Ch. 461..470
Tristan led Sophie there in person. At the advent of their employer, the cyber security specialists grew more anxious.
The hacker, this time, was too capable.
Even with their numbers, they struggled to defend the company's cyber security.
Taking in their demeanors, Sophie shook her head.
She said to one of the cyber security specialists in his thirties, “Move aside. I'll take care of it.”
The cyber security specialist was stunned. What? What can she take care of?
“Ms. Tanner, this is not a game. We are working, so can you please not make things difficult for us?” We're swamped right now. Although she's Mr. Tristan's girlfriend, she shouldn't be messing around at this moment.
Sophie could not help but frown when he saw him sitting unmoving. “You're the most incompetent among the cyber security specialists here, aren't you? I'm telling you to move away at once.”
The middle-aged man was at a loss for words.
He was exasperated having been criticized in that manner. No one would feel happy after they were slammed as being the most unskillful employee.
However, when he met Tristan's gaze, that middle-aged man had no choice but to get up from his seat
and stand on one side. I'd like to see how capable this missy, who seems to be overestimating her own abilities, is. Mr. Tristan has always been wise and brilliant. I don't know how she managed to convince him to bring her to our company's headquarters. I can only hope she's not here to play computer games.
“Mr. Tristan, if Ms. Tanner wishes to play games, we have spare computers here. She's delaying our work progress by doing this,” that middle-aged man uttered indignantly.
“She can do whatever she likes. You're not qualified to be making any comments.” Tristan was unaware of Sophie's knowledge in information technology, but he had faith in her.
He believed she wouldn't just fool around.
Sophie felt warmth in her heart because of the way Tristan trusted her. He had never known of her abilities, yet he never tried to stop her.
“Don't worry. Now that I'm here, I won't disappoint you.” Sophie regarded him with a dazzling smile.
Tristan fell into a daze for an instant. She's just so mesmerizing, captivating my heart and rendering me willing to do everything for her.
“You've never disappointed me.” Not once in the past, nor will you ever disappoint me in the future. This is what I firmly believe in.
Sophie liked him.
Her affection toward him intensified with every passing day.
She liked how he favored and trusted her without needing any reason.
A man as dedicated as him was undoubtedly hard to resist.
Felix entered the room as well. He could fathom that middle-aged man's frustration. Mr. Tristan has always been so trusting of Sophie.
“Sophie, you—”
Before Felix could finish his sentence, he stopped short after meeting Tristan's stern gaze.
Fine. I can't say anything. I can only stand aside and watch in silence. This Sophie is indeed a dangerous woman.
The next moment, Felix was dumbfounded right after he saw Sophie making a move. Her typing speed is incredible!
Although he wasn't tech-savvy, he could ascertain her professionalism by looking at her movements.
“Hah! You're flashy, but you aren't skilled.” The middle-aged man could not help commenting.
However, everyone ignored him.
Sophie was displeased because these people had interrupted Tristan's rest time. That was why she had decided to take charge personally in handling that issue.
Multiple codes appeared on the computer screen as she worked. Soon, she managed to trace the other party's IP address and tracked their location.
Then, she arrogantly sent the hacker a warning.
Meanwhile, the hacker saw his computer had been hacked. Not only was he unable to move his mouse, but a sentence could also be seen on his screen: If you dare to do this again, your entire family will die horrible deaths!
The hacker's face darkened. My opponent is so conceited.
He attempted to preserve some information but realized he couldn't repair his computer. Even shutting down the computer became an impossible task.
“This is outrageous!”
Ultimately, the hacker had no choice but to unplug the network cable. But still, he couldn't fix his computer after doing that.
Sophie, on the other hand, was done addressing the system infiltration problem. “Do you have a flash drive?”
Felix immediately found a flash drive and handed it to her.
Sophie copied the hacker's information into the flash drive.
“I'll leave the rest to you. My Tristan is still sick. If you have any matter you cannot resolve, call me directly and stop bothering him.”
Tristan was speechless.
Undeniably, being pampered felt nice, as he immensely enjoyed that luxury.
Felix sized Tristan up.
“You're sick, Mr. Tristan? What kind of illness have you contracted? Is it severe? Is your condition still treatable?” He looks fine to me.
Sophie's eyes turned cold as she glared at Felix in silence.
“Mr. Northley, if you aren't adept at conversing with others, I suggest you shut up. Do you know your manner of speech makes me upset?” she warned him.
Taking in her hostile demeanor, Felix immediately played nice. “That's not what I meant. I'm just concerned about Mr. Tristan. He has always been healthy, and I haven't heard him complaining about feeling ill lately, so I'm curious why he has suddenly fallen sick.”
“That's right. Just shut up if you don't know what to say.” Then, Tristan turned to face the middle-aged man. “And you. The company will compensate you with three months' salary. You can stop coming to work starting tomorrow.”
Tristan thought the middle-aged man was too big-headed for someone with such subpar skills.
The middle-aged man didn't expect Sophie to be so proficient. I can't believe a young lady like her could accomplish something so many of us failed to resolve.
“Mr. Tristan, I was wrong. I see my mistakes now. I desperately need this job. Please don't fire me!”
Tristan had made the decision. He had no desire to waste more of his time on that matter.
“Is there anything else?” he asked Felix.
“That's all. You should go back and get some rest if you're sick. Don't worry, Sophie. I won't bother you two anymore!” Felix gave her his words.
Having witnessed how she had hacked the intruder's computer, Felix became a great admirer of her. This Sophie is extraordinary. I suppose her hacking skills are on par with Phantom's.
He had thought Ysabelle was blindly idolizing Sophie, but at that moment, he genuinely had the urge to grovel at Sophie's feet.
“Sophie, are you acquainted with Phantom?”
A random thought suddenly popped into Felix's mind. We've failed to find out Phantom's identity all this while. Since Sophie's hacking skills are so advanced, could she be the legendary hacker, Phantom?
“Phantom? What's that? Is that a kind of food?” Sophie gazed at him dubiously.
Felix could not help but laugh in response. What was I thinking? How could I have associated Sophie with my idol?
“All right, let's go back. You need to rest earlier since you're sick.” Sophie was utterly annoyed by Felix for taking up so much of their time.
“Okay. Goodbye, My Lord and My Lady,” Felix said jokingly. He was now in the mood to jest after the crisis was settled.
Chapter 462
On the way back, Sophie began to wonder if her impulsive action had exposed her. I hope I didn't arouse his suspicion.
Nonetheless, she was relieved that he did not question her.
Upon returning to Wisteria Apartments, Sophie prepared a warm bath for Tristan.
“You should take a bath too. You must be exhausted since you've been working the whole day,” the man said in a deep, sensuous voice.
Sophie nodded.
“Okay,” the young girl responded. Unlike how she had behaved when operating the computer earlier, she now looked docile and lovely.
Upon seeing the adorable look on her face, Tristan walked over and gave her a gentle hug.
“Sophie, you've worked really hard today! I must say I'm impressed by your computer skills. Have you taken part in any hackathons before?”
“Nope. I just read a few books about computers because I'm interested in them!” Sophie replied with an innocent look. No one would suspect she was lying.
“That's right. My dear Sophie is exceptionally brilliant. She could easily take a renowned hacker down by just reading a couple of books.”
Upon hearing that, Sophie expressed her dismay. “What do you mean? Why do I feel like you're implying something? I just wanted to help since I noticed you were not feeling well. But if you don't want me to interfere in Lombard Group's matters, I'll stay out of them.” It's not a big deal, anyway!
Tristan immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. Oh, no, she misunderstood my words.
“That's not what I meant. I was trying to commend you. What were you thinking? Did I not tell you I'll believe you in everything you do?” I still meant what I said.
Sophie, too, realized she had overreacted.
Feeling embarrassed, she said, “Mr. Tristan, I only went with you today because I was worried about you.”
“I know and I'm touched.” Tristan knew she was worried about him.
For the first time, Tristan realized there was finally someone who sincerely cared about him and did not expect anything in return.
“Go and take a bath, then!” Sophie was not an unreasonable person. She decided not to harp on the matter since Tristan had clarified he did not mean anything else.
