Ch. 1131..1140

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 1131 Deranged Parents

As eager as Tobias was to make love to Sonia, he wouldn’t insist on going another few rounds when she was thoroughly spent. Or what different would he be from a deranged perv?!

Sonia softened up entirely when she saw that he really meant it, and she nuzzled further into his arms, stopping after finding a safe and comfortable position like a baby.

Tobias couldn’t help chuckling when he saw this side of her. “Alright, it’s still early. Get some sleep.”

“I can’t anymore.” She shook her head. “I’ll go to sleep when I feel sluggish again.”

He didn’t force her either but only tucked the covers on her and patted her back rhythmically. “Let’s chat for a while then.”

“Sure.” She nodded. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Anything.” Tobias propped his head up. “But if there is really one thing, it would be that I want to know who you were talking to on the phone. I could even hear you laughing from the entryway.”

Picking up the jealousy from his tone, Sonia chuckled helplessly while shaking her head. I swear this man…

However, she didn’t hide it from him either, telling him who was on the other end of the line.

Tobias quirked a brow when he heard she was talking to Tim, and he asked with bafflement. “Why did you call him all of a sudden?”

“To thank him, of course. Though we were both at the police station, you didn’t see Anya, so you don’t know.” With a yawn, she related Anya’s situation at the police station, and it was only then Tobias realized what happened.

“So I can’t act like I’m oblivious to it when Dr. Lancaster stood up for me,” said Sonia as she placed a hand on his firm chest.

Tobias said nothing more. After all, Tim had indeed helped out, so it wouldn’t be right to act like they were oblivious to it.

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” he asked while cradling her in his arms.

Sonia’s gaze had turned hazy at this point, no longer looking as conscious as earlier.

Clearly, the sandman had visited again, and Tobias couldn’t help feeling amused.

Not sleepy, she said. It has only been, what? Minutes? And she’s feeling sleepy already.

At that, he ruffled her hair dotingly. She popped one hand out of the covers and rubbed her eyes. Her words began dragging at this point. “I’ve forgotten. I only suddenly remembered when I had something to tell you before Tom arrived. So I called Dr. Lancaster to thank him. I had wanted to treat him to a meal, but do you know this? He doesn’t eat normal food!”

“I know.” Tobias lifted his chin for a second. “He has Pica.”

“You know?” Sonia’s eyes widened with incredulity.

To that, he nodded. “It’s not a secret within the circle. Everyone had already learned about it a couple of decades ago, and because of this quirk, his parents, who already don’t like him, feel even more ashamed of him.”

“Don’t like him and feel ashamed of him?” Sonia looked up in surprise. “Why? Dr. Lancaster is a genius doctor. Shouldn’t they be proud of having a son like him? Why would they be ashamed?”

She honestly couldn’t understand.

“His parents are both talented medical practitioners and perfectionists. They couldn’t accept having a son with affective disorder, so Tim was the imperfection, the blemish, to their perfect life. Because birthing a freak meant that they weren’t as perfect as they believed themselves to be. So naturally, they didn’t like Tim, so much so that they still didn’t think much of him even when he demonstrated medical talents that surpassed far beyond the couple. They even never acknowledged Tim as their son to the public. Also, I heard the Lancaster couple even tried to send Tim to an orphanage when he was barely even a month old.”

“For real?” Sonia was reeled in shock.

Tobias hummed a response. “Yes. But Old Mr. Lancaster was still alive at the time, so he brought Tim home from the orphanage as soon as he learned about it, or there wouldn’t be a Tim Lancaster now.”

It took Sonia a while to recover from Tobias’ words, and she lamented, “To think Dr. Lancaster has a story like this beneath his glamorous life.”

“Everybody has a secret past,” Tobias commented as he stroked her hair.

At that, she sighed. “What’s really shocking to me is his parents. How could they do that?! So what if Dr. Lancaster suffers from affective disorder? Didn’t it make him their child still? How could they abandon their child because of this reason?! Not even a lion would eat its cubs. The most ridiculous part was that they could still call themselves perfectionists with their behavior! Well, I’ve never met a perfectionist that didn’t need to eat, sleep, or excrete. Besides, shouldn’t a perfectionist know everything? How come they don’t know anything but medicine? Perfectionist, my a*s. More like rabid!”

Anyhow, to her, no one was perfect in this world.

The so-called perfect people shouldn’t have to eat, sleep, excrete, and know everything, like turning the sea over and flying in the sky.

Now, that would be the definition of perfect, and someone like that was a god.188524

Were the Lancaster couple gods?

They were as much as another carbon-based life that needed to eat, sleep, or excrete as anybody else. So Sonia thought it was ridiculous of them to call themselves perfectionists.

Tobias thought his beloved looked super adorable the way she ranted about the Lancaster couple, and he couldn’t help pinching her cheek affectionately, which felt super soft to the touch.

“They are indeed rabid,” echoed Tobias with a nod as he pinched her cheek.

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After all, echoing to his wife was a mandatory lesson for him as an exemplary loving husband.0

“Am I right, or am I right?” Sonia grew more confident in her comment toward the Lancaster couple after hearing that Tobias agreed with her. She pursed her lips, then continued, “Also, they call Dr. Lancaster an emotionless monster? The way I see it, they’re the emotionless ones. Are they not emotionless to be able to abandon their son when they pursue perfection to such a sick and extreme degree? If they even had the slightest bit of emotion, how could they be able to do something so deranged?! So, the Lancaster couple’s genes must’ve caused Dr. Lancaster to be born without emotions. Anyhow, it’s a pity that Dr. Lancaster got those two as parents.”

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“You’re right, dear.” Tobias nodded. Either way, he’d just agree to every word she said. Besides, the Lancaster couple didn’t deserve to be parents either.

“It’s only now that I know not all parents love their kids.” Sonia quirked her lips. “The Lancaster couple are even beneath Titus and his wife. Taylor had parted with them for twenty-plus years; even if they were strangers and had no emotional attachments to each other, Titus and his wife could even treat Taylor well immediately. Sure Titus and his wife aren’t good fellows, but they’re definitely great parents. The Lancaster couple, on the other hand, tsk!”

Sonia said nothing more after that, occupied with disdain for the Lancaster couple, and because of this, she didn’t notice Tobias had stopped stroking her hair while his eyes filled with profoundness and complication.

Chapter 1132 The Gray Couple Are Competent Parents

Sonia praised the Gray couple for being good parents… Indeed, they’re, as she put it, great parents. Titus and his wife had believed in the last 27 years that Henry had killed Rina Gray, and the girl was deemed dead to the couple all these years. However, never once had the couple ever forgotten their late daughter.

Even to most parents, this was a nearly impossible task, for even when their child died, they were still living, and they had to look forward, eventually. They couldn’t follow the child to the afterlife just because the child died.

That was impossible. What was more, that child had passed 27 years. It would be surprising if a lot of parents had long forgotten about their child that had passed nearly three decades ago. Heavens, they might never even remember ever having that child. However, not Titus and his wife; they remembered even until now.

On that alone, no one could criticize them for being bad parents.

Secondly, when the daughter they thought was long dead suddenly appeared in front of them, not only had they not doubted whether this girl had some agenda, but they even accepted her right away and doted her to no end, making up for the lost 27 years.

And this also wasn’t something all parents could do, especially in elite families.

The elites valued their family and personal dignity more than anything, and they had severe vanity as well. If they weren’t flaunting their family businesses, they’d be flaunting their significant other or even children.

As long as there was one thing they lost to the other, they’d become a joke to the latter.

When Taylor first appeared in front of the Gray couple, she was still a timid and unrefined, uncultured country bumpkin who knew no etiquette nor possessed any skills. But the Gray couple didn’t despise a daughter like her and even accepted her immediately after they were certain she was indeed their daughter.

They never worried if they would become a laughing stock in the circle or if their rivals would take the chance to mock them for having such a humiliating daughter after taking her home.

Toby had to admit that even he thought highly of Titus, who cared so much about his dignity, when he could go this far for his daughter.

On the contrary, others in the circle would never do something like this. If anything, they might not even admit to having such a daughter, for they’d only think that bringing a daughter like Taylor home would only bring shame to themselves and their family. Unpresentable aside, they would become the laughingstock within the circle. So they could even as much as ruthlessly abandon their own flesh and blood.

There was a real-life example within the circle—the Lestranges.

The genuine and fake princess incident happened to the Lestranges a few years ago. A nanny had switched the daughter for her own at birth.

