Ch. 261..270

Chapter 261

Did You Sleep Well Sophie got up from the bed and stretched her body? When she did, her robe became even looser, making her look very sexy. However, she wasn’t aware of how seductive she appeared at the moment. Some people were just that oblivious to their own charm. “Who was it?” she asked while glancing at the clock. It’s one in the afternoon already? No wonder I feel hungry. “It’s Felix. I asked him to wait outside. Dress up. We’re heading out for a meal!” Tristan wasn’t a big fan of hotel food even though the food in the five-star hotel they were staying at was pretty good.

Since they were in Horington, he thought they should try out the seafood. Besides, Sophie had lived in Arlington for many years, so he was pretty sure she knew well about the local cuisines. “Okay.” As she thought about how Felix had fought last night, her perception of him had completely changed. After changing into a new set of clothing, she saw Tristan waiting for her outside. He frowned when he saw her. “The gown you wore last time looks really good on you! Why didn’t you wear that?” He was slightly upset that she was wearing casual clothes when she was around him. “Do you really think it’s a good idea for me to wear a gown in this weather?” If not for Muriel, she wouldn’t have worn that gown. It was only two or three degrees Celsius outside at the moment, so wearing a gown would only lead to her freezing to death. Tristan approached her and hugged her waist.

“Let’s go!” Felix had been waiting outside. When he saw the two of them exiting the room, he saw the affectionate look in their eyes. With a chuckle, he asked, “Did you sleep well, Sophie?” “I did! What’s the matter? You didn’t sleep well?” He probably didn’t get to sleep the whole night. “I’m not that blessed! A person like me doesn’t have the right to sleep.” After Tristan captured S and handed the latter to him, he had to deal with the subsequent matter. “Oh, poor you,” Sophie uttered emotionlessly. “Have you concluded your matters in Horington, Sophie? We’re going back today. Do you want to return with us?” It was almost Christmas. They were already pretty busy, and since S had beennoveldrama

apprehended, it was time for them to return. “Oh, it’s nothing much. It’s just a small matter.” Sophie could never tell them why she was there. “What’s nice in Horington?

The last time I came here, I was in a hurry, so I didn’t get to taste the local cuisine,” Tristan piped up. “There is a lot of tasty food here! Let’s go! I’ll take you two there.” Instead of driving, they called for a cab and headed to the seafood restaurant Sophie said was famous for its delicious food. Truth be told, Tristan and Felix had eaten all sorts of delicacies before. However, when they arrived at the restaurant, they were shocked by the number of people waiting in line. “Are you sure you want to eat this, Sophie? I don’t think we can get a seat even after the sky turns dark!” There were so many people there that by the time it was their turn, it would be dinner they were eating, not lunch. “No way!” Sophie brought the two men into the restaurant. When the waiter saw her, he immediately smiled. “It’s been a while, Ms. Tanner! We thought we wouldn’t see you again.” The waiter brought the three of them to a special, high-class private room. Upon witnessing the treatment Sophie was receiving in the restaurant, Felix raised his eyebrow. She’s quite popular outside. “You know the owner of the restaurant?” He was pretty certain his assumption was correct.

Otherwise, the waiter wouldn’t have brought them to a private room. “I do!” Sophie answered. Tristan pulled a chair out for Sophie to sit on before sitting next to her. Felix, on the other hand, sat a distance away from the two of them. “If I’d known, I would’ve brought Ysabelle with me! She loves eating seafood, too.” Whenever he came across something tasty, he would think about Ysabelle. It was obvious that he cared much about her. “We’ll come back again if there’s another chance.” The reason Sophie didn’t bring Ysabelle along was that the matters she had to deal with were inappropriate for Ysabelle to join in. After the waiter handed them their menus, he began taking their orders. Tristan wasn’t interested in ordering food, so he let Sophie do it instead. Felix also trusted Sophie’s choice of dishes completely. After all, she was the one who recommended they visit the restaurant.

Soon, Sophie finished ordering the dishes. “Oh yeah, why did you two come to Horington this time? Aren’t you two busy in Jipsdale?” “It’s just a small matter, and it’s better if you don’t know,” Felix

answered. It’s not like it was something good. I mustn’t tell her about it. Hearing that, Sophie didn’t question him further. Fair enough. Why would he tell me what the two of them were up to in Horington? Then again, I already knew some of what they were doing and that Tristan had handed S to Eustace. In that case, I don’t think it’s anything bad. Before their food was served, Sophie’s phone rang. She frowned when she saw that it was a call from Eustace. Why is he calling me at this hour? He has already caught S. He should be very busy right now. When Tristan saw her furrowed eyebrows, he thought something bad had happened. “Who is it?” “It’s nothing. Excuse me while I take the call outside.” Sophie stood up and exited the room with her phone. As he watched her leave the room to take the call, Felix couldn’t help but comment, “Who’s calling her, Mr. Tristan? Can’t she just answer it in front of us? Does she have a secret that she doesn’t want us to know about?

Why did she need to leave the room?” Tristan ignored him. While Sophie had many secrets, he didn’t want to use his power to figure out what those were. He liked her, so he wished she would tell him about them herself instead of him investigating them. He wouldn’t probe into her matters even though he was curious. If he did, he might ruin the good thing they had going. “It must be hard falling in love with a woman who’s full of mysteries, Mr. Tristan,” Felix commented. If I’m already having a hard time liking Ysabelle, I bet it’s harder for Mr. Tristan to deal with the mysterious Sophie! “It’s not that bad.” Tristan was very confident in himself. He believed that he and Sophie would be together. After exiting the room, Sophie arrived at the stairwell and answered the call. “Hello? Is something the matter?” She knew who he was, which was why she went straight to the point. “We’ve dealt with everything on our side, Sophie. We’re leaving soon. Before we do, I was wondering if we could meet up one last time. Do you have time for that right now?” “Right now?” “Yes. Is there a problem? I have something important I want to discuss with you.”

“How about this? I’ll send you a location, and you come over here.” “Sounds good to me. Send it to me, and I’ll be there in a jiffy!” There wasn’t much he needed to do at the moment, as S’ interrogation was

going pretty smoothly. Sophie sent the location of the restaurant to him. Since Tristan and Felix know him as well, I don’t think there’s any problem if we have a meal together.

Chapter 262

Nicholas Is Here When Sophie returned to the room, the dishes had already been served. The moment Felix saw her coming in, he immediately asked, “We can eat now, right? I’m starving! It’s almost two in the afternoon!” “Are you really hungry?” Sophie looked troubled. Since I’ve invited Eustace to join us, will it be a good idea if I let them eat first? “What do you mean? Are you saying we can’t eat yet? Everyone’s here already!” “Can you wait ten more minutes? There’s one more person coming.” Sophie was embarrassed. “But if you’re really hungry, we can just eat first.”

At worst, I’ll just treat Eustace to a meal when he arrives. “Who is it?” Tristan was only curious about that. Why is someone else joining us after she received a call? “It’s Eustace. I think you two should know him. He wanted to meet up with me, saying he has something to discuss with me, so I invited him over. You two don’t mind, right?” Sophie assumed that men should be fine with matters like that. “I mind! A lot!” Hearing that news made Felix grumpy. Couldn’t he have come earlier? Now we have to wait for him while I’m starving! “Then we’ll wait for him,” Tristan decided. It’s just a meal. It’s fine if we wait. That rendered Felix speechless. Mr. Tristan always listens to what Sophie says now. Is he really still the fierce and decisive Mr. Tristan I know? Where did that version of him go? When Eustace arrived at the location Sophie mentioned, he was surprised to learn there were other people in the private room. While Tristan and Felix knew him, he had never met them before.