“All right.” Tristan went straight to the bathroom without saying anything else.
After he was done bathing, he glanced at the clock and realized it was already half-past eleven. I
wonder if she has fallen asleep.
He went to her room and noticed she was still sitting on the couch. What is she busy with?
When Sophie heard someone open the door, she looked up and gazed at the man. No one, including Tristan, could resist those mesmerizing, sparkly eyes.
“Didn't I tell you to rest early? Why are you still awake?” Sophie asked, looking slightly upset.
“I can't sleep, so I decided to come and keep you company!”
His answer rendered Sophie speechless for a moment. Oh, well. All right. I don't need someone to keep me company, but I suppose he doesn't want to be alone. People are at their most vulnerable when they're sick, right?
No one would ever associate Tristan with vulnerability, but it was undeniable that he was under the weather.
“Come here,” Sophie instructed.
Tristan walked over and lay next to her. Instead of snuggling into the blanket, he just stayed by her side.
Sophie flipped over the blanket and said, “Come in here. Or else you might feel worse tomorrow!” His flu will get more serious if he doesn't keep himself warm.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course!” We're just sharing a blanket. It doesn't mean we're doing anything beneath it!
“Okay!” Sharing the same blanket with her got Tristan excited.
“Do you feel better now? If you still have a headache, I'll go to the pharmacy and buy you some medicine now!” Sophie said. It'll be disastrous if he develops a fever in the middle of the night.
Tristan shook his head while allowing her to lean on his shoulder. “Don't worry about me. I don't feel uncomfortable at all.”
“Really?” Sophie was still worried about him. After placing her palm on his forehead and realizing he did not have a fever, she heaved a sigh of relief.
“You must tell me when you fall ill again,” Sophie reminded him. Mr. Tristan may be a powerful man, but he'll still feel miserable when he falls sick, right?
“All right.” Tristan sounded as meek as a lamb.
His unusual response nearly drove Sophie mad. How I wish I could pamper him like a little boy! He'll probably throw a fit if he finds out what's running through my mind.
Seeing that Sophie had zoned out for a while, Tristan knitted his brows. “Am I disturbing you?”
“Nope.” Sophie felt a tad uncomfortable lying beside a mature man and sharing a blanket with him.
They lay so close to each other that she could smell the faint scent of the body shampoo lingering on
the man's body.
Under such circumstances, anyone's imagination would just run wild no matter how innocent he or she was.
“All right. Shut your eyes. I can't do anything to you anyway, so don't worry,” Tristan promised.
All of a sudden, Sophie chuckled. “Mr. Tristan, you don't have to emphasize that over and over again.” You can't? That's quite an ambiguous statement. You know that, right?
It took Tristan a while to understand what she was implying.
“Anyway, Mr. Tristan, can I ask you something?” Sophie wished to talk to him instead of sleeping.
“Sure,” he replied. He could never reject her.
“Rumors had it that you have never dated anyone. Is that true? Am I your first love?” Sophie was eager to know.
Never in a million years did Tristan expect her to ask him this question.
He instantly fell silent.
“What's wrong? Do you have trouble answering my question? It's fine if you don't feel like answering it. It's just something casual that pops up in my mind.” Sophie did not want to make him feel awkward.
Tristan responded with a deep grunt.
“What is that response supposed to mean?” Sophie looked puzzled.
“It means you're my first love. You're the first girl I fell in love with. You're the only girl I love!” Tristan said. I hope I made myself clear!
Sophie ran out of words to say for a moment.
Although she was the one who had asked that question, she was not prepared to hear that. Nonetheless, Tristan's answer did touch her heart.
“What's wrong? Are you stunned? I thought you wanted an answer to that question. Are you giving me this look because you don't trust my words?” Tristan questioned her.
“Of course not. I trust you and everything you say,” Sophie replied. There's no reason for him to lie to me.
She was surprised that a capable elite like Tristan had never dated any women. Hundreds and thousands of women must have fallen for him, yet he has never been in a relationship. That's quite unusual for someone who lives in a world where being ostentatious and glamorous are the ways of life.
“I didn't expect you to be this pure and innocent, Mr. Tristan.” Sophie chuckled. Clearly, she was in a good mood.
Words caught in Tristan's throat when he heard that remark.
“This is not about me being pure and innocent. I didn't want to let my feelings get the best of me, that's
all. Before I met you, I thought I would never fall in love with anyone. I thought I would marry someone at an appropriate age to build a family and miss all the sparkles in life!” Tristan said with a sincere look on his face.
Chapter 463
Before meeting Sophie, Tristan was unwilling to spend time falling in love and being in a relationship.
He thought being in a relationship was a waste of time and would prefer to work instead.
“You know what, Sophie? I'm lucky to have you in my life. You made me realize how blessed it is to love someone from the bottom of my heart.”
He never wanted to settle for less.
No matter what it was, Tristan could do it well.
However, that didn't mean he could also meet someone he genuinely liked.
It was all about fate.
Sophie gave him a peck on his lips.
“I thought I would be alone this lifetime. I didn't expect to meet you in Jipsdale.”
It was way beyond her expectations.
Tristan was not satisfied with Sophie's light peck.
He turned sideways and kissed her lips repeatedly. Sophie's heart throbbed, and she did not stop him.
She let him continue whatever he was doing.
Tristan knew how uncontrollable he would be whenever he was with Sophie.
It was no different this time.
He felt a burning sensation all over his body.
However, when he saw Sophie's innocent face, he suppressed he desires even if he felt his lower body was about to explode.
He couldn't bring himself to take advantage of her.
“Are you okay?”
Sophie had never dated before, but she had read many medical books before and knew about the structure of the human body.
She also did well in her physiology class, so she knew that Tristan was trying to hold back.
“I'm fine. Maybe you should go to sleep. I'll go take a shower.”
With that, Tristan got out of bed. He couldn't stay there any longer. If he did, he would commit a crime.
Before Sophie could speak, Tristan rushed out of her room.
Sophie covered herself under the blanket. Her face was flushed. She thought she was pretty calm.
It never occurred to her that her face would turn red and her heart would skip a beat when she was in that situation.
Deep down, Sophie felt that Tristan truly cared for her, as any other man probably wouldn't have resisted his urge.
Besides, many high schoolers had already slept with each other in this day and age.
However, Tristan respected her and was reluctant to hurt her. Sophie could feel her heart melt when she thought of how good the man was.
The concert was approaching, and she needed more time for rehearsal. Moreover, Ysabelle's new song was also in production.
Xandra came to Sophie's office at TS Entertainment.
“Sophie, this is the best time to release an extended play. It will take some time to produce an album. Why don't we release an extended play for Ysabelle first?”
Xandra had been working in the entertainment industry for a long time.
Naturally, what she said made sense.
“Okay, let's do as you say. I trust your decision.” Sophie had gone the extra mile to recruit Xandra for her capabilities.
“All right. I'll make the necessary arrangements right away.”
Just then, Ysabelle came. She didn't shy away even after seeing the two in the office.
“Sophie, something happened!”
“What is it?” Sophie was confused.
Isn't everything going according to plan? What could have happened?
“Look at this!”
Immediately afterward, Ysabelle gave Sophie her phone.
As a devoted fan of The Wheelers, Ysabelle would visit the band's fan site whenever she had the time.
Unexpectedly, she saw someone posting about the disbandment of The Wheelers.
At that moment, the post had been shared a hundred thousand times. To make things worse, many fans had been waiting outside the company.
After the incident at Sky Media, the fans assumed that The Wheelers must have suffered unfair treatment at TS Entertainment, which made them want to disband.
They were all demanding an explanation from TS Entertainment.
“Sophie, is it true that The Wheelers is disbanding?”
The person who wrote the post made it sound so legit that one could only choose to believe it.
“Ysabelle, don't worry about this matter. Just focus on what you're doing.” There was nothing she could do anyway.
“Sophie, tell me the truth.” Sophie had great faith in The Wheelers and had never imagined the band would disband one day.
“That's enough, Ysabelle. There's no point in asking,” Xandra chimed in. “It's not clear whether The Wheelers will disband for now. We're all trying our best, but nobody knows what the outcome will be.”