Since then, the true Lestrange daughter lived a miserable life while the fake daughter lived the life of a princess, having good command in nearly every aspect, allowing her to become a notable talent within the circle and being pursued by many eligible young men.

Alas, the switch was brought to light one day, and the genuine Lestrange daughter returned home. However, the fake Lestrange daughter never went back to hers and instead remained in the Lestrange Residence. Also, her name and status were retained.

On the other hand, everything and nothing changed for the genuine Lestrange daughter, as the Lestranges wouldn’t admit she was their true progeny. Thus, instead of announcing to the public that she was the true daughter of the Lestrange Family, they told everyone they generously adopted her. As for the reason, what else other than not willing to accept the fact that their actual daughter was an incompetent, unpresentable country bumpkin? They thought having a daughter like she would bring shame to them and their family.

On the contrary, the public might even compliment them for their kindness if they told everyone they adopted her. As such, they didn’t have to worry their actual daughter would bring them shame after retrieving her, and they couldn’t also gain a favorable reputation. It was the best of both worlds.

However, for the genuine Lestrange daughter, it was no fortune but that she had only been taken to a different hell.

After returning to her actual family, not only that her parents wouldn’t disclose her true identity to the public, allowing them to assume she really was their adopted daughter, but the servants of the Lestrange family would bully her covertly and blatantly because they were jealous of her.

The fake Lestrange daughter, on the other hand, gradually believed that the genuine daughter was a ticking time bomb that threatened her status and thus began acting harmless to set her up in hopes that the Lestrange couple would hate the genuine daughter even more.

Meanwhile, as parents of the two girls, the Lestrange couple turned a blind eye to their actual daughter from being ashamed of having such a daughter. Hence, even when they were well aware of the bullies and torments the girl suffered, they never did anything.

Ultimately, the genuine Lestrange daughter had enough of such suffering and leaped from Lestrange Enterprise, making her way to the afterlife. Hence, Toby believed not every parent could be as good as Titus and his wife.

They undoubtedly accepted a daughter that hadn’t been in their lives for the last twenty-plus years, who came from a world different than theirs. Though the existence of their daughter could bring endless ridicule to their family, they didn’t bother about how others viewed them.

He could even guarantee if the Gray couple knew Sonia was their real daughter, they would instantly bring her home and reunite as a family, even if Sonia loathed them to her core. To make up for Sonia and subside the hatred within her, they might even be willing to head to the afterlife.

To the couple who loved their daughter more than anything, it was very plausible for them to make such a move.

By then, Sonia would end up being the most miserable one.

She would think her revenge became the most ridiculous thing, and even because of her identity, she not only couldn’t decisively avenge the Reed Family, it would even become the very thing that ended her birth parents’ lives.

By then, Sonia would fall into deep madness, and it was something he didn’t want to imagine.

This was precisely why he had kept the truth of Sonia’s birth from her all this while. He wouldn’t have to keep his lips tightly sealed if the Gray couple didn’t love their child so deeply.

Seeing that Toby fixed his gaze on her but said nothing for a long time, Sonia poked his chest gently. “Toby, what’s running through your mind?”

A glimmer flashed across Toby as he returned to reality, and he tightened his arms around her again before drooping his eyelids to cover up the darkness surging beneath them. “Nothing. Alright, let’s not talk about Tim’s parents anymore. It’s really late now; get some sleep.”

At that, he reached for the switch, but Sonia grabbed his arm. “Wait, I’m not done yet. I still need your help with something.”

“Oh?” His eyes lit up as he put his arm down, intrigued. “This is the first time you’re asking for my help. C’mon, tell me, your dear husband will help no matter what it is.”

Sonia rolled her eyes at him with a flushed face, for she thought the man was getting more audacious with their relationship.

“It’s actually nothing big. Tim asked me to get him a ticket, but you need a specific network to get it. I don’t have access to an official network, so I can only ask for your help.”

“What ticket is this that needs a special network?” Toby frowned.

“Well…” Sonia didn’t keep it from him but recited Tim’s desire to visit the museum.

Having gotten his answer, he patted her back. “Alright, got it. This is simple. I’ll have Tom see to it later and deliver the ticket right to him.”

“Thanks.” Sonia beamed with elation.

However, Toby’ gaze dimmed. “That’s all I’m getting? A verbal thank you? Are you not going to give me something else?”

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Chapter 1133 Has President Fuller Gotten a Cat?

Sonia narrowed her eyes and became alerted at once. Clearly, this b*stard of a man is scheming something again! “Why are you looking at me like that?” Toby quirked a brow seeing how alert his beloved suddenly became.

To that, Sonia snorted. “You know why I’m looking at you like this!” “I don’t!” He shook his head with bafflement, only leading her to roll her eyes at him. “Yeah, right? You know full well.”

“Do I? Why don’t you tell me what I should know then, hmm?” He smirked. She pursed her lips at that. “You know full well why I’m on guard! You want more than just a verbal thanks. Isn’t it obvious that you’re implying you want to take advantage of me?”

Despite being caught red-handed, not only wasn’t Toby the slightest bit flustered, but he even chuckled. “Then are you willing to fulfill my wish?”

Sonia had just parted her lips to retort when Toby interjected, explaining, “Relax, I won’t really go as far as do anything to you when you’re like this. I just want you to give me a kiss.”

At that, he pointed at his face. Honestly, Sonia let her guard down after hearing his explanation.

She had indeed assumed in the beginning that the guy found his chance to do the deed with her again, so she held her guard up against him immediately for fear that he would really do what she thought he would.

After all, she really couldn’t take any more of his manhandling at the moment. If anything, it was even possible that she’d die right on the bed.

Fortunately, it was proven in the end that she had let her imagination run wild, and Toby wasn’t so deranged. He just wanted a kiss from her.

Compared to making love, a kiss was a complete piece of cake and a very easy wish to fulfill for her.

In any case, she honestly wasn’t against giving him a kiss as compared to making love.

At that, she heaved a sigh of relief and leaned close, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Are we good now?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” Toby nodded contentedly while cradling her in his arms.

Sonia snorted in response and entreated, “Well, go to sleep then. You have to sleep. As healthy as you are, you’re still human, and your body isn’t made of steel. Your body will one day fail you if you keep treating it carelessly. So, sleep.”

At that, she shut her eyes and went to sleep, becoming an example for Toby.

Joy spread across Toby’ eyes as he looked at Sonia, who was all ‘I’m dead asleep’, and he felt loved. How could he not be when she was worried about his health?

“Okay, sleep.” With that, he reached for the switch and turned the lights off, and the room became pitch black at once.

Then, Toby lay back down, pulled Sonia into his arms, and gave her a kiss on the forehead before mumbling a good night.

Sonia stiffened up in response but very quickly returned to normal, and it wasn’t until Toby closed his eyes and there were no more movements after some time that she, too, mumbled a good night.

Toby opened his eyes and allowed a hint of glimmer to flash across his fathomless gaze as he tightened his hug on Sonia before closing his eyes back up.

It was past seven in the morning when the couple stirred again, and they were woken up by the doorbell.

Sonia reflexively frowned before reluctantly opening his eyes. It was evident that she hadn’t had enough sleep and was somewhat grumpy about it.

Toby, on the other hand, woke up pretty briskly, with the last sliver of sleepiness gone as soon as he opened his eyes.

He lifted the covers, sat up, and was amused when he turned to find a certain someone spacing out while staring dully at the ceiling.

“What’s wrong? Still half asleep?” he asked while feeling her forehead.

Sonia blinked in response. “Hmm… a little.” Her kittenish voice was laced with absolute drowsiness, and it was like actual kitten claws were scratching at his heart non-stop, tickling him.

If he hadn’t kept in mind that he had really worn her out the night before, he certainly wouldn’t be holding back at this moment and instead would be dragging her for a morning quickie, helping her wake up for good in the meantime.

At that, his gaze dimmed. “Take a nap then. I’ll be quiet,” he said in a hoarse voice after suppressing his burning desire.

“Nah, forget it.” Sonia shook her head and yawned. “I have a pretty important meeting later. What if I oversleep?”

“Will you be able to stay awake then?” He looked at her worriedly, only to receive a dirty look from her. “Well, I’ll have to even if I can’t, and that’s no thanks to you. You couldn’t have restrained yourself even a little.”