After all, they didn’t belong to the same social circle. However, he could tell at a glance that Tristan wasn’t an ordinary person. Seeing that Eustace had arrived, Sophie stood up and gestured for him to sit. “I don’t think I need to introduce you to them, right, Eustace? You all should be familiar with each other. This is Tristan, and that’s Felix!” Many people had heard of Tristan’s name before, but only a few had met him. Since no one dared to publish his photos, not a lot of people could recognize him. “That Mr. Tristan from Jipsdale?” That was the only person Eustace could think of when he heard the name

and saw Tristan’s demeanor. Sophie nodded. “All right, let’s eat!” By that point, she, too, was feeling pretty hungry. I don’t know why he just had to pick this time to meet me.

Everyone was quiet as they ate. That was how Tristan and Felix would act whenever they had to deal with people they were unfamiliar with. As for Sophie, she had never been much of a talker. Eustace, meanwhile, didn’t say much because he was still processing the fact that he was eating with the famous Mr. Tristan. Thankfully, the food was pretty delicious, so they all ate quite a lot. Sophie had a pretty good appetite. After she had almost finished her meal, she asked, “You said there’s something you want to talk to me about, Captain Sheppard. What is it?” He should be in a hurry to return to Jipsdale right now, right? After all, he still has his mission of transporting S back to Jipsdale. Staring at the silent Tristan, Eustace swallowed the words he wanted to say. Seeing him acting like that, Felix couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’re not here to confess, are you, Captain Sheppard?” He looks so hesitant to speak! How can it be anything else but a confession? The moment he said that, Tristan glared at him. Don’t be such a busybody! Felix promptly slapped his mouth. Why did I say that without thinking? Stupid mouth! Why can’t I just stay silent and watch the show instead of saying stuff like that? “Forget it. It’s not like my matter is very urgent. I’ll be going back now.

Once you make it back to Jipsdale, I’ll invite you out for a meal. Thanks for the lunch today!” Obviously, Eustace wasn’t going to say the words in his mind out loud with Felix and Tristan around. Sophie didn’t force him and simply nodded. “We’re done here, too. Let’s leave together!” When the four of them left the room, Sophie and Tristan fought for the bill. “This is basically my territory. Allow me,” Sophie said. Instead of arguing with her, Tristan let her do just that. “I’ll be going back now, Sophie. Call me when you return to Jipsdale. I really have something important I need your help with!” With that, Eustace got into the car and left. Sophie, Tristan, and Felix stood there and watched him leave. “You should ignore Eustace, Sophie! I think he has ill intentions toward you,” Felix advised. How can he say such a thing right in front of Mr. Tristan? “You’re so talkative, Felix!”

Sophie finally spoke. It didn’t matter to her if Eustace liked her or not. What was important was what she thought about him. Felix’s lips twitched. Is she finding me annoying now? I was simply worried about her, okay? “Mr. Tristan, look at her…” “You really are too talkative. In any case, now that the issue has been resolved, you should head back first!” “What about you?” We came here together! Shouldn’t we also return together? Tristan glanced at him. What is going on with Felix lately? He needs to get his eyes checked. “Do I need to report to you what I want to do?” That shut Felix up. Fine! I guess I shouldn’t have cared about you. “I’ll leave now, then! You need to protect yourself well, Sophie! Men are like animals, got it? Mr. Tristan is an especially dangerous one!” When he finished speaking, he immediately scurried away. Sophie was utterly speechless. Tristan, on the other hand, remained expressionless. It seems that Felix has gotten bolder after I stopped torturing him.

I need to find a good opportunity to remind him of his place. “Aren’t you busy? You should return with Felix! I can take care of myself here.” “It’s not that I’m worried about you. I just want to spend more time with you here!” Tristan grabbed her hand. An intimate act like that was still something Sophie wasn’t used to. He was holding her hand so tightly that she couldn’t break free from his grip. “Let’s go! What’s fun here in Horington? We should tour the place! It’s a good idea to exercise a little after a meal.” He suggested that because it would be torturous to him if he returned to the hotel immediately. Like all men, his lust was awakened after he was full. “There is a place with a pretty great view.” A location popped into Sophie’s mind, and she brought him to the side of the road. Then she hailed a cab and entered the vehicle with him. The moment they left, Nicholas ran out of the building across the street. Sophie! Where did she go? I saw her earlier, yet when I came down, she was gone!

“What’s the matter, Boss?” His assistant couldn’t run as fast as him, so it took a while before he caught up to him. “I saw Sophie! She really is in Horington.” It had been his third day in Horington. And yet, he still couldn’t find Sophie after he had used all his connections. Just as he was about to give up and leave, he saw her. Even if she had turned to ash, he could still recognize her, so he was certain she was the woman he saw.

Chapter 263

If Only Seeing his employer like that made the assistant tighten his fists. The woman who can affect Boss significantly has shown up again! What’s going to happen this time around? Whenever Boss encounters things related to Sophie, he’ll become really irrational! Sophie brought Tristan to the main entrance of Horington High School. It was the school Tristan knew she had attended in the past. It was also a place he thought wouldn’t make her happy to revisit. “Why aren’t we entering through the front entrance?” He couldn’t help but ask when she brought him to the wall.

She looked as though she was going to climb over it. “They won’t let us in. Besides, I was pretty famous in this school.” Sophie brought him to the spot where she used to climb over the wall. It was the best spot because there wasn’t any high-voltage electricity there. “What’s the matter? Do you want me to give you a boost?” Given Tristan’s abilities, he could climb up pretty easily. With one hand on the top of the wall, he climbed up effortlessly. Then he stretched his hand toward Sophie. Sophie grabbed his hand and climbed up the wall. Both of them then jumped down and landed on the ground steadily.

As it was still the holidays, not many people were in school. After they went in, they strolled around casually. It was a place where Sophie had lived for two years. Hence, when she returned there, memories of the past flooded her mind. “It must be difficult for you to stay here all by yourself.” When Tristan thought about how she had spent five years in Horington alone, his heart ached. However, when Sophie thought about her five years in the city, she smiled. “Actually, it’s not that bad. If not for the five years I spent in Horington, I wouldn’t be who I am today. It’s a matter of perspective.” Tristan held her hand, and they both took a stroll on the football field. If I had met her one year earlier, all those awful things wouldn’t have happened. I could’ve protected her and ensured she wouldn’t feel aggrieved if I had known her just a little earlier. If only a time machine exists in this world. But, sadly, it doesn’t. After walking around the football field twice, Sophie got a little tired and sat on the ground, while Tristan just lay on it. The weather was pretty nice that day since the sun was finally out.

They felt pretty warm and comfortable when the sunlight shone on them. Tristan didn’t expect her to bring him to her school. Still, he was pretty pleased with the place. He only felt sad that he couldn’t attend high school and university with her. That thought prompted him to think if he was too old for her. More than an hour had passed since they arrived at Horington High School. If not for Muriel’s call, Sophie would’ve fallen asleep. Seeing that it was a call from Muriel, she stood up and went to the side to answer the phone. Tristan was disappointed that she didn’t want to answer the call next to him. Despite that, his gaze was still fixed on her. I wonder why she’s in Horington this time. When the call connected, Muriel said excitedly, “Good news, Sophie! We’ve received the one hundred million!”