Ysabelle had a mental breakdown after hearing that.
What Xandra said meant that there was a possibility that The Wheelers would disband.
Just then, Mark came.
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect things to go out of control.
Many fans were protesting on TS Entertainment's official website, demanding an explanation. Otherwise, they would turn into haters.
Ysabelle was about to break into tears when she saw Mark.
“Mark, is it true that The Wheelers is disbanding?”
No fan of The Wheelers would accept this.
“You should leave for now, Ysabelle.”
Mark couldn't stand idly by since all of this had happened because of him.
Xandra had no choice but to bring Ysabelle out since the latter was standing still.
“Ysabelle, I know you are a fan of The Wheelers. But you are also an artiste now. Sophie will handle TS Entertainment's affairs. You are making things difficult for Sophie with your behavior.”
“Xandra, I didn't want to, but I was so taken aback.”
Ysabelle would never want to bring harm to Sophie.
“Okay. Do what you need to do now. This is the quality an artiste should have.”
Then, Ysabelle was taken away by an assistant.
However, she was not in her best condition all day and got an earful from the director.
“Ysabelle, stop wasting everyone's time if you don't intend to sing properly. Do you know how disappointing this is? There are so many people who want to release an album out there. There are so many people with dreams. Yet, you're not doing your best even though you're given the opportunity to. What on earth is on your mind?”
Ysabelle was already numbed by the scolding.
However, she couldn't calm down.
“Now, this is happening to The Wheelers. What if it happens to you in the future? Will you be able to face it? If you can't, you might as well leave now. Don't waste our time.”
The director had to speak his mind even if Ysabelle was recruited by the CEO.
“Think about it for a moment. Let's stop here today. Everyone should go back and rest. It's only a waste of time if we stay here,” the director said ruthlessly.
Ysabelle dared not speak.
The assistant patted her shoulder.
“The director has a temper, but he is doing this for your own good. It's better for you to go back and recompose yourself. We will continue tomorrow.”
They had wasted over an hour here.
Ysabelle nodded. “I'm sorry. I've let everyone down.”
Chapter 464
Ysabelle knew she should not behave that way. Everyone was busy, and she was only wasting their time.
However, The Wheelers had been her faith for the past three years.
Now that her faith was about to collapse, she was no longer in the mood to do her own things.
That only served to prove that Ysabelle still lacked self-control.
Nevertheless, the assistant knew how she felt.
“Listen, Ysabelle. No one can help you pursue your dream, so you must seize every opportunity you have. There are many people who wish they could take over your place out there.”
Many people dreamed about becoming an artiste and releasing their own albums.
Yet, no matter how hard they tried, they just weren't given the chance.
Ysabelle was quite disappointed with herself when she heard that. “I'm sorry.”
“It's okay. Now, go back and rest. I still have other things to attend to and can't give you a ride.” The assistant did not press on the matter.
After all, it was Ysabelle's own dream.
No one could help her if she herself did not put in the effort.
Meanwhile, Xandra was reading the threads on the internet. Many fans had flooded the site, reprimanding TS Entertainment and demanding an explanation from them.
The Wheelers had been trending nowadays, so every move they made received the attention of their fans.
Some of them were completely irrational. They only wanted to hear the answer they wanted to hear.
Outside the building of TS Entertainment, several fans had even passed out from crying.
“Sophie, this happened because of me. I'd better explain to them myself. I don't want TS Entertainment to take the blame.”
Mark was the one who wanted to leave The Wheelers.
It had nothing to do with Sophie, and she needed not to bear the responsibility.
“Do you not believe in me? I am the CEO of TS Entertainment. Whatever happens to TS Entertainment today will be my responsibility alone.”
Sophie never cared about how the others slandered her.
“Sophie—”
Before Mark could continue his words, Xandra interrupted, “Don't worry, Mark. Everything will be fine with me here. I've been in the entertainment industry for so long and I've encountered a lot of things.” A grin bloomed on her face.
“Get the security company to send more security guards over to ensure the fans' safety.” Sophie did not want to take the risk of getting anyone injured or even killed at such a critical moment.
If that happened, there would be nothing she could do to fix the mess anymore.
“Don't worry. I've already asked them to send people over. But I'm afraid there's no way you can leave the building now, Mark,” said Xandra, knowing the fans had already flooded the main entrance and the backdoor. “You probably won't have a peaceful life until this matter is resolved.” She did not exaggerate her words but was simply stating a fact.
“All right, I've already found the person who wrote the post. But it's pointless to delete them now,” said Sophie.
The Wheelers had a huge fan base.
The moment the rumors surfaced, they began to wonder if Sophie had mistreated their idol. They could not think of any other reason why their idol would leave the group.
Xandra was calm and unruffled.
“Sophie, I know you want to protect The Wheelers. But only they themselves can sort this out.”
Nothing the company said could be of any use at that point.
“I'm willing to hold a press conference to clarify everything.” Mark suddenly spoke. “Xandra is right. This matter has affected our daily life now.”
“All right, then,” Sophie agreed.
There was no way to suppress the news anymore.
Even though they could delete the threads on the internet, it was impossible to get things to resolve with the number of fans surrounding the building.
Just then, the other members of The Wheelers entered the room.
“Let's face it together, Mark.”
As part of the band, they would bear everything together no matter what happened.
Most importantly, they were close friends.
None of them would back down at that critical moment.
“It's okay. All this happened because of me. I can face it myself.” Mark did not want to get the others involved, as it was his own decision to leave the band. “All of you still have a long way to go. Don't ruin your future because of me.”
“Mark, what are you talking about? The Wheelers will not continue without you. This is a fact that no one can change, and we'll never accept someone else as our leader.” Sunny was upset with Mark's decision to take everything alone. “We'll respect your decision. Since you've decided to leave, we won't hold you back anymore. It will be enough for us as long as we can perform together at our last concert.”
They would not tie him down.
“All right. Let's foce it together!”
Mark was touched by their words.
At the same time, he felt horrible as the others were dragged into the mess because of him.
However, all the members of The Wheelers were close friends.
It would be too much if he were to apologize.
Seeing how united they were, Sophie walked over and hugged them.
“That's right. Let's face it together.”
When TS Entertainment announced that The Wheelers would be holding a press conference on their official website, The Wheelers' fans went into a frenzy.
All the members of The Wheelers were clad in white suits at the press conference and did not wear makeup to show that they regarded the press conference with great importance.
Sophie, wearing a white dress, was seated in the middle. novelbin
“Thank you to all the fans who came here today to join The Wheelers' press conference.” Sophie was calm and composed in front of the microphones and cameras. “I believe all of you have read on the internet that Mark is leaving. Well, it's true. We, TS Entertainment, however, are reluctant to let him go and have been trying our best to make him stay.”
She paused before continuing, “We are deeply sorry that we have to let all of you down. Since Mark will be leaving for personal reasons, The Wheelers will also be having their last concert as a farewell to their fans. On behalf of TS Entertainment, I would like to thank you all for supporting The Wheelers since the beginning. I sincerely hope all of you can respect Mark's decision and give him some space.”
However, Mark's fans disregarded her words and shouted Mark's name in front of the stage.
Has Mark been mistreated again? Otherwise, why is The Wheelers disbanding? They would have disbanded in their toughest times if they wanted to.
“Mark, did they do something to you guys? Please don't disband. We will always protect you!” one of the fans shouted.
The fans in the audience were extremely emotional and could not listen to a single word.
Several fans even got agitated and passed out. Fortunately, Sophie had placed a few doctors on standby.
Chapter 465
“I'm very grateful for all of your support. We've been a band for three years, and throughout this time, we could only make it to where we are today, thanks to all of you. However, all journeys come to an end. In the end, I have to leave,” Mark said.
The fans who had come that day were all hardcore fans.
Mark even remembered some of them.
It didn't matter where The Wheelers went. Those fans would follow them anywhere as long as they could see them, even at the airport.
“Didn't you say you would continue making music until you were old and gray, Mark? Why are you leaving?” The fans truly couldn't understand. Things had clearly gotten much better.
