Ch. 751..760

Chapter 751

Keegan was utterly flabbergasted. He had never expected these audacious individuals would be so bold and daring in Anglandur.

“If you kill me, do you believe you can abscond from this place?” Keegan's tone was stern and unyielding.

Sophie's lips curved into a sardonic grin. She was an exquisite beauty, but she exuded an ominous aura at this moment.

“So you're willing to attempt it? I can certainly lend you a hand if you want to give it a go.”

She was confident that she could kill him and leave Anglandur in one piece.

“You...”

She didn't seem to be joking. Keegan genuinely felt as though his life was in peril.

“Well, are you ready to make a move now?” Sophie gave him the benefit of the doubt. Leaving would only be slightly more complicated, even if they were to kill him. But there was no question that they would be able to escape unscathed.

“You...”

No one had ever threatened him like this since he assumed his position. Today, he was threatened by a twenty-year-old girl.

“How dare you behave so contemptuously toward Mr. Hunt! How could you, Barney?” Remus immediately jumped to his defense.

“And what of it? Why don't you replace him?” Arius retorted impolitely.

What the h*ll?

If things are different, how will they pan out?

“Okay, let's not waste any more time with them. Let's leave.” Sophie had no interest in these people.

All she wanted was to return to Chanaea as soon as possible.

“Okay.”

Barney was relieved that his mother had already left. Initially, he had planned on handling this matter alone.

However, Sophie's competence was well beyond his expectations! She could handle Keegan all by herself.

Keegan had always been ruthless. His hands had long since been stained with blood to climb the ranks.

Nevertheless, Keegan was powerless before Sophie.

Is this the gap between them?

“Don't let them escape. If you let them leave today, you will never be able to apprehend them again.” Remus loathed Barney. If they were to let Barney leave that day, the Chanaean Medical Association would certainly surpass the International Medical Association. This was something he absolutely could not tolerate.

He aspired to be the best. Hence, to be the best, Barney could not be allowed to live.

Keegan narrowed his eyes. “Remus, what do you think you're doing? Do you intend on murdering me?” Keegan was a person that valued his life immensely.

There were still numerous goals he had yet to achieve. How could he perish at the hands of such a brat?

Remus pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Barney.

“Mr. Hunt, I have no other option. You are aware of the task that was assigned to us. Barney cannot be allowed to leave this place today.” Remus' eyes glimmered with a bloodthirsty glint.

Only with Barney dead could he preserve his position indefinitely. Barney was a formidable rival and would only get in the way.

No one could have matched what he had accomplished in the medical field.

Therefore, no matter what, Barney could not be allowed to leave.

Barney sneered.

It was indeed the real-life iteration of the Farmer and the Viper.

If it weren't for him, Remus could not have reached such great heights. Even worse, Remus would not have lived to see another day.

Furthemore, Remus was now pointing a gun at his skull.

“Remus, you have disappointed me. I never thought that you would turn on me like this.” Barney was disheartened.

Medicine was his only priority in life.

For those who possessed medical aptitude, Barney had always nurtured them without expecting anything in return.

However, he felt betrayed like never before.

“Barney, this is your own choice. How can you blame me? Each to their own.”

As they spoke, Sophie retrieved another pistol and killed Remus instantly. All that happened while she was juggling two tasks at the same time.

It never crossed Remus' mind that he would breathe his last on that day.

When he collapsed onto the ground, his eyes remained wide open.

Keegan was utterly stupefied. He had indubitably underestimated Sophie.

She could even juggle two tasks at the same time.

“Does anyone else wish to come forward and meet his end?” Sophie's expression was deadly, as if she was unmatched in this world.

Staring at Remus' corpse in the pool of blood, his assistant dared not speak.

At that time, he wished to be invisible.

No fame or fortune was worth risking his life.

“Dr. Smith, let's go!”

“All right!”

Barney was disappointed by the people at the International Medical Association. To his mind, there was no sentimental value left of the place.

Keegan was terrified as Sophie did not show any mercy.

What befall Remus was telling enough.

“Ms. Tanner, you can't keep doing this to me. How about this? Let's negotiate your demands.” Keegan struggled to keep his cool.

At the end of the day, they just wanted to leave.

If they were to kill Keegan, that would keep them here. They would be stuck!

It would not be beneficial to anyone.

“That's not necessary!” Sophie answered glacially. Her gorgeous features displayed no emotions.

At that moment, she looked like a devil from hell.

There was nothing anyone could do about her.

Outside, Butterfly and a group of elite assassins were waiting for them.

They were all Sophie's people, the best of the best.

Tristan also sent his men, who were even more brutal than mercenaries.

In the face of such formidable forces, Remus' subordinates were nothing but mere ants.

Keegan finally understood what Sophie meant. Even if she killed him, they could still leave safely, unimpeded by anyone.

As they emerged from the building, Butterfly approached them with an air of arrogance. “Are you all right? Shall I destroy this place?”

No one could threaten them, for they were the Wings of Light.

Barney, however, shook his head and left. “Forget about it. This place is my life's work. Some good people are still in there, and they only want to contribute to the medical field.”

It was noble. If the place were to be destroyed, their hopes and dreams would go down together.

“Dr. Smith, how should we deal with him?” Sophie nodded and asked.

“Consider it settled. Allow them to return.”

 

Chapter 752

“Regardless of what happened, have I not treated you well, Barney? When you were preparing for the International Medical Association, I always gave you what you asked for. Please just let me off this time.”

All Keegan could do now was plead.

When he noticed the sort of people Sophie brought with her, Keegan then realized exactly how much he had underestimated her.

That was why he could not be stubborn this time around.

After all, a real man could either submit or stand proud when the situation called for it.

Arius scoffed. “Were you kind to Dr. Smith? You were basically using him as a ladder to climb to greater heights!”

If Keegan had not held Dr. Smith's parents captive, then why on earth did we have to come all the way here? I guess it's also for the best. If Dr. Smith had shown up alone, I wonder what horrible things they would've done to him!

Keegan's expression changed.

“Barney, I think you're well aware that there are things I've had to do outside of my own volition. Think of the position I'm in!”

Barney shook his head.

“Forget it. When we leave, you can come back. Mr. Hunt, I hope that we never meet again in this life. If something like this ever happens again, I won't be so cordial.”

Regardless, Barney was someone who studied medicine.

He was not someone who enjoyed killing.

He liked saving people and not committing murder.

Arius was worried because Sophie had hurled Keegan at Butterfly.

He absentmindedly felt about his pockets for a syringe and injected Keegan with an unknown drug.

“Arius, what the hell are you doing? What did you inject me with?” yelled Keegan. Arius was a former member of the International Medical Association. As such, Keegan was concerned that the substance used on him could have completely ruined him.

“Relax! Since Dr. Smith has already spoken, we won't make things hard for you. We just want you to be still, that's all,” replied Arius smoothly.

All they wanted was to leave the area safely without lingering for much longer.

As soon as the drug was injected into him, Keegan felt like his body was made of jelly. Even a regular person could kill him in this state, let alone a mercenary.

“Arius, do you know what you're doing?” Given Keegan's current position, he naturally had many enemies.

If any of his enemies chose to show up now and exact vengeance, Keegan would have been powerless to stop them.

“You've done so many rotten things. Have you only just learned what fear is? However, this is the only chance I'll give you. Whether you live or die depends on what you do later on. Nobody else can be blamed for this,” replied Arius coldly.

“Get in the car! Why are you still wasting your breath on him?” asked Sophie tersely. Despite having been away for only two days, Sophie was already anxious to return.