Looks like he kept his promise. “That’s good to hear. Don’t do this again, okay?” Muriel is still not powerful enough to deal with people like him. Muriel rubbed her nose. “All right, I get it. Don’t worry. I’ll train lots and lots in the future!” She was a pretty excellent markswoman, but her close-quarter combat skills were still lacking. “Oh yeah! Where are you right now? How about we hang out tonight if you haven’t left Horington? I heard the fanciest nightclub here had hired a few people from Thymion recently. They’re pretty popular.” “I’ll take a rain check on that. I’m probably going back to Jipsdale today.” Christmas was right around the corner, so Sophie had to go back. In fact, Josiah had called her a couple of times. “You’re going back so soon?” Muriel was saddened to hear the news. “It’s not often you come back! Can’t you keep me company for a couple more days? I’m lonely here!” “My grandpa is asking me to return.” In reality, Sophie was a pretty obedient child.

That was especially the case when it came to Josiah’s orders. “All right. I guess I’ll visit you in Jipsdale when I miss you,” Muriel said. After all, she was just a rebellious young woman in everyone’s eyes. Even if she went to Jipsdale, no one would care. “Okay!” Upon hanging up the phone, Sophie returned to Tristan’s side and stretched her hand toward him. “Let’s go! Don’t you want to go back to Jipsdale?” She thought they should return early since he still had many things to take care of in Jipsdale. If they returned late, he would get even busier. “Have you taken care of your business here? It’s all right. I can wait for you.” He wasn’t in a rush to return. “It’s done. Besides, it wasn’t anything serious. There really is no need for you to come.” Even though Sophie knew he didn’t come to Horington for her, she still

wanted to say that. Grabbing her hand, Tristan pulled her into his embrace instead of standing up. “You don’t need to think too much! I came to Horington to attend to other matters.

I’m not here specifically for you.” “Mm.” Sophie had thought he would take the initiative to tell her why he was in the city. But contrary to her expectations, he didn’t say anything afterward. Tristan had already told her what he could tell her. If he revealed more than that to her, he feared it would endanger her. That kind of stuff was something he would never do. “Let me go!” Sophie tried to get up. However, both of his hands were pressed on the back of her waist, preventing her from leaving. “Don’t overthink it!” The only reason he didn’t want to tell her was that he didn’t want her to get hurt. His world was filled with danger and uncertainty, but he only wanted to give her happiness. Sophie snorted. Am I the type of person to overthink things? Seeing how cute she was, Tristan couldn’t resist holding her head and kissing her lips.

“Who’s there?” Suddenly, a security guard who was on patrol noticed them. “Sh*t!” Tristan couldn’t help cursing. Swiftly, he stood up, grabbed Sophie’s hand, and started running. As she sprinted with him, the corners of her mouth curved upward. She didn’t need to think of anything as she was being pulled by him and followed his pace. That kind of wild and reckless experience made her feel happy. As she stared at him, there was a moment when she thought that perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep running with him as he pulled her hand. That was because she enjoyed the feeling of being pulled and protected by him.

 

Chapter 264

Find Her Within A Week “Stop running, or I’ll call the police!” shouted the security guard as he chased after them. Pfft! As if we’d just let you catch us! Sophie turned around and pulled a face at the security guard. Because of her good looks and popularity in Horington High School, the security guard could recognize her instantly. “Stop running, Sophie!” the security guard yelled while panting heavily from all the running. That only prompted Sophie to smile even brighter than before.

Turning around, Tristan felt his heart race when he saw her beautiful smile. He felt as if he had fallen for her all over again. Man, I love how Sophie looks so dazzling when she smiles! She’s just so irresistible that I can’t seem to take my eyes off her! This time, instead of vaulting over the wall, Sophie ran out the front gate with Tristan’s hand in hers. The security guard stopped chasing after them when he realized he couldn’t catch up to them. Honestly, Sophie didn’t really do anything wrong. Those rumors about her only existed because people got jealous of her beauty. I should never have believed those rumors. “Who were they?” the guard stationed in the security room asked, as he didn’t get to see their faces earlier. “There aren’t many valuables in this school, so you don’t have to take your job that seriously, you know?” “It was that really beautiful girl, Sophie Tanner! Do you remember her?” “Didn’t she transfer to another school? Why did she come back?”

The fact that he knew Sophie as well showed just how popular she was. Of course, Sophie couldn’t hear what the two guards were saying, as she was already far away from the school grounds. Tristan was still holding her hand as they walked down the street. Sophie’s face was still red from all that running, which made her look all the more attractive. “How do you want to head back? By plane? By train? Or by car?” “Whichever you prefer!” “We’ll head back by car, then. We’re in no rush, so we can enjoy the view if we drive home.” “Okay!” Sophie had no objections whatsoever. The two of them then packed their stuff at the hotel and drove off. After tracking them down, Nicholas arrived at the hotel

right after they left. “She just left with another man, Boss,” reported his assistant. “D*mn it!” Nicholas slammed his fist against the wall in frustration. Why didn’t I get here sooner?

It wasn’t easy tracking her down, so I can’t just give up now! “We should head back, Boss. There’s lots of work waiting for you in Anglandur.” It’s extremely risky for us to go running around searching for someone in Chanaea! Things can get really dangerous if our enemies find out we’re here! “No, I must capture Sophie!” There’s no way I’m letting her get away from me this time! I’ll do whatever it takes to capture her! “But Boss—” The assistant fell silent when Nicholas shot him a fierce glare. D*mn, why does my job as an assistant have to be so tough? Does he not understand that it’s my duty to ensure his safety? With that in mind, the assistant spoke up again. “Boss, Old Mr. Sable might come after Sophie if he finds out you’re risking your life for her.” Nicholas got so irritated that he slapped his assistant hard across the face. “That’s none of your business!” All he wanted was to get his hands on Sophie as soon as possible. The assistant insisted on getting his message across even after being slapped. “I’m saying this for your own good, Boss! Old Mr. Sable is—” Nicholas’ expression became twisted when he thought of Sophie’s irresistibly beautiful face. “Just keep searching!” he yelled. I’ve never once believed that Sophie’s dead.

There’s no way I’ll give up so easily now that I finally managed to track her down! Their conversation was interrupted when the assistant’s phone rang all of a sudden. The assistant’s face went pale when he saw that it was Nicholas’ father calling. He didn’t want to answer the phone, but he didn’t dare ignore the call either. After hesitating for a bit, the assistant answered the call and handed Nicholas the phone. “It’s from Old Mr. Sable, Boss,” he said respectfully. Nicholas shot him a menacing glare in response, much to the poor assistant’s terror. This has nothing to do with me. I wasn’t the one who ratted Boss out, but I doubt he’d believe me even if I told him that… With a reluctant look on his face, Nicholas took the phone and asked, “What is it?” “You return from Horington right this instant!” Nicholas got so mad that he smashed his assistant’s phone on the floor afterward. Terrified by his sudden outburst, the assistant could only stand there in complete silence.

“We’ll head back for now. Have our men continue tracking her down. Find out where Sophie is within a week, or you’re fired!” Nicholas said coldly before getting into the car. The assistant shuddered as he stood there in the freezing cold. We could not find her even after three years, and he expects me to get it done in a week? This is ridiculous! Where do I even start? Tristan wasn’t driving very fast as they weren’t in a hurry, so they were able to enjoy the scenery along the way. Since the two of them rarely got to spend such quality time together, he didn’t want to head back too soon. It was already seven in the evening by the time they arrived in Jipsdale. Ysabelle wanted to have dinner with them when she heard about their return, so she and Felix had been waiting for them at the entrance of the highway. Tristan felt really tempted to act as if he didn’t see Felix’s car when he got off the highway. What the heck is wrong with these two? Why won’t they just leave us alone?

