Ch. 601..610

Chapter 601

Yale naturally heard what she said. He came over, raised his hand and gave her a slap.

“You ungrateful brat! How dare you said those words when your grandfather is gone? Do you even have a conscience?”

Everyone was heartbroken at the moment.

And she was the only one who still cared about these things.

She is really an ungrateful wretch.

Willow covered her face. There were still others at the scene. She couldn't believe that Yale slapped her in front of them.

Willow valued her pride the most.

Now that she was slapped in public, tears immediately welled up in her eyes.

“You're all the same. Am I not a member of the Tanner family? Since I am nothing in your eyes, perhaps I should leave.” With that, Willow ran off while weeping.

Seeing Willow's reaction, Charmaine wanted to chase after her out of worry. However, Yale grabbed her hand and stopped her from pursuing Willow.

“What're you doing? There are so many guests here. Where are you going if not to greet them?”

“But I'm worried about Willow. She ran off just like that.”

“Nothing will happen to her. Can't you see that she's a selfish person? The only thing she cares about is herself. Nothing will happen to a person like her.” Yale felt extremely disappointed whenever he thought of Willow's recent behavior.

It is better not to have a daughter like her.

Charmaine had more to say, but she put up a pretense that nothing had happened upon noticing that the relatives were approaching.

Sophie had been kneeling in the same spot for more than two hours. Tristan came over after he finished settling the funeral arrangement and kneeled beside her.

He did not say much. He knew that at this moment, none of the comforting words could soothe Sophie. She just needed someone to be by her side.

Felix shuttled in and out, busy helping with the funeral. Thus, the funeral went on smoothly with the help of Felix.

At night, Sophie insisted on staying for the vigil. This was the last and only chance she could be with her grandfather, so no way she would give it up.

Seeing that, Tristan accompanied her through the night.

Sophie did not eat much during dinner. Tristan's heart clenched seeing Sophie like that.

Sean and the others were there too.

No one left.

However, Yale and Charmaine could no longer resist the sleeping spell and went back early to rest. In fact, Sophie was the only sentimental person in the Tanner family.

Right then, Caleb also rushed back. Yale asked him to come back otherwise, he would not have known that his grandfather had passed away.

Caleb could no longer hold back his tears and started weeping when he arrived at the mourning hall.

He left Chanaea as a teenager and didn't spend much time with his grandfather. He did not expect to come back to see Josiah had passed on.

“Grandpa, I'm sorry that I'm late!” Caleb kneeled in the memorial room, tears trickling down his cheeks.

Sophie seemed unfazed by his arrival. She merely kneeled and continued chanting her prayer.

“Sophie, where are Dad and Mom?” After crying for a while, Caleb asked Sophie. Why is Sophie the only one here? Where are Mom and Dad? Where is Willow?

“I don't know,” Sophie replied nonchalantly. Those people were none of her concerns.

Tanner's face darkened upon hearing that.

“Soph, we're family no matter what. Why are you behaving like this?” There was no need to be so aloof to one another.

Although she is with Tristan right now, it doesn't mean that she should give her family a cold shoulder and let their relationship deteriorate.

“Caleb, I think you'd better mind your own business! I'm not in the mood to talk to you about this right now.” Sophie didn't think she was obliqued to explain anything to Caleb.

“Sophie, what kind of attitude is this? We're the only family you have now, you...”

Tristan shot him a threatening look, and Caleb immediately shut up. He didn't dare to voice out his thought in front of Tristan.

“You'd better shut up. There's no place for you to tell her what to do,” Tristan commented coldly.

If they weren't her family, he would have lashed out a long time ago and wouldn't have waited until now.

Yet, they were unrepentant and kept pestering her.

Then, Sophie just ignored Caleb. They were at Josiah's funeral, she didn't want her grandfather to still get disturbed in his last moment.

She wanted her grandfather to rest in peace.

It was already late autumn and the temperature dropped drastically at night. Sophie was dressed very lightly, so Tristan asked someone to go back and fetch her a black coat and put it on her.

Sophie didn't want to talk. She appreciated Tristan's company a lot. The latter had always been by her side through ups and downs.

“Tristan, it's so late now. Why don't you go back and rest? I'll stay here alone with Grandpa for one last night.”

She wouldn't have the privilege to accompany him anymore in the future.

“It's okay, I want to be here with Grandpa too. He's been so good to me. How can I not keep vigil at a time like!”

Caleb reached his limit after kneeling for more than an hour and went back to the Tanner residence.

Meanwhile, in the Tanner residence, Yale gave Caleb a big hug when he returned.

“You have come back at the right time. I know we shouldn't bring it up at this time, but since your grandfather has passed away, we should fight for what we deserve. Tanner Group belongs to the Tanner family. We can't let Sophie take over the company alone!”

No matter what, Sophie is going to marry someone else in the future.

Therefore, Sophie couldn't take over Tanner Group.

Caleb didn't expect his family would have their hearts set on Tanner Group soon after Josiah passed away.

“Dad, do you really think it's appropriate to bring up this matter right now?” Is money that important to you?

Charmaine glanced at Caleb.

“Silly child. You're the only one who thinks so. Sophie is thinking otherwise. She's insatiable and will never leave us in peace!”

Charmaine was willing to say all kinds of things in order to get Tanner Group back.

“Besides, Tanner Group belongs to your grandfather. Now that your grandfather has passed away, the company should be inherited by your father. Why is she taking command of the company?” For the sake of Tanner Group, Charmaine knew she had to say these words.

No matter how nice she treated Sophie, the die was cast.

She couldn't erase those injuries she had inflicted upon Sophie. The latter would never forgive her and treated her genuinely as her mother.

“Mom, forget it! Don't say these words anymore. I don't want Grandpa to turn in his grave. Everything should wait until after the funeral!” Caleb did not want to say anything more and went upstairs straightaway. All he wanted now was to get a good rest.

Josiah was going to be buried tomorrow.

Everything could wait until after the funeral.

Yale wanted to say something more, but Charmaine grabbed his hand.

“Forget it. Let him rest for a while! You know what he's like. He's not interested in the company at all. He's of no help in these matters!”

“Dad, Mom, don't worry. I have a plan in mind. You just need to listen to me when the time comes.”

 

Chapter 602

It was obvious that Willow had overheard their conversation as she confidently strode down the stairs.

Yale instinctively turned to look at her.

“What can you do?” He did not believe that she would be able to do anything now.

“Dad, trust me for the very last time. I can do it.” An unfathomable glint flashed past her eyes. She looked rather frightening.

“Willa, can you tell us what you're going to do? If you want us to trust you, you have to let us know about your plans!”

There was no such thing as blind trust in this world.

“Mom, just trust me. There is nothing else you can do, even if you don't believe me, right?”

Since they couldn't do anything, their only choice was to trust her! She was confident she could succeed this time.

Yale and Charmaine exchanged glances and nodded in the end.

It was the truth that they couldn't do anything about Sophie even if Tristan was not by her side.

“You must then exercise caution. You are well aware of Mr. Tristan's temper. He will never let you off the hook if he discovers your scheme.”

They were all afraid of Tristan. As a result, they failed to make any progress with their schemes.

“I understand. Don't worry about me.”

Willow smiled confidently.

Clayton really helped me out. Sophie won't be able to see what's coming this time!

Charmaine couldn't help but feel worried upon seeing Willow's smile.

Nevertheless, she did not know what she could do.

“Look at Willa. She won't do anything rash, right?” Charmaine asked. Willow and Sophie's relationship was already irreparable.

