He had kindly come over to comfort her. Did Sophie Winslow not know what was good for her? Evan York couldn’t help but frown. He also felt that chasing after her was completely baffling. It was as if he had been hexed!
Sophie didn’t take Evan’s matter to heart. After going downstairs, she arrived at the so-called private seating area. She didn’t see anyone there.
The waiter who had just come up to remind her that her date was still waiting walked over again. "Miss Winslow, I apologize. I was just following my manager’s orders."
Sophie was smart, and she instantly saw through the convoluted scheme. The so-called "date" had never existed in the first place. Madam Sterling had intentionally arranged this entire charade. First, she set up a meeting between Sophie and Julian Sterling in the private room so they would naturally dine together. Then, she fabricated an imaginary man to provoke Julian’s jealousy as a husband. It was obvious that Madam Sterling hadn’t given up and still wanted to reconcile them. However, she probably hadn’t anticipated how today would actually unfold. On this carefully constructed stage, it wasn’t just Sophie and Julian—there was also his destined true love, Stella Sutton.
Sophie turned and said to the waiter, "It’s fine, go back to your work."
She had originally come today to make things clear anyway, so since this person didn’t exist, it saved her the effort. Actually, she also knew that Madam Sterling going to such lengths didn’t necessarily mean she liked Sophie that much. It was nothing more than worrying that the Sterling Family would have no peace because of her divorce from Julian. After all, Charles Sterling hadn’t committed a capital crime, and the Sterling Family had pulled some strings. He would likely be released very soon. Madam Sterling was afraid of unexpected complications. But whatever plans and schemes they had, Sophie couldn’t be bothered to care anymore.
Since she was already here, Sophie didn’t plan on going back on an empty stomach. In life, one couldn’t be dictated by emotions. She still had to live her own life well. Who could survive a lifetime relying entirely on love as their spiritual sustenance?
Sophie ordered her favorite dishes, sat down earnestly, and filled her stomach bite by bite. She didn’t care about the gazes falling on her from the people coming and going. They probably thought she was pitiful eating alone in a place like this. But she didn’t feel that way herself. Over the past few years, Julian flew abroad most often, and she was always alone anyway.
After eating, Sophie went downstairs to hail a ride. Her own car was an ordinary sedan; previously, to prove to the Sterling Family that she wasn’t after their wealth and power, she never lived extravagantly. That car had been driven for quite a few years now. It was so old that it frequently broke down with fatal issues. It was currently parked in the garage of the residential complex where she rented an apartment. Just like people, time wouldn’t erase inherent problems; instead, it acted like a revealing mirror, slowly exposing the decay and cracks until even basic decency could no longer be maintained.
The night wind was cruel, sweeping against her face like needles. Sophie confirmed the location of her ride-hailing car.
CLICK.
The crisp sound of a metal lighter came from her side.
Sophie turned her head and saw Julian standing there, having arrived at some unknown point. His coat was draped over his arm, as if he were immune to the biting wind. The collar of his white shirt fluttered in the breeze, his sharp jawline slightly raised as he glanced carelessly in her direction.
Sophie hadn’t expected to bump into him again after dinner. Even though they had been married for seven years, standing alone with just a few meters between them at this moment felt exceptionally alienating. Julian was probably waiting for someone or a car. He didn’t hold what had happened earlier against her. Nor did he say a word.
Just as Sophie assumed they would part ways in silence, Julian unhurriedly asked, "Have you settled on a house?"
This question hit upon Sophie’s most taboo subject. After all, she had used the excuse of buying a house to trick Julian into signing that agreement. His sudden "concern" inevitably made her feel an unspeakable sense of guilt.
"No," Sophie casually replied. Seeing Stella walking toward them from a short distance away, she added, "Are you available to help me pick one out now?"
Julian shot her a thoughtful sideways glance, neither agreeing nor refusing. From behind, Stella’s voice rang out. "Julian, let’s go."
Sophie looked over. Stella’s eyes harbored a hint of displeasure. She was clearly unhappy that the original wife was taking up her boyfriend’s time.
Julian made his choice almost instantly. "Mhm. Get in the car."
He turned and walked toward Stella. He didn’t say anything, but Sophie knew this was a rejection. After all, Julian wouldn’t delay keeping Stella company just to help her look at houses.
Stella’s expression softened slightly as she cast a glance at Sophie. "We have other plans, so we won’t be offering you a ride. Excuse us."
Sophie let out a soft chuckle. She noted how natural Stella’s declaration of sovereignty sounded. It was as if Sophie were a complete outsider and they were the actual married couple, only tossing her a platitude out of basic courtesy. Right then, her ride arrived. Not bothering to spare them another glance, Sophie got into the car and sped off into the night.
Evan also witnessed this scene as he walked out. After looking around and confirming that there was no so-called date, he shook his head. "My guess was right. Sophie just made the whole thing up to save face and try to get your attention."
Stella raised an eyebrow with great interest.
Julian opened the car door, his eyes impassive. His tone was completely unruffled. "It doesn’t matter."
Sophie planned to settle the housing matter as soon as possible. Even though it was a lie meant to deceive Julian, he wasn’t someone easy to fool. That was why she had gone ahead and reserved an apartment by paying the deposit. Her grandfather had been living in a nursing home for quite a few years now. Ever since the incident with her mother, he had fallen severely ill, oscillating between moments of clarity and confusion. His condition would only worsen in the future. When things truly became uncontrollable, she intended to bring him home and take care of him personally, fulfilling her filial duties as much as possible. The official contract signing was scheduled for Monday.
Sophie had to handle her onboarding procedures first.
On Monday.
Sophie arrived at Helios.
Peter Preston had already arranged a workspace for Sophie, along with an independent team.
"You will oversee the general direction of the new drug development. Aside from that, there’s our previous concept—initiating the planning for the medical robot project," Peter said, visibly in a good mood. Sophie’s return had lifted a heavy weight off his mind.
Having been out of the industry for many years, Sophie felt a bit apprehensive. "Can I really do this?"
Peter scoffed. "Rule number one of this company: no excessive modesty. It’s too pretentious."
"Oh," Sophie replied. Her apprehension vanished, instantly replaced by the urge to punch him.
Helios had an independent R&D center, and since Peter was the young master of the country’s largest hospital chain, their partners were stable. Sophie didn’t plan on sitting in a clinic seeing patients all day anymore. After all, the number of patients she could see was limited. She might as well hold the fort behind the scenes and do something that would benefit the broader public.
Helios’s post-New Year plans were already set. Apart from developing new drugs, the main focus was aligning with the new era. One of the approved projects was smart healthcare, aiming to open up wider markets.
After briefly getting acquainted with the researchers who buried their heads in hard work at the R&D center all day, Sophie arranged to have lunch with Ivy Hawthorne at noon. They agreed to meet at a Thai restaurant near Helios.
Just as she arrived, Sophie spotted a whole table of people sitting inside through the bright floor-to-ceiling glass windows. In utter disbelief, her expression underwent an uncontrollable, sudden shift.