They didn't get why he had to leave at a time like that.
Upon seeing his fans' reactions, the cold and aloof Mark began tearing up. Truth be told, he was actually sad to part.
“If you guys truly care for us, please respect our decision. Even if I'm not a part of the band anymore, I'll still remember how well everyone has treated me.”
Mark got up before bowing deeply to the fans and reporters.
The other members of The Wheelers stood up as well and did the same.
“Thank you, everyone, for your love. No matter what, we will respect Mark's choice,” Sunny declared, reluctance written all over his baby-like face.
He was the one who most desperately hoped that The Wheelers would never disband.
Despite that, he had always trusted and respected anything Mark said.
“Sunny!” His fans' hearts ached for him.
They all knew how much Sunny cared for the band, and how much he wished for the band to stay together.
Yet, he was the one smiling and trying to comfort everyone.
“It's okay. I'm fine. Don't get too worked up. I don't want to see any of you fainting.” Sunny refused to cry. He wanted to face it with a smile.
“This is going to be The Wheelers' last concert, and it's also our farewell concert. We want to thank everyone for supporting The Wheelers all this while. I've decided to make this concert free of charge. You guys don't need to spend money to buy tickets,” Mark said.
Since the fans liked them so much, that was the only thing the band could do for them.
“I'm sorry, Sophie. This is my personal decision, and I didn't inform the company in advance. I'll take responsibility for all the expenses,” Mark proclaimed. Hosting a concert was costly, after all.
It wouldn't be right if TS Entertainment had to deal with all of it.
“Mark...” The fans began crying harder when they heard Mark's announcement.
They couldn't believe that their beloved idol and talented artist would be leaving just like that.
“You don't have to apologize, Mark. I support any choice you make. Also, you don't have to take care of the expenses,” Sophie replied. He was one of TS Entertainment's artistes, so the company would naturally deal with all the fees.
“It'll be our last concert, so I want to make this an unforgettable experience for everyone. I want to emphasize once again that it's my personal choice to leave The Wheelers, and that this has nothing to do with anyone else. I hope all of you can continue to support TS Entertainment.” Mark bowed deeply one more time.
The rest of the members did so as well.
“We're ready to hold our last concert. How about you guys?” Sunny grinned. No matter what, he was going to enjoy the moment, as they could still perform together.
“Mark! Mark! Mark!”
“Sunny! Sunny! Sunny!”
The fans below were chanting their names frantically.
Everyone wondered if things really had to be that way and if it was truly impossible to go back to how things used to be.
The moment Mark turned around, a drop of tear fell from his eye.
Sophie noticed it. In fact, Mark was the one who was the most reluctant to part. He truly couldn't let go.
Emerald Gang! Perhaps I should go and talk to his father.
The press conference ended.
Reddit and Twitter were overflowing with videos of Mark's announcement. The fans who were unable to attend the press conference were in disbelief after watching them.
One wrote: Are they really going to disband?
Someone replied: I know, right? They're the only group I'm a fan of!
Another commented: The Wheelers are so popular right now. How could they disband just like that? Is this TS Entertainment's gimmick?
One fan said: I hope I wake up tomorrow morning and find out that it was all a dream.
The news kept spreading around the internet.
However, since Mark had clarified things, people weren't that spiteful toward TS Entertainment anymore.
Some of the more rational fans warned the others: If not for TS Entertainment, we wouldn't have gotten to see this handsome side of The Wheelers at all. We should be more rational, guys.
Another supported: That's right. Sophie actually cares about The Wheelers a lot.
The members of The Wheelers had not received such nice treatment at Sky Media.
Someone else chimed in: Exactly. I heard that the sole reason Sophie established TS Entertainment was for the members' sake.
The moment someone mentioned that, everyone else started singing praises about TS Entertainment.
All of them couldn't bear to see Mark leave.
Nonetheless, it wasn't up to them.
They all hoped that there would be a sudden turn of events, but they were also anticipating the farewell concert.
Anyone who had been to one of The Wheelers' concerts would know how intense it could be, as the members would basically put their entire souls into the performance.
They were the best rock band that anyone had ever seen.
They just kept going at it without stopping.
The spirit of rock still persisted in the hearts of many.
Xandra let out a sigh.
“Are the tickets really going to be free, Sophie?” she asked. They had to spend money to rent and decorate the venue, not to mention all the preparations.
Yet, the tickets were going to be free of charge.
She had no idea how they were going to make any money that way.
“You don't have to be so impulsive. This isn't how running a business works,” Xandra reminded.
“There are many things that you can't assign a monetary value to, Xandra. Besides, the company won't suffer any losses. A lot of streaming sites have offered to give us rights to live-stream the concert,”
Sophie said.
All those websites wanted to have the exclusive rights.
Sophie couldn't comprehend how Xandra didn't understand the value of those offers.
“That's true. Okay, then. Let me discuss it with them,” Xandra uttered. She was in charge of everything regarding the concert, so she knew how to get the most out of it.
“Of course, you'll be the one doing it,” Sophie said.
“Look at you. You seem so cold on the outside, but in reality, you're an emotional person. Don't you know how much of a loss this is going to be?”
Sophie was a lost cause in Xandra's eyes.
“Why would it be a loss? I have so many friends around me who sincerely care about me. That's the best reward you can get in life.”
Sophie had never cared much about money.
Instead, she intended to live up to the expectations of those who had been nice to her.
Josiah had already learned about what Clayton had done. That day, he had returned from the mountain resort and had asked Sophie to return.
“I know you've been busy lately, Soph, but are you really okay after what Clayton has done?” Josiah asked. Clayton was still a member of the Zales family, so he was worried that getting Clayton to jail would affect Sophie.
Chapter 466
Sophie peeled an orange for Josiah. The oranges were ones that Tristan had specifically gotten from Archulea, and they were delicious.
“Have some oranges, Grandpa,” she offered.
He took the peeled orange from her.
It was cleanly peeled, and she had even gotten rid of the pith.
“Since I dare to send Clayton in, I'm not worried about the Zaleses coming for me. Just worry about your own health, Grandpa, and leave the rest to me.”
Josiah was getting old, and it wouldn't be good for him to work too hard.
“I heard that both your mother and Willow got injured. Let's go and visit them at the hospital,” he suggested. After all, they were still a part of the same family.
Even though they had brought it upon themselves, visiting them in the hospital was still the right thing to do.
“Okay,” Sophie agreed. She had no problem with what Josiah had to say.
Since he wanted to visit them, she would just go with him.
Sophie got the driver to get ready before heading to the hospital with Josiah.
Charmaine and Willow were both staying in the VIP wards.
Since both rooms were right next to each other, Josiah and Sophie decided to visit Charmaine first.
When Charmaine caught sight of Josiah, she began sobbing aggrievedly.
“I never thought this would happen, Dad. What do we do now? Everyone knows what's going on between Willow and Clayton. What is Willow going to do?”
It would be even harder for Willow to marry into a wealthy family from then on.
“Why don't you know how to repent even now, Charmaine? You never listened to what I said and always take things personally. Look at what you've done. Have you ever done a single right thing? What's the point of worrying now?”
“I'm really sorry, Dad. Please help Willow. She's still young. If this goes on, her life will be over.”
“As if it would be over. The Tanner family will continue to provide for her. As long as she focuses on her studies and marries a regular person, she'll be able to live peacefully. Isn't that good enough?”
Is it really necessary for her to climb the social ladder?
“Dad—” Charmaine clearly didn't approve, but she immediately shut up when she caught sight of Sophie's icy stare.
In her eyes, Sophie was an emotionless machine who did not care about her mother.
That was why she had never visited her in the hospital.
“Enough. Don't think too much about this. Just go with the flow.” Josiah had no intention of continuing the conversation. Either way, no matter what he said, she wouldn't listen. “Have a good rest. I'm going to visit Willow.”
In the end, she was still his granddaughter.
There was no way he wouldn't care about her.
When the door to the room was pushed open, Willow looked up in surprise.
Seeing that it was Josiah and Sophie, she didn't say anything. She didn't even greet Josiah.
Josiah shook his head when he saw the state that she was in.