Toby chuckled in response. “That’s on me. Then—”

“Stop!” Sonia put her hand out at once, stopping him from continuing his words. “Don’t tell me to take a day off again. Don’t worry. I’m not that fragile. I’ll be alive after a wash-up and breakfast. Relax.”

“Really?” He looked at her with worry still in his eyes.

Sonia nodded in affirmation. “Really. Trust me. Now pull me up.”

She reached her arm toward Toby, who grabbed her wrist and pulled her up.

After sitting up, she raised both arms into the air and stretched. “Ah! Much better, and my brain is beginning to work. Let’s go. Didn’t someone ring the doorbell?”

Meanwhile, she put her arms down and looked at Toby, who no longer insisted that she rested, seeing that she was indeed much more spirited. After humming a response, he got out of bed and handed her her shirt as he stood by the bed. “You put on your clothes first. I’ll see who’s at the door.”

“Go ahead.” She waved her hand after taking her shirt from him.

Seeing how she urged him despising, he smiled helplessly and ruffled her hair vengefully, only withdrawing his hands after making her disheveled hair even messier. With that, he walked out of the room with a smirk.

Even when he had closed the door behind him, he could hear Sonia’s furious roar, “Toby Fuller, you son of a b*stard!”

At that, his smirk grew wider, and the smile in his eyes deepened; even the steps he took had a hint of joy to them.

On the other side of the door, Tom froze, dumbfounded with incredulity, when he found his boss answering the door with a smile.

What the heck? President Fuller is smiling! Is he smiling at me? But when had he ever been this happy to see me at the door?!

Having trouble believing what he was seeing, Tom took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes before putting them back on, focusing on Toby.

The smile was still there, and it was evident that he hadn’t imagined it. To think the president was actually smiling at him!

Tom’s brain had fried at this point, and he still found the moment surreal.

Hell, when had his boss ever greeted him with a good mood whenever he came over bright and early?! He could already consider himself lucky when Toby didn’t answer the door grimly, let alone smile at him.

Thus, Tom didn’t feel the slightest bit flattered when he saw Toby smiling at him, but that something was up. President Fuller must be colluding something!

His glasses reflected light as he put his guard up. “President, have you… have you met with some good news? You look to be in a good mood.”

“I am, indeed.” Toby raised his chin slightly. “I’ve pissed a kitten off just now.”

Kitten? Tom quirked a brow. “You’ve gotten a cat, President?”

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Chapter 1134 A Stressed Out Tom

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Toby frowned at once and looked at his assistant with contempt, causing the corner of Tom’s lips to twitch. Why is the president looking at me like I’m an idiot? Have I gotten something wrong?0

As the thought crossed his mind, he noticed something. There were bite marks and scratch marks on the exposed collarbone beneath Toby’ slightly opened bathrobe collar.

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Tom might not be as experienced, but he was no naive little boy either. So he understood how those marks came to be and what they meant at once, and he couldn’t be any more mortified.

Kitten and scratches? Clearly, the president was referring to a human rather than an actual cat. As for who specifically, who else other than Miss Reed?!

In other words, Toby and Sonia probably had another round in the morning, and the man was so sated that he even answered the door with a smile.

If that was the case, Toby’ smile wasn’t directed at him at all. In fact, it was because the president hadn’t managed to put it away, having just finished making love to Sonia. He encountered a rare occasion where he saw Toby smiling.

The most embarrassing part was that he had assumed his boss’ smile was directed at him, thinking Toby was happy to see him.

What did I say? How is that possible?! Thank goodness I didn’t look touched, or things would get really awkward…

As Tom thought mortifyingly, Toby’ monotonous voice came. “What are you here for?”

Tom looked up only to find Toby’ smile had been replaced with nothing but impassiveness and impatience, precisely like every other time he showed up at Toby’ door.

Sure enough, this was the treatment a subordinate like him deserved. Everything that had happened earlier was just his imagination.

While sneering in his heart, Tom pushed his glasses and answered deferentially, “Have you forgotten, President? You asked me to bring the car over and also bring some breakfast over in the meantime.”

With that, he handed a bag to Toby, who quirked a brow, clearly having only remembered that he had indeed said so the day before.

He took the take-out bag from Tom and wanted to shoo him away when the sound of footsteps came from behind him.

Sonia had come out after putting her clothes on. “Good morning, Tom.” She smiled at the assistant as she stood behind Toby.

“Good morning, Miss Reed,” Tom replied with a smile.

“Have you had breakfast? Why don’t you join us if you haven’t?” she asked while wrapping her arms around Toby’.

Toby instantly narrowed his eyes, looking menacingly at his assistant as though saying, ‘I’ll mangle you if you dare say yes.’

Because he did it covertly, Tom, who was only slightly shorter than Toby, noticed while Sonia was oblivious to it.

Thus, she didn’t know she had put the poor assistant in danger either.

However, Tom knew, and the smile on his face stiffened by the second, so terrified that sweat began gathering on his forehead while he cried on the inside.

Ah, Miss Reed, do you even realize what you’re doing to me?!

Though Tom knew Sonia wasn’t implying anything but only asking out of courtesy and didn’t know how upset Toby would get, he felt overwhelmed with stress right then. Alas, his boss was glaring at him like he had murdered his boss’ father.

C’mon, boss, really? Miss Reed is just asking if I want to join breakfast. Why do you make it look like I’m trying to steal her from you?!

Tom snuck a glance from the corner of his eyes only to find Toby turning grimmer by the second. Then, he looked at the smiling Sonia and sighed inwardly before saying with a forcibly kept smile, “I’m good, Miss Reed. I’ve eaten before coming over. You and President Fuller go ahead. No need to bother yourself with me.”

President Fuller won’t look at me like I’m his arch-nemesis anymore when I answer like this, right?

At that, he snuck a second glance at Toby from the corner of his eyes, and sure enough, his boss’ countenance turned much brighter, no longer as grim.

With that, he heaved a long sigh of relief.

On the other hand, Sonia, still oblivious to the two men’s silent interaction, wasn’t surprised at all that Tom turned her down.

If anything, she’d be shocked if Tom actually agreed to her offer.

“In that case, I won’t force you then,” said Sonia as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

Tom heaved a sigh of relief at once. “But I appreciate your offer, Miss Reed. Alright, I won’t keep you and the President from your breakfast any longer. I’ll be waiting in the parking lot.”

“See you.” Sonia nodded with a smile.

With that, Tom took another glance at Toby, only leaving with assurance when he saw that his boss was affirmatively no longer upset.

After Tom left, Sonia closed the door and returned to the living room with her arm wrapped around Toby’. “Is it me, or is Tom spooked? Did you sense it?” she asked as she gazed at her beloved’s side profile while walking.

Toby averted his gaze in response. No way would he admit that Tom was afraid of him just now, would he? At that, he coughed and answered composedly, “No, I didn’t sense anything.”

Sonia didn’t concern herself with the abnormality either and just nodded. “Guess it’s just me, then. Oh, well. Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”

Toby hummed a response and put the bag on the table before pulling the chair out for her.

It was only after she sat down that he opened the bag and took the food out one by one.

By the time they finished breakfast, it was already past eight, and Toby led Sonia out of the apartment, entered the elevator, and headed to the parking lot.

However, right as they arrived at the parking lot, Toby stopped abruptly in his tracks.

“What is it? Why are you stopping?” Sonia turned around to look at him.

Toby let go of her hand and rubbed his temples. “I left the flash drive I used to copy some files last night in the study. Wait for me in the car while I get it.”

“Alright, go on then.” Sonia nodded in response.

With that, he returned to the parking lot elevator and headed upstairs.

Meanwhile, Sonia looked around and only strode over to Toby’ car after finding it.

As soon as she got close, the car door opened, and Tom got out of the driver’s seat to open the backseat door for Sonia. “Please, Miss Sonia.”

“Thank you,” said Sonia with a smile before entering.

After closing the door, Tom returned to the driver’s seat, only to hear Sonia’s voice the next second. “Tom, can I ask you something?”

Tom looked over his shoulder at Sonia at that. “Feel free to ask me anything, Miss Reed. I’ll definitely tell you anything I can.”

“Alright, I won’t keep you guessing then.” Sonia smiled. “I want to know what you and Toby talked about last night. He acted pretty strangely when he came back inside. I tried asking him, but he wouldn’t tell me. Has something happened in Fuller Group?”

“I, um…” Tom hesitated, for he hadn’t expected Sonia to ask about this.

What am I supposed to say?

Sonia pursed her lips when she saw Tom’s hesitation. “What’s wrong? Can’t you answer it?”

