Ch. 691..700

Chapter 691

Alex was just next to Nicholas. When he saw Arius speaking rudely to Nicholas, he became furious as a murderous look entered his eyes. Even so, Arius was not scared.

“Why are you looking at me? Did I say something wrong? Whoever he fancies will end up with bad luck! Such a love is too frightening.”

Arius was truly angry. After talking so much, his words had fallen on deaf ears. It was outrageous.

If Arius was more skillful, he would have pried Nicholas' head off and checked if there was something amiss with his mind.

“Arius, if you have a death wish, I can fulfill it. In any case, Dr. Smith is here. Even without you around, Ms. Tanner will be fine,” said Alex rudely.

“Alex, have you lost your integrity? I'm speaking the truth. Why are you getting angry with me?”

Nicholas is a psycho! His love for anyone is perverted.

“You—”

Alex charged at Arius, and Arius immediately took a step back.

To be honest, he was not Alex's match. At a time like that, he could not face Alex head-on. If not, he would be at the losing end.

“Alex!”

Nicholas stopped Alex.

“Mr. Nicholas, since he doesn't like it here, I'll throw him out. I'm sure Ms. Tanner will be fine with Dr. Smith around.”

Arius was not the only doctor in the whole world. Therefore, there was no need to bow down to him.

“Enough! He's Sophie's friend. Be polite to him.”

Nicholas knew how important Arius was to Sophie. Even he himself could not do anything to Arius!

“Did you hear that? You're just a dog. Even your boss knows better than to treat me badly.” Arius did not like Alex either.

What's the big deal? All you know is to fight all day long.

So what if you're loyal?

Nicholas doesn't seem to treat you any better.

“Arius, are you done? If you don't wish to stay here, I can get someone to send you back. However, there's no way I will allow you to take Sophie away. I have my limits.”

There were other issues that Nicholas needed to deal with.

As such, he had no time for Arius and his nonsense.

With that, he was about to leave.

Arius was furious. Damn it! No wonder Sophie picks Tristan over him. That's because Nicholas is crazy!

Arius returned to Sophie's room. The moment Barney saw his expression, he already knew the outcome.

“He still refuses to let her go, doesn't he?”

“He's a psycho! Why would he let her go? All this while, he has been using me to threaten Sophie. Now that he has both Sophie and me in his custody, why would he let us go?”

The moment Arius thought about what had happened, he became infuriated.

Then again, there was no way out of it.

That helpless feeling was terrible.

“Sophie, what should we do now?” They were surrounded by Nicholas' subordinates. Honestly, Nicholas was equally as powerful as Tristan.

Even though the three of them were being held there, there was no way Tristan could just barge in like that.

Do we really have to leave with Nicholas?

Sophie could not help but roll her eyes.

“Professor Gullifer, can't you see that I'm a patient? How can I be of any help?”

If she had not been injured, she could not care less about Nicholas.

Unfortunately, she was injured, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Do you have your phone with you?”

“The moment I got here, they took my phone away. How can I have it with me?” Nicholas would never allow them to have their phones.

“Try to think of a way to contact Tristan. He's our only hope.”

Both Barney and Arius were not good fighters. To make matters worse, Nicholas had so many men around. The two of them would not be able to get Sophie out of there by themselves.

“Nicholas nearly killed me just now! Dr. Smith, you go! Given your esteemed status, Nicholas won't hurt you even if he catches you red-handed.”

Barney and Sophie were speechless.

“Arius, are you commanding me now? I'm your mentor, not the other way around.” Barney snorted coldly.

Arius was dumbfounded.

Oh, so now he remembers that he's my mentor!

“Go on then! Don't waste any more time. We can't afford to,” Barney said matter-of-factly.

He had never done anything like that before and had no idea what to do. Therefore, it would be better to send Arius.

“Let me tell both of you something. If Nicholas really kills me, both of you will be guilty for the rest of your lives.” This is too much. They only know how to order me around.

“Don't worry. If anything untoward happens to you, I'll give you a proper burial,” promised Sophie heartlessly.

“Dr. Smith, now I regret coming here. Let's go. I'll take you back. Let her stay here alone. I suddenly realize that Nicholas is quite a nice person. Let the two of them get married to one another.”

Sophie was very sure that he would not leave. “Fine! Go!”

“You—” Arius pointed at her nose. “Sophie, you know d*mn well I won't leave. You're too much!”

“All right. Once we're out of here, I'll buy you whatever you want.”

“Hmph! I'm not a three-year-old child! It's not that easy to coax me!” In that instant, Arius became arrogant.

“Arius, that's enough. We don't have much time to waste,” reminded Barney. Don't be so childish, will you?

Arius instructed, “All right, I'm leaving now. If I don't return in half an hour, take Sophie and come to rescue me. Even though Nicholas is a psycho, he does listen to Sophie.”

He had no doubt that Nicholas would slaughter him if he was caught trying to contact Tristan.

“Arius, how did I not realize that you were such a coward?”

Arius rolled his eyes.

Are you joking with me? Nicholas is an unreasonable person.

However, Arius decided to go all out for Sophie's sake.

The moment Arius walked out, a man in a black T-shirt stopped him.

“Where are you going? Our boss has said that none of you is allowed to go anywhere!”

Arius frowned.

“Is this how you treat your guests? Don't you know who that person inside is? She's your future mistress! How dare you defy her!”

What?

Future mistress!

“Even so, our boss has already given his orders. The three of you aren't allowed to leave without his permission,” said the man in the black T-shirt seriously.

“Without his permission? Why don't you give him a call now and see if he approves or not?” said Arius arrogantly. “What's wrong? Do you think that Ms. Tanner isn't important enough? Your boss tried all manners of schemes to get her here so that he could marry her. If anything happens to Ms. Tanner, do you think you can bear the full responsibility?”

 

Chapter 692

The man in the black T-shirt was downright petrified. He had worked for Nicholas for quite some time and knew Sophie's importance to the man. Not daring to take things lightly, he immediately gave Nicholas a call.

Glancing around, Arius ascertained that no one was around before whipping out a small syringe and jabbing it into the man's neck without warning.

“What are you...”

Arius struck at lightning speed, so fast that the man in the black T-shirt hadn't any time to react.

The substance in the syringe was meant to make someone's body stiff and rob the person of mobility.

For that reason, the man in the black T-shirt was still cognizant of everything around him but lacked the ability to speak or move.

“Let me give you some advice, young man! You're still in the prime of your life, so you've got to choose a good boss, you know? Nicholas is evil to the core. There's no future in working for someone like him.”

While speaking, Arius unhurriedly took the phone out of the man's hand.

Then, he added, “You'd best leave quickly when this matter is over. Otherwise, you'd be dead before you even know it. I'm truly warning you out of the kindness of my heart.”

After saying all that, he circumvented the surveillance cameras and went back into the room.

Only when he had done so did he remember that he had forgotten Tristan's phone number.

Nonetheless, he was too embarrassed to admit it.

It's just ten digits, yet I can't remember them. Ugh! It'd be pretty mortifying for me to confess to that.

“What's wrong? You've already gotten a phone, so hurry up and make the call!” Barney couldn't help urging. Once we're discovered, it'd be too late!

“I don't remember Tristan's phone number anymore.” Arius gazed at Sophie helplessly.

At that, Sophie couldn't resist scoffing. “What's the use of you? You're a genius doctor, yet you can't even remember a phone number!”

“Let me tell you this, Sophie! You can't forget yourself! Who am I here for? Besides, who is Tristan to me? Why must I remember his phone number?” Is that even necessary?