If she truly did something horrendous to Willow, it would only complicate matters further because they would be unable to explain it to Tristan.

“All right! Let's go to sleep! It's her freedom to do whatever she wants. We don't know anything!” Caleb replied. It would be great if Willow succeeded in her plan. If she failed, it would be her own fault and has nothing to do with anyone else.

Charmaine questioned, “She's your daughter. Do you not even care about her in the slightest?”

“I want to care about her, but do I have the right to do that? Who gave me the right to do that?”

It's not as if Charmaine has an idea, either.

The following morning, everyone drove behind the hearse that was carrying Josiah's body to the crematorium.

This was Josiah's final request.

He chose to be cremated.

Morgan also came, dressed in black. He looked disheveled and tired as if he had aged a lot.

Josiah's comrades, who used to fight on the same battlefield, came to send Josiah off for the last time.

Once they saw Morgan, they began weeping with him. Josiah had been a kind person his whole life, so many people could not get over his death.

Everyone was heartbroken at the moment.

Nevertheless, Morgan was starting to come to terms with Josiah's death.

“Morgan, what do you plan to do after this?” Morgan had been by Josiah's side his whole life. Where could he go after Josiah's death?

“After matters pertaining Old Mr. Tanner's funeral are settled, I'm returning home.” He had been by Josiah's side his whole life.

Now that Josiah had passed on, he did not have any attachments anymore.

“Ah, Josiah was a good person, but it seems his son can't accept you. If you face any difficulty, you can always come and see us!”

Since they used to be comrades, they did not wish for Morgan to be at wits' end.

“Don't worry about me. I can take good care of myself!” Today, I only wish to send my best buddy off for the very last time. Then, I'll no longer need to worry about him anymore.

Sophie's eyes welled up with tears as she saw Josiah being pushed into the furnace and coming out in an urn, but she tried her best to keep a smile on her face.

“Grandpa, goodbye! We will live well!” Sophie tried to sound nonchalant.

There were many people present to send Josiah off on that day.

Their eyes reddened when they saw Sophie carrying Josiah's urn.

Josiah was really gone. He was no longer present in this world.

Even Willow felt a pang in her heart.

On the side, Caleb could not stop crying.

In the end, after Josiah's funeral matters were settled properly, everyone started placing flowers one after the other in front of his grave.

It started drizzling at this juncture.

Felix immediately instructed his subordinates to prepare hundreds of black umbrellas to be distributed to every guest at the funeral.

Tristan opened one of the umbrellas and held it for Sophie.

“Old Mr. Tanner, I know you're most concerned about Sophie, but please be rest assured. I'm here, and I'll take good care of her. No one will get to bully Sophie as long as I'm alive.”

This would be the last time he said it because he would devote his entire life to ensuring he kept this promise. He was not going to let Josiah down.

After the funeral attendees left, Sophie was still standing there.

Tristan, Felix, Sean, Charles, Ysabelle, and Sarah remained there, as they wanted to accompany Sophie.

No matter what, they did not want Sophie to stay by herself in such a place.

“Grandpa, I'm going to leave. You must make sure you take care of yourself, okay?” Sophie finally spoke.

Her voice was hoarse. However, she was still able to enunciate each word clearly.

“You don't need to worry about Morgan. I'll take good care of him and not let anyone ill-treat him.” Morgan was by Josiah's side for so long, so naturally, she had the duty to take care of him.

She continued, “Grandpa, I'm leaving soon, but I'll come back to see you when I have the time. You know that I'm a very brilliant person. I have to go help out Chanaea now that such a thing happened. I know the bond you have with Chanaea, so don't worry! I'll protect everything you loved.”

Josiah would have been proud of her if he had known what she had been up to recently.

“I'm fine. Let's head back! You guys don't have to be like this. I'm really fine.” She hadn't really spoken for the past two days. Even though her throat still hurt, she had to say those words as she did not want everyone to be worried about her.

“Sophie, let me stay in the condominium with you for the next two days.” Ysabelle didn't want to leave her alone.

Sophie caressed her face instead.

“There's no such need. You should go and do your thing. I'm really fine.” A smile spread across Sophie's face.

It's all right. I'm grateful to have so many friends by my side at this difficult time.

Sarah felt a pang in her heart.

“Sophie! If you need anything, you have to let me know!” Sarah looked at her worriedly.

“Sarah, I'm really fine! Everyone, I'm okay! Don't worry about me!” Sophie stated with a smile.

She still had many things to do!

 

 

Chapter 603

“All right, it's getting late. Let's go back and take a rest!” Tristan said to the others. They must be exhausted since they'd been accompanying Sophie for the last two days.

“But Uncle Tristan, I—” As Sophie's best friend, Ysabelle just wanted to stay by her side.

Before she could finish her sentence, Felix pulled her back. “I know you're worried about Sophie, but Mr. Tristan is here to keep her company. I'm sure he'll take good care of her, so don't worry.”

He knew Tristan just wanted to stay with Sophie and did not want others to interrupt them at this point.

“But I—” At first, Ysabelle hesitated to leave, but she eventually gave up and bobbed her head in response. “All right, we'll go home now.”

She did feel tired as she had not slept a wink for two nights.

They then got into their cars respectively. Sophie shut her eyes and took a nap right away. She had to get enough rest as she would need to make the final arrangement at Central Hospital the next day.

No matter how upset she was, Sophie knew she had to pull herself together from tomorrow onward.

Instead of sending her back to her condominium, Tristan brought her to his mansion since there were housekeepers who could look after her.

Sophie had no issue with the arrangement.

When the car arrived safely in front of Caraxes Mansion, Tristan opened the door and carried Sophie in

his arms. Instead of stopping him from doing so, she wrapped her hands around his neck and leaned against his chest.

Tristan straight away carried her to his room, put her down on his bed, and whispered, “Would you like to take a bath? I'll prepare warm water for you, okay?”

Sophie lifted her head to look at the man who did everything cautiously to make her feel better.

“I'm fine, Tristan, don't worry about me. I'm just a little upset. I'll be all right once I get a hold of myself.” Her voice still sounded hoarse.

The way she looked at Tristan with her puppy eyes made him want to shower her with more affection. He sat by the edge of the bed and wrapped his hands around her shoulders. “Grandpa is gone now, but you don't want him to worry about you, do you? He'd always thought of you as a strong, independent girl.”

He believed Josiah would not leave in peace had he known how disconsolate Sophie was.

Sophie leaned against his chest but kept mum.

She understood everything he said, but she was not a robot who could forget about everything at a click of a button.

“Take a warm bath first, okay? I'll get someone to prepare food for you to eat before you sleep.” Tristan gently rubbed his chin against the top of her head.

Sophie hummed in acknowledgment.

At this point, she was exceptionally obedient.

The housekeepers had prepared dinner for her by the time she finished bathing. Tristan stayed by her side as she munched on the food, even though she ate very little.

After that, Tristan brought her back to the bedroom. He had never left her alone for a second since they arrived at the mansion.

He even carried her to the bed and tucked her in.

Meanwhile, Caleb started packing his suitcase after coming back from the funeral. Since the send-off was over, it was time for him to return to the lab.

Upon realizing his intention to leave, Charmaine kept following him while he was packing. “How could you leave now, Caleb? Don't you care about the company?”

Caleb froze. “Mom, all of us are not capable of running the business. Since Grandpa had handed the company over to Sophie, we should have faith in her. Why do you have to be so petty about this arrangement? Are we not family?”