The person that she adored the most was back there. Apart from Tristan, Sophie reckoned that there was no other person she liked better.

“Okay, I understand that you're anxious to return. We can go now!” replied Arius. There was some truth to the old saying, after all. A grown woman could not be kept away from the man she loved.

I bet she's been thinking about Tristan all day!

Sophie paid Arius no mind and went into the car.

Barney got into the car as well. Soon after, he sighed in relief.

“Thank goodness you're all okay,” murmured Barney. The group had chosen to follow him here. If

anything had happened to them, Barney was not going to be able to live out the rest of his days in peace.

“Didn't we tell you, Dr. Smith? Nothing's going to happen.” Sophie had never bitten off more than she could chew.

If Sophie said that they were going to leave the area with no problems, this was a surefire guarantee on her part.

“Of course. Let's go! I doubt I'll ever come back here for the rest of my life,” said Barney frostily.

Does my departure affect this organization poorly? Absolutely not!

Regardless of where he was, Barney was determined to do only good for mankind.

He was not going to make enemies out of other people.

In spite of this, they were still not going to let him go.

Such was human nature.

The entire group left in a rather grandiose manner. When they arrived at the airport, they unceremoniously hurled Keegan out of the car.

“I wish you good luck!” said Arius with a smile.

Given that Keegan had many enemies, there was no need for the group to act. In fact, one could not

even tell if Keegan was going to make it home safely.

Dr. Smith said to let him go, but he didn't say that I couldn't inject him with strange drugs, right? mused Arius.

They went directly to the tarmac, where a private jet was already waiting for them. Barney could not shake off how surreal the whole thing felt, even until he had boarded the plane.

Butterfly and Sophie, on the other hand, were chatting.

“This time around, I'm going on a vacation,” said Butterfly as she looked at Sophie. Butterfly had been so busy managing Wings of Light that she did not have much time for herself.

She was also thinking of taking a good, long, break.

“Yeah, you should definitely get some rest when you get back. Mournful Spirit can manage Wings of Light while you're away!” Sophie reckoned that Mournful Spirit was already strong enough for the task.

“Okay.”

Butterfly thought that it was high time that she took a long break.

Ever since Sophie had entrusted Wings of Light to her care, Butterfly had not been in a relationship for a while now.

She was very interested in a relationship after seeing how romantic Sophie's own relationship was.

After all, Butterfly was also quite beautiful herself. If she wanted to, she could definitely find someone she truly liked.

Thus, Butterfly was going to give herself a three-month vacation.

In the next three months, she was going to focus solely on dating.

“Yes, do it!”

Butterfly had been really busy all this while. Managing Wings of Light was no easy task.

They were a drop in the ocean where these societies were concerned. If Wings of Light wanted to stand firm among the rest, they had to prove their worth.

Arius then went over to Barney and poured the latter a glass of wine.

“Dr. Smith, I know that you did not sleep well last night. Why don't you have some wine? You'd be able to sleep better. When you awake, we'll be back in Chanaea,” said Arius.

“Okay.”

Barney accepted the red wine.

He assumed that he was there to protect them all. In the end, it was up to the youngsters to take care of him, the older man.

However, Barney did feel lucky that he had trained two very gifted mentees.

Meanwhile, Nicholas stared as the plane took off. His eyes were reddened with emotion.

Was I too late? I never got to see Sophie one last time. She's already gone.

If not for the accident involving Josiah, Nicholas would not have just let Sophie leave like this. Once she had left, there was no telling when he was going to see her again.

When Richard saw Nicholas in this state, the former did not dare speak.

Sophie was the one person Nicholas could never let go of. As long as the matter concerned Sophie, Nicholas was going to be persistent.

If they can perish together, I daresay that Boss will choose destruction. He will always choose her.

“Tell me, Richard. Are we not fated to be together? Is that why I keep missing Sophie?” asked Nicholas. After this had happened so many times, Nicholas could not help but have such doubts.

“Boss?”

Richard was a man who had never been in love. As such, he did not have the slightest clue of how to comfort Nicholas.

“Boss, fate is utter bullsh*t, if you ask me. None of that is real! If you like her, you have to take her away!” Why was there the need to mope and mull over this? If Nicholas liked her that much, he just needed to fight for Sophie. It was not a big deal.

“Do you really think so?” Nicholas had assumed that he was the only one who thought that way. He also thought that he was the odd one out.

Richard nodded sagely.

Alex and he were not the same.

This was how he operated. As long as he liked something, he had to make it his, regardless of what it was that he liked. There was no need to consider anyone else's feelings.

 

Chapter 753

Richard believed all that mattered was Nicholas' happiness. So why did he have to worry about anyone else?

It was because of what Richard said that Nicholas was going to be doomed in the future. He seemed to have found validation from someone else.

As such, Nicholas was going to be even more reckless.

In the meantime, the entire group arrived at Jipsdale airport at midnight. After leaving the aircraft, everyone soon saw Sophie's perfect man waiting for her.

It was going to be Christmas soon. During this time, the weather in Jipsdale became much colder. The man was dressed in a matching suit paired with a black coat. This made him look even more dashing.

After seeing the beautiful girl step off the aircraft, the man softened his expression almost immediately.

It's good that she came home safe. That's all that matters to me. Tristan was quite happy.

“Sophie, your boyfriend is here!” Butterfly only had a black backpack on her.

When she saw such a striking man before her, Butterfly couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

Falling in love seems to be a nice thing. At least there's always someone who will be thinking of you, no matter what. They would also do anything for you.

“Yeah,” said Sophie.

When Sophie saw Tristan, her heart softened too.

Before that, no one would give her such an intense feeling. “You're right. You do need some time to find someone who loves you.”

Amid her happiness, Sophie then realized that no matter how strong or capable a woman was, she still wanted someone to cuddle with at the end of the day.

When she left the aircraft, Sophie hastily rushed over to Tristan, who stood there with open arms.

He then caught Sophie and held her tightly in his embrace.

“You're finally home.” While it was only two days, it felt like forever to Tristan.

“Yeah. I've missed you too,” said Sophie. In the beginning, Sophie could not comprehend Tristan's feelings or his passion.

Yet now, Sophie felt the same way toward him. She now understood that when one fell in love, the longing they felt for one another was just like the tide.

“Let's go! It's very late. We should head home.” Now that Barney's problems are over and done with, everyone can go home and rest with ease.

“You're right. Let's go home.” Sophie had never once associated the word “home” with warmth before.

At the mention of this word, Sophie could feel warmth coursing through her heart.

Tristan asked the driver to send the others home. He was going to drive Sophie back to the mansion on his own.

By the time they arrived at the mansion and had a shower, it was already two in the morning. However, Tristan still insisted on keeping Sophie company.

“Why don't you sleep? It's late. You should go to bed early,” murmured Sophie while brushing her hair. She then gave Tristan a sideways glance.

“I just want to be by your side forever,” replied Tristan.

The corners of Sophie's lips were curved into a smile.

“Tell me. Do your business associates know just how clingy you are?”

“So what if they do know? Or what if they don't? I really don't care. All I know is that I love you, and I want to be with you. It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks.”

Tristan definitely had the right to be so strong-willed.

“Okay, then.”

Tristan picked up the towel and began to dry Sophie's hair. Sophie willingly let him take care of her, given that so many things had happened today. She did not want to move a muscle.

On top of that, it was a very long flight back home. Sophie was very tired. She leaned across the couch and enjoyed Tristan's special treatment of her.