Subsequently, Sophie recited ten digits.

Arius instantly went over and made the call.

No sooner was the call connected than Tristan questioned urgently, “How's Sophie? Hand the phone to her.”

Arius fell silent, promptly rendered speechless.

Still, he handed the phone to Sophie.

“Are you okay, Sophie? Did he do anything to you?” Whenever Tristan encountered something about Sophie, he was always too anxious to remain clear-headed.

“I miss you, Tristan.”

Verily, Sophie knew she shouldn't be saying such a thing right then. Instead, she needed to resolve the issue as soon as possible. However, she still couldn't stop herself from doing so upon hearing the man's voice.

When Tristan heard that, his emotions surged within him.

“Don't worry! I'll never allow him to take you away!” Tristan snarled. Truth be told, he was utterly sick of Nicholas.

It had been several times, but the latter simply wouldn't give up and persisted in challenging his bottom line repeatedly.

“Yeah, I believe you! I think we can try this...”

In no time, Sophie told him all about her plan. Considering her current state, she couldn't do anything alone and required Tristan's cooperation.

“Okay. Got it.” They had a tacit understanding between them, for right after Sophie had prefaced her idea, Tristan discerned her meaning. “Wait for me. We'll be able to meet soon.”

It won't take long to get everything ready.

“Okay, got it. I'll wait for you here.”

Both of them trusted each other unwaveringly.

“All right, make it quick. I've still got to return the phone. We'll be dead if someone else finds out about this.”

I know their love runs deep, but this is really not the time for a public display of affection.

“Be careful in everything. Nicholas is intent on killing you.” After all, Nicholas detested Tristan as much as the latter despised him.

As long as they had a chance, both would kill the other without an ounce of hesitation.

“Don't worry! The most important thing you've got to do right now is to take good care of yourself.”

She has sustained such severe injuries, yet she has to worry about so many other things.

“All right. I'll be hanging up, then. Nicholas can't be allowed to find out about this. Otherwise, everything would be in vain.”

Having hung up the phone, Tristan breathed a sigh of relief.

Ultimately, he knew that Nicholas wouldn't hurt Sophie for real.

However, uneasiness lingered within him when he hadn't heard her voice for himself.

Now that he had verified that she was fine, he could rest easy.

“Does Sophie have a plan?” No matter what the strategy was, Felix and the others would give their utmost cooperation.

Ever since Sophie was captured, Ysabelle had been down in the dumps as she blamed herself for the fact that the former got injured.

Therefore, they were determined to get Sophie back no matter the price.

“Yeah. Let's go! Make the necessary preparations. This time, I want Nicholas' life.” I want him to pay a hefty price for daring to take Sophie away at such a dangerous juncture!

“Okay.”

Felix had no objections, willing to do anything at all when it was something related to Tristan.

Upon learning that Felix and the others were setting out to save Sophie, Ysabelle rang Felix up. At the sight of her conflicted expression, Felix burst into laughter.

“All right, we're going to bring Sophie back now. She's fine. You've also got to take good care of yourself. Otherwise, she'll be sad to see you in such straits.”

Honestly speaking, Sophie was pretty good to Ysabelle.

“I will. You must bring her back. Also, you must be careful. Don't get hurt.” Ysabelle was still traumatized by the fact that both Felix and Tristan were injured the previous time.

That also granted her an intimate understanding of how terrifying Nicholas was.

Leaning down, Felix pecked her on the lips.

“Okay. Relax! I'll be fine since I've still got to marry you!” As such, how could I possibly allow anything to happen to myself?

“I didn't agree to marry you. Anyway, you must be careful, okay?” Nicholas is a lunatic! Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken Sophie away at such a time.

“Got it. Rest assured that I won't have you worried and fearful anymore.”

Felix left the room, but sheer trepidation swamped Ysabelle.

Noticing her anxiety, Sarah could only coax, “Don't worry! Felix has been working for your Uncle Tristan all these years, and they've been through all kinds of trials and tribulations!”

In reality, she was also very much worried. Be that as it may, they couldn't panic then. Otherwise, everything would only plunge into chaos.

“I'm scared, Aunt Sarah. The last time, Uncle Tristan was grievously injured. I'm really freaked out now!”

Sarah hugged Ysabelle tightly.

“It's okay. Everything will be fine. Both of them are formidable, so those people won't be their match.” At that moment, they could only reassure themselves in such a manner.

Meanwhile, Felix and Tristan had already made all the preparations. They were just about to set out when Charles and Sean arrived in a mad dash.

“Why are you two here?” Felix couldn't help asking. Don't they need to oversee things in the office?

“Jeez, how could I be absent at such a time!” Charles quipped. We naturally have to come when things are so exciting.

“We can't possibly sit back and do nothing when disaster has befallen Sophie. We're best friends, Tristan. Thus, we definitely have to face such things together,” Sean added.

It's merely Nicholas. There's nothing to fear about him.

 

Chapter 693

How can we not be there for Sophie since she's already in our social circle? Sophie's problem is our problem too, and we'll do whatever it takes to support her!

“Thanks,” Tristan replied. Though he did not view Nicholas as a threat, having additional people around would bolster his confidence in handling the psycho.

“Don't mention it. We're like brothers.” Sean and him fist-bumped. I'll do anything for my brothers.

They had grown up together since childhood, so naturally, they had a deep bond.

Meanwhile, Alex felt something was not quite right but could not put his finger on it. His eye had been twitching nonstop since he woke up this morning.

Upon noticing the expression on his face, Nicholas could not help but frown. “Can you stop walking back and forth? What's wrong with you, Alex? You've been with me for years, so you must have seen all kinds of situations. Why are you acting like this?”

Nicholas did not believe Tristan could do anything to him. I've yet to seek revenge against him for taking a shot at me! If he comes now, I can seize the opportunity to avenge myself!

“I'll arrange the flight, Mr. Nicholas. We should leave the country as soon as possible. You can do anything you wish once we reach Anglandur,” Alex uttered.

“All right then!” Anglandur would feel more like home to him since it was his stronghold. “Go and make the necessary arrangements!”

Nicholas was eager to see Sophie, even though he knew she had no interest in seeing him.

Despite this, he believed she would forget all about Tristan once he took her to the hypnotist. She'll then fall in love with me.

With that thought in mind, Nicholas could envision the picture-perfect future he and Sophie would have together. He swore to treat Sophie well and make her the happiest woman in the world. We'll live happily ever after for sure. I love her.

When Nicholas realized Arius was in the room with Sophie, he could not help but knit his brows. “Arius, I need you to leave the room. I want to talk to Sophie.”

“I'll not leave. Say what you want to say. I want to stay here to keep Sophie company,” Arius replied boldly, as he felt safe being around Sophie.

His response left Nicholas speechless.

Nicholas clenched his hands into fists. D*mn you, Arius. Do you really think I dare not hit you?

Arius felt a surge of satisfaction upon noticing how furious the other man was.

“That's enough. Get out of the room right now!” Nicholas raised his voice.

Sophie's immobility could put Arius at a disadvantage if Nicholas were to attack him physically.

“Fine! I'll leave the room if you want me to, but it doesn't mean I'm weak,” Arius asserted. I'm not afraid

of anything!

Sophie did not pay attention to him. She just kept glaring at Nicholas. “Nicholas, I have nothing to talk to you about. You should just let me go!”

She would not have wasted her energy talking to him had she not sustained injuries. I would have let my fists do the talking if I could!