Go on a freaking date or something for all I care! Of course, Felix was oblivious to those thoughts of his. He waved at them upon spotting them. Tristan had no choice but to pull over when he saw how excited the two looked. Ysabelle ran up to the car and knocked on the window the moment it came to a complete halt. Her excited expression was the first thing Sophie saw when she rolled down the window.

“Oh, Sophie! You’re finally back! You have no idea how much I’ve missed you!” She had been waiting for over an hour just so she could have dinner with them. “Didn’t I tell you two to wait for us at Blossom Garden? Why did you come all the way here?” Honestly, there’s no need for them to be doing this! It’s such a waste of time and energy! Ysabelle bit her lip and replied, “I couldn’t help it! I was really eager to see you!” “That’s right, Mr. Tristan. This is entirely her idea. I’m just the driver here. She was so eager to come see Sophie that I couldn’t even stop her!”

 

Chapter 265

Depressed Felix Ysabelle is always so excited about Sophie. If only she’d treat me with that same level of passion… “I really miss Sophie a lot, Uncle Tristan! I haven’t seen her in a long time! I’ll be going with Sophie, so you can head back on your own, Felix!” Ysabelle then climbed into the back seat before Felix could react. “Let’s go!” Sophie told Tristan when she saw Ysabelle get in. Just like that, the three of them sped off while Felix stood there in the freezing cold with disbelief written all over his face.

Am I really just a driver to them? As Charles and Sean were too busy to join them for dinner, it was just the four of them at the dinner table that night. To make matters worse, the three of them were so absorbed in their conversation that Felix had been completely ignored. Naturally, that made Felix even more depressed than he already was. I’m starting to question if I should even be here. Why do I feel like I’m an outsider in this group? “Help me pass this to Sarah. The one I gave her last time should be finished by now,” Sophie said while retrieving a tiny bottle from her backpack. “Aunt Sarah told me this is really helpful. She’s feeling a lot better lately and no longer suffers from insomnia! Where did you get this from?” Ysabelle asked as she took the transparent bottle from her. The Lombards could not treat Sarah’s condition despite them being the most powerful family in Jipsdale, and yet, Sophie had got it taken care of so effortlessly. “A friend of mine gave it to me.

Since it works really well, I asked for two more bottles when I heard about Sarah’s condition.” Sophie, too, had really severe insomnia back then, and her condition had improved tremendously after Arius gave her that medicine. “Oh? Who’s your friend? Do I know them?” Ysabelle asked. She knew Sophie didn’t have that many friends, so she was curious as to who this person was. “No, you don’t.” Sophie didn’t want to continue that topic as Ysabelle was far too pure and innocent for such things. Even so, that did not stop the two of them from being friends with each other. “Oh, okay!” Ysabelle knew better than to push Sophie for answers if she didn’t feel like talking about it. “Eustace has done a really good

job this time, Mr. Tristan.” Feeling bored out of his mind, Felix decided to talk to Tristan while the girls continued chatting away. “Yeah, I think we can count on him.” “All right, then.”

Felix had full faith in Tristan’s judgement, especially after witnessing Eustace’s excellent performance. The two of them refrained from mentioning S in front of Sophie and Ysabelle. “By the way, Sophie, will The Wheelers be performing during Christmas?” As all television stations would be competing against each other during Christmas, it would make perfect sense for The Wheelers to capitalize on that opportunity. “The issue with The Wheelers’ contract has been resolved, so they’ll be returning tomorrow. As for the performance… Well, it’s Christmas, and our company isn’t open yet, so we’ll all just enjoy this festive season together!” The Wheelers would not be performing that year.

“Ah, I see! That’s a shame! It’s been forever since I’ve last seen them perform!” Felix decided to share the rumor he had recently heard. “Right now, everyone thinks The Wheelers has been blacklisted.” “Good! We’ll let them continue thinking that way, then. Their fans are unhappy with Sky Media now, right?” That’s what Clayton gets for bullying The Wheelers! He’s dead wrong if he thinks he can get off scot-free! “Sophie, are you still mad at Clayton?” Honestly, I feel bad for whoever gets on Sophie’s bad side! She’s still holding on to that grudge even after so long! “I’ll make his life in Jipsdale a living hell if he dares mess with The Wheelers!” Sophie was most certainly capable of delivering on that promise. As Ysabelle wasn’t interested in Clayton at all, she tried to change the topic. “All right, enough talk about Clayton! Will you be joining The Wheelers for a meal when they get back? If yes, make sure to take me with you!” Being a hardcore fan, she was dying to hang out with them. “I think so. I’ll be sure to invite you when the time comes!” Sophie replied.

“I don’t get it. What’s so great about The Wheelers?” Felix exclaimed with a pout. Ysabelle has never been this excited about seeing me when I left on business trips! Ysabelle shot him a fierce glare in response. “Felix, you should just shut up if you don’t know anything about rock bands!” The Wheelers was practically like a role model for her. A businessman like Felix could never understand what she liked about their team spirit. “I think The Wheelers is a great band.” Tristan was well aware of how

much the two of them liked The Wheelers, so he knew better than to say anything that would make them unhappy. The frowns on Sophie’s and Ysabelle’s faces eased up when they heard that. Felix was surprised as he had never seen this side of Tristan before. “Mr. Tristan, do you really think The Wheelers are a great band?” he whispered. “If Sophie and Ysabelle like the band, then it is great to me,” Tristan replied. Felix fell silent after hearing his response. Wow…

I never knew Tristan would be this deeply in love with Sophie! That woman has him completely wrapped around her finger! After dinner, Ysabelle suggested that they go for a movie. “How about we go watch a movie, Sophie? It’s not often we get to hang out like this!” “Are there any interesting movies lately?” Tristan asked. He knew it was common for couples to go on movie dates, but he couldn’t care less about keeping himself updated on the latest trends. As a result, he had no idea what movies were currently available. “Of course there are!” Ysabelle replied with a smile. She figured Sophie wouldn’t object to her suggestion if Tristan agreed to it. “There’s a new cartoon that aired recently, but what’s so interesting about that?” Felix asked with a frown. I know I’m supposed to share all of Ysabelle’s interests if I am to date her and all, but I don’t understand why an adult like her loves cartoons so much! Naturally, Ysabelle didn’t take too kindly to what he had just said. “Felix, what did I tell you about keeping your mouth shut about things you don’t understand? That’s an animated film, not a cartoon! Know the difference, d*mn it! You’re the heir of Northley Group, aren’t you? Can’t you say something more intelligent for once?” Felix wanted to argue that intelligence had nothing to do with this, but he knew it was pointless to do so. Sophie patted Ysabelle’s cheeks, which were puffed up with anger as she said affectionately, “All right, we’ll go watch that movie if you like it so much.” Felix fell speechless once again. My goodness, Sophie! Are you trying to be her boyfriend or something?