“Stop thinking about what you want, Willow. School's starting soon. When it does, I want you to focus on your studies. No matter what, you're my granddaughter, so I'll carry out my responsibility to provide for you.”
The reason he refused to let her enter Tanner Group was that she just wasn't skilled enough, not because he was biased and didn't want to give her anything.
Willow finally came to her senses, but she didn't seem happy.
In fact, she didn't want to say a single word.
Her life was a disaster.
There wasn't a single thing that went well.
That being said, she didn't have the right to wish for anything.
“You're still young, Willa. You still have a lot of opportunities, so don't beat yourself up like that. It won't do you any good,” Josiah reassured. He couldn't bear to see her like that either.
“Can I talk to Sophie privately for a moment, Grandpa?” When Willow spoke, her tone was completely flat. There wasn't a trace of emotion in it.
Josiah couldn't help but frown.
Does she still not know how to repent?
“This has nothing to do with Sophie, Willa. What are you going to say to her?” He couldn't understand why Willow didn't try to solve the root of the problem within herself.
Willow smiled.
He's so biased. What can I even do in this state? I just want to say a few words to Sophie, but he's so concerned.
“Wait for me outside, Grandpa.” Sophie didn't want to put him in a difficult position, so she told him to leave for the time being.
“Soph, no matter what she says, don't get angry. For my sake, okay?” Even in his old age, there were so many things he had to worry about. He wondered what sins he had committed in his past life.
“Don't worry, Grandpa. I'm not that short-tempered.”
Josiah left, but he couldn't stop worrying about the two people inside the ward.
Sophie sat down on the couch at the side without a word.
Willow snorted. “You must be reolly sotisfied, huh? Are you glod to see me like this?”
Sophie was speechless. Looks like she does have problems after all.
“Honestly speaking, Willow, I don't care about the state you're in because it has nothing to do with me. You were the one who always tried to compete with me from the start, but I never considered you my rival.”
“Because I wasn't worth it, right?”
“At least you're self-aware when it comes to that.”
The two of them were never on the same level in the first place.
Willow revealed a sad smile. “Indeed, you've been looking down on me all this time.”
“Whether or not people look down on you depends on your own behavior.” She's the one putting herself down. There's nothing I can do about that. “All right, I've said all that I have to. If you want to defeat me, then crawl back up on your own.”
One has to pick themselves up from where one falls.
Willow's injuries weren't serious. There was no need for her to stay in the hospital forever.
“Just you wait, Sophie. I'll crush you under my feet.”
Sophie got up from the couch. “Really? Have fun with that.”
She then ignored Willow and went looking for Josiah.
“I'm sorry for making you suffer, Soph,” he apologized. He knew that she didn't want to come to the hospital and that she had only come for his sake.
“It's not your fault at all, Grandpa. You're the only one who sincerely treats me well in this world.”
“Really? What about Mr. Tristan?”
Tristan had given his entire heart to her. That was something he could tell even in his old age.
“Yeah, Mr. Tristan too.”
It was true that Tristan treated her exceptionally well.
“Oh, Soph, I can rest assured when I see him treat you so well,” Josiah exclaimed. “Maybe if Willow lowered her standards a bit, she could be happy too.”
Based on the state Willow was in, however, it didn't seem that her standards were going down.
“Us kids can take care of ourselves, Grandpa. You don't have to worry. There's no point anyway,” Sophie reminded.
Just then, Tristan walked over from outside when they left the hospital.
“Your boyfriend's here!” Josiah caught sight of Tristan first.
Sophie looked over. He was dressed in an elegant suit and looked dazzling regardless of the situation.
I suppose he's the savior of my life...
Chapter 467
Tristan made his way toward the pair.
“Did you enjoy your stay at the resort, Old Mr. Tanner? Why didn't you stay a little longer?” Tristan greeted Josiah as he walked toward them.
“There's much to do at home. I can't just be away for so long.”
Josiah was a man who had one foot in his grave.
However, he did not feel comfortable letting Sophie do all the heavy lifting.
“Don't worry, Old Mr. Tanner. Both Sophie and I are around. Nothing's going to happen,” said Tristan reassuringly. Nobody was going to mistreat Sophie in his presence.
“Soph, the driver will take me back. I know you're busy, so I should let you get back to work. You needn't worry about me!” Since Josiah had a driver, there was nothing to be concerned about.
“Let me take you home instead!”
Even though there was a driver, Sophie still did not feel at ease.
“Do I look like a child to you? Just take it easy! Tell you what. I'll give you a call when I get home. How does that sound?” Knowing that Sophie was concerned about his safety, Josiah felt warmth bloom in his heart.
“Old Mr. Tanner, I think we should send you home,” said Tristan.
It would not take a long time anyway.
“Very well, then!”
Josiah sighed, shaking his head good-naturedly. They are such filial, dutiful kids.
I'm not going to waste any more time, then.
Tristan and Sophie sent Josiah home together. After relaying the necessary instructions to Morgan, Sophie and Tristan left the Tanner residence.
The roar of the car engine told Josiah that Sophie and Tristan had finally set off.
“Morgan, be frank with me. Do you think I've been taking advantage of Sophie?” asked Josiah unwittingly. “If not for me, Sophie would have been far away by now. She doesn't really need to worry about this stuff at home.”
Josiah knew, deep down, that he was holding Sophie back.
“Old Mr. Tanner, Ms. Tanner is a good person. I think she just wishes for you to be at peace,” replied Morgan. “Don't think too much about it.”
As he glanced out the window, Josiah shook his head.
“She's had it rough, being born to a family like this.”
When he was away, Sophie had been forced to leave the house at a young age.
Josiah reckoned that she did not really feel strongly toward this family, to begin with.
If not for him, Sophie had no reason to stick around at all.
“Honestly, I do hope she's happy. That's all I want.” Josiah was worried that the Tanner family served as a burden to Sophie and was keeping her from living her own life.
“Old Mr. Tanner, I think you're overthinking this. Ms. Tanner is a strong, capable person. Besides, she now has a partner like Mr. Tristan! Look how wonderfully he treats her! I firmly believe that Ms. Tanner will be happy.”
Is there a reason for Ms. Tanner to be unhappy with a man like Mr. Tristan pampering her thus?
“It's hard to say. After all, Sophie is still young. We don't know what the future holds.”
“Old Mr. Tanner, it's not like you've not noticed the way Ms. Tanner looks at Mr. Tristan! She may be introverted, but we can clearly see the adoration she has for Mr. Tristan!”
“Let's just hope so!”
Josiah was constantly like this, worrying about whether or not Sophie was going to be okay.
“I do think that the more worrisome one is Ms. Willow. This situation has hit her pretty hard. She's always wanted to marry into a wealthy family, but I fear this will be difficult.”
“It's lofty ambitions and wishful thinking on her part. There's nothing much we can do.”
The old man sighed.
This was something Willow had to sort out on her own. Nobody else could do this for her.
After leaving the Tanner residence, Sophie decided to have a short nap. When she opened her eyes, however, she soon realized that they'd arrived at Lombard Group.
“Why did you bring me here?” asked Sophie, confused.
“Something came up that needs my attention. Why don't you stick around and keep me company?” It would be a waste of time if Tristan sent her back now.
“Okay!”
“How go the preparations for the concert?”
“Everything is ready. We're just waiting for the final rehearsal!” The Wheelers always had a place in her heart since that was where she had the fondest memories.
“You know what? Seeing how tired you are makes me sad, but I can't do much for you. This doesn't feel very nice,” replied Tristan.
Sophie was quite smart and skilled in all her undertakings.
However, her capabilities were what made her feel so tired.
“I'm sorry, Mr. Tristan. I've been too busy to spend any time with you lately.”
They were both busy with work and barely had any time for each other.
Sophie felt that she was not a very competent girlfriend.
“Don't say that. I know you're busy, so I'll do my best to make time for you,” said Tristan. All she had to do was do whatever she wanted. He would take care of the rest.
Sophie then reached out to hold his hand.
“Are you busy too?”
Making time for her meant a decrease in Tristan's resting time as well.