He was not a fan of dealing with these hassles. That was why he was eager to leave. I've said everything I wanted to say. From now on, they can do what they want. I won't intervene in their decision anymore.

Yale knitted his brows, even though he anticipated this to happen. As usual, Caleb doesn't care aboutnoveldrama

anything. He's always been like that. He has never felt he belongs to the Tanner family anyway!

“Enough! Let him go if he wants to. What's the point of making him stay since he knows nothing about the company? He can't be of any help to us anyway.” Yale did not intend to stop Caleb from leaving. There's no point convincing someone to stay if the person is determined to go.

“I'm telling the truth, Dad. Giving the company to Sophie is the best option since she's capable of managing it. You guys should chill and enjoy the dividends,” Caleb said. Why make life difficult for yourselves when you can sit around and enjoy the fruit of her labor? What good can you do if you insist on stirring up trouble?

“Just leave. You don't have to care about anything about the family.” Frustration kicked in. Yale could not help but feel annoyed when he thought about it.

Charmaine had no choice but to walk Caleb out of the house. After all, a mother would never forsake her child.

Nonetheless, Charmaine would only shower Caleb and Willow with love. Never in her life had she cared about Sophie.

“Mom, it's getting cold. You don't have to send me off. I'll come back and visit you when I have the time. Take good care of yourself and Dad!” Caleb had to return to the lab as soon as possible as he had to work on an important project.

“You take good care of yourself. Don't worry about us!” Charmaine assured him in return.

“Mom, I know you never liked Sophie, but she hasn't done anything wrong. Be nice to her, okay?” Caleb said. Sophie is not an awful person. She's just not a crowd-pleaser, that's all.

“That's enough. The driver's here. You'd better get going!”

After sending Caleb off, Charmaine heard a commotion in the house.

Feeling annoyed, she could not help but frown. What now?

After walking into the living hall, she saw Willow ordering the housekeepers to inspect Morgan's suitcase. Morgan was so furious that the color had drained out of his face. He could only stand there and do nothing.

Morgan, who had served in the Tanner residence for several decades, did not expect they would humiliate him in such a manner following the passing of Josiah.

“Check carefully! Make sure he doesn't take any of our things away!” Willow raised her voice condescendingly.

Morgan felt sick at heart upon hearing that. I've worked for Old Mr. Tanner my whole life, yet this is how they treat me in return?

Charmaine walked up to Willow and expressed her dismay. “Willow, what on earth are you doing? Just let him go since he's leaving. Why do you have to do this to him?”

She felt Willow's action was inappropriate and that Morgan, who had served Josiah his entire life, did not deserve to be treated like that.

“Mom, he's a country bumpkin and can't be trusted. What's wrong with me checking his belongings?” Willow defended her action matter-of-factly.

She humiliated Morgan on purpose because he had always sided with Sophie. I bet there's nothing he can do now!

Initially, the housekeepers were hesitant to search Morgan's suitcase because they used to work under him, but they had no choice but to do it at Willow's insistence.

It was no easy feat to find a good job these days, so they could not afford to offend her and lose their jobs.

Morgan could only stand aside and do nothing. All his life, he had been a righteous man with integrity. He had never done anything awful, yet today, he had to deal with such humiliation.

Everything in his suitcase was a mess as they were tossed all over the floor.

“Ms. Willow, is this your bracelet?” All of a sudden, one of the housekeepers found a bracelet in Morgan's suitcase.

 

Chapter 604

Morgan's expression changed at once.

I have never touched the bracelet before. How did it end up in my luggage?

“Ms. Willow, what are you up to? I know you have never been very fond of me, but I'm already leaving. What else do you want?” He had no intention to stay since Josiah had already passed away.

Regardless, he had not expected Willow to pull such a dirty trick.

“Morgan, what do you mean? Why are you making it sound as if I'm accusing you? It's a fact that the bracelet was found in your luggage. What else do you have to say?” Willow simply couldn't stand the sight of Morgan.

In fact, he had always been a thorn in her flesh.

Charmaine had also personally witnessed the bracelet being taken out of Morgan's luggage.

“What are you guys waiting for? Call the police now!”

“Oh, so this is what your objective is. Ms. Willow, I finally know what kind of person you are. No wonder Old Mr. Tanner didn't like you.” How can she be so despicable?

Willow gave a mirthless laugh after hearing Morgan's words.

“Do you think I care about whether he likes me or not? What can he do now even if he doesn't like me? And what right do you have to lecture me? Who do you think you are? Call the police. Get him arrested

immediately!”

The other housekeepers were all stunned.

They had all worked with Morgan for many years and knew his character well. Hence, none of them believed that Morgan would do such a thing.

“Ms. Willow, there must have been a misunderstanding. Morgan would never steal your things.”

“Exactly! Ms. Willow, Morgan is a good man. Why don't you let him off since he's already leaving the Tanner residence.”

As the butler had always treated the others well, everyone started pleading with Willow on his behalf.

Willow swept her gaze across the other housekeepers and said arrogantly in an overbearing manner, “What does that mean? Are you saying that I'm wrongly accusing him? All of you can leave if you don't wish to work here anymore. There are others who are dying to work for us.”

Meanwhile, all Morgan felt was disappointment.

After all, he had served the Tanner family dutifully for so many years, and that was not the way he had envisioned his relationship with the family to end in such a way.

“Willa, just listen to me and drop the matter,” Charmaine said. She also trusted that Morgan would not commit such an offense.

“Mom, what do you mean? Are you suggesting that I've wronged him too? Do you think I would do that? He's just a nobody! Why would I waste my energy framing him?”

Taking a pause, she continued, “Since none of you is on my side, I'll call the police myself!” Willow took out her phone and reported the incident to the police.

Morgan was so angry that his whole body was shaking.

Unable to watch the situation any longer, one of the housekeepers ran to the bathroom to call Sophie.

Sophie, who had just fallen asleep, was awaken by the ringing of her phone.

The moment she picked up, the housekeeper's voice sounded. “Ms. Sophie, something bad has happened. Morgan is in trouble. You should come here as soon as possible. Otherwise, Morgan is going to be arrested by the police.”

“What?” A crease appeared between Sophie's brows.

She had intended to send someone to pick Morgan up the next day and was shocked that the butler had gotten into trouble within such a short period of time.

After hanging up, Sophie climbed out of bed and got changed. Tristan had also just fallen asleep. When he heard the commotion, he sat up and saw Sophie changing.

Noticing the grim expression on the woman's face, he knew at once that something bad must have happened.

“What's the matter? Don't panic. I will come with you!”

“Okay.” Sophie did not reject the man's offer.

She headed to the bathroom to wash up before putting on a double-breasted overcoat.

Her hair was left messily over her shoulders, and she looked rather pale.

Tristan changed into a fresh set of clothes as well and headed out of the house with Sophie.

Sophie took a deep breath to calm herself down.

I mustn't get too angry.

She knew how despicable those people from the Tanner family were and told herself that she had to get used to their scheming ways.

“We're going to the Tanner residence,” Sophie said to Tristan after they got into the car.

“Got it.”

Tristan drove straight to their destination without asking any questions.

At the same time, the police had already arrived at the Tanner residence and found themselves caught in an awkward position after understanding the situation.

“What are you guys waiting for? You should be arresting him for stealing my bracelet. Do you still have

any more questions?” Willow said impatiently while sitting on the couch.

“Morgan, is what she said true?” Faced with the current circumstances, the police were at a loss as to what to do.

“I did not steal her bracelet. I have no idea why it was found in my luggage,” Morgan reasserted.