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Sophie Calls The Shots Just like that, the four of them headed over to the nearest movie theater. Ysabelle dragged Felix over to the ticket counter the moment they got there. “Are you seriously going to make Mr. Tristan watch a cartoon?” Felix asked. As far as he knew, Tristan and cartoons were two things that didn’t go together. “Felix, for the last time, this isn’t a cartoon! It’s an animated film!” Ysabelle snapped at him. “How is that any different? They’re both meant for kids, aren’t they?” “You—” Realizing that Ysabelle was going to get mad at him, Felix quickly corrected himself, “Okay, you’re right. It’s an animated film. Even so, it still doesn’t seem right for Mr. Tristan to watch something like this!” Felix still felt it was too childish for someone of Tristan’s status. “That’s no problem at all! Uncle Tristan wouldn’t even be paying attention to the movie with Sophie by his side!” Ysabelle figured Tristan would probably keep his eyes on Sophie throughout the entire movie.

Felix shrugged helplessly. “Fair enough.” She’s right. Sophie is the one calling the shots now. Tristan is so in love with her that he’ll do anything to make her happy. Oh, well… I suppose this is the power of love, huh? Tristan and Sophie went to buy some snacks while waiting for Felix and Ysabelle to get the tickets. After all, a movie date wouldn’t be complete without popcorn. “What would you like to drink?” Tristan asked as he had no idea what her preferences were. Sophie did not feel like drinking anything, as they had just taken their dinner a while ago. However, she decided to order something anyway since everyone else was doing it. “I’ll have a yam milkshake!” “Four yam milkshakes, please.” The two of them then made their way over to Felix and Ysabelle with two large buckets of popcorn and four cups of milkshakes in their hands. Ysabelle quickly stepped forward and took one of the buckets of popcorn. “Come on, Sophie! The movie is about to start!” “Okay!” Tristan handed out the milkshakes as the four of them took their seats. Felix nearly spat out his drink after taking a sip of it. “What the heck? Who bought this milkshake?” Does no one know that I hate yam milkshake the most? This has gone way too far! Sophie flashed him a confused look as she said, “I did.

Is something the matter?” Both Tristan and Ysabelle shifted their gaze toward him after hearing that. “What, is there a problem with it?” Tristan asked in annoyance. Felix could only rub his nose awkwardly in silence. No, of course not! I wouldn’t dare have a problem with Sophie’s decisions! Even if I did, there’d be no point in voicing it out because I’m just a nobody! Honestly, my life is a f*cking joke! The movie theater was playing an advertisement for a Transfix Cosmetics product that Cecelia endorsed. “Man, Cecelia sure is gorgeous!” Ysabelle exclaimed. “I know, right? It’s almost as if she was born to be a movie star!” Sophie was in complete agreement with her statement. Still unable to get over his feelings of indignation, Felix mumbled, “Mr. Tristan, you know I don’t like yam milkshake.” “How the heck would I know that?” Neither of them liked drinking milkshakes, so he really had no idea.

“It’s uncool to forget your friend just because you’ve gotten yourself a girlfriend, Mr. Tristan!” “What do you want me to do, then? Go buy you another milkshake?” “Ugh… Never mind…” Screw it… My life is just a joke anyway… “Just so you know, Felix, Ysabelle likes yam milkshake.” Since Sophie wasn’t a huge fan of milkshakes, she decided to buy something that Ysabelle liked instead. At that moment, Felix finally realized his lack of understanding toward Ysabelle was probably why she never returned his feelings. Because of the animated film’s popularity, it was practically a full house in the movie theater. The movie became popular mainly because it reminded many of their childhood days. The audience, who were giggling and laughing during the movie’s opening sequence, soon fell silent as they found themselves in deep thought. Even though Sophie rarely watched animated films, she found herself taking the movie rather seriously as well because she could relate to its plot somehow. When Tristan held her hand and placed it on his lap, she was snapped out of her train of thought. She turned toward him and saw a worried look in his eyes. “Looks like we all share a similar childhood, huh?” Sophie said with a faint smile. Her childhood was indeed no different from that of others before she was sent to Horington. “Do you want to go for a walk? There’s no point in watching this if you don’t like it. There are plenty of other things we can do here.”

“No, I kind of like this movie. It truly is the best Chanaean animated film ever!” Chanaea’s animated films had always been a step behind Jetroina’s, so the success of this movie was considered truly

remarkable progress for the local animation industry. Tristan, on the other hand, couldn’t relate to the movie in the slightest. If it weren’t for Sophie’s desire to watch the movie, he wouldn’t have even been there in the first place. Feeling bored, Tristan grabbed a piece of popcorn and held it up to her mouth. Although Sophie found it a little embarrassing, she decided to eat it when she saw the expectant look in his eyes. Due to her nervousness, she accidentally bit Tristan’s finger while eating the popcorn. Tristan shuddered when he felt her teeth come into contact with his finger. He was genuinely trying to feed her some popcorn, but it turned into an intimate moment between them instead. “I-I didn’t do it on purpose!” Sophie stammered shyly. “I didn’t say anything!” Tristan replied with a chuckle as he found her behavior rather adorable. He could still feel a tingling sensation on his finger. Felix found himself feeling depressed when he saw how lovey-dovey the two of them were.

Jeez… Why do I have to suffer like this while others are able to have such sweet relationships? His mood only worsened when he turned to look at Ysabelle and saw her crying because of the movie. What the f*ck? Why is she taking this animated film so seriously? My life is a lot more tragic than that protagonist’s! It wasn’t until the protagonist had overcome all the challenges and realized his dreams that Ysabelle was able to smile again. The rest of the audience got up and left the movie theater while the ending credits were still being played. The four of them remained in their seats and waited until everyone was gone before leaving. As it was a little dark inside, Tristan held Sophie’s hand as he led her down the steps. Felix seized the opportunity and grabbed Ysabelle’s hand as well. “Hey! What are you doing?” Ysabelle asked in confusion. “It’s too dark in here, okay? I don’t want to trip over something and fall on my face!” Felix snapped back at her impatiently. My goodness!

Just how dense can this girl get? He grabbed my hand because he’s afraid of tripping and falling? What is he trying to do? Have me fall down with him? Ysabelle rolled her eyes at the thought of that. Sophie looked back when she heard the commotion behind her, but Tristan continued dragging her toward the door.

“Just ignore them, Sophie. We need to give them some space.” “Okay!” Sophie nodded. He’s right. It’ll take quite a long while for Ysabelle to realize Felix’s feelings for her. We can only try to speed up the process by giving them some privacy. It was already eleven thirty by the time they came out of the movie theater. “Uncle Tristan, can I go to Wisteria Apartments with Sophie? We have a lot to catch up on!”

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I Want To Sleep With Her Too Instead of answering Ysabelle’s question right away, Tristan turned toward Sophie and asked, “Will you be going back to Wisteria Apartments or the Tanner residence?” Grandpa is probably asleep by now. I don’t want to wake him up by going home at this hour. “It’s getting late, so I’ll stay over at Wisteria Apartments tonight and head over to the Tanner residence tomorrow.” “All right, I’ll stay with you at Wisteria Apartments for a bit,” Tristan said with a nod. Ysabelle felt as if she had been completely ignored. What? Did they not hear me, or are they pretending not to hear me? This is unacceptable! “It looks like we’re on our own, Belle. Come on, I’ll drive you home!”

Felix said with a smile. Ysabelle gave him a hard stomp on the foot. “No! I want to sleep with Sophie tonight! Uncle Tristan, can I sleep with Sophie tonight?” Tristan shot her a glance as he replied, “I want to sleep with her too, but we don’t always get what we want.” Ysabelle felt speechless when she heard that. What did Uncle Tristan just say? I’ve always thought of him as a cold and tough guy, but that side of him is completely gone whenever he’s around Sophie! “What the heck? Are you three going to sleep together or what?” Felix protested. Sophie truly is the root of all problems here! Sophie didn’t even know how to react to their shenanigans at that point. “You talk too much, Felix,” Tristan said coldly. Felix could only play his part as the driver and open the car door for them.