“It's fine. After this period is over, there won't be much else,” replied Tristan.
At Lombord Group, oll the higher-level executives were woiting for the meeting to stort. novelbin
Triston brought Sophie into his office ond gove her o blonket.
“Why don't you toke o nop here? I'll woke you up when we're done.”
“Didn't you wont me to come with you?”
“It's fine. Just stoy here ond rest.” Sophie hod only been getting three to four hours of sleep lotely. Now thot she hod some free time, it wos best thot she got some time to herself.
“Okay. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me.”
Sophie was aware that someone was trying to mess with Lombard Group.
Such was the world of business, where some people liked to behave recklessly.
“All right, just sleep. There's no need to dwell on it,” murmured Tristan. If he could not handle such a small matter, was he still Tristan Lombard?
Sophie then gently tugged his chin toward her before planting a kiss on his lips.
“Off you go.”
“Just wait for me here. When this is over, we can have dinner together.”
“Okay!”
Right now, the only one who mattered to Sophie was Tristan.
Tristan liked this side of her as well.
When Tristan arrived at the meeting room, Felix immediately announced that the meeting was going to commence.
Throughout the meeting, Tristan did not say much. However, the stern expression on his face made everyone present squirm.
Nobody dared to engage in banter.
“Mr. Tristan, what do we do about this?” Felix knew that if Tristan said nothing, everyone was going to feel uneasy. As such, he chose to start the ball rolling.
“Since he wants to mess around, we'll mess around with him. It's only a few billion, after all!”
That reckless idiot Nicholas! So, he wants to play? Who the heck does he think he is?
After that, Tristan listed out everything that needed to be done in an orderly manner.
“Do you all understand? If there aren't any questions, just follow my instructions,” said Tristan to everyone present.
“Yes, Mr. Lombard.”
His subordinates did not really have much else to say in that regard. When it came to Tristan, they were ready to carry out all his orders.
When the others had left the room, only Felix and Tristan remained.
“Mr. Tristan, I have a feeling that this Nicholas person is targeting Sophie,” said Felix uneasily. Lombard Group and Nicholas had nothing to do with each other. Given how aggressively Nicholas behaved, this was no coincidence.
“If that's the case, we can't let Sophie find out.”
Chapter 468
“Actually, I think we should tell Sophie about it. Maybe we can ask her what her relationship with him is.”
Knowing the connection between them was the first step to solving the problem.
“I've already said that we can't let her know about this.” novelbin
It's a matter between us men and has nothing to do with her.
Felix shook his head at Tristan's stubbornness.
“Actually, Sophie is not as weak as you think.”
He doesn't have to shoulder everything by himself.
How can a girl who's able to deal with the top hackers in the world be an ordinary girl?
“Felix, when you really love someone, no matter how capable she is, you will still want to protect her well and not let her get hurt.”
Not even a single bit.
Tristan was willing to share so much only because Felix and he were good friends who grew up together. He wouldn't have bothered to explain if it were anyone else.
“All right. I understand,” Felix replied. If that was the case, he would just have to do a bit more work.
Anyway, after working for Tristan for so long, he was already used to it.
“Don't worry! It's just Nicholas. There's nothing to fear.”
Have I, Tristan Lombard, ever been afraid of anyone?
“Yup! We don't have to be afraid of anyone!”
No one.
After the meeting, Tristan headed back to his office and saw Sophie sleeping soundly there.
Tristan did not wake her up but sat next to her and watched her quietly.
What's her relationship with Nicholas?
He knew that he would believe anything Sophie said.
However, he realized that he did not dare to ask her about it.
No matter what sort of relationship Sophie and Nicholas had, Tristan would not let her go.
That woman was his, and no one could snatch her away.
He would make sure no one did.
At that instant, Tristan was filled with possessiveness, and a look of determination appeared on his face.
“Sophie, no one can take you away from me unless I'm dead.”
He was a stubborn person.
Once he was sure of something, he would not change his mind easily.
If Nicholas wanted to court death, Tristan would gladly grant his wish.
When Sophie woke up, she saw the man standing next to her and watching her.
After they locked eyes for a while, Sophie smiled and got up from the couch. She walked behind Tristan and hugged him from the back.
“Has the meeting ended? Why didn't you wake me up?”
“You look really tired, so I decided to let you sleep,” the man replied in a deep and sensual voice, which was extremely alluring.
“Aren't we supposed to have lunch together? Ysabelle has been feeling gloomy for the past two days. Let's bring her along!”
Ysabelle was a hardcore fan of The Wheelers.
For the past two days, she had been upset because of what happened to The Wheelers.
“I don't want a third wheel disturbing us. If she's upset, Felix can accompany her. It's gonna be just the two of us today.”
He had finally started dating and found it frustrating that Ysabelle was always following them around.
Sophie hugged Tristan even tighter.
“All right, then. Since that's what you want, we won't take her along.”
Sophie decided to find some time the next day to have a chat with Ysabelle.
“That's more like it. Sophie, you have to remember that I'm the most important person in your life.”
Everyone else doesn't matter.
Sophie replied obediently, “I'll remember that. Don't worry. I will remember everything you tell me.”
Her pretty eyes were sparkling like the stars in the sky.
After she started dating Tristan, she had been smiling a lot more.
Tristan took Sophie to a famous hot spring resort in Jipsdale. The hot spring there had rejuvenating effects.
Sophie had not been sleeping very well, so Tristan had bought over the resort after knowing about the rejuvenating effects of the hot spring there. He even named the place after Sophie.
“From now onward, let's come here and take a hot spring bath every week!” Tristan said while the two of them were eating.
“What's with your sudden interest in this?” Given how busy both of them were, it seemed unlikely that they would have the time to make a trip there weekly.
“The hot spring here is different from other places. It's especially useful for sleep. Just come here once a week and you will be able to reap the benefits from it. I will come with you.”
At that moment, Tristan, who was dressed in a black shirt, seemed a little different from usual.
However, he still looked ridiculously handsome.
A man like that cared so much about her.
He had taken her to the hot spring resort, knowing that she was having trouble with her sleep.
“I've already bought this place and named it after you. I will bring you around to take a look later. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, I can get someone to fix it.”
He bought the entire place?
“Mr. Tristan, you're going to spoil me.”
“I will gladly spoil my woman. Besides, it's just a hot spring resort. I want to give you everything that is good for you.”
Sophie let out a sigh and said, “How can I bear to leave you if you continue treating me like this?”
She was certain that she would never leave the man. He was a man who loved her wholeheartedly.
Tristan held Sophie's hand and sat her on his lap.
“What are you talking about? Are you thinking of leaving me? Where are you thinking of going?”
Sophie put her arms around the man's neck and kissed his lips.
“You're thinking too much. I can never bear to leave you. I will stay by your side forever.” Sophie could not help but blush, as it was her first time declaring her commitment to Tristan so directly. “I mean it. There's no way I can leave you in this life.”
Tristan deepened the kiss, and his hands started roaming around the woman's back.
“You have to stay by my side forever. I won't be able to take it if you leave me.”
Is it even possible to let someone whom you love so much go?
“Mr. Tristan, what's going on with you today? Why are you feeling so insecure?”
He was someone who was always in control of any situation and was definitely not an insecure person.
“Nothing. Maybe I just love you too much! That's why I don't even want to hear you mention leaving me. Sophie, remember, you can do anything you want except leave me.”
That was his only request.
Sophie could feel her heart aching when she heard the man's words.
“I don't waver easily once I make a decision. There's no need for you to worry at all.” She did not like seeing Tristan like that. He was supposed to be a man who was unflinching and feared nothing.
“I'm glad to hear that!”
“Let's take a dip in the hot spring!” Sophie could feel that she was losing herself in Tristan's kiss. She was worried that if it continued, she would no longer be able to control herself.
“Let's take a walk around the place first! It's not good for your body if you soak in the hot spring immediately after eating.” Tristan was also feeling rather exasperated at his biological response because of his desire for Sophie.
However, there was nothing he could do.
His self-control was almost non-existent when he was with Sophie.
Chapter 469
The scenery at the hot spring resort was very beautiful.