“Sophie, could you please try not to be hostile toward me? I did everything with your best interests in mind.” All Nicholas wanted was for her to talk to him nicely.

“Nicholas, you brought me here against my will, yet you expect me to talk to you nicely? Am I a fool to you?” Sophie exclaimed.

Nicholas gazed into her eyes obsessively. “You should be falling for me, Sophie.”

Sophie was bereft of words upon hearing that.

Realizing he was not receptive to anything she said, she decided to keep mum. I'll wait for Tristan to rescue me. I'm not wasting my breath anymore!

Upon noticing the cold shoulder that Sophie gave him, Nicholas walked to her bed. “I instructed Alex to make the necessary arrangements, and we should be leaving this place in no time. We'll fly to a place where no one knows us and live happily together. I'll not return to the Sable family, and you'll forget about Tristan. Sounds good?”

Nicholas, who had an immense fondness for Sophie, spoke to her in a pleading tone.

Sophie knitted her brows. This man has gone crazy.

She knew there was no point talking to someone out of his mind as he would never listen to a word she said anyway.

Nicholas ordered his men to bring forward a wheelchair. He then carried her, placed her on it, and covered her legs with a blanket.

“It's snowing now. You like to see the snow, right? I'll take you out now,” Nicholas said.

Without checking for her agreement, he took her out of the room in the wheelchair.

Arius, who had been waiting outside, immediately stopped them from leaving when he saw Nicholas wheel her out of the room.

“What are you doing, Nicholas? Sophie is not feeling well, and it's so cold outside. Are you trying to make her feel worse?” Arius uttered. Sophie will never fall for a man like this! It's so unfortunate that she's stuck with him!

“Arius, I'm doing you a favor by looking after you, but that doesn't give you the right to disturb us. So, I suggest you back off. If you don't, you're going to regret it.”

Except for Sophie, Nicholas had little tolerance for interacting with others. When my patience wears thin, don't hold me accountable for not exhibiting mercy toward him.

“Nicholas, I'm not afraid of you.” The handsome Arius grimaced at his words. Don't even try to threaten

me!

At that point, Alex came over and stood in front of Arius.

“That's enough. Arius, I'm fine. I wish to go out to get some fresh air too. Don't worry about me,” Sophie said. She did that to protect Arius because she knew he was no match for Alex.

Arius was rendered speechless.

Whenever situations like this arose, Arius regretted not having learned how to fight. Otherwise, he could have been on equal footing with his opponents. It's really uncomfortable to feel this way.

Nicholas pushed Sophie's wheelchair out of the house, where heavy snow was falling. The breathtakingly beautiful scene reminded Nicholas of the day they first met. “Sophie, do you remember the first time we met? It was also on such a snowy day. And the snow on the ground was stained red with blood.”

He already found her attractive. Perhaps, even then, he was already captivated by her beauty, though he did not realize it at that time. If only I had known earlier, she would have fallen for me, and things wouldn't be the way they are now.

Sophie had no idea how obsessed Nicholas was with her back then.

Nicholas was just a passing acquaintance to her, and she had no romantic feelings for him. She could not understand the depth of his love for her.

In fact, the snowy sight evoked memories of a winter's day in Jipsdale when she and Tristan bore

witness to a similar beauty. He must be on his way here now, right? It seems that a violent clash is now inevitable.

At that point, Sophie could only pray for the safety of Tristan and his men.

“Did you hear what I said, Sophie? You don't even care, do you?” Nicholas felt helpless upon seeing how indifferent Sophie was to his words. I just want her to love me!

 

 

Chapter 694

He was already putting himself in such a lowly position, but why did she still not love him?

“It's getting cold, Nicholas. I want to go back.”

“You're cold?”

Hearing that, the man immediately wheeled Sophie back in without a moment of delay.

Really, he could treat her well as long as she said yes.

He would surely make her the luckiest woman on Earth.

“Don't worry, Sophie. We'll be the happiest couple in the world no matter what.”

Before this, he was content with Sophie just being by his side. Yet, he eventually realized that he desperately wanted her love.

Having long become numb to his words, Sophie let him say whatever he pleased. She had nothing else to say to him.

At this very moment, Tristan and his team had already made their way over.

This was Jetroina, so neither party was large in number.

Despite that, the men Nicholas brought with him were not the average fighter.

The snow was dyed red as the stench of blood lingered in the air.

As doctors, both Barney and Arius were no strangers to the smell.

In fact, Sophie was most familiar with it.

She tossed a gun straight at Arius.

“I don't know what's about to happen soon, but your only mission is to protect Dr. Smith.”

Even if one of her legs didn't work now, she could still guard herself well.

“When did you get this?” Arius asked in shock.

We're on Nicholas' turf! How did she get her hands on a gun?

“Don't ask too much.” The woman was determined to send him to a training camp when they returned. Otherwise, he would be too weak to remain by her side.

From the look on her face, Arius knew what she was thinking.

“Let me tell you this in advance: I'm not going to any training camp.” He wouldn't have become a doctor if he could endure the training camp in the first place.

At some point, the man grew to understand Sophie so well that he could tell what was on her mind just from the way she looked at him.

“I didn't think you're still such a coward, Arius. It's just training. What is there to be afraid of?” Barney remarked nonchalantly, given that he wasn't the one being asked to go.

If his mentee didn't take the bullet for him, who would?

Arius couldn't help but roll his eyes in response.

“This has nothing to do with you, but you don't have to do this to me, Dr. Smith! Do you have any idea what kind of place the training camp is? Every single person who goes there comes out a lunatic —just like her!”

I'm just a regular guy who wants to live a regular life!

The older man fell silent briefly.

“You should get some training, Arius. It's the only way you'd be able to protect Sophie.”

Isn't this the least he should do as her senior?

Meanwhile, Alex came to see Nicholas.

“Tristan Lombard is here with his men, Boss. They've shown up without any warning.” He had long gotten some henchmen to keep a lookout for Tristan but to no avail.

It was such an awful feeling.

“Not just that, but those three other guys are here too.”

There was already no guarantee that we can handle Tristan on his own, but he just had to bring those guys along too.

“Perfect timing. It's about time to settle all our scores!”

Nicholas saw no point in keeping things this way.

We may as well get this over with.

Alex creased his brows.

“You should leave, Boss. I'll wait for them here.” He couldn't let anything happen to his boss.

“Alex, you've been by my side for all these years. You should know what kind of person I am. Do I look like I'd leave at a time like this?” asked Nicholas.

Seriously, has he not gotten any wiser after all this time? Doesn't he know the way I think?

“I know you've been wanting to get even, Boss, but this really isn't the time. Please, just listen to me for once, will you?” Alex pleaded. He was more than aware of Nicholas' character.

Even so, it was his duty to protect the latter.

Hence, he had to say what was on his mind even if it meant angering his own boss.

“I'm begging you, Boss. You know I've never once harmed you after serving you all these years. Please trust in me just this once.”

Alex got down on one knee.

Nicholas frowned.

“What are you doing, Alex?” He didn't like what Alex was doing —using their close relationship to blackmail him.

“We're running out of time, Boss.”

“You...”

In truth, Nicholas didn't want to start a fight with Tristan either.

All he wanted to do now was to leave with Sophie.

“Fine. I'll go. Be careful.” At the end of the day, he knew how loyal Alex was to him.

Yet, just as he was about to get Sophie, he saw Barney wheeling her out. Moreover, Arius had a gun in his hand.

“Where do you guys think you're going?”