Tristan was a very careful person, and this was especially prevalent in the way he treated Sophie. His movements were gentle. By the time Tristan had dried Sophie's hair enough, she had already fallen asleep.

As Tristan looked at her beautiful face while she was in a deep sleep, his expression subconsciously loosened up and became even softer.

“Silly thing. I bet you're tired.” Tristan's silly girl was definitely very adept. She was able to solve so many problems.

However, Tristan did wish that she was not so adept as well. That way, he could always stay by Sophie's side and protect her.

After mulling over this for a while longer, Tristan realized that this was also a conundrum.

It was precisely because of Sophie's capabilities that Tristan was able to feel less worried for her. If Tristan were not around, he could count on Sophie to take care of herself.

Tristan leaned over and placed the softest of kisses on Sophie's lips. He then carried her over to the bed and tucked her in.

“Goodnight, my princess. I hope you dream of me.” Tristan hoped that as long as Sophie dreamt of him, they were going to be good dreams.

He also hoped that he was able to give her all the happiness in the world.

At the moment, Sophie had a happy smile gracing her lips.

Seeing her this way made Tristan feel even more satisfied.

“It's okay. It's just a year. In one more year, you will be my bride. When that happens, I won't let you go so easily.”

Tristan shifted helplessly, having noticed a bulge in his pants. Ever since he had met Sophie, he behaved like a young man who had not known carnal pleasures.

For some reason, he found it hard to control himself around her.

His lower body part seemed to have a mind of its own. While Sophie lay there asleep, he was very active.

Tristan shook his head helplessly once more and resigned himself to taking a cold shower in spite of the cold weather.

In the blink of an eye, Wilma's wedding was coming soon. Wilma had initially wanted Sophie to be her bridesmaid, but Sophie was too busy.

In the end, Wilma could only ask Wendy to take up the role.

“Ms. Lineker, do you think Ms. Sophie will show up today?” Wendy had long been Sophie's admirer.

Since Sophie had been busy all this while, she did not have the time to head over to Transfix Cosmetics. As such, they had not seen Sophie for quite some time.

“Yeah. I think if nothing comes up, Ms. Sophie will likely attend,” replied Wilma. She had already given an invitation to Sophie the last time.

Sophie seemed quite stoic and cold on the outside, but deep down, she was actually a very gentle soul.

If she did not have too much on her plate, Sophie would definitely show up.

In the meantime, the wedding was going to start soon.

“Ms. Lineker, you should go and start getting ready. I can wait for her here. You're the bride! You shouldn't be loitering about!” Wilma had been in Jipsdale for so many years now. Finally, she had found her own happiness in life.

Everyone at Transfix Cosmetics was envious of this.

If anything, they were non-natives who caught a glimpse of hope. They, too, hoped that they could one day find love in the big city and settle down there.

From a distance, Wendy saw a luxury car slowing down. She soon realized that the vehicle belonged to Tristan.

“Ms. Lineker! I think Ms. Sophie is here!” said Wendy excitedly.

Tristan was here, so naturally Sophie had arrived with him.

Wendy watched as a strikingly handsome man whose figure could rival that of a model got out of the car slowly and opened the passenger seat door. He then reached out to help the lady who was seated next to him.

When Sophie saw the two ladies waiting outside, she grinned.

Sophie had promised Wilma that she was going to be there, but she had not expected them both to be waiting for her outside.

Wilma, the bride, had a decent figure. She looked exceptionally beautiful with her wedding dress on.

 

Chapter 754

“Ms. Sophie, Mr. Tristan, you made it!” Wilma exclaimed in disbelief. She never imagined that someone as important as Tristan would attend her wedding.

“Yes, Ms. Lineker, we're here. The ceremony is about to begin, so you should go and get ready,” Sophie replied.

“Absolutely! Ms. Lineker, go and have your makeup touched up. I'll escort Ms. Sophie in,” Wendy, a huge fan of Sophie, said eagerly.

Her eyes would light up every time she saw Sophie.

“All right, I'll head in first. It's time for the ceremony to begin,” Wilma said. She had been waiting outside because she was concerned about her guests, but now it was time for her to enter the hall.

“Ms. Sophie, it's pretty chilly out here. Let's head inside,” Wendy chirped.

Ms. Sophie is just gorgeous. How can someone be so beautiful? I can't take my eyes off her.

Wendy was very excited.

“One moment; I'm waiting for someone,” Sophie said, as Ysabelle, who used to hang out with Wilma when they were kids, had promised to attend the wedding since she had some free time between photo shoots.

Before long, another luxury car pulled up, and a famous singer stepped out and made her way over to the group.

Wendy was dumbfounded. She never imagined that she would meet so many influential people at Wilma's wedding.

Ysabelle walked over and grinned at Sophie. “Sorry, I'm late. Traffic was terrible.”

Friday evening traffic in Jipsdale was notoriously bad, so everyone planned ahead and left earlier than usual.

However, the traffic conditions were just as bad, which caused them to be late.

Felix parked the car and made his way over to the group.

“Okay, everyone's here. Let's head in.”

Wendy was in disbelief.

Do good-looking people only befriend other good-looking people? How are they all so beautiful? They look like they just stepped out of a movie. No, they look even better than the leads in a movie.

“What's wrong, Wendy? Are you feeling unwell?” Sophie asked in a soft voice when she noticed Wendy was rooted to the spot.

Wendy snapped out of her daze.

“No, I've just never seen such good-looking people in my life. That's why I was so lost.”

The four of them burst into laughter at Wendy's words and thought that she was very cute.

Wendy then led Sophie and her friends to their designated table, which Wilma had specially prepared.

“Ms. Sophie. I need to head over as I'm one of the bridesmaids,” Wendy informed Sophie once they were seated.

“Okay, go on. You can leave us to ourselves,” Sophie replied, confident in their ability to handle themselves as adults.

Wendy left to attend to her bridesmaid duties.

While waiting for the ceremony to begin, Ysabelle asked, “Sophie, are all your employees from Transfix Cosmetics that adorable?”

Sophie chuckled and replied, “Yeah, Wendy is definitely cute.”

The four of them engaged in conversation for about ten minutes before the ceremony started.

Soon enough, the hired wedding planners executed the trendy TikTok-inspired wedding theme to perfection.

While it might not have been the most original idea, it still managed to move some people.

Sophie couldn't help but feel happy for Wilma, who had overcome so much to find love and was now starting a family.

I truly hope that Ms. Lineker will have a happy and fulfilling life.

She hoped that someone as kind and warm-hearted as Wilma would have a happy marriage.

“I've been to so many grand weddings, but none of them have touched me like this one. It makes me want to get married, too,” Felix whispered to Ysabelle.

“Behave, Felix. A lot of my fans are here today. What if we're caught on camera...” Ysabelle cautioned.

“Big deal. I'm your boyfriend anyway. What's the matter? Are you ashamed of me?” Felix grunted.

“I'm not ashamed of you. It's just that I'm really popular right now, and if my fans find out you're my boyfriend, they might attack you. I'm just looking out for you.” There were fans with high emotional intelligence, but there were also those with lower levels who wouldn't hesitate to attack anyone.

“Do you think I'll be scared?” Felix retorted. He feared nothing if it meant he could be together with her. After all, he was the all-famous Mr. Northley of Jipsdale.

Meanwhile, Tristan found the story of Wilma and her husband's love to be nothing out of the ordinary, but he realized that it was precisely what made it so real and special.

He held Sophie's hand, and she turned to face him.

