Chairman Sterling probably never anticipated this situation back in the day. He had personally taken several members of the Sterling family abroad to station there. Next year, the Chairman and the others would be returning to the country. By the time they found out, it would probably be too late to change anything.
Sophie Winslow accepted it with a clear conscience. When something was delivered right to her doorstep, there was no reason to put on a high-and-mighty act and refuse it. In the eyes of others, that wouldn’t be having a proud backbone; it would just be plain stupid.
Since she had the opportunity to empty Julian Sterling’s wallet, even if she couldn’t break his heart, she could at least make his wallet bleed. With a massive sum credited to her account, Sophie didn’t pinch pennies and began searching for new housing. Her living situation needed to be resolved, but she also planned to replace her car. It would serve as a complete farewell to her past self.
Taking advantage of her lunch break, Sophie immediately visited a dealership and ordered a Range Rover. It was spacious and comfortable—perfect for both business and family use. The dealership happened to have one in stock, so she could drive it off the lot right away. At over four million, it was the first luxury car of her life. She also picked out a new license plate. Her luck was pretty good; she managed to get a plate with her lucky numbers.
Sophie’s mood improved significantly because of this.
She drove back to Helios. Just as she was about to get into the elevator, she bumped into Stella Sutton stepping out. Seeing Sophie, Stella looked surprised for a moment before her brow furrowed slightly.
"What are you doing here?" Stella asked.
Sophie gave her a cool glance, too lazy to spare even half a word, and walked straight into the elevator.
Stella looked back at the closing doors. She could only think of one possibility. Was Sophie here for a job interview?
She had come today to submit a letter of intent for a partnership on behalf of the Harrison Hart Research Center. She wanted to join Helios’s core team, which would give her a better chance in the future to enter a team like Calyx that collaborated with national-level research centers. If Sophie was here to apply for a job, then she could rest easy. After all, Sophie only had a resume as an emergency department nurse. It wasn’t impressive at all, though it certainly showed she was aiming too high.
Even if Sophie luckily managed to get into Helios, Stella would still be her superior. After all, if she established a partnership with Helios, Sophie would be at her beck and call. By then, Helios would let Sophie know just how far she fell short.
Thinking of this, Stella let out a soft scoff and left the Helios Tower without looking back.
Sophie arrived at the R&D department, where everyone was bustling about in strict sterile suits.
Peter Preston walked out of the pharmaceutical analysis department and waved when he saw her. "Here, take a look at the people who have extended an olive branch to Helios over the past few days. Filter through them, see who’s worth considering, and make detailed arrangements. Oh, right, that ’third child’ from your family is in there too."
She was a year older than Sophie, so she was indeed the "third child." Sophie took her time glancing over the documents.
"She wants to join the core R&D team? She certainly knows how to pick a springboard for herself."
Stella was an ambitious person. Since returning to the country, she had accepted on-camera interviews with multiple talk shows and various medical-related program invitations. She was already a "star doctor" in the industry. After all, she was beautiful, humorous, and a top student with a stellar resume.
"This Stella Sutton... her resume looks pretty, but her heart isn’t actually in R&D. Instead, she’s very passionate about building up her star aura," Peter said, raising an eyebrow. "I’ll give her some special treatment."
Sophie looked at him, puzzled. "What kind of special treatment?"
"I’ll reject her first," Peter smiled.
Sophie gave him a thumbs-up.
***
Helios replied quickly.
Stella had just met up with Julian Sterling and Finn Lockwood at a restaurant. She was in a pretty good mood today. After all, she would have the chance to work with Sophie in the future. Day by day, Sophie would realize just how thoroughly she had lost.
"What are you so happy about?" Finn noticed Stella’s good mood. Julian also looked over.
Stella smiled softly. "I just ran into someone rather amusing today. Seeing her try so hard was honestly a bit pitiful."
To dare submit a resume to Helios—the harder Sophie tried, the more pathetic it seemed.
"Who is it?"
"No one in particular." Naturally, Stella had no intention of saying.
Julian smoothly slid the menu toward her. "See what you want to eat."