I knew it. I shouldn't have given in back then. None of this would've happened if I had been firmer.

“You know that Tristan's already on his way over, so you'd better stop doing whatever you were planning, Nicholas. It's pointless now,” Arius demanded.

Despite everything he had just said earlier, he wouldn't back down in the face of an enemy.

It was his responsibility to protect Sophie and Barney.

“Do you really think you're any match for me, Arius?” Nicholas scoffed. “Sophie, did you not pay attention to all the things I said to you earlier? Are my genuine feelings nothing but a joke to you?”

“I told you long ago that we can never be together, Nicholas. You're the one who chose to ignore that. Don't blame anyone else for how you feel now.”

“Hah!”

Nicholas let out an icy chuckle.

I've only ever loved one woman my whole life. Why can't she be mine?

“And what if I kill Tristan?”

“I won't let that happen.”

While responding, Sophie pulled out her own gun and aimed it directly at Nicholas' head.

“I've grown weary of your constant pestering, Nicholas. I hate it. I've told you that I don't like you, but you just never know when to give up. If watching you die is the only way I can live in peace, then you

should drop dead!”

Hearing such cruel words come out of the woman's mouth made Nicholas feel as though his heart was being squeezed tightly in someone's hand.

“Are you going to pull the trigger, Sophie? Can you really do that? Can you seriously tell me that you've never —”

“No. I've never liked you,” Sophie answered frostily, gazing at him as if he were a complete stranger.

“I don't get it. You're nice to everyone, but why do you treat me this way?” The man was utterly heartbroken.

Chapter 695

Because we were just never meant to be.”

They came from different worlds, and values were one of the many aspects that they didn't have in common.

Most importantly, she had no feelings for him.

In the next instant, Sophie aimed her gun right at the middle of Nicholas' forehead and was about to pull the trigger when Alex aimed his own gun toward her hand.

Still, Nicholas had seen it all. She was truly about to kill him; he would've been dead by now if Alex hadn't interfered.

“Let's go, Boss.”

Alex swiftly moved in front of Nicholas, but as soon as that happened, Sophie fired her gun between his brows.

The man collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide in disbelief.

“Go, Boss.”

If it meant letting Nicholas get away safely, he had no qualms about dying.

“Please, Boss... Go...”

He couldn't return to Anglandur now. Furthermore, Tristan and his men had already barged in, so Nicholas could only leave with his remaining subordinates.

Tristan arrived upstairs to see the gun in Sophie's hand along with a now lifeless Alex.

Sean and the others knew how skilled Alex was to be able to serve Nicholas all this while.

Yet, the man now lay motionless on the ground, his eyes wide open.

Completely uninterested in Alex's death, Tristan dashed over to Sophie and got down on one knee.

“Sophie, let's get married once we go home!”

This incident had given him a lot to think about, and now, he didn't want to wait any longer.

“Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?” The woman asked in bewilderment. How am I supposed to get married looking like this? His dad already didn't like me back then. He's going to hate me if he sees the state I'm in now!

“It just popped up in my head. Or we could just get ourselves registered first.”

“I'm going after Nicholas,” Charles offered. Staying here would only be torture for him, so he figured he may as well do something more fun.

“Forget it. There's no need.” Sean grabbed hold of his arm. “He's gone.”

Alex's influence in Anglandur was no lesser than the Lombard family's power over Jipsdale, so if Nicholas wanted to escape, there would be no way of catching him.

Besides, what mattered most right now was to get Sophie treated.

Charles waved a hand.

“Fine. I'll just head outside then. I'm not going to sit here and watch you guys get all lovey-dovey.”

Why is everyone so chill? I can't stay calm. Why? Because I don't have a girlfriend! I don't know what true love is, for God's sake!

Sophie was taken to the same hospital as before. Ysabelle had already recovered by now, so she spent all her time taking care of the former.

Sophie had nothing to say about that, for she knew Ysabelle would only blame herself more if she were to just sit there and do nothing.

Still, quite a few hours had passed, and it was about time Ysabelle got some rest.

“You should go back and rest, Ysabelle. Don't worry about me. Everyone's going to worry about you if you stay.”

“I'm really okay, Sophie. I can look after you. Please let me do something.”

Otherwise, she would feel bad.

“It's not your fault, Ysabelle. It was an accident. Remember that, okay?” She really doesn't have to do all this for me.

Ysabelle said nothing.

How could this have had nothing to do with her?

Ultimately, she left only after Felix came over to get her.

Cecelia and Butterfly remained inside the ward, but they, too, left after seeing Tristan's expression turn increasingly chilly.

With just the two of them left, Tristan sat on the edge of Sophie's bed. Having her next to him made him worry less.

“You should get some rest too.”

He hasn't gotten any proper sleep ever since the whole incident. He can't go on like this.

“I'm fine. I've gone an entire week without sleeping, so you don't have to worry about me.”

“I know what you're capable of, Tristan, but am I not here next to you now? You can take it easy.”

Alex is dead, and Nicholas has definitely gone back. Besides, we've brought in more people to keep watch at the hospital. There's no reason to worry anymore.

Tristan took her hand.

“I know what you're saying, but I just don't want to leave you on your own. I can't bear to watch the same thing happen again.”

That was why he wanted to stay by her side, even if it meant doing nothing else.

Seeing him like this made Sophie's heart ache.

“Don't worry. I'll do my best to get better quickly.” That was the only way to make him feel more assured.

Barney and Arius got ready for the surgery the next day.

Everyone else had come over and was still concerned, even though both Barney and Arius were the best in the medical field.

However, they were worried because Sophie was the one being operated on.

The woman beamed as she saw the fretful looks on their faces.

“Okay, everyone. There's no need to worry. I believe in Dr. Smith and Arius.” It's not the first time something like this has happened, anyway.

Unlike the others, she felt completely at peace.

Butterfly walked over and held her hand. “It'll be okay, Sophie. We'll wait for you outside.”

Cecelia smiled too.

“Yeah. You've gone through much worse. I'm sure you can get over something as minor as this!”

Ysabelle remained silent as she really didn't know what to say at this moment.

Understanding how she felt, Felix put a hand on her shoulder.

“Don't worry. Everything will be just fine.”

With Barney and Arius here, they could surely fix her no matter how serious her condition was.

When it was time, Tristan personally took her to the operating room and even followed her in.

Noticing that he was dressed in a protective suit, the woman grabbed his hand.

“What are you doing here?”

He's going to be in so much pain watching me! It's not like he'd be of help anyway.

“I know there's nothing I can do in here, but at least let me keep you company.”

Waiting outside and not knowing what was going on would only make him more anxious, so he decided to just come in.

Barney and Arius were under a great deal of pressure, given that Sophie was their patient. Thus, the younger man felt nervous for the first time.

“It'll go smoothly, right, Dr. Smith?”

Barney glanced at him, knowing how the latter felt. He's like this whenever Sophie's involved.

“Relax. It's not your first time performing this surgery, anyway. Everything will be just fine.” At this point, Barney could only encourage him as they both gave it their all.

A doctor had come to inject Sophie with anesthesia earlier, so the latter now appeared unconscious on the operating table.

Despite being well aware that she had merely fallen asleep, Tristan couldn't seem to let go of the lingering fear in his heart.

 

Chapter 696

It was an extensive operation—Sophie had already been in the operating room for over five hours. The people outside the operating room were all waiting patiently for her.

Obviously, the ones present were all Sophie's close friends.

Butterfly was calm as she knew how capable and mentally strong Sophie was.