The resort was also very well-designed, and it consisted of both indoor and outdoor hot springs.
The outdoor hot springs were all shaped differently, and they were surrounded by beautiful rockeries.
“Take a look and see if there's anything you don't like. I will get the designer to come here tomorrow and make the changes accordingly.”
Tristan wanted to make sure that Sophie liked the place as she would be frequenting the resort very often in the future.
Sophie held Tristan's hand and continued walking outside.
“Honestly, I'm very satisfied with this place. It's designed in the style I like.”
“Really? I'm glad you like it.”
“Why are you so happy? You're not even the designer of this place.”
“Actually, I am the one who designed it. I bought this resort one month ago, and I designed it according to the way you would like it to be.”
Sophie halted in her tracks.
He bought this resort one month ago? He even designed the place personally? How come I didn't know that?
Tristan wrapped his arms around the woman from the back and said, “Don't look at me like that. I just hope you can get better sleep and don't have to continue relying on essential oils. Besides, I enjoyed doing all of this.”
He would willingly do anything for her just to see her smile.
After all, he was a very independent person who managed everything well.
Sophie observed her surroundings while leaning against Tristan's chest. Indeed, everything here is designed according to my liking. He must have spent a lot of time on this resort!
“All right. Let's come here once a week from now onward.”
Since he had spent so much effort on the resort, how could she disappoint him?
“I'm really happy that you like it.” Tristan led Sophie to the dressing room and handed her a swimsuit.
“I've prepared this for you. Let's get changed. I'll wait for you outside.”
Sophie could feel her cheeks burning as she held the swimsuit.
He even prepared this?
Tristan had picked out her swimsuit personally.
“Go ahead! I'll get changed right away,” Sophie said with a blush spread across her face.
She used to be a very composed person. However, she found herself feeling flustered more often lately. She was always blushing in front of Tristan.
Does love really change someone so much?
After Tristan left to get changed, Sophie was alone in the dressing room.
She took out the swimsuit from the bag and saw that it was not the revealing sort. Instead, it was a design she liked and in her favorite color.
He really knew her preferences well.
That also meant that he had spent a lot of time with her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known her so well.
There was no way Sophie wouldn't be moved by a man who loved her so wholeheartedly.
There was no doubt that she loved Tristan!
After putting on the swimsuit and draping a towel around her body, Sophie left the dressing room. That day, other than the resort employees, there was no one else in the huge resort.
When Sophie stepped outside, she saw that Tristan was already waiting there.
He was wearing swimming trunks which looked like a matching pair with Sophie's swimsuit.
It was the first time Sophie had seen Tristan in swimming trunks. As that was the only piece of clothing on him, he seemed exceptionally tall and lean, and the defined muscles on his body could be clearly seen.
Sophie found the man extremely sexy.
He was definitely not any less attractive as compared to international top models.
Is he trying to seduce me?
In fact, the man was her type regardless in terms of looks or figure.
When Tristan saw Sophie walking out in her swimsuit, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Even though there was a towel draped around her, her beautiful long legs were still extremely eye-catching.
He loved everything about her, including those pair of slender long legs, her slim waist, and her ridiculously pretty face.
He found himself hopelessly in love with the woman.
Sophie walked toward Tristan slowly and said, “Let's go!”
Tristan put his arm around the woman's waist and led her toward the hot spring.
He had chosen a couple hot spring for them, which was surrounded by rockery and exquisite plants.
“Don't worry. It's very clean here. I've specially designed this hot spring for us, and it's not open to the public.”
He wanted to make sure that he gave her the best of everything.
Sophie removed her towel when they were in the hot spring. When Tristan saw her perfect figure, he instinctively held his breath.
Soaking in the hot spring with the woman before they got married was definitely a challenge for him.
That was because he was powerless in front of Sophie.
“I like it so much! You sure know what I like!”
The two of them sat next to each other while admiring the scenery before them.
The hot spring water there was different from elsewhere.
There was a faint fragrance emitting from it.
Perhops it wos becouse of the roses plonted oround the oreo.
Perhaps it was because of the roses planted around the area.
In fact, Tristan had planted those flowers especially for Sophie.
“I love everything about this place. Tristan, why did you do so much for me? I'm so touched that I don't even know what to say.”
“You don't have to say anything if you don't know what to say. I did everything because I wanted to.”
Her gratitude was never what he wanted.
She had been under a lot of stress lately.
However, at that moment, it seemed that her stress had wholly dissipated.
When she was with Tristan, she did not have to worry about anything, and there was nothing that she had to do.
That was because he would have thought of everything and done everything for her.
“All right.”
Tristan could feel his breathing getting heavier and his swimming trunks felt tighter. His eyes were also starting to fill with desire.
Seeing the man in such a state, Sophie could not help but feel sorry for him.
He seems really uncomfortable. It must be tough for him.
“If you don't feel comfortable being here with me, why don't you move further away?” Even though Sophie was a pure and innocent girl, she was well aware of Tristan's agony at that moment.
“It's all right. I want to be by your side.” novelbin
His self-control was getting weaker and weaker.
Clearly, the woman did not do anything except dipping in the hot spring.
Yet, his imagination started running wild.
His mind was filled with R-rated images.
Even so, he could not touch Sophie.
He had promised that he wouldn't touch her before marriage. That was to show his respect for her.
“Mr. Tristan...” Sophie saw that the man's forehead was already covered with beads of perspiration, and he looked rather miserable.
“I'm all right.”
The next instant, Tristan shifted his gaze away from Sophie and turned around. I'll be fine as long as I don't look at her!
Right then, Sophie's phone rang, breaking the awkward tension between the couple.
Sophie picked up her phone from the side table next to the hot spring and answered it.
“Sophie, it's me! How could you be so heartless toward me? It's all because of you that I am in such a pathetic state!” Nicholas's voice sounded from the other end of the line.
Sophie frowned when she heard the man's voice.
She glanced at Tristan, who had his back to her, and hung up. Damn that Nicholas.
“Who is it?” Tristan asked suspiciously, seeing that Sophie was silent.
Chapter 470
“Wrong number,” Sophie replied, lying through her teeth.
Nicholas doesn't know when to give up, does he? Or perhaps he didn't learn his lesson from last time?
Tristan had a feeling that she was not telling the truth.
However, he decided not to probe further this time. If Sophie refused to answer him, he would not ask any more questions.
Sophie stared at his back as guilt filled her heart.
There was nothing between her and Nicholas. She did not tell Tristan because she did not want him to worry.
However, he seemed down in the dumps because of the call.
“Are you all right?” Sophie asked tentatively. She did not wish for Tristan to get angry or upset.
After returning from the hot spring resort, Sophie immediately called Nicholas.
Nicholas' lips curled up into a smirk when he saw the familiar number.
“Sophie, aren't you being too mean? If I don't call you, you'll never call me first, won't you? Are you going to forget about me?”
Having not heard Sophie's voice for so long, he truly missed her.
“I miss you so much. Should I come to Jipsdale to visit you?”
Nicholas seemed to have forgotten about what had happened in the past. Like someone who had been parted from his lover for a long time, he wanted to fly over to her side.
“Nicholas, haven't you learned your lesson? I've warned you to stay out of my life. I will never like you.”
“Why not? I met you first. How could you fall in love with someone else? Do you know you're breaking my heart?” Nicholas uttered hysterically.
I was the one who met her first. How can another man steal her heart before I do?
“Nicholas, are you certain you're not sick in the head? If you are, you can go to the hospital. Stop spouting nonsense at me!” Sophie raged. Nicholas was an important person. She could not afford to get rid of him.
However, her patience had long run out after she was being pestered by him for so long.
“You're right. I'm indeed sick. I'm suffering from lovesickness. Ever since you left, I've been thinking about you every day.”
Sophie was rendered speechless by his absurd reply.
She took a deep breath, and only then did she manage to suppress the urge to hurl the phone.
“Nicholas, just give up on your one-sided feeling. If you don't want to push this to the point of no return,
you better stay out of my life.”
If the situation continued, one of them was bound to die.