“It’s not that…” He scratched his head.

However, Sonia continued to stare at him. “Why won’t you answer me then? Is it confidential company stuff? If it is, you can pretend that I never asked. It’s fine.”

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Chapter 1135 So That’s Why

Sonia decided to take the door-in-the-face approach. If Tom took it, great, but if he didn’t, then she’d just take it that the two were talking about confidential company stuff and not ask any more questions. So now, it was down to Tom.

Just like that, Sonia said nothing and only looked silently at Tom’s reflection in the rearview mirror.

Maybe because she had been with Toby for some time, some of his commanding aurae rubbed off on her. So much so that chills ran down Tom’s spine, overwhelmed with stress, facing Sonia.

No wonder they’re a couple. The intimidation is practically identical.

At that, he scratched his head and sighed inwardly, ultimately yielding from their stalemate. He looked at Sonia through the rearview mirror and asked, “Did President Fully really behave strangely last night?”

“Why do you think I’d only choose to ask you when he’s not here?” Sonia retorted plainly, making Tom wipe his face and say, “Alright, I won’t hide it from you then.”

A hint of joy flashed across her eyes at that. Looks like I’ve won.

On the surface, she patted her bag lightly and asked plainly, “Alright, tell me then. What exactly happened? I’m sure nothing happened to Fuller Group, or you wouldn’t yield and tell me so easily.”

To that, Tom chuckled wryly and affirmed, “You’re right. We indeed weren’t talking about the company but Salzburg.”

“Connor?” Sonia narrowed her eyes. “He’s still in Seafield and hasn’t returned to Westanshire, isn’t he?”

“Yes.” Tom nodded in affirmation. “You probably don’t know this, Miss Reed, but President Fuller had gone to meet Connor when he went to retrieve the parts for you.”

“What?” Sonia sat upright at once. “He met with Connor himself?”

“That’s right.” Tom decided to just unbuckle his seatbelt and turn around. It was easier to talk to Sonia like that. “The two of them spoke of many things. Apart from talking about the parts, they, of course, didn’t leave out the former generation’s issues, and the president has confirmed that Salzburg’s the one who murdered the late Old Master Fuller.”

“He’s confirmed it?” Sonia’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes.” Tom nodded gravely. “Actually, the president had always believed that Salzburg was the one all these years, but he didn’t have the evidence to prove it. Plus, Salzburg doesn’t come to Seafield, and even when President Fuller went to Westsanshire, Salzburg never stepped out of the Salzburg residence. So, all these years, the president can’t even say for sure that he was the murderer until this time. It probably dawned on Salzburg that some things couldn’t be kept a secret forever, so he admitted to it after being pressured by President Fuller. The guy even bragged that the president wouldn’t be able to do anything with him even if he found out the truth.”

“Why is that? Does Connor have some backer supporting him that he can confidently say something like that?” Sonia locked her brows into a tight furrow upon hearing so.

Tom shook his head. “We don’t know the details yet, but that’s likely it. President Fuller has already ordered a covert investigation. Once we know who’s backing Salzburg, we’ll have nothing to fear anymore.”

Sonia nodded slowly. “True. But that’s probably not what you guys talked about last night, right? It happened two days ago, after all. There’s no reason for him to only get upset now.”

“That’s right.” Tom pushed his glasses up. “That’s not what I talked to the president about last night, but it has to do with it. After President Fuller retrieved the parts and confirmed Salzburg’s murder, he gave Salzburg a piece of his mind before coming to you. But before leaving, he said something to President Fuller.”

At that, he looked at Sonia, who pursed her lips in response. “What is it? It has to do with me?”

“Something like that.” Tom sighed. “But it has to do with Anya. The reason Salzburg came to Seafield is to save her. He naturally will have to find another way when he can’t get through to you. So this time, he reached his hands toward President Fuller, threatening him to release Anya or he’d deal with late Madam Valerie’s belongings.”

“Toby’ mother’s belongings?” A hint of shock laced her voice.

Tom lifted his chin at that. “Yes. You know as well that President Fuller’s mother used to date Salzburg. So it’s not surprising that he’d have some of late Madam Valerie’s belongings. But this became a way for him to threaten President Fuller.”

Sonia’s face flushed after she heard him, livid. “That old codger! Just how wicked can he get to threaten people with the dead’s belongings?!”

To that, Tom sneered, “It’s nothing for someone like Salzburg to threaten people with whoever’s belongings as long as he can get whatever he wants, even if those belongings used to belong to someone he loved.”

With that, Sonia looked out the window toward the elevator as pain laced her eyes. “Toby must’ve been really sad at that time, huh?”

“Sad? No.” Tom shook his head. “But anger? Yes. I’m not sure why, either, but I noticed President Fuller no longer reacts as intensely as he used to when someone mentions the late Madam Valerie nowadays. So when Salzburg used the late madam’s belongings to threaten the president, I didn’t see much of any other feelings other than anger in him. Then again, it could also just be me.”

“Maybe it’s not you.” Sonia smiled, causing Tom to widen his eyes slightly. “Do you know something, Miss Reed?”

Sonia rubbed her temples. “I’ve only discovered this lately as well. Toby’ mother purposely molded his personality to Connor’s when he was a child. Toby had no clue about it until I noticed it some time ago and told him. Then, he verified it with his grandmother. So…”

She left her words hanging at that, but it was enough for Tom to get a good picture, and he gasped. “So that’s why. To think there’s that. I didn’t know.”

“Toby didn’t tell you, and with his character lately, he’s not one to talk about this openly.”

Tom nodded in response. “I get it. No wonder President Fuller didn’t feel anything but anger when Salzburg mentioned the late Madam Valerie. So that’s why. But no matter how, she will always be President Fuller’s mother, and she loved him when he was a child at some point. So he’d be angry that Salzburg would use the late madam’s belongings as a threat and also upset for his mother to have fallen in love with someone like him.”

“You’re right.” Sonia put her hand down as she asked, “So did Toby agree to it? To let Anya free.”

At that, Tom hurriedly waved his hands in denial. “Of course not. The president isn’t someone who’d yield to threats so easily. Besides, this has to do with you. Even if he wants to say yes, he’d definitely talk to you first and not call the shots himself.”

“So he said no?” Sonia held her chin.

Tom waved his hand again. “Well, he didn’t do that either. He didn’t even give a d*mn about Salzburg’s threat and just walked away. But I got a call from Salzburg’s assistant yesterday, and they brought it up again, saying if President Fuller turns them down again, they’ll put the late Madam Valerie’s belongings up for auction. They even said surely many people would be interested in whatever late Madam Valerie used when she was still alive. If this isn’t blatant humiliation to President Fuller and the Fuller Family, I don’t know what is!”

“No wonder Toby was acting so…” Sonia bit her lip as pain enveloped her face.

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Chapter 1136 Sonia’s Surprising Kiss

Needless to say, Tom was able to tell that Sonia felt sympathetic toward Toby as he was happy for his boss. After all, it was a sign that Sonia was deeply in love with Toby. Why else would Miss Reed be so concerned about Mr. Fuller?

“Yeah, I’m shuddering at the thought of Mr. Fuller’s reaction when I told him about that matter. Thankfully, Mr. Fuller was still rational enough to keep his impulse from getting the better of himself, or he would have killed Connor back there.” Tom wiped his sweat and sighed.

In the meantime, Sonia could also feel her palms sweating. “Well, I bet the reason Connor had the guts to threaten Toby was because he had someone else bigger to back him up in the shadows. I wish we knew who that was.”

“It doesn’t matter who has Connor’s back; he is eventually going to suffer defeat at our hands.” He squinted.

Sonia smiled and replied, “You’re right. No matter who is backing Connor from behind, evil can never prevail over good. However, his action of threatening Toby mustn’t go unpunished. Did Toby say anything about our next move? What is it that Toby’s mother left behind?”

Tom shook his head in confusion. “Well, Mr. Fuller hasn’t said anything thus far, but I’m sure he must be bothered at the moment, which is why I have a feeling he isn’t going to let things slide like that. As for the possession that Toby’s late mother left behind, Connor hasn’t revealed anything about it, so I have no idea what it is either. Nonetheless, if it’s something Connor could use to threaten Mr. Fuller, coupled with the fact that other people are interested in it, I believe it must be something personal to Madam White when she was still alive.”