Cecelia and Ysabelle, on the other hand, weren't as calm. They were both worried sick, but there was nothing they could do to help.

Cecelia was pacing around outside the operating room to make herself feel less uneasy.

Ysabelle was sitting with Felix as they waited outside. She would glance at the operating table from time to time, and Felix would then comfort her by putting his arm over her shoulders.

Sarah was also on a chair nearby.

In fact, even Charles and Sean were there.

The duo knew how important Sophie was to Tristan. Moreover, they had spent quite a lot of time with Sophie, so they had already regarded her as their own friend and family.

“Winter called,” Sean uttered. She was more concerned about Tristan rather than Sophie, though.

Charles hummed in acknowledgment and replied, “She's still unwilling to give up.”

If Winter could give up on Tristan, Charles would be able to plead with Tristan to let her return to the country earlier.

Nevertheless, there was nothing Charles could do because she was still obsessed with Tristan.

“Charles, don't burden yourself with that matter. I think it's a good thing that Winter stays in Anglandur. Compared to what happened to Jennifer, I'd say Mr. Tristan had let Winter off pretty easily. You know that,” Sean said. That's just how Winter is. She wouldn't let go so easily. She would have had an even tougher time if not for Charles' sake.

“I know my sister well, but I don't know how to help her,” Charles replied. I don't even know what to say to her anymore. It's not wrong to like someone, but she can't expect her affection to be reciprocated. She's just too obsessed with him.

“That is why, no matter what Old Mr. Quigley says, you must know the limits. Don't let this affect your relationship with Mr. Tristan,” Sean advised. We can't let Winter affect the relationship between the four of us.

“Yeah. Don't worry. I know what I should do,” Charles answered.

Winter had also been in contact with Walter, telling him she wanted to return to the country. Despite the constant pressure from Walter, however, Charles refused to give in.

“Okay. That's good.”

Finally, the operation ended after over eight hours. The light above the operating room was finally

extinguished, and Arius and Barney were seen walking out of the operating room.

Upon seeing everyone's anxious gazes, Barney reassured, “Don't worry! It was a successful operation, but we still need to monitor her recovery.”

Naturally, Sophie was expected to be kept there for a while more.

Everyone at the scene breathed a sigh of relief when they heard what Barney said. Since the operation was successful, there shouldn't be any problems now.

“All right. In that case, Charles and I will head back. We can't all be here,” Sean said. We still need to keep an eye on those four companies back in the country.

“Okay. You guys should head back! Give me a call if anything comes up,” Felix replied. At this moment, I doubt Mr. Tristan is in the mood to deal with those things.

“Sure. You stay then.”

No one knew if Nicholas would return, so they couldn't all go back at once.

The best solution was to let Felix stay.

“Okay.”

More than six hours later, Sophie finally regained consciousness. Tristan was the first person she saw the moment she opened her eyes, and she was heartbroken. “Have you been here all this while? Why

didn't you go back and rest? Didn't I tell you to do that? I'm fine.”

Instead of answering her questions, Tristan poured a glass of warm water for her upon hearing her hoarse voice.

“I took a nap a bit ago.”

Sophie was relieved to hear those words.

After that, Tristan fed her some warm water to soothe her throat.

“How are you feeling? Do you feel any discomfort? If you do, you must tell me. I'll get Barney and Arius to come over,” Tristan said. Arius and Barney went home to rest after the lengthy operation.

“No. I'm feeling fine.”

Hearing that, Tristan leaned in to kiss her pale lips. “That's good.”

Tristan was still slightly disturbed when he recalled that ghastly sight he saw during the operation.

The others came to see Sophie the moment they found out she had awakened. Since the ward she was in wasn't the ICU, visitors were allowed in. She smiled the moment she saw them. “I'm serious, guys. I'm fine. You guys are making me feel pressured.”

It had been a long time since she felt that way. Nothing like this had occurred ever since I returned from the training camp. No matter what happened, I was able to protect myself. What happened this time around was merely an accident.

“Sophie, you have no idea how worried we all were. That was especially the case for Mr. Tristan. Before you woke up, he was—”

“I think it's about time you head back, Cecelia,” Tristan uttered, shooting Cecelia a look.

In response, Cecelia shrugged.

“I'm serious, Sophie. You're one lucky girl. Cherish him!” Cecelia urged. It's hard to find a rich and loyal man like Tristan these days. Sophie is so lucky.

Tristan did not retort to that. Cecelia's right. Sophie should cherish me. No matter what happens, she mustn't give up on me.

Sophie nodded. “I know. I won't let go of him for the rest of my life!”

A smile appeared on Sarah's face when she heard that. “All right. Since you're fine, we can all be at ease now. Let's go get some breakfast. We should let Sophie rest.”

It was a given that Sophie needed to rest since she had just undergone an extensive operation.

“Rest well! We'll leave and have our breakfast now. What would you like to eat? We can bring food back for you.” Butterfly beamed as she spoke.

“Anything will do,” Sophie replied. She had no appetite for food, and she wasn't craving anything.

“Okay. We'll go now.”

With that, only Tristan and Sophie were left in the ward.

“Go with them!” Sophie piped up.

“No. I'll wait for them to bring food here. I want to eat with you.” Tristan didn't want her to eat on her own.

In Anglandur, Nicholas had returned with Alex's body. Javier had a scowl on his face when he saw Alex's body in the coffin.

Although Alex had always been by Nicholas' side, everyone had actually considered Alex to be a member of the Sable family.

Yet, he was now dead.

“Who did this?” Javier asked in a deep voice. How could such a thing happen?

Nicholas balled his hands into fists as he kept mum.

“What's the matter with you, Nicholas? Although I was the one who recruited Alex, had he not worked hard for you? How could you not care now that something like this has happened to him? Who did this? Tell me!” Javier roared.

Chapter 697

“It was Sophie, Old Mr. Sable!” a man yelled.

Those who went with Alex naturally had a good relationship with him, and they witnessed him being shot in the head by Sophie.

Hence, they couldn't bear to keep their mouths shut.

“It was Sophie, Old Mr. Sable!” the man shouted again.

Nicholas immediately shot that man an icy glare, and that man felt his knees go weak.

“Shut up!” Nicholas warned coldly.

“Now that it has come to this, are you still covering for Sophie? Is she even worth it? She wanted you dead, didn't she? Alex died because of you!” Javier's words hit the nail on the head.

Nicholas clenched his fists again.

“That's enough.” Nicholas felt his head pounding. Although he had always been very strict with Alex, Alex was his trusted right-hand man—he was also feeling terrible about losing Alex. Sophie is the love of my life, but be that as it may, she is the one who killed Alex. If it weren't for Alex, I would've died when she tried to kill me. But... So what? I can't possibly kill Sophie!

Javier was utterly disappointed in Nicholas, and all Javier could do was shake his head. “Are you saying that although she had murdered Alex, we should let this slide?”

“Don't force me, Dad,” Nicholas uttered in a frustrated tone. “No matter what Sophie does, I can never harm her.”

Javier was rendered speechless. What on earth can I do to save this child? Sophie never loved him, and she has never shown him mercy. How can Nicholas not see that?

“She doesn't love you. She's not going to accept you no matter what you do,” Javier lectured. That's what ultimately led to what has happened!

“Give Alex a grand burial!” Javier then ordered and left. Sophie is the cause of all this.

Javier knew that all along, and he had been wanting to kill Sophie. That woman is too capable! I've already sent so many assassins after her, yet she managed to kill all of them. Is she even human? Does she not have a weakness?