“Do you think anyone would believe you? Does it make sense that you don't know why the bracelet is in your luggage? Do you know how much it costs?” Willow was unrelenting.

“Morgan, since you claimed that you don't know anything about what happened, we have no choice but to take you back to the police station,” one of the police officers said helplessly.

“Ms. Willow, Morgan would never do such a thing! On account of the fact that he had served the Tanner family for so many years, why don't you just let him off? He's already leaving the family anyway.” A few housekeepers who could not bear to watch Morgan being taken away started crying.

Everyone knew that Morgan was a good person. Throughout the years he had been with the Tanner family, he had never hesitated to offer his help to the other housekeepers whenever they needed it.

Something like that should not be happening to a kind person like him.

Willow sneered and said coldly, “I'm starting to think that all of you are in cahoots with him.”

She was determined to send Morgan to the police station, even if she had to do it herself.

She wanted to let everyone know that she was the one calling the shots in the Tanner family.

“Morgan, please come with us.” Given the way things had progressed, the police had no choice but to go by the book.

Morgan remained unfazed.

He had a clear conscience, and there was nothing for him to be afraid of even if he had to go to the police station.

He was just taken aback by Willow's viciousness.

Just then, the sound of a car engine came from outside the mansion.

Charmaine furrowed her brows as she wondered who it could be at such an odd hour.

A while later, Tristan and Sophie showed up.

When Morgan saw Sophie, tears started streaming down his face. He had managed to contain his emotions while being accused by Willow, but the moment he saw Sophie, he was no longer able to hold it in.

Sophie was unable to tolerate Morgan being bullied, and her expression darkened at once.

“Ms. Sophie, it wasn't me. I didn't steal her bracelet. I've been with the Tanner family for so many years, and everyone knows what kind of person I am. All I wanted is to leave. Why is she doing this to me?”

Morgan used to be a soldier, and to soldiers, reputation was what mattered most.

As such, he was unable to tolerate being accused of stealing.

Sophie's heart clenched when she saw Morgan's tears.

She knew the man very well and was livid at Willow for framing him.

 

Chapter 605

If Grandpa is still alive and sees Morgan being bullied like this, he'll undoubtedly be upset.

Sophie walked toward Morgan and gave him a gentle hug.

“Morgan, I know what kind of person you are. We believe you! As for the others, just ignore them! Not everyone is kind-hearted.”

The hearts of some people in this household are decayed and rotten.

In the face of such a situation, the police officers had no idea how to deal with that matter.

Right then, Tristan told the police officers, “You guys may leave first.”

The police officers could tell that Tristan was not an average person.

Hence, they dared not mess with him and left with the other officers.

Meanwhile, Willow scoffed when she caught sight of Sophie.

“Sophie, why are you pretending to be nice here? He stole my bracelet, so shouldn't he be sent to the police? Who do you think you are? Do you even have to intervene in a matter like this?” Willow disliked Sophie. In fact, she detested the latter.

However, she could do nothing about Sophie.

Of course, she was annoyed at that moment.

Sophie remained silent and helped Morgan to the side to sit down.

“Morgan, rest here for a while. I'll take you away after I've dealt with this matter.” No one can bully Morgan as long as I'm here.

“Ms. Sophie, I'm fine.” It never occurred to Morgan that he would shed tears in front of Sophie.

Seeing that, Sophie said nothing else. Instead, she walked up to Willow.

Willow felt pressured when she saw Sophie, who was taller than her.

“What do you want? I didn't accuse him. As everyone else can see, the bracelet is found in his suitcase.” Perhaps Willow was scared that she spoke faster.

“There's no need for explanations. I believe everyone present knew what exactly had happened. Willow, you've gone too far. Morgan is Grandpa's most trusted person. Grandpa has just passed away, yet you humiliated him just like that. Who are you trying to impress?”

After saying that, Sophie raised her hand and slapped Willow hard across the face.

Never had Willow expected that Sophie would hit her in front of so many people. She cradled her face as she gaped at Sophie in disbelief.

“Sophie, don't cross the line. You'll pay for this!” Willow could not take it anymore. No matter what, I want to end Sophie today!

However, Sophie grabbed Willow's hand immediately before slapping the latter again.

“I'm going to teach you a lesson on behalf of Grandpa today. Otherwise, you'll only bring more serious trouble to the Tanner family in the future!”

Sophie finally felt satisfied after slapping Willow about ten times consecutively.

Since it is so obvious that Willow came for me, I must grant her wish.

Willow's face even became swollen because of the slaps.

Meanwhile, Charmaine, who was at the side, was astounded. After snapping out of it, she headed over to grab Sophie's hand.

When Willow noticed Charmaine grasp Sophie's hand, she wanted to fight back, but Sophie kicked the former to the ground.

“Let me tell you. Morgan is someone you can't afford to mess with. I'll cripple you today. Let's see if you will still dare to do this again!”

Upon seeing Sophie's reaction, no one at the scene dared to say a single word.

“Mr. Tristan, please take her away! If she continues to stay here, trouble will occur,” claimed Charmaine anxiously.

Everything was fine before this. Why did it suddenly end up like this?

Sophie gave Willow another kick in the stomach. Since she used fifty percent of her strength in that kick, Willow curled up on the ground and couldn't even get up from the ground.

“What can happen? No one can stop her as she's asking for it!” Tristan uttered coldly.

His response drove Charmaine crazy.

How could I forget that? Even if Sophie truly wants to kill someone, Tristan will get her the tools to do that!

Seeing Sophie's frenzied state, Charmaine didn't dare to step forward to stop her. At that moment, everyone merely watched the scene and expressed their opinions inwardly.

It's apparent that Ms. Willow has gone overboard this time. She deserves to be beaten up by Ms. Sophie.

I know what sort of person Morgan is. It's impossible that he will do such a thing.

I believe everyone can't stand it anymore. Otherwise, no one would have called Sophie.

Only Ms. Sophie can deal with Ms. Willow. After all, she is the bane of the latter.

As Morgan didn't want Sophie to hurt her sister because of him, so he walked over to hold Sophie back.

“Ms. Sophie, I'm alright now. My only hope is to leave this place in peace.” There was nothing there worth his stay anymore.

It's time to leave!

Looking at Morgan's expression, Sophie knew he felt truly hurt, and her heart wrenched for him.

“Okay. I'll help you get out of this place in a while. Let's see who still dares talk nonsense.” Sophie's icy cold gaze was sufficient to cause one to shudder.

Meanwhile, Willow lay on the floor and chuckled hysterically.

“Sophie, you do know how to act kind. But do you think you're a good person now by doing all this? How ridiculous!”

Willow guffawed so hard that her tears came out.

There are so many people here, yet none of them stood up for me when they saw Sophie pick on me. Does everyone like Sophie?

“You're crazy!” I shall not say anything else to someone who is crazy because it'll be useless.

Sophie crouched down to pack Morgan's belongings into his suitcase gracefully.

She looked extraordinarily elegant as she did that.

Naturally, Tristan did not stand there to watch. He also squatted down and helped her with it.

Even though Morgan had been in the Tanner residence for years, he didn't have many things. There were just some clothes. In fact, Josiah bought most of them for him, so he wanted to take them with him no matter what.

Someone like Willow would never understand such a bond.

After packing the suitcase, Sophie finally stood up and pulled it with her to walk toward Charmaine.

“Can I take him away now?”

For a moment, Charmaine found the situation exceedingly unpleasant. Morgan has been helpful to us all these years, but now he is treated with such disrespect. How could I not feel ashamed?