He continued, “It might not necessarily be something valuable, and I don’t think Connor would have been able to threaten Mr. Fuller with anything like that. After all, my boss is loaded with money, and losing something valuable is probably not going to upset him. Instead, if something precious falls into the wrong hands, it’s going to land Mr. Fuller at a very disadvantageous position once it gets out.”

Sonia nodded in response. “You’re right. If it is really something personal that used to belong to Toby’s late mother, we should probably get it back, or it’s going to jeopardize Toby and the Fuller Family’s reputation should it fall into the wrong hands.”

“Exactly. Alas, I wish I could just read Mr. Fuller’s mind now.” Tom scratched his head. “I just don’t have the courage to ask him what’s on his mind.”

“Don’t worry about that. I got you. Just leave it to me.” She gazed at him with a smile.

Tom was delighted. “Awesome, Miss Reed! I’ll be counting on you, then.”

“Sure thing.” Sonia nodded.

As soon as the lady finished her words, a silhouette showed up right in front of the car near the duo. It turned out that Toby had returned, so She immediately winked at Tom and said, “Alright, we’ll talk about that later. He’s back.”

In that instant, Tom quickly turned around and saw Toby walking in their direction. Thus, he gratefully smiled at Sonia as he opened the car door and let her into the vehicle before Toby.

Noticing the hard disc in the man’s hand, Sonia asked rhetorically with a smile, “Bet you got what you needed, didn’t you?”

Toby replied confidently, “Yeah.”

“In that case, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.” She took a look at her watch.

“Sit tight. Let’s hit the road now,” Toby responded with an affirmative hum and ordered Tom to start driving. The next second, Tom replied affirmatively and started the engine.

They arrived at Paradigm Co. an hour later. Sonia planted a kiss on Toby’s face and said goodbye to him before heading toward the building. In the meantime, Toby remained seated in the backseat with his hand on his cheek where Sonia had kissed him, looking as though he was caught in a trance.

After all, Sonia had never given him a kiss when they parted ways unless he told her to do so. Therefore, when she gave him a kiss without him asking, he was caught by surprise. Little did he know that Tom was secretly observing his reaction at the same time. Seeing Toby’s stunned look, Tom quickly knew the reason and chuckled. “What a boost early in the morning, Mr. Fuller! Congratulations!”

After hearing his assistant, Toby put down his hand and kept his chest up, happily saying, “What’s the big deal? It was just a kiss. There’s nothing to congratulate me about.”

Tom responded by rolling his eyes upward. Just a kiss? If it’s nothing worth celebrating, stop smiling and keep your cocky attitude in check then. You’re really funny, Mr. Fuller. Despite the thought of that, Tom didn’t dare to speak his mind, replying with a cold grunt before he kept his eyes back on the road in an annoyed manner. I’d better shut up. Their lovey-dovey interaction is hurting my eyes.

However, Sonia, who just exited the vehicle, seemingly thought of something not long after she left the car. She then stopped in her tracks and doubled back toward the car. In the meantime, Toby saw Sonia returning and quickly ordered Tom to stop. Needless to say, Tom did as he was told and rolled down the window, sticking his head out to see whether Sonia was coming back.

Soon, Sonia got to the car and was about to knock on the window, but Toby beat her to it and rolled it down before she could do so. With a bright smile on Toby’s handsome face, he turned around and looked at the lady.

“Did you forget something?” Still engrossed in the surprising kiss Sonia just gave him, Toby sounded exhilarated and high in spirits.

She faked a cough and said, “Nothing. I just want to tell you something.”

“I’m listening.” He jutted his chin.

Sonia secretly peeked at Tom, noticing the nervous expression on his face. Soon, she took her eyes off him and smiled. “It’s getting late now, so I should probably get going. I have a meeting later, after all. Maybe we’ll talk about it when we get home tonight.”

When Tom heard Sonia’s words, he heaved a sigh of relief. Needless to say, he knew what Sonia was going to say to Toby, believing she was about to ask him what his next move was just as they discussed. After all, she told Tom that she would talk to Toby and sound him out earlier. However, that was precisely why Tom was afraid; he was worried that Sonia would do that in his presence. By then, Toby would most likely lecture him for his big mouth while he’d have a hard time explaining himself.

On the other hand, if Sonia chose to talk about that later that night, she could choose any approach she wanted to bring up the matter to Toby in his absence. Although Toby might still be mad at him for running his mouth off, he could not berate Tom right away. Besides, there was also a chance that Sonia might even dissuade Toby from giving him a hard time.

In the meantime, Toby had no idea what his assistant was thinking as he couldn’t take his eyes off Sonia. Hearing the lady’s words, he raised his eyebrows, his eyes seemingly filled with ambiguous emotion. “Is there something important?”

“Yes.” Sonia nodded without hesitation.

“I’ll come over and pick you up later in the afternoon.” Toby agreed.

“See you, then.” Sonia waved her hand at the man, who said goodbye to her and rolled up the window. After that, Sonia continued to stand by the roadside and waved at the man until the car went out of her sight before she entered the building. At the same time, the couple’s lovey-dovey interaction was spotted by the employees around them as they couldn’t help feeling envious toward the love Sonia and Toby had for each other. Although Sonia noticed their reactions, she only laughed it off and shook her head, greeting them as usual while walking toward the elevator.

As soon as Sonia arrived in her office, she heard someone knocking on her door. Thinking it was Daphne, she put down her purse and took off her coat while responding to the person outside her office without looking up. “Come in.”

Hearing the rattling sound of high heels on the ground, Sonia paused for a second and looked up just when she was about to hang her coat. When she realized her secretary was someone else instead of Daphne, she asked in confusion, “Where is Daphne?”

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“Didn’t you know, Chairman Reed? Miss Daphne is on leave.” The secretary stopped in front of Sonia’s desk and politely added, “Miss Daphne applied for leave yesterday afternoon, so from today onward, I’m going to fill in for her until she comes back.”

“That’s right. I’m sorry, it totally slipped my mind.” Sonia patted her forehead in frustration.

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Chapter 1137 Grayson’s Visit

Sonia had received Daphne’s message to apply for leave when she returned to Bayside Residence with Toby the night before. In her message, she revealed that she was about to have her surgery soon and was planning to rest for about half a month. Sonia responded by giving her approval to her secretary, only to forget about it the next day, which was rather awkward.

“Chairman Reed, this is your schedule for the day. Please have a look and see if there are any cancellations or postponements you would like to make for your agenda.” The secretary passed the document in her arms to Sonia.

Sonia flipped through the papers and pointed at two schedules. “Cancel these two. They are unnecessary, so let’s not waste our time on that.”

The secretary leaned closer to look at the events that Sonia was referring to. “Sure.”

“The rest will go on as planned.” Sonia closed the file and gave it back to the secretary.

The secretary then hugged the document back in her arms and replied, “By the way, there is one more thing. The machine that you ordered from Kosovo when you went there a few months ago has arrived at customs.”

“Wait, what? Has it arrived already?” Sonia’s eyes brightened up joyfully.

The secretary nodded. “Yes, the customs agency is taking necessary actions to speed up the delivery process. Once it’s through, we can arrange for our people to collect the machine at the customs right away.”

“That’s awesome!” Sonia happily smiled, barely containing her excitement.

In fact, Paradigm Co. had always relied on its cooperation with other companies to facilitate its manufacturing process until it was hit by a financial crisis so hard that the management had to sell off the plant and all manufacturing units to survive. However, not only did the management’s efforts fail to save the company from falling apart, Sonia’s father also passed away in the end just as the company’s shares were being acquired by outsiders.

A few years later, things finally took a turn for the better when Charles, Carl, and Leonard reacquired the company bit by bit, although the Reed Family had still yet to regain full ownership over the company.

At the same time, while Paradigm Co. was currently under Sonia’s possession, she was well aware of the fact that her company still suffered from the absence of its own manufacturing plant and production units. After all, those equipment and fixed assets could not be reacquired as easily as the company’s shares could since they could only be bought back from those who currently owned them.

Furthermore, Sonia had a feeling that it would be hard to regain possession over those fixed assets from their new owners, thinking the reason they bought them in the first place was because they wanted to maximize their capacity. Because of that, it seemed troublesome to her to repurchase those machines from the new owners, which was why she reckoned it was almost impossible to reacquire those machines that had been sold off earlier.

Due to the circumstances, Paradigm Co. had no choice but to outsource its production companies like Dwells and Rentoor that specialized in manufacturing since it didn’t have its own production and manufacturing unit.