“Old Mr. Sable, what should we do now? If Mr. Nicholas continues to be like this, I don't think the members of the Sable family are going to like it,” Javier's subordinate said. After all, Alex is rather influential in the Sable family. Not only is Mr. Nicholas sitting on his hands after Alex had died in vain, but Mr. Nicholas is also covering for Sophie. This is going to upset the others.

“What do you suggest, then?” Javier asked.

“I suggest we continue what we have been doing. Let's find the best assassin in the world and get Sophie killed! Otherwise, I believe she's going to have Mr. Nicholas killed sooner or later,” the subordinate answered. Now is our perfect chance because Sophie is still in recovery.

“You think so too?”

“Yes!”

“But Tristan is always by her side. You know what kind of man Tristan is, right?”

If they were to kill Sophie, Tristan would surely strike back.

The Sable family would be in trouble if that were to happen.

“In that case, we should just find the best killer in the world! Given how the world works, there's nothing people wouldn't do for money.”

“Okay. Get it done! I don't care what the price is. I just want Sophie dead!” Javier ordered. For Nicholas' sake, I have to take the risk. I can't let Sophie kill him!

Meanwhile, the president of Jetroina heaved a sigh of relief after he found out that Nicholas had returned to his home country. With both Nicholas and Tristan around, I really didn't know how to solve the feud between them.

The president's secretary was also relieved. “Mr. President, I don't think you need to pay Ms. Tanner a visit anymore. Since she killed Alex, the Sable family is surely going to go after her.”

“No. I think Ms. Tanner isn't an ordinary person. Even the leader of Chanaea had asked about her. Do you really think she's merely Tristan's girlfriend?” the president replied.

Indeed, Sophie wouldn't have such a big influence if she were merely Tristan's girlfriend.

With that, the president of Jetroina immediately instructed his subordinates to prepare flowers and fruits as gifts for him to bring to the hospital.

Tristan wasn't pleased when he saw the president. What the h*ll is he doing here?

The president's secretary was speechless when he saw the unhappy expression on Tristan's face. Why is Tristan being so unwelcoming? Doesn't he know that there are countless people out there trying to butter the president up?

“I'm sorry, Ms. Tanner. I didn't expect such a thing to happen in my territory.” The president of Jetroina couldn't speak Chanaean, so he was communicating with Sophie in Jetroinian.

Sophie knew Jetroinian. Therefore, they had no trouble conversing with each other.

“I know you're a busy man, Mr. President. I'm fine now, so I shouldn't waste any more of your precious time,” Sophie uttered politely and humbly.

“That's good. You must rest, Ms. Tanner. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll do my best to help.”

The president of Jetroina noticed Tristan's expression was getting darker by the minute. He knew Tristan was going to get mad if he stayed any longer. Hence, he quickly left with his men.

Sophie couldn't help but chuckle. “Tristan, why did you do that? That's the president of Jetroina! Couldn't you show him some respect?”

Tristan was at a loss for words for a couple of seconds. What's so great about the president of

Jetroina? Why must I respect him?

“I'm not going to be nice to anyone who disturbs your rest. In this world, there's no one I can't afford to mess with,” Tristan announced haughtily.

With others, Tristan would always behave indifferently. In front of Sophie, however, he would reveal that side of himself.

“There's nothing we can do about it. I think they're keeping an eye on me because they found out that the leader of our country had personally looked after me.” Sophie was the key person in the country's virus research.

Thus, the leader of their country naturally wouldn't just stand idly by.

After all, she was a brilliant citizen of Chanaea.

And as a result, Sophie now had a lot of attention on her. Everyone was eager to know more about her.

“Yeah.” Tristan's gaze turned colder. I don't want Sophie to get too much attention because that might be a bad thing in the future.

“Don't worry about me. I know how to hide my identity. Those people won't know a thing.” Sophie preferred to live a simple life and keep a low profile as well.

“Got it. You can stay here to recuperate for a while more, and we'll have to go back to Chanaea right after. Now that Alex is dead, the Sable family will surely try to come after you,” Tristan said.

Tristan wasn't afraid, but he could only focus on dealing with Nicholas after returning to Chanaea. In the meantime, Sophie still needs some time to recover. She can't fight right now. There are a lot of people targeting her, and mercenaries could show up anytime to kill her. I need to protect her.

 

Chapter 698

“Yes. I know,” Sophie said. Now that Alex is dead, Nicholas might not do anything in retaliation, but Old Mr. Sable will. After all, Alex was almost like a son to Old Mr. Sable.

Cecelia continued to stay in Jetroina for a few more days, and she was still reluctant to return even after her manager called.

“I'm finally on holiday. Why can't you just let me rest for a few more days?” Cecelia questioned unhappily. I really don't want to go back to work!

“Cecelia, it's not that I don't want to let you rest. It's just that we had already signed the contract for this movie a long time ago! Besides, it's Mr. Ledger's movie. Please come back soon,” the manager requested helplessly. This is such a golden opportunity for Cecelia! She's still young, so she should make full use of it.

“Okay. I understand. I'll go back tomorrow.” Cecelia was exasperated. I shouldn't have chosen this career back then. I'm flying all around the world all the time, and I never have time for myself.

After hanging up the phone, Cecelia went back to Sophie's ward.

Noticing Cecelia's gloomy expression, Sophie asked, “What's wrong? Did you get lectured by your manager?”

Cecelia shook her head, saying, “No. Sophie, I wanted to spend more time with you here, but I have to leave for work.”

This has always been the case. Every time something happens to Sophie, I'm never by her side.

Cecelia felt she wasn't being a good friend to Sophie.

“Oh, I see. I was the one who got you that role, so you must work hard!” Sophie knew how much Cecelia loved acting.

However, Cecelia was just not feeling it at that moment.

“Sophie, I think I'm getting sick of the entertainment industry,” Cecelia said. That's why I feel so weary now that I need to return to work.

“You're just worried about me, but I promise you—I'm fine. I really am.” Sophie knew what was on Cecelia's mind.

“I really hope that's the case! I'm heading back tomorrow. Rest well, okay? Please give me a call whenever you're free.” Cecelia was still worried about Sophie, so she added, “Do you want to fly back with me?”

Cecelia thought things would be easier if Sophie could return to Chanaea.

“You should head back first. I need to be here for a while longer.” It wasn't convenient for Sophie to travel just yet.

“Okay. I understand.”

Meanwhile, Ysabelle had also received a call from her manager. Ysabelle's new album was getting released soon, and she was supposedly only there for a short break.

But she had been away for too long, and it was time for her to get back to work.

“I would like to stay for another week.”

“Ysabelle, this is the time for your career to soar, so this album is important to you. I think you should come back! Besides, it's not like you can be of help there.” The manager spoke frankly.

Evidently, everyone knew Sophie was injured.

Ysabelle was rendered speechless when she heard that. Why is everyone saying that?

“Furthermore, you know how hard Sophie worked on your album this time around. You'll disappoint her if you don't do well.”

In response, Ysabelle took a deep breath and said, “Okay. I got it. I'll go back tomorrow.” As an artist, she couldn't afford to be willful.

Felix noticed how moody she was after she hung up the phone. He pulled her into his embrace and asked, “What's the matter? If you don't want to go back, I can have a talk with your manager.” After all, Ysabelle only joined the entertainment industry for fun. She could leave anytime she wanted.

Ysabelle shook her head. “My manager is right. I'm now an artist from TS Entertainment. Regardless of how I feel, there are things I need to deal with.”