“What's up?” asked Sophie, noticing Tristan's pensive expression.

“Oh, nothing. I just have a feeling that we'll have a happy relationship, too,” he said, feeling a sense of

certainty about it.

“Definitely,” Sophie agreed with a smile.

After bidding Wilma goodbye, they left the wedding.

“Wishing you a happy marriage, Ms. Lineker,” Sophie said, grateful for the chance to attend such a beautiful wedding.

“Thank you, Sophie. I hope both of our relationships will be happy,” Wilma replied, her heart filled with gratitude toward Sophie for being the inspiration behind her pursuit of happiness.

She knew she wouldn't be where she was if it weren't for Sophie's support and encouragement.

“We better get going now. Weddings can be tiring, and it's getting late. You must be exhausted, Ms. Lineker,” said Sophie.

“Thank you, Sophie,” Wilma responded sincerely, grateful for her inspiration to pursue the love she desired. Without Sophie, she wouldn't have had the courage to pursue what she truly wanted.

“Take care, Ms. Lineker.”

As they stepped out of the hotel, Tristan wrapped a white cashmere scarf around Sophie's neck before heading off.

“I used to find weddings boring, but now I can't help but imagine what our wedding will be like when we attend other people's weddings!” Tristan exclaimed with excitement.

“I don't care how our wedding turns out, as long as it's with you,” Sophie said; the rest did not matter to her anymore.

“Yeah,” Tristan agreed.

Ysabelle, who followed behind, couldn't help but comment, “Tsk tsk. I didn't know my Uncle Tristan could be so cheesy.”

Felix replied, “Of course. Men will unknowingly turn into gentle creatures when they're with the people they like.”

“Is that so?” Ysabelle countered, “Then why didn't you treat me gently? Is it because you don't like me enough?”

Felix and Tristan had different ways of showing their affection.

Felix rolled his eyes. “What? Do I need to dig my heart out and show it to you?”

Ysabelle responded, “Sure, do it. I can use this opportunity to see what your heart's made of and get Sophie to put it back for you. She's highly skilled at performing surgeries, so you'll be fine.”

Felix was rendered speechless. Remind me again, what is it that I liked about her?

 

Chapter 755

As the end of the year drew near, it was incredibly hectic for major corporations, let alone top-tier ones like Lombard Group.

Tristan was flocked with work every day. Yet, he always made time to eat with Sophie no matter how hectic his schedule was.

Sophie had come close to settling the matter with the medical association these past few days. She decided to head to Lombard Group today to visit Tristan since he had been so diligent.

Before Sophie could even head there, she received news of Lombard Group being in hot water.

Sophie noticed that everyone's expression was not the same as usual when she arrived at Lombard Group.

“You're here, Ms. Tanner! Regrettably, Mr. Tristan appears to be very busy and doesn't seem to have time to keep you company.” The female receptionist was also aware of the major incident that happened to Lombard Group.

It was not an ideal time for Sophie to be here.

Moreover, Tristan really did not have time to keep her company right now.

“What happened to Lombard Group?” Sophie inquired straightforwardly. In fact, she came here today hoping to be of some help.

The female receptionist knew that Sophie was not an outsider and directly responded, “Our system has

been attacked by hackers. Ms. Tanner, Mr. Tristan is really busy at the moment and doesn't have time to keep you company. You'd better head back first.”

“It's fine. I'll go up and find him now.” The restraints of the hackers' waned as the end of the year drew nearer.

Tristan was standing there with a somber expression when Sophie arrived. The situation appeared to be particularly bad.

The man only regained his senses when he saw Sophie.

“Why did you come over? Have you finished dealing with the medical association's matters?” She had been occupied with the medical association ever since the start of the holiday.

Sophie essentially did not have time to lose since there were numerous things to be dealt with, having the Chanaean Medical Association recently established.

“Yeah. I have some free time these days since it's almost Christmas.” After all, even a small break would be given every year during Christmas for International Medical Association.

“I see. You should go home and get some rest first since you're on break. I'll come to find you after I finish dealing with things here.”

It was extremely hectic for Tristan today, and he would not be able to keep her company even though she went all the way there.

“It's fine. I just want to stay here with you. It would be even better if I could be of assistance.”

Tristan held her hand.

“Don't worry! There won't be any issue. I hired a few skilled network security personnel after the previous incident. They should be able to manage the hackers' attack.”

Lombard Group was a top-notch company, and it would be impregnable to attacks from unsolicited people.

At that moment, the leader of the network security team came over.

“The other party is very skilled, Mr. Tristan. Despite our best efforts, we are still unable to stop them. They will undoubtedly attack our core if this carries on.” By then, no one would be able to estimate how much damage it would cause.

Tristan's expression darkened.

“Let me give it a try!” Sophie came here to help today.

Even though I haven't done this kind of thing in a while, I want to see who exactly the other party is since I'm here.

However, she was pretty confident in her skills.

The team leader was bereft of words. He then explained, “Ms. Tanner, the other party is really skilled. We aren't even able to handle them, so please don't joke around.”

It was normal for a girlfriend to want to look good in front of her boyfriend. Yet, it was not the time to make a joke during this crucial matter.

Sophie decided to ignore him. He'll only understand I wasn't joking after seeing what I'm able to do.

“Wait for me here for a moment. Give me ten minutes, and I'll settle it for sure.”

Sophie paid the team leader no mind and headed to the computer room.

The team leader could not help but feel concerned when he saw Tristan's indifference.

“Mr. Tristan, the other party is very strong. We won't be able to stop them if this continues.”

“Then, what do you propose we do?” It was their responsibility as security personnel to solve the problem instead of asking him questions.

“Mr. Tristan, I heard that the current most talented hacker, K, is now in Jipsdale. Why don't we invite him here?”

“That's not necessary.”

Tristan paid no more attention to him. He followed Sophie into the computer room. After entering, he saw Sophie sitting and coding calmly.

Her movements were no slower than those of skilled network security personnel, and her typing speed was even faster.

The team leader next to Tristan was extremely worried.

They're free to express their affection however they please on normal occasions. However, can't they refrain from doing so at a time like this? Who will be liable for the potential damages the hackers cause if they completely infiltrate our network?

Tristan did not know how skillful Sophie was, but it was obvious that she was the one who handled the previous hacking incident.

Hence, he had complete confidence in her.

Sure enough, Sophie had already solved the problem and found the other party's location in less than ten minutes.

“They're at this place. Contact the police now.”

The team leader standing next to her was completely stunned.

A young girl like her easily solved a problem so many of us couldn't.

Having received the address, Tristan immediately dispatched people to catch the hackers.

Eustace, the captain of the SWAT team, was the best candidate to carry out this task.

Hence, he brought his people to catch the hackers.

“I need your skills, Sophie. Are you really not going to consider joining Lombard Group to help me?” Tristan instantly extended an offer for Sophie to join him.

She's really amazing, even more so than those top hackers. Many companies must have wanted to recruit a talented individual like her.

Sophie sat in front of the computer. She did not get up right away after catching the hackers. Instead, she reinforced several firewalls for Lombard Group's network.

“No. I'm doing pretty well in the medical association, and I enjoy working there.”

Although it was monotonous to experiment on animals or test subjects every day, it was not unbearable as she enjoyed it.

“Mr. Tristan, Ms. Tanner is amazing!” a few security personnel standing at the side exclaimed.

“It was all right.”

After finishing up, Sophie got up and walked to Tristan's side.