However, Sonia quickly realized that it wasn’t wise for her company to continue down that path, considering the limited leverage it had over the other companies, which could put the company at a disadvantage one day.

Her worst fear came true when the owner of Dwells violated the contract and secretly sold the parts to Connor behind her back. Because of that, she no longer felt secure to outsource her company’s production, thinking it was safer for the production to be held in house.

In fact, Sonia had been having that thought at the back of her mind as she began to take necessary actions to revamp and renovate her company’s manufacturing plant, as well as order the machine her company needed from Kosovo.

While the plant was still in the midst of repair and renovation, the ongoing assembly of the machine in Kosovo had forced Sonia to continue working with Dwells until the unpleasant incident happened despite their long-term partnership, much to her dismay.

Now that the machines Sonia had ordered were at the customs, Paradigm Co. would no longer need to depend on the other companies to produce the spare parts and goods once they collected them. That way, I suppose it’s only a matter of time before Paradigm Co. will be listed on the share market once again.

The more Sonia thought about it, the more tightly she clenched her fists. “Tell the logistics department to pay attention to the customs agency. I want the machine here as soon as possible. Make sure nothing goes wrong!”

“Don’t worry about it, Chairman Reed. Miss Daphne walked me through it when she handed over her job to me.” The secretary smiled in response.

Sonia smiled and replied, “Even when she is sick, she still can’t get her mind off her job. I can’t help but pity that poor lady.”

“Miss Daphne is indeed a responsible employee.” The secretary nodded in agreement.

“Is the construction of the manufacturing plant complete?” Sonia looked at her.

With the files in her arms, the secretary replied, “It’s done, but there are still a few minor adjustments to be made, and we’ll only know what to do when the machines arrive. After all, the construction workers only have the drafts to refer to, which makes it hard for them to decide where to install the circuit box and ventilation fans. Furthermore, they won’t know how big each circuit box should be and how much space each ventilation fan would take up until they see the actual object.”

“I understand. I’m going to head over to the manufacturing plant to inspect their progress myself, but as for the minor adjustments, I suppose we’ll only talk about that when the machines arrive.” Sonia sat down on her chair.

The secretary nodded. “Alright.”

“Great. You may excuse yourself now. Please also tell our shareholders and the senior management about the meeting soon.” Sonia waved her hand and made her instruction heard, whereupon the secretary nodded and excused herself.

After that, Sonia continued to sit down in her office for the next few moments before she started to gather the documents she needed for the meeting later. Then, she left her office and headed for the meeting that lasted for almost three hours.

When the meeting was over, it was almost 1.00PM. At that moment, Sonia could hear her stomach growling as she rubbed her belly and returned to her office with a pair of furrowed brows on her face.

As soon as she got back to her office, she heard the telephone on her desk ringing before she could even ask her secretary to get her lunch. Because of that, she decided to send her secretary a text message and told her to buy her lunch, whereupon she put down her cell phone and answered the intercom. “Hello?”

“Greeting, Chairman Reed. I’m calling from the front desk.” The receptionist’s polite voice was heard.

Sonia raised her eyebrows, wondering why the receptionist would call her. Then, she started to suspect there might be something important she had to attend to by herself like a guest or some confidential parcel. Otherwise, the receptionist would’ve contacted her secretary or her assistant first instead of approaching her directly. At the thought of that, she put up with her hunger and sat up straight, speaking with a strict tone. “What’s the matter?”

“There are two guests claiming to be the president of Lore Communications and his assistant. They would like to meet you.” The receptionist looked at Grayson and spoke over the phone.

“The president of Lore Communications?” Sonia squinted.

“Yes.”

Sonia pursed her lips, knowing the reason why Grayson was here. I can’t believe that someone from the Lore Family is here, but I never thought it would be the president of Lore Communications himself. I bet he must be here for Lynette.

“Chairman Reed, would you like to see them?” the receptionist asked once again.

However, Sonia didn’t answer right away. Instead, she held the phone up with one hand while knocking on the table with the other, seemingly pondering about the receptionist’s question.

On the other hand, the receptionist, who heard the knocking, didn’t dare to interfere with Sonia as she only kept the phone in her hands and apologetically smiled at Grayson, signaling the man to wait.

Nevertheless, Grayson was extremely impatient by that, responding with a darkened look on his face. Deep down, he reckoned he should be respected by Sonia, deeming himself equally on par with Henry in terms of seniority. In fact, he also reckoned that he was older than Toby, which was all the more reason Sonia should show him some respect.

Where is this lady’s respect? She should come and receive me after learning about my arrival. Instead, she’s taking her time without giving me a proper response.

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Chapter 1138 Grayson’s Disdain

At that moment, Grayson, who had a strong dislike toward Sonia, felt even more unhappy with her, thinking she was purposely stalling and making him wait.

After all, Sonia was the only person who was daring enough to do that to him, which he assumed must be because she thought Toby had her back. How arrogant this lady is! Why are you so cocky, Sonia? You’re nowhere close to Lynette. What makes you think you’re a perfect match for Toby?

As Grayson grew tired of waiting and was about to barge into the building, the receptionist suddenly put down the phone after saying something to Sonia on the inside and turned her attention to the man. “I’m sorry to have made you wait, Mr. Lore. Chairman Reed has agreed to see you now. Please come with me.” She then extended her arm and showed the two men the way.

Grayson lightened up a little when he heard her words, but he remained haughty and insolent. At the same time, he waved his hand and grunted. “At last, she made the right move.”

When the receptionist heard the man’s words, she secretly rolled her eyes upward in disdain. What the hell is wrong with this man?! He is on someone else’s turf, yet he won’t keep his arrogance in check at all. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised to see a man like him with a shameless daughter who wants nothing but to be a mistress! No wonder people say like father, like daughter!

The receptionist’s mind was filled with disgust toward Grayson, but due to her status as an ordinary employee working at the front desk, she didn’t dare to express her disdain as she continued to lead Grayson and his assistant to the elevator. Nonetheless, she hoped that Sonia would teach them a lesson later.

In the meantime, Grayson, who was following behind the receptionist, kept looking around the building. Noticing the old interior design, Grayson didn’t even bother to hide the contemptuous look on his face. In fact, he even wiped the elevator to degrade Sonia’s company, although there was barely any dust inside the elevator. Then, he blew his own hands and clapped them like he was trying to dust his hands. At the same time, he went on to mock the company by asking, “What’s with this design? I can’t believe Paradigm Co. is so old-fashioned.”

Meanwhile, the receptionist felt even more disgusted when she saw what Grayson did. After all, she worked at the front desk and had come across countless people day in and day out. Thus, she considered herself quite a keen judge of character and was able to see through Grayson’s ill intention behind his gestures.

How cheap! This guy is just trying to make Paradigm Co. seem bad. As one of the employees of her company, she had to admit that Paradigm Co. was not in its best financial state at that moment. However, she was grateful that the company had never forgotten the benefits that they deserved. At the same time, she was never worried about Paradigm Co.’s respect and her own future, considering the relationship between Sonia and Toby.

Because of that, every single employee had a strong sense of belonging in the company. Thus, the receptionist could not stand it when she heard someone degrading her company, but despite her displeasure, she wasn’t going to express it anyway because she was just an ordinary employee who worked at the front desk.

Other than knitting her eyebrows and reacting with an indifferent attitude, there was only so much she could do. Nevertheless, she was determined deep down to tell Sonia what she saw, thinking her boss was in a better place to refute Grayson than she was.

Well, even if Chairman Reed can’t do anything, I’m sure Mr. Fuller can handle this guy. At the thought of that, the receptionist only kept her eyes on the elevator door without even bothering to look at Grayson. While she continued to smile, she answered nonchalantly, “Paradigm Co. was built more than twenty years ago, so it’s not surprising that the interior design seems old school. Although it’s barely comparable to the trend right now, the design was one of the most popular ones back then.”

“No wonder.” Grayson smiled nonchalantly. “You may be right, but after more than two decades, don’t you think it’s time for your company to go through a makeover? After all, your company’s appearance is the most obvious factor that influences how people think of it. If your management won’t do anything to change it, it’ll only seem to others as if it hasn’t progressed at all without anything worth looking forward to.” The man implied that Paradigm Co. was just like an outdated property, destined to be left forgotten.