Ysabelle felt it was time for her to be more mature. I shouldn't let others worry about me.

Felix's heart ached when he heard her. “Ysabelle, I already told you it's going to be tiring to work in the entertainment industry.”

“It's all right. I don't think it's tiring since I love doing it. It's just that I'm worried about Sophie,” Ysabelle answered. I think I'm being irresponsible. After all, Sophie got hurt because of me. Now, I'm leaving her.

“If that's what you're worried about, I think you should head back as well. With Mr. Tristan here, do you think you'll be able to help with anything?” Felix asked. Ever since Sophie got injured, Tristan had been doing everything himself, and he wouldn't let others help.

“Yeah. I know.”

Coincidentally, Sarah also needed to deal with some things at her office, so she was leaving along with the rest.

When they were all in Sophie's ward, they all looked somber. Sophie couldn't help but smile and say, “What's with everyone? You guys are merely going back before me. It's not like we'll never see each other again.”

Sophie thought there was no need for them to feel so moody.

“You must get well soon, Sophie!” Ysabelle was on the verge of crying.

Seeing that, Cecelia patted Ysabelle's shoulder and exclaimed, “Don't worry! Evil people usually get to live a long time!”

Sophie was speechless at that. Am I an evil person?

“All right. That's enough. Go home, you guys! I'll see everyone soon. Tristan, please see them out!”

Tristan rose to his feet and walked everyone out. Felix and Ysabelle were leaving as well. Since they had quite a few of their men there, they believed the Sable family couldn't do anything to harm them.

After sending the others off, Tristan came back to the ward and caught Sophie spacing out on the bed. He then walked up to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “What's wrong? What's on your mind?”

“It's nothing. It has gotten quiet so suddenly. I'm just not used to this!” The atmosphere had been so lively with everyone around during our time here. Now, only two of us remain.

“What do you mean? I think it's a good thing they left. I like the fact that we get to be alone.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Sophie leaned on his shoulder.

Right then, Arius entered the ward and saw the couple embracing each other. It was a sweet sight, making him suddenly feel sad about being single.

“Arius, don't you knock?” Tristan asked, wanting to chase Arius out there and then.

“With my relationship with Sophie, do I still need to knock?” Arius retorted.

Words eluded Tristan.

“Regardless of our relationship, Arius, you'll still need to knock next time!” Sophie chided as she sat up straight.

Arius approached her with the silver needles as it was time for her second treatment session.

Sophie lay down on the bed to let Tristan roll up the hems of her pants. With that, Arius started with the acupuncture treatment.

Arius was a genius, and he was good at giving acupuncture treatment. With that being said, providing the treatment was incredibly exhausting.

After inserting a few needles, Arius started to sweat.

“Mr. Tristan, are you just going to stand there and watch? Come here and help me wipe the sweat off of my forehead!” Arius was peeved by Tristan's lack of action.

Indeed, Tristan had never helped anyone wipe their sweat.

However, he ended up doing it with two pieces of tissue because the one Arius was treating was Sophie.

 

Chapter 699

Sophie knew how tiring acupuncture could be, but there was nothing she could do to help.

Half an hour later, Arius felt like he was about to collapse.

Regardless, the treatment was completed by then. He grabbed a few tissues to wipe the sweat off himself before sprawling on Sophie's bed.

Tristan couldn't help but furrow his brows when he saw that.

“He's dog-tired.” Sophie immediately came to Arius' defense. “Let him take a breather.”

“Fine,” Tristan muttered. I'm letting it slide just this once! There's no way I would ever let him get into my woman's bed again.

Once Arius had recovered, he stood up and said, “Support her and help her walk. It has been a while since she walked. It's about time to give it a try!”

Although it was bound to be hard, she had to start walking sooner or later. Otherwise, all their previous efforts would be in vain.

“Okay.”

With that, Tristan helped Sophie up. Yet, beads of sweat began to form on Sophie's forehead just as she tried to stand on her feet.

Tristan's heart broke, and he immediately let her lean on his body. “If you can't do it, it's okay. We can

try again in a couple of days.”

In response, Sophie shook her head and took a deep breath. I'm a doctor myself, and I know this is the time to walk on my own. It's hurting badly, but at least I can feel my legs now. I must start training them immediately.

“I'm all right. Don't worry,” Sophie reassured before giving Tristan a bright smile.

Tristan felt even worse when he saw that. How can I not worry? She must be in a great amount of pain! I regret letting her and the others come here. Although it was an accident, none of this would have happened if we hadn't come.

Arius was watching from the side, and he could tell that Tristan was having trouble.

“If you can't bear to do it, let me help her instead,” Arius urged. We can't hold back now. She needs to get through the pain and be done with it.

“It's fine. I can do it,” Tristan answered. I feel extremely bad for her, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to help her. After all, I'm here. If I were in her shoes now, I would keep my mouth shut no matter how much pain I was in. I wish I was the one injured now.

Sophie gritted her teeth and kept going.

After she took just a few steps, her back was already drenched in sweat.

One could only imagine how much pain she was in.

“Let's take a break!” Arius finally said. At the end of the day, this is a gradual process.

Sophie only nodded and stopped when she heard what Arius said.

Tristan instantly carried her to the bed, sat her down, and wiped her face with a warm towel.

Arius was relieved to see how attentive Tristan was toward Sophie.

In the afternoon, Barney dropped by. Since there was nothing left for him to do there, he decided to fly back to Chanaea. “Stay here, Arius. Don't let anything else happen!”

There were a lot of things to deal with in the medical association in Chanaea, so they couldn't both be away.

“Okay. Don't worry, Dr. Smith. With me here, Sophie's legs are going to be fine!” Arius answered. Sophie will be as good as new in one month's time.

“Sure. I'm heading back now.” Barney was still concerned, but he reckoned everything was going to be all right. After all, Arius and Tristan would be looking after Sophie.

Arius then sent Barney to the airport.

“Dr. Smith, you'll be on your own back there. Be careful.” Arius was worried about Barney because a lot of people had their eyes on Barney due to his special identity. If I could go back with Dr. Smith, I definitely would!

“Don't worry about me! All you need to do now is take good care of Sophie.” Barney could only go back in peace knowing that Arius was with Tristan.

“Have a safe flight! Remember to call me when you arrive,” Arius reminded him. Since the plane was arranged by Mr. Tristan, everything should go smoothly.

“Okay. Go on! Go back to the hospital.”

Even though Barney told Arius to return to Sophie's ward, the latter only left after he watched the plane take off.

When Arius returned to Sophie's ward, Sophie was asleep while Tristan was watching her by her side.

Arius had never been fond of Tristan, but he grew to like Tristan after seeing how Tristan treated Sophie.

“Get some sleep! I'm here.” Arius felt that Tristan needed some rest.

“I'm fine. I can keep this up.”

“No one's saying otherwise, but Sophie is going to feel bad if she sees you like this.” Arius knew Sophie cared a lot about Tristan.

“Okay! I'll just rest here!” With that, Tristan went to lie on the couch.

Arius shook his head. “Who would've thought that the famous Mr. Tristan would have this side of him? What a shocker!”

Meanwhile, at Tanner Group, Victor was narrowing his eyes as he glanced at the shareholders before him.

“Mr. White, we're not trying to put you in a tough spot. It's just that I think you ought to tell us what's going on with Ms. Sophie!” one of the shareholders voiced. It hasn't been easy to get to where we are today. Yet, we don't know what's going on with Ms. Sophie, and we don't know what the future holds for Tanner Group. Heck, we don't know anything! How can we not be worried?