“Hang on!” Charmaine was utterly remorseful, so she went upstairs to bring down a monetary gift. “Morgan, I know you'll never stay here in the future. Here's a little gift from me. Take good care of yourself in your hometown.”

While looking at the monetary gift in her hand, Morgan didn't accept it.

“No, thanks. I don't need that. Since I'm old, there's no way I'll need to use that money.” In a way, it was impossible for Morgan to take that.

He had been serving Josiah because he was close with the latter. He wasn't expecting anything from the Tanner family. Now that Josiah had passed away, there was no way that he would continue to stay there.

After walking out of the Tanner residence and reaching the garden, Morgan couldn't help but stop in his tracks to look at everything in that place.

Ultimately, I have to leave. I guess I'll never return.

 

Chapter 606

The housekeepers in the living room earlier joined them. They were at a loss seeing Morgan leaving for they didn't know how long they would get to stay at the Tanner residence.

Since Old Mr. Tanner is gone, I suppose Ms. Sophie won't return to this house anymore.

“Morgan, please take care of yourself. Give us a call when you have time.”

After all, they had worked together for so many years. Naturally, they would feel reluctant to part.

Morgan smiled.

“Thank you for taking care of me all these years. I hope you don't take any offense to any wrongdoings I did in the past,” he said with a gentle smile.

“Morgan, you're the one who has been taking care of us all this time. Please don't say something like that.” The housekeepers started crying again.

Both Yale and Willow were difficult to work for.

They knew their working life would've been much tougher if Morgan wasn't there to shoulder some of the responsibilities for them.

“Go back.”

Morgan waved his hand and walked out of the Tanner family's mansion. Tristan opened the car door for him and even helped him put his luggage into the trunk.

“I can do it, Mr. Tristan.” I'm only a housekeeper. I'm not worthy enough for Mr. Tristan to do so much for me.

“It's getting late, Morgan. Why don't you spend the night at my place? I'll arrange your accommodation tomorrow.” He has stayed in the Tanner residence all these years. Now that he's leaving, I suppose he doesn't have a place to go.

“It's fine. I can stay at the hotel for a night.” Josiah had left him enough money and made arrangements for him.

“Go to my place, and you'll be the butler there. Please don't decline my offer. I really do need a butler.” Sophie rattled off an address that was close to Tristan's mansion.

Tristan glanced at her.

When did she buy a mansion there? It looks like my girlfriend is rather wealthy.

Tristan drove to Sophie's mansion. There wasn't anyone staying in the house yet, but she had the place regularly cleaned.

She led Morgan to a bedroom and found him some bedding before preparing the bed for him.

“Ms. Sophie, I still want to return to my hometown.” He knew at a glance that Sophie didn't stay at the mansion often.

She doesn't need to waste money taking care of me.

Sophie frowned at his remark.

“Morgan, you're like a grandfather to me. Please don't turn down my offer. I need someone to manage this mansion, so you don't have to feel pressured.” Plus, she trusted Morgan.

The rims of Morgan's eyes turned red at her heartfelt comment.

Sophie wrapped her arms around him.

“Morgan, even though Grandpa is gone, I'm still here.”

Tears slid out from the corner of Morgan's eyes.

Sophie might look like a cold person, but she was the most sentimental.

The mansion had everything. After taking a shower, Morgan lay in bed. However, he couldn't fall asleep, so he took out his photos with Josiah from his luggage.

“Don't worry, Old Mr. Tanner. Ms. Sophie did indeed treat me well. You don't have to worry about me at all.”

I guess I can do well in helping Ms. Sophie take care of this mansion. I'll do my best and not let her down.

In the end, Morgan went to sleep with a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, Tristan brought Sophie back to his mansion.

“You've already made the arrangements for Morgan from before.” He poured her a cup of warm water since the night in late fall was quite chilly.

“Yeah.”

She knew that day would come, so she bought the mansion earlier. Besides, she even told Josiah to bring Morgan and moved into her place earlier, but Josiah refused.

Sadly, only Morgan was left.

She couldn't let him go back to his hometown on his own.

After taking a sip of warm water, Sophie felt warmth spread through her.

Tristan sat on the couch while Sophie rested her head on his thigh. She couldn't fall asleep after that incident.

“Oh, right. Did anything happen during your trip to Anglandur?” Sophie finally got a chance to ask him after everything was over.

“Nothing happened.”

Everything was part of the plan. The only accident was Nicholas, but since he wanted to die, why would I stop him?

Actually, Sophie wanted to inquire about Nicholas.

That Nicholas is stubborn as a mule. I'm sure he caused a lot of trouble for Tristan.

“I shot Nicholas and still have no idea if he's dead or alive.” Tristan had no intention of hiding it from her since he knew she would find out about it at some point.

“Oh.”

Sophie didn't have much of a reaction to that news since she was aware Nicholas had the ability to drive anyone crazy.

It serves him right that Tristan shot him.

“Be careful, then. Nicholas' father is also an unreasonable person.” Sophie knew the characters of the two Sable family men well.

Sophie toyed with Tristan's fingers as she spoke. His fingers were so pretty. His palm had a layer of callouses from holding a gun so much.

Yet, that didn't stop his hands from looking attractive at all.

“Got it. Don't worry. I'm confident in my capabilities.” I even caught Stephen let alone Nicholas.

In the meantime, at the Sable residence, Nicholas, who was unconscious for three nights, had finally awakened.

Javier could finally heave a relieved breath when Nicholas woke up.

“You're finally awake, Nicholas. Do you know how close you are to death this time?” Javier asked angrily.

How could he be so careless!

Nicholas didn't say a word. The last memory he had was Tristan shooting him.

D*mn Tristan! I'll pay him back for that shot sooner or later.

“I'm begging you, Tristan. Can you get your act together and stop messing with Tristan? Can you do that?”

Nicholas sat up on the bed.

“Between Tristan and I, only one of us can live.” This world can only accommodate one of us.

“You—” Javier couldn't finish his sentence from the anger rolling within him. “Whatever. I'll help you since you want him dead so desperately. Well, we can't let Tristan live after all.”

He has to pay the price for hurting my son.

“However, you better take some time off to recover from your injuries before that. We don't need to dirty our hands to kill Tristan.” As long as you have the money, there's no lack of people willing to sell their souls to you. Thus, there's no need to risk your own life.

“No, I have to end him myself. Also, I must marry Sophie.” Even if that's the last thing I do.

Javier was speechless. As I expected, Nicholas did it for Sophie. I knew I shouldn't let that woman live. How unfortunate that I can't kill her. If I annihilated her, this wouldn't have happened. However, regret is pointless. The current Sophie is too difficult to deal with.

The next day, Sophie got up early. Knowing she wanted to head over to the Central Hospital, Tristan didn't slow her down. After he packed his things, he immediately took her there.

Upon arriving, she heard something had happened to Arius. Sophie's heart sank at the news.

 

Chapter 607

Sophie quickly rushed to Arius' hospital room. Past the door, she saw Barney rescuing Arius.

Instantly, she stepped up and gave Barney a hand.

After checking Arius' condition, she found out he fainted because he overworked himself in doing research on the genetic virus.

Looking at Arius lying on the hospital bed, Sophie didn't know what to say.

She waited until Arius woke up and scolded, “Arius, what do you think you're doing? Do you have so little trust in us? What do you think you can do in your current state much less do research?”

Even though the cure was discovered, he still needs some time to recover. He'll only make his situation worse if he continues this way.