Finn clicked his tongue. "Have I become a third wheel now?"
Stella covered her lips and giggled. "What are you talking about..."
Her phone vibrated. Before the smile could even fade from her face, she saw the WhatsApp reply from Peter Preston.
"Thank you for your trust," the message read. "We will definitely give it serious consideration if there is an opportunity in the future."
Stella’s expression froze.
"What’s wrong?" Julian asked, his gaze landing on her face as he took a light sip of sparkling water.
Stella placed her phone facedown on the table, utterly baffled. "Helios rejected my letter of intent."
"Rejected you? Their management’s standards are that high?" Finn was surprised.
"Did they give a reason?" Julian asked thoughtfully.
Stella pursed her lips. "No. It was very polite and formulaic."
She stared intently at the ever-composed Julian. "Julian, what should I do? Helios’s background would be a massive help to me."
Julian poured her a glass of water to comfort her. "It’s fine. It’s not a difficult matter to solve."
Hearing this, Stella immediately felt relieved. Looking at Julian’s noble and handsome features, a wave of sweet joy flooded her heart. She knew Julian would handle everything for her.
Finn couldn’t help but clap as he looked at the two of them. "Alright, alright, showing off your affection, are we? Is it too late for me to gouge my own eyes out?"
***
Sophie gradually got into the groove of things. The near future would be a crucial period of familiarization with the team. Helios had received numerous invitations, including one to the biennial National Medicine Gala in Kingsford. Many famous traditional doctors would be in attendance.
Peter planned to take Sophie along so she could become a familiar face in the industry.
Sophie purposely drove her new car, pulling up in front of Peter with a beautiful drift.
Peter gave a thumbs-up. "So rich, Boss Winslow."
Sophie smirked. "Using free money just feels great."
It would be a waste not to enjoy such a windfall of wealth.
They arrived at the venue. There were quite a few media outlets present. Since Peter was the sole heir to Calyx, he attracted a lot of attention, and many reporters and peers swarmed around him. Sophie was squeezed out of the circle.
Showing excellent manners, Peter said, "Please make way, everyone."
Not caring in the slightest what others might think, he pushed through the crowd, pulled Sophie back to his side, and wrapped a hand around her arm in a fortress-like protective posture.
Instantly, many people looked at Sophie with curious eyes.
"Is this Miss Preston?" someone asked.
"Allow me to grandly introduce her. This is Helios’s upcoming lead..."
The final word was cut off by another wave of exclamations nearby. Sophie looked over at the sound. She realized that a group of people had just arrived.
Julian stood out in the crowd, head and shoulders above the rest. Beside him was Stella, who nestled closer to him under the barrage of cameras.
Peter could naturally tell that Stella’s intentional or unintentional physical contact was a signal to the media. He instinctively looked down at Sophie, but she had already withdrawn her gaze.
"Let’s go," she said, pulling Peter away from the other party’s show.
Many highly skilled national doctors were present today. One of the activities was live consultations. Sophie thought it was quite interesting.
Coincidentally, a white-bearded, white-haired elder looked at Sophie and waved with a smile. "Little girl, do you want me to check your pulse?"
Feeling that she indeed still had a lot to learn, Sophie sat down.
"Sure, take a look," she said, offering her hand with a bright smile.
The elder stroked his beard and placed his fingers on Sophie’s pulse. After a few moments, he said, "You’re still smiling? Your pulse shows emotional stagnation. Have you had any troubling matters lately? Something that stirred up your liver fire?"
Sophie’s smile deepened, revealing two dimples, and she nodded enthusiastically. "I stepped in two piles of dog shit and threw up for three days and three nights."
Peter couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Coincidentally, Stella walked by from behind, arm in arm with Julian. Hearing this, Stella’s expression turned cold. How could she not know that Sophie was subtly mocking them?
The old traditional doctor shook his head with an amused smile and continued, "Your pulse is weak, gentle but lacking in strength. Have you given birth before?"
At those words, Sophie nearly bit her tongue.
From behind, Julian narrowed his eyes and suddenly spoke up. "What makes you say that?"