“How about this? I'll come and help you free of charge if Lombard Group encounters such a problem again in the future.”

Barney came all the way here just for me. How could I betray him?

“That's fine. Let's go to my office.” There was no need to waste more time there since this matter had been resolved.

“Okay!”

Tristan brought Sophie back into his office and left the rest of the matters to the others.

As soon as the door of Tristan's office closed, Sophie was pressed against the door and kissed lightly by him.

 

Chapter 756

She had been busy after Wilma's wedding, and so was he. It had been days since he last met her.

That was why he lost control of the feelings that surged within him at that moment and wanted to treat her that way.

Sophie panted as she was given a passionate kiss. Tristan, however, was not much better. Eventually, he could only lie on her shoulder and breath heavily.

While Sophie was pinned against the wall, she could clearly feel the man's body reacting.

“What are you going to do now? Why don't you go and take a cold shower?” She felt that Tristan's room was fully equipped, and there was also a dedicated lounge attached to it where he could take a shower.

Tristan shook his head. “I'd rather not.”

“I thought you are feeling uncomfortable?”

“I'm fine. Just let me hug you for a while will do.”

It took a while before Tristan slowly recovered. He then carried Sophie to the couch and had someone prepare afternoon tea for her.

“Have you eaten?” asked Tristan, as he himself had not eaten anything yet because of the incident earlier.

Sophie shook her head.

“But you have prepared so many desserts. I don't think I need to go out to eat anymore.”

She was thinking of staying in the office with Tristan if he was busy.

“Don't eat that, then. I'll skip work and take you out for a meal.” Tristan immediately put on his coat.

After getting Sophie prepared, he took her hand and headed out.

All the employees of Lombard Group knew that Sophie had helped their company solve a big problem and cast her a look that was full of admiration.

“How can someone so dashing as she exists in this world? I just heard a colleague from the cybersecurity department talk about it, and I still can't believe it!”

“Not only does she have good looks, but she is also a high achiever at University of Medicine and Jipsdale University. She could even help Mr. Tristan get rid of the hacker. Is she really a normal human being?”

Tristan thought everyone had overreacted upon hearing that.

“Ah! What should I do? I love our CEO's wife so much! Only such an outstanding woman is worthy of Mr. Tristan,” someone exclaimed.

In the past, they could not bring themselves to imagine what kind of woman would be worthy of a man

like Tristan.

Only after Sophie appeared did they all feel that only a woman like her was worthy of Tristan.

The two of them complemented each other very well.

Tristan was a little upset at the gaze those ladies threw at Sophie. Why does Sophie always make others grow fond of her?

The sight of the duo leaving hand in hand made everyone jealous.

“Oh, man! What should I do? I didn't believe in love at first, but seeing the two of them makes me believe in love again.”

Tristan took Sophie to a newly opened barbecue joint nearby. Knowing she liked to eat BBQ, he had always wanted to bring her to that barbecue joint after hearing the Lombard Group employees talk about it last time.

“My subordinates said the BBQ here is very nice, and I always wanted to bring you over. Finally, my wish comes true today.”

Tristan did not know how other people planned their dates, but he always wanted to give Sophie the best whenever they were together.

Sophie hummed in acknowledgment.

Her eyes were filled with tenderness as she gazed up at Tristan. The man, on the other hand, always

gazed at her affectionately.

Perhaps that was what true love was.

Nobody knew if what happened next was a mere coincidence, but they ran into Winter at the barbecue joint. Truth be told, it was not mealtime at that hour.

There were not many people in the barbecue joint.

The current Winter looked more mature and dressed exquisitely that day. She started her own business during her return this time around and was there to have a meal with her business partners.

One should always keep moving forward.

However, Winter's image as a capable career lady shattered after she saw how attentive Tristan was toward Sophie.

The sight made her heart ached.

Wherever Sophie went, Tristan would always have his gaze fixated on her.

Winter thought if he could also look at herself in such a way, she would give him her life even if he asked for it.

However, his gentleness never belonged to her.

“Ms. Quigley, are you all right?” the person next to Winter couldn't help but ask upon seeing her like

that.

Winter immediately shook her head. No matter when and how much time had passed, she still could not forget that feeling of love.

She knew they were not pleased to see her, but when she saw Tristan, she still wanted to go over and greet him. Even a simple hello would make her feel contented.

“Please carry on. I saw someone I know. I'll go and talk to them for a bit.”

Winter went over without a care in the world, but Tristan sat down with Sophie and paid no heed to her.

She clenched her fists at the sight.

“Mr. Tristan, it's been a while.”

Since her return, she rarely had the chance to see Tristan.

She wanted to go to him, but she had to hold herself back as she didn't want to be sent abroad again.

“Don't you know that your presence is a nuisance to others? Winter, with your status, I don't think there's a need for you to do such a thing,” Tristan said in disdain.

Winter's face immediately turned pale at his words. What does he mean by that? I came over to greet him merely because I couldn't control myself.

She couldn't help but look at Sophie, who was sitting on the side calmly. This woman must be very

proud of herself right now! The most eligible man in Jipsdale acts this way in front of her but utterly disregards me, the daughter of the Quigley family.

“Winter, I don't want to see you. Please leave! Or, you guys can eat somewhere else.”

Winter was rendered speechless, clenching her fists. Just because Sophie is here, he actually wants me to leave. But I am obviously here first!

“Mr. Tristan, what are you doing? This is a public place. How can you chase someone out? It's okay. I don't mind.” Sophie thought they should simply ignore an insignificant person, and there was no need to be aggressive to push the person to the corner.

“Oh, is that so? Fine. I thought you didn't like seeing her. It turns out I've misunderstood you. Winter, go and enjoy your meal then!”

Winter was even more embarrassed when she heard that. Just because of Sophie's words, he can completely change his mind. How can he behave like this?

However, the atmosphere at that moment was indeed a bit awkward for her, and she could only return to the group of ladies.

“Winter, is that guy Mr. Tristan? Who is that lady beside him? She's so pretty! I've never seen Mr. Tristan treat anyone so well.”

“Yeah! They are indeed a match made in heaven.”

“Didn't you guys say that Tristan and I are a good match before? What's the matter now? Am I not

worthy of being with him anymore?”

Winter's voice turned cold as she spoke. Don't they know that I like Tristan? How dare they say that now? These people are so mean. Even if I'm not that great, I'm still the daughter of the Quigley family. How can they treat me like this?

 

Chapter 757

“That's Sophie, the third daughter of the Tanner family. She's already engaged to Mr. Tristan. I had no idea that Mr. Tristan would get engaged to such a plain little nobody! Maybe men truly do only care about looks.”

So what if Sophie wasn't from a rich family? She still managed to hook up with Tristan with her looks alone, and everyone else could only look on in envy.

Life was simply unfair in that way.

Winter was looking more ticked off by the minute. “All right, that's enough. We gathered today to discuss the collaboration. Let's not waste time gossiping.”

Winter couldn't imagine why William would have agreed to the engagement.

Sophie was winning at life while Winter was now the one lagging behind.

Now more than ever, she needed to prove her worth and show everyone that Tristan's decision to get engaged to Sophie was a bad one.

The rest of them stopped chattering about Sophie and Tristan as Winter was rather obviously annoyed. They quickly returned to the task at hand.

As for Tristan and Sophie, they were already enjoying their meal, completely unbothered by the irrelevant people talking behind their backs.

Winter just couldn't help but turn to stare at the two of them despite their nonchalance.

What if that was me sitting next to Tristan? Life would be amazing!