“How can I not trust you? I trust you and Dr. Smith the most in this world. I just wanted to help.”

He never thought his body would be so weak.

“This genetic virus is much more potent than we thought. Even though we can control the mortality rate, the side effects are still severe,” Barney said.

Arius had always been in good health. His body was in such terrible condition due to the side effects.

“Yeah.” Sophie also realized the severity of the situation. The spread this time had infected a lot of people. If all of them have the same condition as Arius, their lives will be ruined. “Don't worry! Dr. Smith

and I will come up with something.”

Dr. Smith risked his life to come to Chanaea. He deserves to be called a doctor.

That was the first time Barney heard her call him that.

Emotions welled up in his chest.

“Sophie, are you finally willing to be my mentee? Is this real? Arius, pinch me!” Barney said excitedly.

Arius felt slightly gloomy at Barney's excitement.

“Dr. Smith, can you drop the preferential treatment? How can you treat us differently? You're too much! I remembered I was the one who begged you to be my mentor. Yet now, your excitement is off the roof when it comes to Sophie.”

How can the difference between one human and the other be so big?

“How can that be the same? How can you compare to Sophie? You're not even on the same level, okay?” All those years, he had wanted someone to carry the torch, and Sophie was the only one who checked all the boxes.

Despite asking her again and again, Sophie had never relented.

Finally, she agreed to be his mentee. How could he not celebrate it?

“Fine! Address me with respect, Sophie!” Barney only had Arius and Sophie as his mentees.

Sophie merely shot Arius a glance and ignored him.

“Dr. Smith, since he's fine now, let's not waste time and carry on with the research.”

Time was too precious.

“Sure.”

After Barney and Sophie left, Arius was the only one left in the room. He felt lonely since he should've been doing research with them.

Unfortunately, he could only lay there.

The helpless feeling was terrible, but he couldn't do anything about it.

He swore to be more careful next time and not get infected by such a virus anymore. The thought of having Sophie as his junior filled him with glee since she was excellent at her work. Everyone knows her.

With her backing him, he could do anything he wanted in Jipsdale, especially Tristan. That man wouldn't be able to bully him anymore.

Since Sophie was busy researching the virus at Central Hospital, it was the best opportunity for Willow. Even if her face was still swollen, she couldn't care less.

At the Dragon Court Hotel, Willow carefully opened the door to a private room. When she entered the room, she saw a man in a suit already waiting for her.

“So you're Willow. This is the document you need. Don't worry. This document looks like the real thing, so you won't have any issues there.”

Willow studied the man's face. He was extremely gorgeous despite his gender-neutral face.

“Can I know your name?”

She didn't even know his name. The only thing she knew about him was he could help her. However, she still felt uneasy about it.

“You don't need to know my name. You're the one who needs my help. Sophie will be busy for the next few days, so she doesn't have time to drop by Tanner Group. Therefore, if you want to get your hands on the Tanner Group, do it within these few days. Otherwise, you're no match for her once she's free,” the man said straightforwardly.

Willow wasn't pleased with his words.

“All right. I get it.” Willow opened the folder and flipped through the contents. When she saw Josiah's signature, she thought it looked the same like the real one.

The severity of what she was about to do hit Willow hard to the extent that the folder felt as if it was burning in her hand. However, her mood lightened when she imagined Sophie ending up with nothing.

“Thank you.”

She threw all her concerns out the window, including not knowing his name. Clayton was the one who introduced the man to her. Since he hated Sophie so much, she thought surely he wouldn't lie to her.

“You can leave now.”

He had said everything that needed to be said. The rest would be up to Willow for no one else could help her.

“Okay.”

After leaving the Dragon Court Hotel, Willow couldn't contain her smile any longer. So Sophie won't be there? I'll go straight to the Tanner Group, then.

On second thought, she figured it would be best to bring Yale and Charmaine with her there since they wanted the company as much as she did.

If they went with me, wouldn't the authenticity of this will be more convincing?

The three of them even brought a lawyer with them. Victor thought it was amusing seeing the four standing in front of him.

“What are you doing, Mr. Tanner? You currently don't hold any position in the Tanner Group, so what are you doing here?” Victor didn't like Yale at all, so his tone was rude.

Nervousness filled Yale when he saw Victor. However, when he thought of owning the thing he wanted

most, he straightened his back.

“This company belongs to the Tanner family, Mr. White. Someone like you don't have the right to make the decisions here.”

I can't step down at such a crucial moment.

“Does it belong to the Tanner family? If my memory proves accurate, I remember we're a joint-stock company,” Victor retorted.

“But I think it's pointless to tell you all this since you don't even know what kind of company it is.” The words out of Victor's mouth had always been sharp.

“You—”

Anger rushed through Yale at his quip.

“This is Grandpa's will. Speak after you've taken a look at it!”

Willow pulled the folder from her bag and handed it over to Victor. Victor's expression turned grim as he perused the will.

He stepped away to make a call to Sophie.

Yes, the signature on the will is clearly Old Mr. Tanner's, but that's impossible! The person Old Mr. Tanner trusted the most was Sophie. There was no way he would make such a decision.

However, Sophie didn't pick up his call.

 

Chapter 608

Taking in the expression on Victor's face, Willow burst out laughing. Sure enough, everything that man said turned out to be true. Although we've no idea where Sophie is, what's for sure is that she can't come back right now. It's our golden opportunity, and we can't let it slip through our fingers. If we do, we might never get another like this again.

Yale was also gloating inwardly over Victor's reaction. He said arrogantly, “What else do you have to say now, Victor? I'm letting you know now that Tanner Group has fired you. From now on, you're no longer the company's general manager.”

“Do you seriously think that whatever you say goes? Old Mr. Tanner only passed away not long ago, but you've already dug out a will from goodness knows where. Who knows whether it's even real or not?” Victor replied with a cold snort. Do they think that threats and intimidation will work on me?

“You're welcome to find someone to verify the will's authenticity,” Willow responded confidently.

Yale had still felt a little guilty at first. However, seeing how Willow responded made his guilt evaporate into thin air, and he even puffed up with pride.

Naturally, Victor knew of people who could verify the will's authenticity and asked for their assistance immediately. However, the results were not what he expected.

It turned out the will was authentic, and when the employees of Tanner Group learned of that, they began discussing the matter among themselves.

Everyone knew what Tanner Group had achieved since Sophie took over the company. Alas, the situation had now taken an unexpected turn. They were not in the dark about how incompetent Yale

was, and they knew that their futures were almost certainly doomed if the company fell back into his hands.

“What should we do now?” Victor's assistant asked, looking at him in bewilderment.

Tanner Group was thriving, and if Yale regained control over it, it was only a matter of time before things went south.

“Don't fret. Although the will's authenticity has been verified, things may not be as they seem. Besides, the company belongs to Ms. Sophie.”

As long as she had yet to return, there was no saying how the matter would end.

The assistant could only nod in response and lament, “It's just a pity we can't get in touch with her.”

If things go on as it is, it'll truly mean the end of the company.

According to the will Yale had, he was now Tanner Group's Chairman while Willow was the general manager.

“Didn't I always tell you to trust me, Dad? Look. You're the Chairman of Tanner Group now, aren't you?” said Willow. If I want something, I'll get my hands on it no matter what it takes. That goes without question.

“You're right. You're the best!” Yale answered with a chuckle.

Then, she remarked glumly, “However, if Sophie suddenly shows up, she'll never let us get away with this. How wonderful it'd be if she never returned!”

He stared at her wordlessly.