“Regardless of how you guys plan on sleeping tonight, you’re all headed for Wisteria Apartments, right? Come on, hop in.” Tristan would probably have me killed and fed to the dogs if I said I want to sleep with them. It’s unfair, but that’s just how sad my life is… As Sophie got into the car, Ysabelle quickly walked up to Tristan and played the sympathy card. “Please, Uncle Tristan! I really missed Sophie a lot! I haven’t seen her for two days!” “She’s my girlfriend!” “But has she agreed to that?” Ysabelle decided to take a stand as she knew his statement would be invalid without Sophie’s acknowledgement. Tristan paused in his tracks and shot her a cold glare. Ysabelle snorted defiantly at him in response. Hmph! I don’t care if he’s my uncle! I won’t let anyone take Sophie away from me! “You’ve gotten awfully bold

lately, Ysabelle!” Tristan’s tone sounded so menacing that Ysabelle nearly broke down crying on the spot. “What’s wrong? Did they bully you or something?” Sophie asked when she turned around and saw the look on her face. “Can I stay the night with you in Wisteria Apartments, Sophie?

With Christmas around the corner, we’ll all be so busy that we won’t have time to see each other!” Ysabelle said with a smug grin as she stood behind Sophie. Sophie nodded in agreement with her statement, much to Ysabelle’s delight. “Hehe! You’re the best, Sophie!” she exclaimed with a gleeful smile. My goodness… Does Ysabelle’s insolence know no bounds? That’s Mr. Tristan she’s messing with! We’re all going to be screwed if we get on his bad side! Why would she even try to steal Sophie from him? To Felix’s surprise, Tristan simply entered the car without saying a word. Since Sophie likes Ysabelle, I suppose it’d be fine to let her spend the night at Wisteria Apartments. After driving them all to Wisteria Apartments, Felix watched as the three of them got out of the car. Not wanting to be left all by himself, he asked, “Sophie, could you take me in as well? I don’t feel like going home either.” Sophie burst out laughing when she saw his pitiful expression. “Why do you all like Wisteria Apartments so much? You guys never stayed here before I moved in!” “Come on, Sophie! It’s not safe for me to drive home all alone this late at night!” “Don’t make me laugh, Felix! You’re a man, for goodness’ sake! What’s so dangerous about driving home all by yourself? I think it’s the girls you encounter along the way who should be more worried!” “Shut up, Ysabelle!

Hearing your voice right now gives me a headache!” “Quit standing around, you guys! Let’s go! It’s freezing out here!” Tristan said as he pulled Sophie into his arms. “I’m not cold, Mr. Tristan.” “Well, I am.” Oh, all right… I guess I could warm him up this once… With that in mind, Sophie kept quiet and entered the building with him. Ysabelle and Felix quickly followed behind them. After taking a shower, Ysabelle was about to go have a chat with Sophie when Tristan stopped her outside the bedroom door. “Ysabelle, I know you like Sophie a lot, but she hasn’t gotten any rest all day. She spent two hours in the car earlier and even watched a movie with you.” Ysabelle didn’t know Sophie had such an exhausting day. “Whatever you want to talk to her about will have to wait till tomorrow,” Tristan

continued as he entered the bedroom and shut the door behind him, leaving Ysabelle standing there in confusion. Wait… If Sophie is that tired, then why did he go into her room?

I sense double standards! However, she didn’t dare knock on the door as she knew Tristan would have her head if she did. Sophie wasn’t surprised to see Tristan sitting in her room when she came out of the shower. “Where’s Ysabelle? Didn’t she say she’d come see me after taking a shower?” “I saw her on my way here. She said she’s tired and wants to sleep earlier tonight.” Sophie patted her hair dry with a towel as she walked up to him. “Oh, I see. You should get some sleep too. You must be tired after driving for two hours straight.” “I’m not tired,” Tristan replied as he got up and took her towel. He then sat her down on the couch and began wiping her hair dry for her. “Mr. Tristan, I can—” “I know you can do it yourself, but I want to do it for you. Just sit tight and enjoy the process, okay? I’m sure you’ll find my services satisfactory!” Sure enough, Tristan was very gentle as he massaged her scalp with the towel. It felt so comfortable that Sophie closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the moment. Suddenly, the screen of her phone lit up. “Someone sent you a message,” Tristan said after glancing at it.

Sophie opened her eyes and reached out to grab her phone. Since Tristan was done drying her hair, he sat down beside her on the couch. As the couch wasn’t exactly large to begin with, it got really cramped with the two of them sitting on it. Tristan decided to use that opportunity to snuggle up and hug her in his arms. Sophie shot him a glare in response. I’m wearing a nightgown! He can easily get an eyeful if I’m not careful! “Who is it from?” Tristan asked.

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Investigating Sophie Sophie felt rather uncomfortable in his embrace. However, she shifted her attention back to her phone. She unlocked her phone and saw that she had received a voice message from Arius. “It’s Arius.” Sophie got up from him. “Go back, okay? I need to give Arius a call.” Tristan kept mum for a while. Is she chasing me away? “Go on! I’ll wait for you here.” Sophie ignored what he said and went to a corner to put on her earbuds before playing the voice message Arius had sent to her. After listening to the voice message, she called Arius. The call was answered on the first ring.

“You finally called me, Sophie! How’s everything? Have you got back to Jipsdale from Horington?” Arius asked. “Yes. What’s up?” “Nothing much. I just want to tell you that Nicholas is back in England.” “Oh.” Sophie didn’t want to say much about Nicholas. “Be careful, Sophie! I think Nicholas saw you in Horington, and he’s now looking for you.” Sophie went silent. Did he see me? “Yet, he went back to England so soon after seeing me?” “Yes. I think something happened to his father. That’s why he came back,” Arius answered. I’ve already told her to stay in Jipsdale, but she just wouldn’t listen to me. Jipsdale is Mr. Tristan’s territory. As long as she’s there, Nicholas won’t dare to touch her. “Okay. Got it. It’s late, and I’m tired.” “What’s with you? I’ve been so worried about you. Are you going to hang up on me after being on the phone with me for just a few minutes? How are you so heartless?” “Tristan is still in my room.” “Sophie, let me remind you that you’re underage! I don’t care about other girls your age, but you must protect yourself, okay?” It’s already so late at night.

What is Tristan still doing in her room? In response, Sophie just hung up on him. Arius talks too much. Sophie went back to Tristan after she hung up the phone. “Why didn’t you go to bed?” “I’m waiting for you.” “What for? Arius said I’m still underage, so you should keep your hands to yourself.” “What does it have to do with him? Sophie, Arius isn’t a good person. Let’s just stay away from him, okay?” “Well, you guys seem to have the same impressions about each other.” Did Arius say the same thing to her about me? “I’m not the same as him.” “Okay.” Sophie didn’t have anything to add. Whatever he says!

“Besides, am I that much of an animal in your heart?” Tristan was well aware of the fact that she was underage. That was why he had never done anything inappropriate to her. All he had ever done was give her hugs and kisses. “No. To be honest, I think you’re quite a gentleman.” Sophie had always thought so. “So, as a gentleman, don’t you think you should leave soon, Mr. Tristan? It’s getting late, and I want to sleep.” In response, Tristan tapped her nose.