The receptionist clenched her fists and faked a smile. “I beg to differ, Mr. Lore. The reason the interior design in Paradigm Co. remains the same is not because we can’t afford to change, but because our leaders are nostalgic of the past. Furthermore, with the relationship between Paradigm Co. and the Fuller Group, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they do something about changing the interior design. In fact, even if we don’t make any changes, I’m sure whoever works with our company will respect us due to our alliance with the Fuller Group. After all, no one is going to disrespect us just because of our outdated interior design, which is why I don’t think it’s that important of a matter to change the interior design. Moreover, Paradigm Co. is backed by the Fuller Group just as Chairman Reed is backed by Mr. Fuller.”

On the other hand, Grayson could also tell what the receptionist was insinuating, knowing she was trying to point out the fact that the Lore Family had gotten on the wrong side of Toby, making it even harder for them to align themselves with the Fuller Family again.

In that instant, Grayson was overwhelmed with anger, yet there was nothing he could do to the receptionist. After all, he didn’t want to be embarrassed if word about him, a corporate president, messing around with an ordinary receptionist got out. Despite his frustration and annoyance with the receptionist’s reply, he couldn’t do anything except put up with her.

Because of that, the elevator was shrouded in silence as Grayson fixed his cold gaze on the receptionist. Deep down, Grayson was annoyed about his failure to degrade Paradigm Co., but what irritated him even more was that his petty attempt to insult the company ironically put him in an embarrassing position.

Soon, the elevator arrived just as the door opened. Then, the receptionist stepped out of the elevator and heaved a sigh of relief, pretending as if nothing ever happened. At the same time, she extended her arm and politely invited Grayson and his assistant to step out of the elevator. “This way, Mr. Lore. We’re almost reaching Chairman Reed’s office.”

Grayson glimpsed the receptionist and grunted coldly, fixing his collar as he stepped out of the elevator with his assistant following right behind him closely.

“We’re here,” the receptionist said to Grayson and his assistant, whereupon she knocked on the door.

Sonia’s voice could soon be heard from inside the door. “Come in.”

The receptionist soon opened the door. “Chairman Reed, Mr. Lore is here.”

Sonia then put down her pen and looked up, setting her eyes on the receptionist while nodding. “Let them in while you make us some tea.”

“Alright,” the receptionist replied with an affirmative hum, showing Grayson and his assistant the way into Sonia’s office before she left to make them some tea.

The next moment, Sonia stood up and walked closer to Grayson. “Mr. Lore, welcome to Paradigm Co. Please take a seat.” She pointed at the couch not far away from her, signaling Grayson to sit there. However, Grayson was seen with a disgusted look on his face when he saw the old-fashioned wooden couch. Thus, he directly approached the couch without responding to Sonia and sat down as if he was the boss who owned the place.

When Sonia saw that, she squinted with an indifferent look on her face. Just as she was about to say something, the receptionist, who was supposed to make some tea, peeked from the door and spoke. “Chairman Reed, I can’t find the tea leaves, so could you please come here?” The receptionist mustered her courage and waved her hand at Sonia.

Sonia raised her eyebrows upon hearing the receptionist’s words. What? She can’t find the tea leaves? That’s impossible. They have always been in the same, obvious spot in the cabinet. She must have something she wants to talk to me about. Sonia was sure that the tea leaves should still be there, and she instantly saw through the receptionist’s intention of beckoning her over. Because of that, she nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll meet you in the pantry.”

In the meantime, the receptionist heaved a sigh of relief when she heard Sonia’s affirmative reply, whereupon she disappeared at the door.

Chapter 1139 Where Is Your Brain, Grayson?

When Sonia saw her receptionist walking away, she looked back and turned her attention to Grayson, who was sitting on the couch like a boss. “Mr. Lore, it appears that my employee needs my help. I’m going to have to excuse myself now while you sit here until I return. I won’t take long.” Sonia maintained the smile on her face but did so rather indifferently. After all, there was no way she could make herself treat the man with some enthusiasm because she never had any good impressions toward the Lore Family. I haven’t seen a guest who acts so arrogantly on someone else’s turf.

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“Go ahead then, but you’d better hurry up; I don’t have all day.” Grayson raised his wrist and looked at his watch, behaving insolently while talking to Sonia. Apparently, he didn’t treat Sonia with respect but instead with contempt and disdain like she was his maid whom he could boss around.

After that, Sonia squinted and kept her head down, hiding the nonchalance in her eyes. At the same time, she reacted with a faint smile before exiting the office. When she was gone, Grayson’s assistant, who had his eyes on the door, spoke to his boss in a concerned manner. “Mr. Lore, was it really necessary to be so mean to Miss Reed?”

With his legs crossed, Grayson stopped shaking them and looked up, glaring at his assistant unhappily. “What are you talking about? Are you on her side?”

“No, of course not.” The assistant shook his head and explained, “I’m not on Miss Reed’s side, Mr. Lore. I’m concerned about us. After all, the reason we’re here is to apologize and ask for Miss Reed’s forgiveness, but your attitude makes us seem like we’re… Here for trouble.” Grayson’s assistant lowered his voice toward the end of his sentence, eventually even losing the courage to look his boss in the eye.

“Are you saying that I’m here to seek trouble?” Grayson’s face darkened even more.0

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“No, of course not.” The assistant shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. Instead, I’m just saying that the attitude you just showed might not have been appropriate, considering our circumstances. Thus, I think we should be a little more polite. Who knows we may be able to achieve our goal in the end?” The assistant advised Grayson to adopt a more diplomatic approach.

Grayson grunted coldly in response. “What are you talking about? Why should I be polite to her? Who does she think she is?”0

The man pointed in the direction in which Sonia just left and raised his voice. “She and I are on an equal footing in terms of status. In fact, I’m older than she is, which means she should accept it with grace even though I’m here to offer my apology. If she is smart enough, she’d suggest that we leave the past behind us before I even start talking. So, are you out of your mind telling me to be nice to her? She doesn’t deserve that!”

As soon as Grayson’s assistant heard his words, he instantly felt helpless and puzzled. No wonder people are leaving this company, especially from the secretary and public relations department. When I first heard from them that this company had no future, I didn’t believe them, but now, I guess I was wrong back then. With a dumb boss like this fella, it’d be a miracle if the company survives for long. This guy came all the way here to apologize, but instead, he’s acting arrogantly and belligerently. Does he want his company to go bankrupt sooner?

Grayson’s assistant rolled his eyes upward as he decided to give up changing his boss’ mind. Deep down, he reckoned he should just stand on the sidelines and watch since Grayson was the one who owned and ran his company. Because of that, Grayson’s assistant kept his head down in silence and said nothing more.

On the other hand, Sonia arrived in the pantry and closed the door behind her. At that moment, the receptionist, who was filling the empty teapot with water, turned off the tap when she heard a sound. She then put down the teapot and wiped her hands on her skirt, acting in a reserved manner. “Here you are, Chairman Reed.”

Sensing the nervousness on the receptionist’s face, Sonia smiled gently and said, “Didn’t you tell me to come here? Anyway, just relax and organize your thoughts. I’m here and ready to listen, okay? I won’t bite, so take it easy.”

Upon hearing Sonia’s comforting words, the receptionist was seen with a pair of blushed cheeks as she began to feel more and more relaxed. “Here was what happened just now, Chairman Reed…” She then went on to tell Sonia everything that happened from the moment Grayson and his assistant came until they arrived in her office.

After learning the story, Sonia laughed in an amused manner. “Oh, come on! He is on my turf, yet he won’t keep his temper in check! Is he taking my kindness as ignorance?!”

“Exactly! He must not be forgiven, Chairman Reed. You must do something about it.” The receptionist clenched her fists and expressed her annoyance.

Seeing how angry the receptionist was, Sonia lightened up and replied with a smile, “Don’t worry about that. I know what to do, but I’m grateful for your loyalty toward the company.”

The receptionist scratched her head bashfully and said, “Well, I’m also a part of Paradigm Co., so of course I can’t just keep quiet and do nothing when someone degrades my company.”

“Your bonus is going to double this month.” Sonia smiled at her.

The receptionist was stunned for a second before she looked Sonia in the eye and asked, “Really, Chairman Reed?’

“Of course, I just told you that myself. Why would I lie to you?” Sonia smiled even brighter. “Just talk to the people from the finance department later and tell them it’s my idea. They will check with me later on.”

“Thank you so much, Chairman Reed! Thank you so much!” The receptionist bowed to Sonia thankfully.

Sonia smiled and shook her head, seizing the receptionist’s hand. “Alright, now please get the tea ready.”