Does that mean she wants to kill Sophie? Sophie is someone close to Tristan. Killing her will mean we won't be able to stay in Jipsdale anymore.

Still utterly terrified of Tristan, Yale cautioned, “Willa, we've already gotten Tanner Group, so we can't harm Sophie. If we do that now, Mr. Tristan will hunt us down.”

“I told you already. Sophie will want to take the company away from us if she does return. That's why we must get rid of her,” Willow insisted. I can't bear the thought of her still alive somewhere in this world. I want her dead no matter what.

After a pause, she continued, “How many people in the company actually accept you? Will you be able to hold onto your position firmly if you don't kill her?”

All they had was a will, and something like that was not going to guarantee any permanence in their positions.

“Whatever it is, Sophie is still a Tanner. We shouldn't take things too far. Anyway, your father's right. Mr. Tristan won't spare us if something does happen to Sophie,” Charmaine piped up. Despite her dislike for Sophie, she could not bring herself to kill the latter. On top of that, she also feared Tristan.

Willow was silent.

I don't want to hear all this. How can one expect to get what one desires without being willing to take some risks? There's no such thing as a free lunch. Since they're so scared, I'll have to take matters into my own hands. All I need to do is hire a hitman, which can't be all that difficult, right? Just thinking about how she beat me up, and in front of the help at that, makes me so mad! I must make her pay for what she did.

At that moment, Yale led a few men over, intending to kick Victor out.

Seeing that, Victor could not help but feel amused.

“What's the rush? Is Tanner Group yours just because you say so? Ms. Sophie isn't back yet! It doesn't matter what sort of lies you fabricate. Everything will be clear once she returns. Besides, I have shares in the company too. Even if I'm no longer the general manager, you still have no right to kick me out,” Victor uttered frostily. Who does Yale think he is, trying to throw me out? It's absolutely ridiculous!

“You—” Yale began.

That's true. Victor does own some shares. Well, it appears that Willow was right. As long as Sophie lives, we'll never be able to secure our positions in this company.

Meanwhile, Felix informed Tristan immediately after receiving word of what had happened.

Tristan was quiet. I didn't expect those three to be so bold. They're aware of my relationship with Sophie, yet they still dare to do such a thing.

“What should we do, Mr. Tristan? Sophie is still researching the virus at the hospital and doesn't have time to step away.”

“Tell Victor to let those three fools have their few days in the sun. We'll let them delude themselves into thinking they have everything, then take it all away from them. Wouldn't that be more interesting?” Tristan replied. What the heck are they playing at? Do they think they can snatch things away from just anyone?

“So, does that mean we're turning a blind eye for now?”

“That's right. Let them enjoy themselves for a few days,” Tristan responded. After all, it wouldn't be much fun to take the company back just like that. It'll be better to let Sophie do it herself. That'd be way more exciting.

After a few days, Yale started feeling uneasy when he noticed that Tristan did not do anything to retaliate.

Charmaine also thought it was strange.

“What do you guys think is going on? It's impossible that he didn't hear about it. Nonetheless, he's just standing by and doing nothing. Could he have broken up with Sophie?” she asked. In her mind, that was the only plausible explanation.

Willow nodded.

“Mom, do you believe in love? How can a man possibly be satisfied with loving just one woman for the rest of their life, especially someone like Tristan? He probably treats women like Sophie as a plaything at most. Now that the novelty is gone, it's only natural that he doesn't give two hoots about what happens to her.”

The mere thought of that filled her with glee. The day I've been waiting for is finally here. At long last, Tristan has abandoned Sophie.

“If that's the case, that's great. Without Mr. Tristan, Sophie won't be able to stir up much trouble anymore. Our tides have finally turned!” Yale said in a contented tone.

 

Chapter 609

Willow had invited the feminine man over to express her thoughts.

“Currently, Tanner Group is temporarily under my control. However, if Sophie returns, she'll take it from me.”

“So?”

“I want to kill her!” Willow declared vehemently.

The feminine man chuckled in response. As expected, once a woman makes up her mind, there was nothing a man can do about it.

“I am not a killer. If you wish to remove her, shouldn't you hire an assassin?” he suggested menacingly. Don't you have some funds right now? If you haven't, you could sell off some of Tanner Group's shares. Head over to the assassins' league and hire one of their top members.”

That was the extent of his help.

“Can't you help me? Clayton told me to look for you if I ever need something,” Willow muttered in dissatisfaction.

The feminine man chuckled again.

“Haven't I helped you already? You should stop pushing your luck,” he sneered.

The man's smile did not reach his eyes.

Willow was afraid of Tristan, hence she dared not personally hire an assassin.

She had assumed that the man would help her. Unexpectedly, he had rejected to help.

“Willow, remember this. You will always have to pay a price if you wish to obtain something. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Of course, if you're willing to let someone else have Tanner Group, you can sit on your hands. I suppose I don't have to remind you how talented Sophie is.”

When Sophie returned, she would be able to easily take Tanner Group back from Willow.

“I've said what I needed to say. You can decide how to proceed. Never look for me ever again.” The feminine man summoned someone to throw Willow out after he had finished speaking.

Willow found the thought of Sophie taking away what she had finally managed to obtain hard to bear.

It's one thing if I never had it to begin with, but now that I've had a taste of it, there's no way I'm letting anyone take it away from me.

As Willow did not have a lot of money, she had to sell off five percent of Tanner Group's shares before she was able to go to the assassins' league and hire two of their top members. She hired their services to kill Sophie.

A smile spread across Willow's face as she completed her tasks. “Sophie, I'd like to see you return unscathed this time.”

Meanwhile, Tristan was fully aware of Willow's machinations. What a vile woman! How dare she try to harm my woman!

“Mr. Tristan, I can't bear to watch this any longer. Is she really Sophie's sister? How can she do such a thing?”

It was not uncommon for large families to have infighting amongst themselves.

However, Willow was only a university student, and yet she was already so diabolical.

“Who are we to deny her if she wishes to seek death? Gather all the evidence of her wicked deeds. She's not going to wiggle out of it this time.”

Tristan was no saint. He wasn't about to let someone who repeatedly plotted to harm Sophie get away.

“All right. Don't worry and leave it to me. I've never liked Willow anyway.” She sure is a nasty piece of work.

That night, Sophie couldn't help but frown when she saw Tristan visit her at the hospital again.

“Didn't I already warn you about the virus? It's not fully under control, and the medicine has adverse side effects. I told you not to come here!” Sophie was exasperated. Why must you worry me so?

Tristan embraced her and gave her a scorching kiss. “I'm not afraid of anything as long as you're with me.” There's nothing scary about a virus.

Since he had managed to get things under control, he wanted to see her naturally.

Pushing his face away, Sophie sighed helplessly. “Honestly speaking, you shouldn't place so much trust in me.”

Sophie was not completely confident in her abilities when it came to handling viruses. Thus, it would be better if Tristian was more cautious.

“What's wrong? Did something happen?” Tristan asked worriedly when he heard her words.

Sophie shook her head in response.

“It's not a big deal. It's just that Arius isn't in a good condition at the moment.” The medicine's side effects were dreadful. They had to find a solution to their problem before the consequences grew more severe.

“Okay. I'll go visit him in a bit.”

“You don't have to! The two of you would always bicker whenever you meet. He's already sick. What if his condition worsens after you agitate him?”

Tristan and Arius did not get along. Whenever they met, they would always get into arguments.

“I'll go easy on him since he's sick.” Tristan grinned.

Truth be told, he still had a lot of matters to take care of.

