Perrin and Stanley appeared to have a lot to catch up on, so Sophia quietly left the ward after peeling some apples.

She turned the corner after the stairs and spotted Lukas on a phone call some distance away.

The rather chilly breeze that day was warmed by the bright sunlight, making for rather pleasant weather.

Sophia's long dress was practically made for that weather.

Since Lukas was busy, Sophia turned away and checked her phone for any messages.

There was a text sent by Alexander twenty minutes ago asking if she was free for dinner that night.

Sophia considered her schedule before firing off a reply: Sure.

Someone called her name right after she sent the text message. She looked up to see who it was.

A middle-aged, suit-clad man approached her. Sadly, his beer belly ruined the effect of his sharp suit.

When he noticed Sophia raising her head in his direction, his eyes lit up with delight. “Hello there. My name is Horace Cardette. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

As he spoke, he lifted his hand, blatantly jingling the keys to a Ferrari.

This was the first time Sophia had witnessed someone boasting their wealth so flagrantly.

A laugh bubbled out of Sophia as she stared at the man. “I'm sorry. I'm not a fan of befriending strangers.”

When Sophia smiled, she was positively enchanting. Her eyes were mesmerizing when they crinkled in joy.

Horace had never encountered such a feisty woman. Every frown and smile merely deepened his infatuation with her.

He assumed from her attire, which consisted of lesser-known brands, that she did not come from wealth. Nonetheless, she seemed to exude an innate elegance.

As Horace's venture gained traction over the years, he had been in the company of countless beautiful women. Based on his past encounters, he discerned that Sophia came from a cultured and well-educated family.

Such women were not simply wooed by a mountain of gold. He needed to pull other tricks out of his sleeve.

Just as he thought about showing off an expensive painting he bought recently, a distinctly male voice rang out behind him. “Why did you come downstairs?”

Lukas had ended his call and walked right up to Sophia when he saw her.

Of course, he did not miss the lecherous man standing in front of her.

He knew at first glance what Horace's motives for approaching Sophia were.

However, Lukas never laid all his cards on the table. Instead, he shot Horace a faint smile. The atmosphere suddenly chilled by several degrees.

The pressure of Lukas' gaze was stifling. Horace squirmed upon meeting his stare.

The man shrewdly cooked up an excuse and left. He allowed himself one last longing glance in Sophia's direction.

Lukas' tight-knit brows relaxed once the man had left. “Did he do anything to you?”

“No.”

Sophia smiled and added, “It's not that easy for him to hurt me.”

Lukas mulled over her words and shot his cousin a smile as though he recalled something. “That's true. Granddad and Mr. Willis will probably be chatting for a while longer. Shall we head home first?”

She eyed the elevator and asked, “Should we tell Granddad we're leaving?”

“Sure. I'll tell one of the staff to inform him.”

Sophia nodded and said, “Then let's head home, Lukas.”

He mumbled an agreement, and they headed to the parking lot.

The hospital entertained many visitors on the Fourth of July. As the cousins trekked the long distance from the hospital building to the parking lot, they naturally attracted plenty of stares. It was difficult not to, given that they clearly won the genetic lottery in the looks department.

Two girls were so absorbed in staring at Sophia that they even bumped into a passerby. Their behavior did not escape Sophia's notice. She lowered her head and smiled to herself.

They soon arrived at their car in the parking lot. Lukas was in the middle of opening his car door when a man's voice boomed from the vehicle beside him.

The man spoke so loudly that anyone within a radius of three meters could hear his words clearly, let alone Lukas and Sophia, whose car was parked beside his.

“Let me tell you, Jett. I ran into an absolute bombshell earlier! Too bad she has a boyfriend. He seems pretty young and isn't wearing anything branded. I bet he's nowhere near as rich as me! If I weren't suddenly struck by a sense of chivalry, I would've whisked his girlfriend from under his nose. I'll even introduce her to you.”

He had barely finished his sentence when another man said, “Are you serious, Horace? Is she even prettier than Millie?”

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255