“Alright, I’ll get it ready right now.” The receptionist grabbed the teapot and began to fill the teacup with some tea. After that, she covered each of the teacups with a lid and placed them on a tray, which she was about to lift up.

However, Sonia quickly took the tray and said, “I’ll take it from here and serve them the tea. When you go downstairs, please tell those security guards to wait outside my office. As soon as they hear me chasing Mr. Lore and his assistant away, they will come in and take the two of them out of this building.”

The receptionist nodded, her eyes brightening up after she heard Sonia’s words. “Alright, Chairman Reed. I’m going to do as you say.”

Sonia responded with an affirmative hum and carried the tray in her hands, making her way back to the office. Since her office was just beside the pantry, she could hear murmurs of conversation between Grayson and his assistant inside her office. When she heard her name being mentioned, she believed Grayson was talking behind her back to his assistant. Thus, she pursed her lips and kicked the door to create some noise, intentionally alerting the two men in her office.

When the two men heard the knock on the door, they knew Sonia was back and quickly stopped talking. At the same time, Grayson was left tongue-tied despite his arrogant attitude and all the mean things he was saying about Sonia. Look at yourself, Mr. Lore! Where is all your confidence?! Meanwhile, his assistant’s face was filled with contempt. Is that all you got? Come on, you’re going to have to do better! I guess that’s not surprising for a b*stard like you!

“I’m sorry for making you wait, Mr. Lore.” Sonia pretended as if she didn’t hear what they were talking about while approaching them with the teacups, which she placed right in front of Grayson and his assistant.

While Grayson only glimpsed the teacup without saying a word, his assistant standing right behind him politely thanked Sonia for the tea. For that, Sonia raised her eyebrows in surprise and gazed at Grayson’s assistant, seeing the sincerity in his eyes as she was surprised to find that.

After all, she thought Grayson’s subordinate was just as unreasonable as he was, thinking everyone around him was nothing much different from himself. Mr. Lore’s assistant is quite a decent man, but it’s too bad that he works for someone who doesn’t deserve him.

Sonia thought about that regrettably but quickly put that behind her. She then sat down opposite Grayson and smiled at him indifferently. “Try the tea, Mr. Lore. I hope you’ll like it.”

Chapter 1140 Such a Ridiculous Way to Apologize

Only did Grayson look at Sonia when he heard her words. Then, he looked at the teacup in front of him, but he then frowned as he looked at the tea inside it. “What variety of tea is this?” he asked.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Lore. I won’t serve you any premium tea. This is just a normal cup of green tea.” Sonia crossed her legs and smiled.

When Grayson heard her words, he had a grim expression. “A normal cup of green tea? Is this how Paradigm Co. treats their guests?”

While listening to his words, Sonia sipped her tea and said faintly, “I can’t do anything about this. My company is small, and I can’t even change the furniture that I have been using for twenty years. What makes you think I can serve you premium tea? A normal cup of tea is all I can do for you, so bear with it. After all, I still see you as a guest. Otherwise, I would’ve simply handed you a cup of water.” As she spoke, she emphasized the twenty years of furnishing.

Although Grayson didn’t have any outstanding abilities in business, he was not a fool. When he heard her words, he knew that the receptionist had told her about what he said in the elevator. Thus, Sonia was using this as a chance to treat him offhandedly by serving him an average cup of tea. With that thought in mind, he was fuming in anger.

“Do you even serve just water?” Grayson squinted his eyes at her. “Aren’t you Toby’s girlfriend? Considering the years that you have been with him, I don’t believe that you haven’t taken anything from him. Does he dislike you? Is that why he isn’t even willing to buy you premium tea brands? That’s probably why your company only has this kind of cheap stuff.”

Sonia didn’t get mad and was still grinning when she heard his remarks. “You must have underestimated me, Mr. Lore. Toby did give me a lot of good stuff, including premium tea. However, I don’t want to serve it to you. I only serve good tea to people who are polite and respectful, not some arrogant man like you. People like you should only be accommodated with regular tea. It’s even ridiculous that you said Toby dislikes me. If so, he wouldn’t have disassociated himself from the Lore Family. Don’t you think so?”

“You…” Grayson was furious at her words that he couldn’t even make out a sentence.

According to her words, she’s implying that my family isn’t worth drinking premium tea and can only be served cheap, regular tea. Not only that, she’s also boasting about the fact that Toby chose her over my family. This is just… just… As Grayson thought about it, he was breathing heavily from frustration. At that moment, he couldn’t think of anything to criticize Sonia.

Seeing that he was furious to this point, Sonia furrowed her eyebrows as she was afraid he wouldn’t be able to handle his emotions. She restrained herself and put down the cup, asking coldly, “Alright, Mr. Lore. I was only joking, so please excuse me for it. After all, you do know that we youngsters like to joke about everything. I’m sure you don’t mind it, do you?” She smiled at him.

When he heard her words, Grayson was even more furious. There was nothing else he could say since she had put it that way. He couldn’t possibly say that he didn’t think it was a joke, for it would make him seem like a killjoy. However, he couldn’t let himself agree with her words either as he would need to endure it. Moreover, he knew that she was not joking. She was clearly provoking him and being boastful about it!

When Sonia saw Grayson shaking from anger, she sighed inwardly. To think that such an impatient man is the boss of a company. He is even worse than a newbie like me.

A hint of mockery flashed across her eyes as she thought about it. “Enough with all the talking now, Mr. Lore. Why don’t we talk about business? If I remember clearly, there aren’t any intersections between your family and me. Is there a reason for your visit today?” she asked.

As Grayson’s assistant soothed him, he slowly calmed down and regained his composure, but he still had a grim expression. He looked at her coldly and said, “I don’t think we have to beat around the bushes, Sonia. I believe that you know why I am here.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have a clue. Why don’t you just say it? I’m not fond of guessing things.” Sonia smiled, implying that she wanted him to say for himself rather than admit she knew what exactly happened.

When Grayson heard it, he was furious as he didn’t expect her to be such a cunning person.

He was here to apologize to her, but he didn’t want to take the initiative and say it. After all, he would not be in control of the situation if he were to say it first. Initially, he was planning to let Sonia ask about it. That way, it would be easier for him to express his words. However, his plan was now in vain since Sonia insisted on him saying it. If it weren’t for Harry’s orders, Grayson believed he would have just left on the spot. After all, he had never been in such a situation with any youngsters other than Toby.188532

Seeing how Grayson’s expression changed, Sonia shrugged and said, “Since you are not going to say anything, I guess this will be the end of our conversation. You can always come to me when you’ve carefully thought about what you want to say. However, I can’t promise that I will still have the time for you.”

As soon as she finished her words, she stood up and shouted in the direction of the door. “Security, take him away!”

“Wait!” Grayson didn’t expect her to kick him out without saying anything. He quickly stood up and stopped her. “There’s no need to kick me out now, Miss Reed. I’ll say it, okay?”

When Sonia heard his words, a glint flashed across her eyes as she smiled. “I’m listening, Mr. Lore. Please have a seat.” Then, she motioned for him to have a seat.

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“I didn’t expect you to be such a difficult person, Miss Reed.” He looked at her gloomily as he sat down.0

Sonia flipped her hair and sat back down. “You flatter me, Mr. Lore. We should always have some tricks up our sleeves when doing business, right? Now, please begin your speech, Mr. Lore. I’ll give you thirty minutes to say it, for I’m going to have lunch afterward.” She looked at her watch and motioned him to start talking.

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However, her gesture was as if she was signaling him to start putting on a show rather than speaking. She is treating me like a clown! he thought.

Although Grayson was trembling in rage, he couldn’t do anything. So, he took a deep breath to surpass his anger and said slowly, “Miss Reed, I’m here to apologize to you. I’m sorry that my daughter, Lynette, caused you trouble yesterday. As such, I’m sorry for not educating her well enough. Please excuse her for her behavior, Miss Reed.”

The smile on Sonia’s face turned into a sneer as she heard his words. “You are here to apologize on Lynette’s behalf,” she said.

“Yes,” he replied.

Then, Sonia shifted in her seat. Her sneer was even more visible, and her eyes were icy cold as she spoke. “However, with all due respect, this is the first time I have seen such an apology.”

As Grayson heard her words, the expression on his face stiffened. “What do you mean by this, Miss Reed?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Sonia shrugged. “When people apologize, they bring the instigator over and some apology gifts. Not only that, they are typically well-mannered as they bow and ask for forgiveness. However, I don’t see that in you, Mr. Lore.”