“Sophie, are you threatening me now? You know very well that I don't like being threatened by others.” Why does she have to be so cruel to me? “I can give you whatever you want if you return to my side. I mean it. Otherwise, I'll never let you go even if I have to take you down.”
Nicholos wos utterly obsessed with Sophie. He could not beor to let her go to onother mon.
Sophie did not feel the need to continue the conversotion.
No motter whot I soy, he will never listen to me. In thot cose, I will just let him be. At worst, we'll come to blows. Let's see who will hove the lost lough!
After honging up the phone, Sophie turned on her computer ond chonged her number. This new phone number wos tied to someone else's ID cord.
She did not wont to heor Nicholos' voice onymore.
Meonwhile, Felix ond the others could only shoke their heods when they sow Triston drowning his sorrows.
“Mr. Triston, whot ore you doing? Did you breok up with Sophie?” Thot's the only reoson he would behove like this.
Heoring thot, Triston shot him o deoth glore.
Felix rubbed his nose owkwordly. “Since you two ore still together, why ore you drinking so much? You know thot drowning your sorrows doesn't work, right?”
“Felix, keep your mouth shut if you don't know how to console him. Just drink with him insteod,” Seon soid.
“I ogree!” Chorles chimed in. It's just drinking. It's not like we'll die from drinking. Whot's there to be ofroid of?
Felix shook his heod ond soid, “You guys ore insone. Very well, then. Since everyone here is crozy, it's pointless for me to stoy sone olone. Let's drink together.”
The four of them were oll intelligent people. It hod been o long time since they hod drunk like this.
After hoving too much to drink, Felix begon to tolk nonsense. “Listen to me, Mr. Triston. If o womon is disobedient, you hove to punish her. If you don't teoch her o lesson, she will stort dominoting you from now on.”
“Punish her? I con't beor to do thot to her,” Triston replied. How could I punish her?
Chorles could not help but interject, “You con just pounce on her. She'll behove herself ofterword.”
Thot wos the woy to do it, or so he thought.
Seon wos ot o loss for words.
“I still con't beor to do thot,” Triston uttered.
“Mr. Triston, you weren't o softie before. Whot hoppened to you? You con't even beor to scold or punish her. How will you control her in the future? Where's your outhority os o mon?” Felix begon ogoin ofter downing o few more drinks.
Nicholas was utterly obsessed with Sophie. He could not bear to let her go to another man.
Sophie did not feel the need to continue the conversation.
No matter what I say, he will never listen to me. In that case, I will just let him be. At worst, we'll come to blows. Let's see who will have the last laugh!
After hanging up the phone, Sophie turned on her computer and changed her number. This new phone number was tied to someone else's ID card.
She did not want to hear Nicholas' voice anymore.
Meanwhile, Felix and the others could only shake their heads when they saw Tristan drowning his sorrows.
“Mr. Tristan, what are you doing? Did you break up with Sophie?” That's the only reason he would behave like this.
Hearing that, Tristan shot him a death glare.
Felix rubbed his nose awkwardly. “Since you two are still together, why are you drinking so much? You know that drowning your sorrows doesn't work, right?”
“Felix, keep your mouth shut if you don't know how to console him. Just drink with him instead,” Sean said.
“I agree!” Charles chimed in. It's just drinking. It's not like we'll die from drinking. What's there to be afraid of?
Felix shook his head and said, “You guys are insane. Very well, then. Since everyone here is crazy, it's pointless for me to stay sane alone. Let's drink together.”
The four of them were all intelligent people. It had been a long time since they had drunk like this.
After having too much to drink, Felix began to talk nonsense. “Listen to me, Mr. Tristan. If a woman is disobedient, you have to punish her. If you don't teach her a lesson, she will start dominating you from now on.”
“Punish her? I can't bear to do that to her,” Tristan replied. How could I punish her?
Charles could not help but interject, “You can just pounce on her. She'll behave herself afterward.”
That was the way to do it, or so he thought.
Sean was at a loss for words.
“I still can't bear to do that,” Tristan uttered.
“Mr. Tristan, you weren't a softie before. What happened to you? You can't even bear to scold or punish her. How will you control her in the future? Where's your authority as a man?” Felix began again after downing a few more drinks.
In his opinion, o mon hod to protect his stotus ond power in the fomily.
“If thot's whot you think, I'm scored to leove Ysobelle in your honds!”
Whot kind of old-foshioned view is thot? A mon should dote on his wife insteod of beoting or scolding her.
Felix scrotched the bock of his heod. “I wos just joking! Do I look like someone who would beot up his wife?” I still hove o long rood oheod of me.
Chorles interjected, “Thot's enough. Stop tolking nonsense. Just finish your drink.”
He could not comprehend how Triston could love o womon wholeheortedly.
After oll, there wos no shortoge of beoutiful women in this world. Mony of them were woiting to win his heort.
Why buy o cow when you con get milk for free?
Seon soid with o smile, “Don't worry, Mr. Triston. Thot Nicholos is no motch for you. He's nowhere neor os hondsome os you!”
Triston fell silent momentorily before responding, “My Sophie doesn't core obout physicol oppeoronces. She likes me becouse of my personolity, not my foce.”
Felix, Seon, ond Chorles were stumped for words.
Cloyton wos orrested for intentionol homicide.
With oll the evidence stocked ogoinst him, he wos sentenced to life imprisonment.
Willow come to see Cloyton on the doy of his sentencing. Observing the mon from ofor, she sow the once-fovored child foll from groce ofter he offended Sophie.
Willow's heort trembled when she thought of Sophie. I've finolly understood thot she isn't one to be trifled with.
Cloyton stopped in his trocks when he cought sight of Willow.
“I wont to hove o word with thot womon over there.” Cloyton mode o request.
The other porty noturolly knew Cloyton's identity.
No motter whot, the stoff still hod to show respect toword the Zoleses. They hod no choice but to opprooch the womon.
After listening to the stoff's words, Willow went up to Cloyton.
“Whot else is left to soy between us?” Willow osked expressionlessly.
All olong, she wos nothing but o pown for Cloyton to use.
Heoring thot, Cloyton could not help loughing. There wos no sign of despoir on his foce, os he wos confident of getting out of the prison.
“Willow, why ore you octing os if I've foiled you? You don't reolly like me, do you?” Cloyton osked. Both of them knew whot she wos ofter. There wos no point in pretending.
In his opinion, a man had to protect his status and power in the family.
“If that's what you think, I'm scared to leave Ysabelle in your hands!”
What kind of old-fashioned view is that? A man should dote on his wife instead of beating or scolding her.
Felix scratched the back of his head. “I was just joking! Do I look like someone who would beat up his wife?” I still have a long road ahead of me.
Charles interjected, “That's enough. Stop talking nonsense. Just finish your drink.”
He could not comprehend how Tristan could love a woman wholeheartedly.
After all, there was no shortage of beautiful women in this world. Many of them were waiting to win his heart.
Why buy a cow when you can get milk for free?
Sean said with a smile, “Don't worry, Mr. Tristan. That Nicholas is no match for you. He's nowhere near as handsome as you!”
Tristan fell silent momentarily before responding, “My Sophie doesn't care about physical appearances. She likes me because of my personality, not my face.”
Felix, Sean, and Charles were stumped for words.
Clayton was arrested for intentional homicide.
With all the evidence stacked against him, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Willow came to see Clayton on the day of his sentencing. Observing the man from afar, she saw the once-favored child fall from grace after he offended Sophie.
Willow's heart trembled when she thought of Sophie. I've finally understood that she isn't one to be trifled with.
Clayton stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of Willow.
“I want to have a word with that woman over there.” Clayton made a request.
The other party naturally knew Clayton's identity.
No matter what, the staff still had to show respect toward the Zaleses. They had no choice but to
approach the woman.
After listening to the staff's words, Willow went up to Clayton.
“What else is left to say between us?” Willow asked expressionlessly.
All along, she was nothing but a pawn for Clayton to use.
Hearing that, Clayton could not help laughing. There was no sign of despair on his face, as he was confident of getting out of the prison.
“Willow, why are you acting as if I've failed you? You don't really like me, do you?” Clayton asked. Both of them knew what she was after. There was no point in pretending.