After talking for so long, all she wants is for me to leave. Tristan scooped her up and walked toward her bed. Calmy, Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck. Perhaps after spending so much time together, she knew that he wasn’t going to do anything inappropriate to her. Hence, she wasn’t worried about what he would do. After putting her down on the bed gently, he pulled the covers over both their bodies. Sophie raised her eyebrows when she saw that. “Sleep in peace, okay? I’ve thought about doing something to you, but since you’ve already flattered me, I can’t possibly ruin that, can I?” “I meant it, though.” In fact, she only said it because she really thought he was a gentleman. “All right. You’ve had a long day today. Clear your mind and go to sleep, okay? I’ll leave once you’ve fallen asleep,” he said. With him next to her, she didn’t need essential oils anymore. “Okay,” Sophie answered sweetly and obediently. Tristan’s heart melted when he saw how sweet she looked. He kissed her on the forehead and shut his eyes. Sophie opened her eyes instantly when he kissed her.

However, she kept silent when she saw that he had already closed his eyes. She even moved closer to him after that. He’s so approachable when he’s like this. Sophie quickly fell asleep while lying on his shoulder. Upon seeing that she was already fast asleep, Tristan left her room reluctantly. By then, Ysabelle had also gone to sleep. Felix was sitting alone in the living room. When he saw Tristan, he poured him a glass of wine. “Want some?” Tristan took the glass of wine and uttered petulantly, “You really made yourself at home, huh?” “Oh, come on, Mr. Tristan! I’ve already done so much for you. Can’t I open a bottle of your wine?” “Do you know what I had to go through to get that bottle of wine?” It was Tristan’s hobby to collect wine. That particular bottle Felix opened hadn’t come easy. “Well, I think wine only serves its value when someone drinks it. Don’t you think so?” Felix asked. What’s the point of collecting wine if we don’t drink them? Tristan didn’t answer to that. “By the way, Mr. Tristan, someonenoveldrama

in Horington is investigating Sophie.” Felix had been wanting to tell Tristan that, but he never had a chance to do so. “There must be more to why Sophie went back this time around.” Tristan took out a cigarette from the cigarette box.

He simply played with it without lighting it up. Seeing that, Felix took a lighter from the coffee table, wanting to light the cigarette for Tristan. However, Tristan shook his head and said, “I don’t want to harm her with secondhand smoke.” “So, are you just going to keep holding it, then?” “You have a problem with that?” “No, of course not. Why would I have a problem with that? Whatever you say.” What can I possibly say? “Find out who the person investigating Sophie is.” The nerve of them to look for Sophie so openly. “I’ve already done that, but I couldn’t find anything.” How dare he talk so much when he can’t even find out who that person is? Tristan raised his brows. “Is that all you’re capable of?” “You can’t blame me, Mr. Tristan. You know how weird the people around Sophie are.

They’re all more powerful than the other! I think it’s normal that I can’t find anything about them.” Tristan didn’t respond. “To be frank, Sophie is an extraordinary girl. Not only is she associated with the International Medical Association, but she’s also connected to Arius. Now, we don’t even know who we’re dealing with. Being with a girl like her, don’t you feel pressured?” Felix asked. We don’t even know what’s going to happen next. Someone might just come and grab Sophie. Does he not feel pressured at all?

 

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Worthy “Do you think there’s anyone in the world who’s capable of taking Sophie away from me?” Since I’ve already considered Sophie mine, no one’s going to take her from me. I’ll never let that happen. “All right. But you ought to be careful since I couldn’t figure out who these people are. We don’t know their intentions. Mr. Tristan, perhaps you should talk to Sophie about it. Since someone’s investigating her, she should know who that person is, right?” Felix asked. Even if she doesn’t know for sure, she should roughly know who’s looking for her. After all, there must be a reason someone’s looking for her in the first place! “Don’t tell Sophie about this first. I don’t want her to worry,” Tristan said.

If I can’t even handle this, I’m not worthy of being with her. When she’s with me, she shouldn’t need to worry about these things. Felix shrugged and said nothing. “All right. I’m going to sleep. Take your time to think about it.” Tristan stood up from the couch and put his wineglass on the coffee table. “Before you go to sleep, wash the glasses.” “Since your bed is so big, Mr. Tristan, how about we sleep together?” Felix asked in anticipation. Although the couch was comfortable to sleep on, his height made it rather inconvenient. “What did you say?” Tristan thought he heard him wrong. “What’s wrong with sleeping in the same bed? Your bed is big enough for both of us,” Felix answered. Didn’t we grow up together? Why is he being so petty? How is that a problem? “No,” Tristan uttered arrogantly before he left. Felix’s lips twitched in response. He’s just being unreasonable. If Sophie were to ask him the same question, he would’ve said yes right away! Am I not a human?

Why must he treat me so differently? Tristan went back to his room and got into bed. I can’t sleep in the same bed with another man. That’s disgusting! Is someone really investigating Sophie? However, it seems that it’s only happening in Horington. I’ve never seen anything suspicious in Jipsdale. What do they want from her? He knew he had to be wary of everything in relation to Sophie. When Ysabelle and Sophie woke up the next morning, Felix had already bought everyone breakfast. “Come and eat! You’re

going back to the Tanner residence later, aren’t you, Sophie?” “Yes,” Sophie answered. Moments earlier, Josiah had called for her to go back. Since Christmas was around the corner, he wanted to be surrounded by his family. Furthermore, Caleb had also returned from Anglandur. That was what it was when people got older. They would always want their family members around to keep them company. Sophie had always obeyed Josiah’s words. Naturally, she wanted him to have a nice Christmas. “Uncle Tristan, Grandpa called just now, and he asked you to go back too,” Ysabelle said. Perhaps all the older people loved Christmas that much. “Okay. I’ll send Sophie back first after breakfast. Felix, send Ysabelle back to the Lombard residence!” Tristan said. “It’s all right. Since Old Mr. Lombard is looking for you, you should head back first. He’s more important,” Sophie said. I can just get a cab to send me back. “I’ll send you.

Nothing is more important than you.” The four of them had breakfast together. While eating, Ysabelle kept grumbling because she wanted to stay longer. It’s not very often that I come out! I want to have more fun. “Sophie, you must remember to invite me out for a meal when The Wheelers is in town, okay? Don’t worry. I’m not a big eater.” Ysabelle felt sorry for herself. “Okay. Don’t worry. When The Wheelers is back, I’ll invite you out for a meal.” Sophie had been busy with the entertainment company. In the future, Ysabelle is going to be The Wheelers’ junior. It’d be nice for everyone to meet up. Besides, Mark can even give her some pointers on singing. After breakfast, they went on their separate ways. Tristan drove Sophie to the entrance of the Tanner residence. “Do you want to come in?” she asked. Since he’s already here, why not? It’s been a while since he’s met Grandpa.