She just couldn't accept it. She met Tristan first, and yet it amounted to basically nothing in the end.

All she could do was watch as he treated another woman like she was a gift from God while having zero patience for Winter herself.

The year was coming to an end, and in order to thank all her fans for their constant support, Ysabelle's management team decided to host a concert.

Finally, Ysabelle had the resources to hold a concert, and she had been practicing day and night for it.

She wasn't an idol who had to dance and sing at the same time, but she had to practice regardless.

Tristan and Sophie dropped by to visit and saw her discussing with her team about the concert. She had really grown as a person and was now a mature lady who knew what she wanted.

She was from the Lombard family, after all. Her high intelligence shone through as she clearly and definitively explained her ideas to her team.

“Don't worry, Ms. Lombard! We know exactly what you want. We won't let you down.”

Ysabelle wanted every audience member to feel refreshed and excited at the concert. After all, she appreciated everything that had led up to this moment and wanted to truly cherish it.

“Ms. Lombard, Ms. Sophie and Mr. Tristan are here to see you.”

Ysabelle turned back and saw Sophie and Tristan standing there like her assistant had said. They truly were a match made in heaven. Even Ysabelle, who was part of the entertainment industry, had rarely seen anyone as beautiful as Sophie.

Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder how someone as beautiful as Sophie could truly exist.

Every time she walked into the room, every other woman would pale in comparison.

Today, she was dressed in a red sweater with a long white padded jacket over it, while Tristan was dressed the same. The two of them looked like walking advertisements for whatever clothes they were wearing, and everyone in the room couldn't help but stop and stare.

They were outshining even her, a renowned celebrity.

She jogged over so she could talk to them.

“I thought you guys were super busy recently! How'd you find the time to come and visit?”

Despite her playful reprimand, she was more than happy to see them drop by.

“Sophie, see? I kept my promise!” Ysabelle said proudly.

She promised her fans that she would hold a concert before Christmas, and she was finally going through with it.

“Good job, Ysabelle. As expected, you wouldn't have let anyone down. I know it's been hard for you the past year, and I'm so proud of you,” Sophie said as she handed her a milkshake.

“Here you go! This is my reward for all your hard work.”

“Come on, isn't this a little bit too stingy of you? Look at how hard I'm practicing even now! Aren't you going to give me something a little more impressive?”

“All right, what do you want?”

As long as Sophie could make it happen, she would. She would never hesitate to give Ysabelle what she wanted.

“I don't know, actually. I'll tell you when I do, though! No matter how busy you are, you must come and watch, okay? I'll be mad if you don't.”

“Of course, I'll come. Don't worry.” Sophie wouldn't miss Ysabelle's concert for the world.

“What about Felix? Hasn't he been visiting you?” Tristan asked. Felix had vowed to become the best boyfriend ever, so why wasn't he here with her?

“He's busy! All companies are busy around this time of year anyway. He doesn't have as much time for me right now.”

Still, Felix would grab every opportunity he had to come and visit, so she was perfectly fine with his schedule.

“Since when did you become so reasonable?” Someone in Ysabelle's position had every right to throw tantrums.

However, ever since she started dating Felix, she had become much more reasonable and mature. Love truly could change people for the better.

“There's something I want to ask you. I can't really decide on this. Could you help me take a look?” The opening of a concert was extremely important, after all, and Ysabelle was hesitant because she wanted it to be perfect.

Sophie walked off with Ysabelle to look at the stage design and offered a couple of new ideas.

Her ideas gave Ysabelle even more insight into the problem, and she managed to find a solution.

Since the end of the year was approaching, a lot of Transfix Cosmetics staff members were ready to go back to their hometowns. This year, Sophie had bought train tickets for them all and had even given each of them a large bonus before the holidays.

Everyone working in Transfix Cosmetics was having the time of their lives working under Sophie. Every time her name was mentioned, all of them immediately gushed in gratitude.

Sophie stepped into Transfix Cosmetics and spotted some workers who hadn't gone home yet. Either Jipsdale was already their hometown, or they simply didn't have that many relatives to visit back home.

They all greeted Sophie with a bright smile on their faces.

Even Wilma was still working as hard as ever despite being pregnant.

She only stopped once she caught sight of Sophie.

“What are you doing here, Ms. Sophie?” Wilma asked with a bright smile on her face. She had been doing very well recently.

Everyone around her could tell that her happiness was truly coming from within.

“Hey, you have to start taking it easy. Being pregnant is hard! Ask Wendy to help if you need it.”

Wendy was truly growing in front of their very eyes. Now, she could be trusted with a task all on her own.

“I know. Don't worry. I know my limits. I can keep going. Besides, I love this job. It makes me happy just being here.”

She didn't feel tired in the slightest since she truly loved her job.

“By the way, I brought some extra gifts for those who stayed behind. Here are some tickets for Ysabelle's concert. Just hand them out to whoever wants them.”

 

Chapter 758

“Ms. Sophie, you're the best. Some girls in the office have been talking about Ms. Lombard's concert in the last couple of days!”

The ladies were fans of Ysabelle's songs. Though they were thrilled when they learned she would be holding a concert, all the tickets were sold out before they could purchase one.

Sophie hummed in response. “That's why I came to check on you. If there's nothing else, I'll head to Tanner Group now. And don't forget, if you need help, reach out to Mr. White. He'll know what to do.”

Although Sophie's busy schedule sometimes made it difficult for her to be available when needed, she remained committed to supporting and protecting Wilma and the rest.

“Got it, Ms. Sophie. Transfix Cosmetics is thriving, so you need not worry. Everything will be fine,” assured Wilma with confidence.

She would work harder than before now that she was a shareholder of Transfix Cosmetics.

After sending Sophie out, Wilma started distributing the concert tickets. As soon as the girls noticed the tickets on their desks, their jaws dropped. “Oh, my goodness! Are these VIP seats for real? Am I not dreaming? Pinch me, Ms. Lineker! Pinch me!”

That employee had stayed up all night in front of her computer, hoping to purchase a ticket during the sale, but unfortunately, she was unsuccessful.

When unexpectedly given a premium seat, she could not contain her excitement.

“These tickets are from Ms. Sophie. You should know she'd always give you the best!” Wilma explained. Ms. Sophie is the most generous person ever!

Thanks to her generous nature, her employees were motivated to go the extra mile and work diligently.

“Got it, Ms. Lineker. Don't worry; we'll give our very best and work harder next year,” assured one of the girls.

Each of them understood the importance of reciprocating kindness. Since Sophie showered them with kindness, they would show their appreciation by repaying her in the best way possible. The foundation of every relationship resides in the reciprocity between individuals. When someone shows you kindness, it's only appropriate to respond with the same level of kindness. After all, reciprocity is a fundamental part of being a decent human being, right?

As Sophie arrived at Tanner Group, Victor was already deeply engrossed in solving the issue related to employee bonuses.

The company's business had doubled, and this success was owed to Sophie's exceptional leadership.

She entered the building when he was just about to call her.

“Ms. Sophie, could you take a look at the bonus distribution plan? I'll proceed with the distribution if you're fine with the arrangement,” Victor said.

He was all smiles because he knew he had made the right decision to follow Sophie's lead as his boss.

After glancing through the figures, Sophie bobbed her head in acknowledgment.

She could always count on Victor to handle things without her intervention. “That looks good. Let's distribute the bonuses according to this plan! Tell the financial manager to expedite the process. We must give out the bonus before year-end,” she uttered. Every employee in the company had put in a great deal of effort over the past year. With the cost of living on the rise and the New Year around the corner, these bonuses will surely relieve their financial burden.