Upon hearing that, Victor sneered, “Since you guys refuse to listen to what I said, I'm willing to agree with whatever you decide to do. If you want to leave Tanner Group or sell your shares, go ahead. I'm buying all the shares!” Evidently, Victor had the utmost confidence in Tanner Group. They're not going to trust me, so there's no point in saying anything else.

“Mr. White...”

That wasn't what the shareholders meant.

However, they all worked hard for their money, so they couldn't bear the risk of uncertainty.

“If there's nothing else, please leave.” Victor didn't want to waste another second with the shareholders.

Hearing that, a few shareholders had no choice but to leave.

“What do you guys think we should do? Old Mr. Tanner is gone now, and Sophie is Tanner Group's last hope. But she isn't back yet after so long since the incident happened. We don't know what happened to her!” one of the shareholders said to the others.

“Exactly! Sophie is very capable. Although she's young, she's a business genius!” another chimed in. That's exactly why we don't know what to do now!

“Do as you guys see fit! I can't hold on any longer. I'm selling all of my Tanner Group shares!” the other shareholder said. I'll have nothing to do with whatever happens to Tanner Group in the future!

“Are you sure?” Tanner Group was doing well at that moment. If Sophie were to return safely, she could still turn things around for the better.

“I can't wait any longer. Do whatever you guys want!”

The other shareholders exchanged glances, unable to make up their minds.

Chapter 700

The moment someone started, others would follow suit. At that very instant, a few other shareholders also sold their shares.

Victor bought some of their shares, but he did not have sufficient funds to buy all their shares.

Others began to have doubts when they learned about the situation at Tanner Group. Victor knew that Sophie had yet to make a full recovery. Therefore, he dared not inform her about the situation in the company because he did not want to affect her.

Unfortunately, he was unable to resolve the issue on his own.

In the end, he had no choice but to call Tristan. Tristan had given him his phone number when they last met.

Victor did not expect it to come in handy.

“What did you say?” Tristan could not believe his ears.

“Some of the shareholders are starting to offload their shares right now. I don't have the financial means to buy all the shares.”

If that continued, it would have an adverse effect on Tanner Group.

“All right. I understand. We'll buy whatever is being sold by them.” That was not even a problem for Tristan.

“Mr. Tristan, how is Ms. Sophie?” asked Victor. He was also very concerned about Sophie, but things at Tanner Group had kept him so busy that he was unable to visit her.

“She's doing much better now. Don't worry. If you need any help, look for Sean. He will do everything he can to help you out.”

Tanner Group was everything to Josiah. Since he had left Tanner Group to Sophie, they would make sure that everything would be fine.

“All right then. I understand. Please get some rest yourself too.”

Victor was more relieved once he received Sean's phone number.

Usually, Victor was a swift and decisive man.

But since he did not have enough cash right now, he had to ask for help.

When Tristan returned with a grim expression, Sophie asked with concern, “What's wrong? Did something happen?”

Everything was fine a while ago. Why is he looking like this now?

“It's nothing. Just some minor issues. Don't worry about it.”

“Did something happen to Tanner Group?” Sophie asked calmly.

When she went on the Internet earlier on, she saw the rise and fall of the Tanner Group's shares.

“Yes, there are some minor problems. But I have already sent Sean to keep an eye on things. With him around, you don't have to worry about anything.”

“Yes, I know.”

Even so, Sophie still gave Victor a call.

When Victor received her phone call, he was confused.

“Ms. Sophie, how did you find out about this?” He had wanted to keep the matter away from her. After all, she had yet to make a full recovery.

“Well, the news would get to me somehow. Since the shareholders want to sell their shares, just buy the shares. I'll get someone to transfer the funds to you in a short while,” instructed Sophie nonchalantly.

Most shareholders were like that. When the company made a profit, anything was fine with them. At the slightest sign of trouble, they would be the first to bail because they were unwilling to bear the risk.

“Ms. Sophie, Mr. Tristan has already—”

“It's fine. I have the money. I will buy all of their shares!” Tanner Group meant a lot to her grandpa. She did not wish to involve Tristan in company matters.

“All right! Have a good rest.”

In truth, Victor was a little worried. He was aware that Sophie was very powerful. However, it would take a huge sum of money to buy all of those shares.

He was unsure of what to do as he blanked out. A while later, he received a bank transfer notification on his phone, which stunned him.

Does Ms. Sophie have that much money? She has transferred five hundred million in one go! It's incredible!

Victor dared not believe his own eyes. After rubbing his eyes, he looked again. True enough, she had transferred five hundred million.

Ms. Sophie is a wealthy lady!

Even if Sophie lost Tanner Group, she would be able to own any company, given the amount of money she had.

Does this mean that I have found the right backer?

“With all this money, why should I give a d*mn about the shareholders?” In the future, Victor was sure that those shareholders would regret their decisions.

Someday, Tanner Group would definitely be on par with Lombard Group. By then, those shareholders would surely regret their short-sightedness.

Sophie only put her phone down once she was done with the bank transfer. Since Tristan was by her

side, he knew what she had been up to!

He looked unhappy. “I have already gotten someone to transfer money over, haven't I? My money is your money. Why do you have to draw a line between us?”

He disliked that attitude of hers. After all, the two of them planned to be together for the rest of their lives!

“Don't be angry! I know you have money, but so do I! Grandpa has worked hard for Tanner Group. I must bring the company to greater heights. Therefore, before that happens, I hope to resolve all of the company's problems on my own.”

The company was her pride.

Since she had the ability to resolve the problem, there was no need to seek help from others.

Tristan was still unhappy after hearing her explanation.

He did not wish for her to draw the line so clearly between the two of them.

“Are you still mad at me?”

Sophie began to think of a way to appease him. That was her principle, and she would not have it any other way!

Still, Tristan did not want to talk to her.

There was nothing Sophie could do about it, so she got off the bed. She had been mobile since two days ago. Although she was supposed to take it easy, walking was not an issue for her anymore.

She walked up to him, placed her arms around his neck, and planted a kiss on his lips.

“How about now? Are you still angry with me?” asked Sophie tentatively.

“This isn't enough.”

With that, Tristan held onto her waist and kissed her fiercely. She knew there was nothing he could do about her. That was why she behaved so arrogantly!

It was a lingering kiss. Sophie felt her knees going weak afterward. This man is too much.

In the end, Tristan carried her onto the bed.

“Are you still mad at me?” Sophie seemed very adamant about getting an answer to her question.

Tristan shook his head.

“I'm not. I only hope that you won't draw a line between the two of us.”

After all, they would be husband and wife in the future.

“Okay! I won't!” Sophie tilted her head and smiled. “What, are you planning on giving Lombard Group to me? Is that what you mean when you said you don't want to draw a line between the two of us?”

As far as Sophie was concerned, she had more than enough money for herself. As such, she had no desire for more.

“Sure! As long as it makes you happy!”

They had been staying in Jetroina for more than a month now. During that period, Victor bought lots of Tanner Group's shares for her.

Arius finally heaved a sigh of relief when he completed the last round of treatment.

“Ms. Tanner, you're close to making a full recovery. We can return home now.” If he had to eat any more raw fish, he would turn into one very soon. He still much preferred the food back in Chanaea!

“Sure. Let's go back! It's about time too.” After staying there for a month, her work was piling up.

On that day itself, the three of them flew back in Tristan's plane. The moment they disembarked, they saw a group of people waiting for them.