“No. I’ll come over to visit your grandpa in a couple of days. Say hi to him for me.” “All right. Well, I’m off, then.” Sophie got out of the car. She was about to head inside when Tristan got out as well. Winters in Jipsdale were a lot colder than in Horington. Tristan went up to her and put the scarf around her. It’s just an ordinary white scarf. But why does it look so good on her? What should I do? How is Sophie always so captivating? She’s so captivating that I just want to keep her all to myself! “All right, now. You’re busy, right? You should get going.” With her hair covered by the scarf, Sophie looked utterly

adorable. “Okay. I’ll call you later.” How I wish I can be with her all the time! Yet, they had their personal matters to attend to. “Okay.” With that, Sophie walked in. After watching her walk in, Tristan started the car and drove away. Meanwhile, Walter was unsettled by the fact that Winter was going to Alendor. Winter was the only girl of the younger generation in the family. Hence, Walter loved her dearly. Before she went to Alendor, Winter had complained about it to Walter. Since Walter was close to William, Tristan knew that William was going to lecture him. It doesn’t matter as long as Winter doesn’t disturb Sophie anymore. Sophie went into the Tanner residence and saw Caleb playing chess with Josiah. Upon hearing someone coming in, Josiah quickly turned toward the entrance. When he saw that it was Sophie, he immediately got up and went to welcome her.

“You’re finally back, Soph! What took you so long?” Josiah grumbled. Because of his age, he wanted them to keep him company all the time. I know I’m being selfish, but I can’t help it! “Grandpa, I’ve only been away for three days!” Sophie had wanted to stay there for a week, but since Tristan was there, she just followed him back. “You’ve only been gone for three days? It felt like eons to me!” Sophie then nodded at Caleb. Caleb got up from the couch and walked toward Sophie. Seeing that she had grown much taller, he exclaimed, “I know, right? Sophie has really grown up!” Ever since she was little, Sophie had always kept to herself. Although she wasn’t as cute as Willow, she was a lot more sensible. “You guys haven’t seen each other for so long! It’s time for you guys to catch up!” Josiah’s phone rang, so he went to the study to answer the phone. It was a call from his comrade. Right then, Sophie was left alone with Caleb in the room.

Chapter 270

Becoming Senile “How’s everything in Harington? Settled?” Caleb expressed his concern when he sat down with Sophie. Sophie merely bobbed her head in response as she did not feel comfortable talking to people. “Sophie, we’re a family. I know Dad has gone overboard in some ways, but he’s still our father. I hope you can—” Upon hearing Caleb’s remark, Sophie knitted her brows. Did he come back to lecture me? “I know.” Sophie had her own way of doing things. “Christmas is around the corner, and I’m sure Dad is all alone. I plan to invite him for Christmas. What do you think?” Caleb asked. Sophie asked in response, “Does Grandpa know about this?” Caleb shook his head.

“Not yet. I want to discuss this with you first.” After all, she’s directly involved in it. “I don’t want to see him during Christmas,” Sophie answered. All he can think of is Tanner Group’s money. He even tried abducting Grandpa. God knows what he’ll do next! “Dad told me everything. We’re a family, Soph. We should be keeping the family together instead of tearing it apart,” Caleb said. We used to be a close- knit family, but everything changed when Sophie returned! Caleb hardly returned to the country as he had been living overseas all these years. That was why he wished his family could live peacefully with each other. In a split second, the meaning of his words dawned on Sophie. “Caleb, are you implying I’m the one causing this family conflict? You think things would have been different had I not returned, huh?”

Sophie was good at reading between the lines. She understood exactly what he meant by reading the expression on his face. That was also exactly why she couldn’t click with Caleb. She just wanted to stay away from him. All this while, Caleb always distanced himself from the Tanners though he was the pride of the family. Likewise, he had never shown any interest in Tanner Group either. He was so engrossed in his work in the research institute overseas that he could not care less about the family inheritance. That was probably the reason he wanted to stay out of the drama in the Tanner family instead of doing something for the family. He didn’t want the Tanner family’s matters to affect his life. “I

don’t care what he told you, but I’ll not allow him to return since he hurt Grandpa.” Caleb was rendered speechless. “I’m sure it’s all just a misunderstanding. Why would Dad hurt Grandpa? It’s impossible for any person to do this to his biological father.” Caleb refused to believe Yale would treat Josiah like that. He understood family members would wrestle for power and wealth, but he did not want Sophie to treat their father like that. Sophie began to feel annoyed.

Why are we having this talk since nothing is going to change his mind anyway? “Caleb, people always think of you as the genius of the family, but I guess you’re not that smart after all! Go ahead and do what you want since you don’t bother to listen to me,” she uttered. Sophie stood up and went upstairs as she refused to talk to him anymore. How could he be so easily brainwashed by Dad? Meanwhile, Willow, who had been hiding in a corner, walked out and said to Caleb, “You can never convince Sophie, considering how self-centered she is. I told you so. She just doesn’t care about anyone.” Sophie will never get to live peacefully in this house as long as she lost favor with Caleb! Caleb could not help but sigh after glancing at the obedient Willow. “Tell me, Willa. Did Dad really abduct Grandpa? Who on earth would abduct his own father?” “I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding. Dad has always taken good care of Grandpa. You’re aware of that, too, right? I feel Sophie is just trying to get to us ever since she returned from Harington. She hates the family and wants to take revenge against us,” Willow said. Willow was trying her best to sow discord between Caleb and Sophie. As long as I have Caleb behind my back, I’ll be able to live a comfortable life and not have a care in the world. “All right. Go and focus on your studies. I’ll take care of the family matters.”

Working day and night in his lab had already taken a toll on him, yet he still had to deal with all these family problems. Caleb could not help but feel helpless. “Caleb, you should take a good rest, too, since you’ve just returned from England.” “I will. All right, Willow. Carry on with your revision!” Caleb was pleased to see how obedient and affectionate Willow was. At noon, Josiah, in the company of Caleb, went upstairs to call Sophie. Caleb tried to persuade Josiah since Sophie refused to give in. “Grandpa, Dad is all alone out there. Let’s bring him home, shall we?” He believed his grandfather would

sympathize with Yale and allow him to celebrate Christmas with the family. Yet, an icy glint flashed across Josiah’s eyes when he heard Caleb’s proposal. “Have you talked to Sophie about this?” Caleb thought for a while and decided to tell the truth since there was nothing to hide. “Yes. Grandpa, Sophie is still young, so she might have misjudged Dad. I believe Dad wouldn’t abduct you.” Josiah’s face turned even grimmer. “So you’re saying Sophie uttered nonsense just to make your father a scapegoat?” Upon sensing the anger in his voice, Caleb immediately shook his head. “That’s not what I meant, Grandpa!” Josiah responded with a cold snort.

“Sophie might be young, but she’s a meticulous and observant girl. Caleb, I’ve always thought of you as a highly-educated capable man, but today, you disappoint me.” Caleb was at a loss for words. Why is Grandpa so stubborn? Elderly folks couldn’t distinguish right from wrong anymore, could they? He said, “Grandpa, why do we have to resort to this? We’re a family, aren’t we?” “You’ve underestimated Sophie. Do you think she’ll humiliate your dad because she wants to get her hands on Tanner Group’s money? Listen carefully, Caleb. Had I not held Sophie back, she would have gone to the International Medical Association! Have you heard of the association’s founder, Dr. Smith? He came here personally to perform surgery on me because he wants Sophie to become his successor!” Who cares about Tanner Group when she has gotten the International Medical Association’s attention? Caleb could not believe his ears. The research center he was attached to was no match for the International Medical Association, though they were both headquartered in England. All this while, he had looked down on Sophie. That was why he was stunned when he learned that Barney had identified her as his successor. But isn’t she just a senior in high school? Why would Dr. Smith want to take her in? Upon noticing the look of disbelief on Josiah’s face, Tanner got even more disappointed. “Caleb, do you think I’ve become senile just because I’m getting old?” My age is catching up, but this doesn’t mean I’m going senile.