping all the benefits, now you want to talk about being reasonable?"
Stella’s expression instantly turned cold. Sophie was dripping with sarcasm; she was utterly unpresentable!
Julian also knew those words were harsh. His deep eyes sharpened as he warned, "Do I need to teach you how to watch your language?" Lately, Sophie seemed to have grown a spine of sheer rebellion—or perhaps she had always possessed this kind of temperament.
His protectiveness over the other woman was glaringly obvious. Sophie clenched her fists. "Oh, my apologies. I forgot that your Miss Sutton is somewhat of a public figure and can’t be associated with a scandal about hooking up with a cousin. I’ll keep that in mind next time."
Stella’s expression changed again. Sophie was being entirely too undignified! She couldn’t help but look up to gauge Julian’s reaction. Fortunately, he was completely unmoved by what he surely viewed as Sophie’s deliberate ploy for attention. His eyes remained ruthless and even flashed with displeasure. Seeing this, Stella finally raised an eyebrow in relief.
Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps echoed down the corridor. A waiter from the entertainment center came jogging up. Oblivious to the inexplicably tense atmosphere, he followed his manager’s instructions and immediately located Sophie. "Miss Winslow, correct? Your date is waiting for you in the private booth on the fourth floor for dinner. If it’s convenient, you may head up at your leisure."
The moment the words left his mouth, several pairs of eyes instantly converged on Sophie. No one had anticipated this turn of events.
Evan was the first to burst into laughter. Crossing his arms, he tilted his head at Sophie with an unrestrained, cynical grin. "Miss Winslow, I’m genuinely impressed now. You really are quite something."
He assumed she had thrown that massive tantrum just moments ago, only to hire someone to put on a show for her now. A date? How could she possibly have one? It was undoubtedly just another one of Sophie’s tricks, a fabricated person meant to save face. After all, Sophie was Julian’s wife. What right did she have—and how would she even dare—to associate with another man? A legal marriage was protected by law; it wasn’t something she could just trample on.
"Julian doesn’t seem to be falling for your little act," Evan continued, his brow slightly raised as he glanced at Julian’s completely unbothered expression. "Why don’t you learn some actual practical skills instead? For example, there’s a perfect teacher right in front of you. Miss Sutton could definitely help you find a proper foothold in society. Don’t resort to these cheap tricks just to attract a man’s attention."
Those words were undeniably a brutal stab to the heart. Stella subtly curled the corners of her lips. At least in terms of capability and social standing, Sophie wouldn’t be able to catch up to her even if she had ten lifetimes. Sophie merely had a marriage certificate, and sooner or later, Julian was going to hand her a divorce certificate anyway.
Julian clearly had no interest in watching whatever play Sophie was trying to put on, and naturally, he didn’t care in the slightest about her supposed "date" with another man. Shifting his long legs, he replied with a cool, indifferent tone, "Let her be."
Stella was highly satisfied with Julian’s reaction. At the very least, it proved that Sophie’s scheme hadn’t succeeded. However, she suddenly smiled and asked, "When I was on a video call with Julian earlier, I saw you getting hit by his Second Aunt. Are you feeling any better now?"
Caught off guard by the mention of such a humiliating incident, Sophie silently chewed over Stella’s use of the address "Second Aunt." Not long ago, that woman had been Stella’s prospective mother-in-law. Now that Stella was tagging along with Julian, she had certainly changed her tune quickly. But it was painfully obvious that Stella was only bringing this up to humiliate her under the guise of fake concern.
"I’m sorry. When it comes down to it, you ended up taking the fall for me," Stella apologized with an air of magnanimity.
Evan couldn’t help but be curious. "What happened?"
Stella looked up at Julian, who stood by her side. "Let’s not talk about it. Julian was just trying to protect me at the time."
Watching this tender lovers’ act, Sophie suddenly lost her urgency to leave. She nodded in agreement. "Since you admit that I took the fall for you, that means you owe me a slap. So, I’ll be taking it back."
Without giving anyone a chance to react, Sophie raised her hand and, using every ounce of her strength, swung it viciously toward Stella’s beautiful face.
Stella’s face paled drastically. For a moment, she completely forgot to react.
Sophie had put her entire body into the strike, practically winding up her arm for the hit. Yet, when her hand was only inches away from Stella’s cheek, it was abruptly intercepted. A familiar, warm palm clamped tightly around Sophie’s wrist, instantly draining the momentum from her strike. Force was reciprocal; because her blow was stopped so abruptly, the energy rebounded up Sophie’s arm, sending a dull ache through her muscles.
She looked up and crashed directly into a pair of dark, brooding eyes.
"Sophie, enough is enough," Julian warned, staring down at her.
That look, that demeanor, and the way he shielded another woman snapped Sophie into a state of stark clarity. She had almost forgotten. Her soon-to-be ex-husband was standing right there. How could he possibly bear to see his precious golden girl get hurt even a little?
Whenever she was humiliated or hurt, Julian acted like a mere spectator. But the moment someone dared to offend Stella, it was as if his fundamental code had been triggered. To him, every pile of garbage outside smelled like roses. Honestly, it really was her fault for interrupting someone else’s feast of trash.
Sophie’s eyes stung with a dry, bitter ache, and she blinked slightly to ease the discomfort. Perhaps it was a physiological wave of nausea, but right now, she found even Julian’s touch entirely unbearable. She yanked her hand free. Unwilling to waste another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.
Julian watched her from the corner of his eye for a brief moment. For some reason, the fleeting thumbnail he had glimpsed in Sophie’s phone gallery drifted into his mind. It looked like a pretty little girl. However, the thought only lingered for a second. Sophie liked children; it was probably just a photo she had saved from somewhere. With that conclusion, he tossed the matter to the back of his mind. He turned and walked into the private room, showing absolutely no intention of chasing after his wife to explain himself or coax her back.
The ugly expression that had previously marred Stella’s face was quickly replaced by a faint smile. Beside her, Seth also followed them into the room.
Sophie walked briskly to the elevator. She looked down at her broken phone, momentarily lost in thought. Footsteps sounded from behind, and a figure came to a halt beside her. She glanced over. Surprisingly, it was Evan York.
His posture was relaxed and casual, leaving it unclear whether he was here to laugh at her expense or simply had his own business to attend to. Sophie had zero interest in speaking to him, her expression remaining perfectly glacial. Evan, however, didn’t mind. After experiencing that farcical series of events, it was perfectly normal for Sophie to feel her pride wounded.
He lazily broke the silence. "It’s just a phone. Even if you’ve been a housewife for a few years, your horizons shouldn’t be this narrow. If you were as exceptionally capable as Stella and had the chance to see the real world, you wouldn’t be so petty and trapped in all this romantic melodrama. Did Julian not give you enough allowance? I’ll pay for the phone on her behalf, how about that?"
He was the kind of man who had dated more than his fair share of women, making him highly adept at reading their minds. He figured Sophie’s heart must be frying in hot oil right now. While he didn’t exactly hold her in high regard, she was still a woman. There was no need for things to get so ugly.
The elevator chimed and the doors slid open. Sophie finally shifted her gaze toward him and dropped a single parting line. "The king isn’t sweating, so why is the jester so worked up?"
The smirk on Evan’s lips instantly froze. Paying him no further mind, Sophie stepped into the elevator. The doors closed once more and began their slow descent, leaving an utterly disbelieving Evan behind to let out a breathy, exasperated laugh.