They came under the scrutiny of Anglandur after they caught Stephen. It was one of the things Tristan had yet to settle.

However, Sophie had just lost someone important to her. Tristan wanted to stay by her side for a moment longer.

Why won't she understand my efforts?

“Tristan, I am not as fragile as you think I am. I've accepted that death would eventually come as one gets older.” Sophie caressed Tristan's handsome face gently. “Don't worry about me and do what you must. I do not wish to become a burden to you.”

Tristan leaned in and kissed her.

“Don't worry your pretty little head about it. How can you possibly be a burden to me?” She's plenty independent already. Truly, she would do well no matter what. I'm the one who wants to stay by her side.

Sophie stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his.

“I know you're worried about me.” He's not denying it. He's acting like this because he's worried about me.

“Yes. I'll admit that I'm worried about you.” Geeze, it's not easy when one has such a smart girlfriend. I can never manage to hide anything from Sophie.

“Have you eaten? Sarah made me bring delicious food she made for you!” His sister had prepared

some nutritious soup when she learned that Tristan would be visiting Sophie.

Josiah's funeral had weighed deeply on Sophie, causing Sarah to worry for the other girl.

Tristan carried Sophie to the bed and took out the thermal container he had brought with him. He poured her a bowl of soup and fed it to her.

“I'm not that fragile. I can feed myself.”

“But I want to feed you.” Tristan's ministrations had nothing to do with Sophie's frailness. He merely wanted to care for her. “Say aah! I know you must be tired. Let me spoil you a little.”

Begrudgingly, Sophie opened her mouth and let him feed her.

“You should try some too.” Tristan seems to have lost some weight recently. Sophie grabbed his hand and turned the spoon around, sending it toward his mouth instead.

Opening his mouth, Tristan swallowed the soup.

Eventually, it became so that they took turns drinking mouthfuls of the soup.

“Sarah is a great cook,” Sophie exclaimed as she continued to sip the soup.

 

Chapter 610

“Yes, she's a really good cook, but she doesn't really enjoy being in the kitchen. Even I rarely get to drink the soup she makes. It's clear that she likes you very much.”

Sarah has always gone out of her way for people whom she cares about.

“How are Sarah and Juan doing now?” Sophie was aware of Sarah's feelings for the latter despite him not deserving them.

“I have no idea.”

They never interfered in Sarah's life given how headstrong she was.

“Also, Juan isn't worthy of her at all. Sarah deserves a better man, one who truly cares about her wholeheartedly.”

Setting aside his many other flaws, Juan is a terrible judge of character.

“Do you like Sarah a lot too?”

Sophie nodded without hesitation.

“That goes without saying. Who doesn't like a girl like her? If only she could take a good look around, she would discover a lot of wonderful people around her.”

It must be for this reason Sarah hasn't been sleeping well.

“How is her sleep recently?” Her essential oils must have run out by now. If that's the case, I should get her more.

“It's much better. Thanks to you, she's now able to sleep without the help of essential oils.”

Sophie had always tried to be helpful.

“I'm glad to hear that.”

Given that insomnia was a tormenting condition and could ruin someone in the long run, Sophie got Sarah the essential oils once she learned that the latter was suffering from it.

After finishing her soup, Sophie began to feel sleepy.

She was never one who enjoyed sleeping a lot, it was just that the series of events in the last few days had really drained her. Thus, drowsiness descended upon her the moment she finished her meal.

When Tristan saw how cute she looked, he couldn't help but break out a smile.

There was no need for him to do anything special when he was with her. Watching her alone was more than enough to satisfy him.

“All right then. You should get some sleep if you're tired. I'll be right here by your side.” Since he was already there, he didn't feel like leaving at all.

However, Sophie shook her head.

“You should go home instead. There's nothing here at all. In fact, you can't even rest comfortably here.” If she had a choice, she wouldn't want to stay in such an environment too.

“But I want to stay here with you. As long as we can be together, I don't mind even if we were in the middle of some desert.”

What matters is who we're with and not where we are. Hasn't this always been the case?

Wrapping her hands around his neck and letting him carry all her weight, Sophie added, “Just give me three more days, and I'll be able to resolve this issue.”

A lot of progress has been made, so I just need a few more days to wrap it all up.

“Wow, you're really amazing. It seems there's nothing in this world you can't handle.”

in truth, he preferred her to be less capable, for all her time would be spent on work instead of enjoying life.

In response to his compliment, Sophie gave him a peck on the lips.

“All right, off you go now!” Since she was about to go to sleep, there was no point in him staying. He would be better off getting some proper rest instead.

Three days later, Sophie's research finally yielded results, just as she predicted. And this time, there were no longer any side effects.

Georgina, who had been by Sophie's side all the time, couldn't help but jump for joy. After which, she gave Sophie a hug.

“Sophie, you're amazing! I don't think there are many in this world who are as smart as you!”

Initially, the staff at Central Hospital were reluctant to show Sophie any respect. After all, they doubted that a young lady who hadn't even graduated from university would be capable of doing much.

Consequently, all of them were humiliated by the latest results.

Standing beside the two ladies, Barney broke out a proud smile.

Sophie is a genius to be able to complete the breakdown of the DNA sequence. Going forward, medicine in Chanaea will be making great strides forward because of her.

That was the reason why he made the decisive decision to come to Chanaea.

“Well done, Sophie!” Barney congratulated her. Receiving a compliment from him was by itself an achievement, for everyone who worked with him knew how difficult it was to earn his praise.

Meanwhile, Sophie was well aware of how emotional Georgina was.

The latter had spent countless nights working together with her and had contributed significantly to the research.

“Georgina, I wouldn't have done it without you,” Sophie declared in a gentle tone. She was, after all,

very fond of Georgina.

The moment the words rolled off the former's tongue, Georgina burst into tears.

“Luckily, all our hard work has paid off.” After living in a highly stressful environment for a long time, they could finally take a proper break. “Sophie, thank you. I have learned a lot throughout all the time I've spent with you.”

Georgina was extremely grateful.

Previously, she had assumed that medicine wasn't for her and was on the brink of giving up. However, their latest achievement helped her rediscover her talent.

“Dr. Smith, isn't International Medical Association short-handed right now? Why don't you invite Georgina to join you? She's certainly qualified to do so!”

Sophie recommended Georgina based on merit and she wasn't trying to pull strings for her friend at all.

The mere mention of International Medical Association took Georgina's breath away. Joining it was, after all, the dream goal of all medical students.

Georgina was naturally no exception.

Therefore, she was surprised to hear Sophie propose it that very day.

After giving it serious thought, Barney nodded in agreement.

“Ms. Bates, welcome to International Medical Association!” Barney extended a hand sincerely.

Georgina obviously knew who the foreigner in front of her was.

After wiping her hand on her lab coat, she took Barney's hand and shook it.

“Can I really cut it?” Even at that moment, she still couldn't believe that she was qualified to join International Medical Association.

When she saw the blank look on Georgina's face, Sophie patted her on the shoulder.

“I have no doubt that you'll succeed,” Sophie replied with a smile.

Now that the results of the DNA sequencing were out, all they needed to do was to use the drug on their patients.

Hence, Sophie was finally able to go home.

“Dr. Smith, I'll leave everything in your hands now. As I'm still a student, I'm not suited for this place yet.” With Barney and Georgina at the helm, Sophie didn't foresee any problems. Moreover, Arius was close to full recovery and would soon return to help.

“Mmm-hmm. Thank you for all that you have done. Don't forget to attend the banquet tonight!” She was, after all, the one who made the largest contribution.