“All right. I'll get him to work on it right away,” Victor responded.

Tanner Group's year-end bonus used to be distributed after the New Year and was never in such a large amount.

Victor called his secretary over, gave him the budget, and asked him to deliver it to the finance department. “Remember to tell them to go to the bank today. They must release the year-end bonus to all employees before they get off work.”

After seeing the amount of his year-end bonus, the secretary's face lit up with a beaming smile.

Ordinary folks could find happiness in the simplest of things. To them, nothing could compare to having money in their bank accounts. That was the most satisfying and secure feeling.

As the secretary left, his co-workers, who noticed how happy he looked, could not help but ask, “What's with that smile? Did you hit the jackpot or something?”

“Yes, something good did happen, but not just to me. You guys will receive the good news soon,” he answered.

The secretary immediately went to the finance department, delivered the budget to the manager, and told him Victor's instructions.

After doing a final check on the plan, the financial manager immediately went to the bank. All the employers in the finance department were grinning from ear to ear when they saw the bonus they would be receiving.

At the general manager's office, Victor poured Sophie a cup of coffee. “I had someone bring this coffee back from Anglandur. I'm not sure if you'll like it, but give it a try. If you like it, I'll get someone to send some to you.”

Sophie shook her head in response. “It's all right. You can keep it. I'm not a big fan of coffee.”

She had always avoided drinking coffee as she was a light sleeper.

Although her sleep quality had improved significantly since she started dating Tristan, she still had no fondness for coffee.

“All right then,” he said. “Ms. Sophie, we've achieved tremendous success this year, far surpassing the initial success of Whitley Group. Truly, there's nothing we cannot achieve as long as we keep our eyes fixed on our goals.”

In addition to having clear goals, Sophie, the invincible strategist of Tanner Group, played a vital role in the company's success. She was capable of resolving any issue, no matter how big it was.

“Yes. We did well this year, but we must work harder next year. You should know I've bigger dreams for

this company,” Sophie uttered.

With Tanner Group now in her hands, she was determined to make it thrive. I want to put Grandpa's mind to rest.

“Well, Ms. Sophie, I'll follow your lead, no matter what you say or do,” Victor pledged his loyalty.

Sophie hummed in acknowledgment. “Keep up the good work! I've already sent the next year's development plan to your email. Please take the time to review it, and if you have any questions, feel free to call me.”

She was never a procrastinator. If she had set her mind on achieving something, nothing could stop her from succeeding.

People with high intelligence would always be capable of learning and excelling in any area they chose if they were willing to put in the effort.

“That's fast, Ms. Sophie.” Victor, who had yet to complete his year-end report, was surprised that she had already devised a plan for next year. That was what set a leader and a follower apart.

“Take a good look at the plan. We'll attempt something ambitious next year.” Sophie had a clear vision for Tanner Group ever since she took the helm of the company.

“Got it!” Victor replied.

Tanner Group's employees had started receiving their year-end bonuses in the afternoon.

Upon receiving their bonuses, many employees could not believe their eyes at the amount they had received.

Some even checked the number of zeros in their bank account several times, with one employee exclaiming, “My eyes are not playing a trick on me, right? Can you take a look at the amount in my account? Did they make a mistake? I'm not returning the money to the company, even if the management made a mistake. I don't care! I've worked here for years, and this is the first time I received such a big, fat bonus!”

The person beside him, too, reacted the same way, wondering if the company messed up the figures.

Most of the employees had the same feelings. After regaining their composure, they realized the substantial bonus they received was correct. It seems like we are wealthy now!

 

Chapter 759

The next day, it was the annual party of Tanner Group. Since it was the first time the company was hosting an annual party, Victor regarded it with great importance.

Tanner Group performed outstandingly that year. Anyone in Jipsdale would give a thumbs-up whenever they heard about Tanner Group.

The annual party was being held in the ballroom at the Tanner Group office. The ballroom was large enough to accommodate more than two thousand guests.

In order to spice things up, Victor invited a number of celebrities! Hence, the crowd got excited when the celebrities arrived at the event.

Even The Wheelers were there.

The party reached its peak when the band arrived. It was normal for major companies to invite celebrities to their annual parties.

As long as one had money, one would be able to invite anybody to their function. As for the Wheelers, they were the hottest rock band in the whole of Aploth!

As such, nobody expected The Wheelers to attend the party at Tanner Group.

The band even performed three songs, and they were all the greatest hits of that year.

The atmosphere of the party was great, and all the employees of Tanner Group joined in with the singing.

Soon, Victor arrived with Sophie. The moment Sophie arrived, everyone got up on their feet.

They could not believe that under the leadership of a lady in her twenties, they were able to have year- end bonuses that were higher than their annual salaries.

A leader like Sophie indeed deserved their admiration and respect.

By the time Sophie and Victor arrived, The Wheelers had finished their performance.

“Thank you! Thank you for your love and support for The Wheelers! Let's move forward together toward a better future. I believe that both Tanner Group and The Wheelers will do even better because we have the same supporter! And that's Sophie!”

With Sophie around, all of them would definitely become better.

The moment Mark finished speaking, thunderous applause broke out.

Victor, who had been listening, couldn't help but nod. What Mark said was true. As long as Sophie was around, their future could only get better.

He began to applause too.

Victor then walked up to the stage and gave an emotional speech. He was not usually a sentimental person.

However, when he recalled the things that had happened to Tanner Group in the past year, he could not help but become emotional.

At last, it was Sophie's turn to go up on stage. She was all smiles as she stood in front of the microphone stand.

“I want to thank all of you for your support for Tanner Group for the past year. Despite whatever has happened, none of you gave up on the company. Because of that, we will continue to work hard and bring Tanner Group to greater heights in the future. When the company does well, so will everyone! I'm sure everyone is very satisfied with your year-end bonuses. In truth, it's nothing compared to the year- end bonuses at Lombard Group. Therefore, we should work harder to catch up with them and, eventually, surpass them!”

With that, the crowd applauded like crazy. Just then, The Wheelers came onto the stage.

“Sophie, it has been a long time since we last performed together. Why don't we perform a song together today since everyone is in such a fantastic mood?”

Sophie agreed, and Mark handed her the microphone.

“This song, 'Crazy' is for all of you. I hope you like it!”

The crowd went wild.

Oh my goodness!

No one expected Sophie to be so capable! She seemed to be good in everything.

The moment Sophie sang, everyone was impressed by her regardless of their gender. Soon, all of them forgot about Sophie's rumors.

Right now, Sophie was invincible to them.

It had been a long time since she last performed with The Wheelers. Even though she was only performing one song with them this time around, she was very happy about it.

Toward the end of the song, she began to dance with the five members of The Wheelers.

Some of them in the crowd had been to The Wheelers' concert. In fact, they had been to both of their concerts.

“Oh my goodness! Why do I feel as though Ms. Sophie is actually Tanner?”

“Now that you have mentioned it, I think so too. Her presence is formidable!”

The annual party became so lively because of Sophie. At the end of the party, there was a lucky draw.

The employee who won the first prize won a house that was over a hundred square meters. There were some people who could never afford a house in a big city like Jipsdale.

Therefore, the employee who won the house cried as he walked up the stage. When the host handed him the microphone, he began to babble incoherently.

“I'm sorry... I got too excited... I thought I would never own my own house in this lifetime. As we all

know, the properties in Jipsdale are very expensive. As for me, I don't come from a wealthy family. My parents are farmers. When I first came to this city, I thought I could find my footing and have my own house here. I don't need a big house. Something moderate will be more than enough. Yet, I have been unable to fulfill this small dream of mine. Today, Tanner Group has fulfilled my dream for me. Because of Tanner Group, I now have a house of my own.”

Everyone else was so envious of that employee and his good luck.

What he said was true.

All of them worked so hard so that they could find their footing in that city.

Yet, once they managed to gather enough money for the down payment, they would have to work harder and be more cautious at work. Otherwise, they might lose their jobs. When that happened, they would not be able to pay the housing mortgage or even live a decent life.

That young man was very fortunate to get what everyone else could only wish for.

“Ms. Sophie, the first prize must have cost a lot!”

Victor was still feeling the heartache, but Sophie smiled.

“That's true. But look at him. He looks so happy! This way, the rest of the employees will work harder next year!”

As long as Tanner Group had money, the benefits of the employees would not be overlooked. Sophie was not a stingy person. She was willing to invest in anyone who was valuable.

“If you put it that way, I think it's okay, then!” Victor was equally pleased because he had earned quite a bit that year too. “Ms. Sophie, I have earned so much money because of you. Why don't I give you a treat? I wonder—”

“Sure. We can do it on another day. Today, I want to spend time with all my employees.” Now was not the time to leave.

“Okay!”

For dinner that night, Victor had arranged for them to go to a famous restaurant in Jipsdale. He booked the entire restaurant even though it cost a lot.

After working with Sophie for two years, he had also become very generous. He knew that the young people loved that restaurant, and that was why he reserved the entire place.

Chapter 760

All the employees at Tanner Group were extremely pleased with how the annual party went that year, for compared to previous years—when the company had been tight with money over annual parties— that year's event had a huge budget.

Because of that, many employees posted photos of the event on Instagram, and some shared pictures of the banquet they had on social media, making Tanner Group even more popular.

The company was perhaps the only one among its counterparts to turn an annual party into a concert.

During the banquet, Sophie did not talk much but instead sat quietly, enjoying the meal while Victor remained beside her to tend to her needs.

“What do you think about this place, Ms. Sophie?” Victor inquired, worried that she would not feel at ease eating at that place, especially when there were so many people around.

“I think it's pretty nice. We can do this every year as long as the employees are happy with it.”

Sophie did not mind spending money if that was what everyone enjoyed.

“Sure.”

By the time dinner ended, it was already eight thirty. After that, Victor was bringing the rest of the employees to a karaoke lounge, but Sophie did not join them since she was not a fan of such occasions.

“Are you really not coming with us, Ms. Sophie?” Victor felt it was a shame that Sophie was giving it a

pass since everyone was in a good mood that day.

“I'll pass. I still have other things to do. Don't worry about the bill. I'll pay for it, so go and have fun,” Sophie said with a smile.

All she wanted was for everyone to have a great time.

“What are you talking about, Ms. Sophie? It's just karaoke. I can afford to treat them. Don't worry about it. Just focus on what you have to do.”

Victor was sure that he could take care of the rest.

“All right, then. I'll make a move first.”

Under everyone's gazes, Sophie left with The Wheelers, heading to their condominium with them.

“It's almost Christmas. I asked Jonathan not to arrange any event so you guys can rest well. You all have worked so hard the entire year. It's time to take a break.” Unlike robots, humans could get burnt out, so getting enough rest was essential.

“That's so nice of you, Sophie,” Sunny answered happily right away. Indeed, he had been feeling drained recently and thought he could really use some rest.

“But Ysabelle's concert is tomorrow, so try to make it if you guys have time,” reminded Sophie.

Given how much Ysabelle adored The Wheelers, she would definitely be elated if they attended her

concert.

“Of course. We will surely go to her concert. She's a good singer.”

All the bandmates had high hopes for Ysabelle.

“By the way, Sophie, how's your leg? I hope everything is okay now,” Mark asked while everyone was chatting in the living room.

“I'm good. Don't worry about it. I've recovered.”

Sophie's leg was completely fine at that point.

“Good to know.” It did not matter to him that Sophie could not reciprocate his feelings for her, for all he ever wanted was for Sophie to be safe and sound.

When Tristan arrived that night to pick her up, he entered the residence and greeted everyone.

At present, the five members of The Wheelers had warmed up to Tristan, but they still did not know how to spark a conversation with him, so Tristan simply said hello and left with Sophie.

“I heard the annual party was a success,” said Tristan, who had already received the news from his men. By then, Tanner Group's annual party had shot to fame on Twitter as one of the trending searches.

Sophie leaned back against the seat with a smile.

“It was not bad. Everyone has worked hard over the year, so I shouldn't be stingy when it comes to rewarding them, but of course, what I did is still nothing compared to Lombard Group.” There was no way Tanner Group could outdo the largest corporation in Chanaea in that short of a time.

With a hand still holding on to the steering wheel, Tristan reached out to hold Sophie's hand. “Are you trying to say you want to surpass Lombard Group one day?”

What an ambitious woman!

“Yes. Why? Can't I do that? Do you doubt me?” Sophie asked, smiling.

“No way. You're an incredible woman. I'm sure you'll be able to achieve whatever you set your heart to do.” Here, he smiled and continued, “But I hope you don't spend too much time on your company. I'd rather you spend time with me.”

One only had a limited amount of time and energy, so if Sophie focused on Tanner Group, she would naturally have less time for Tristan.

“All right,” Sophie agreed obediently.

Outside, the snow fell heavily again as it did many other times that year. It was freezing cold, but with Tristan by her side, Sophie felt warm and secure.

“By the way, Dad invited you over for Christmas. Do you think you can make it?” People like Yale and Charmaine are only concerned about their own interests. They are not genuine toward Sophie, so I suppose there is no point in her spending Christmas with them.

“I don't think I can. I'm going back to the Tanner residence this time.”

This is the first Christmas after Grandpa passed on. He had always wanted the family to be together during Christmas. I can't just go elsewhere to celebrate right after he left. I should go home.

Knowing how much she cared about her grandpa, Tristan understood her decision of returning to the Tanner residence for Christmas.

Once Sophie made up her mind, she called the butler, who then informed Charmaine about the arrangement.

“Mrs. Tanner, Ms. Sophie said she would be home for Christmas, so I think we should do some shopping tomorrow for the festival. After all, we haven't bought anything.”

“Well, she's not an outsider. There is no need to make such elaborate preparation,” Charmaine replied nonchalantly.

To her, it was only a Christmas meal, so going to great lengths to prepare for it was unnecessary.

However, it just so happened that Yale overheard the conversation when he came downstairs.

He passed a card to the butler, chiming in, “Get whatever is needed for Christmas, Morgan. You don't have to keep asking her for permission. Ms. Sophie is returning, so ensure you have everything prepared.”

With Tanner Group thriving, Yale received a handsome amount of dividends. In fact, he was starting to wonder if he was really incapable of managing the company.

After all, he could pass the baton to someone else and still receive enough dividends for a comfortable life.

Charmaine could not help but roll her eyes when she saw him behaving that way.

“Yale Tanner, do you really think she will let go of Tanner Group after she marries Tristan?”

“For real, Charmaine? The Tanner family has never mistreated you in any way, so choose for yourself: you can either mind your own business and keep your status as Mrs. Tanner in the family or leave.” Yale's heart was already elsewhere. He had totally lost interest in Charmaine, who was nothing close to his beautiful, gentle, and romantic mistress.