Chapter 729
Sophie ignored Arius. She was all too familiar with such compliments. I know others sometimes can’t understand me at all. Things seem to come easily to me, but not everyone understands my world. However, it seems that Tristan comprehends how I feel. If there’s one person like that in the world, that’s enough for me.
“What’s with that look of tenderness on your face? Who are you thinking of?” Arius asked, feeling annoyed when he saw her expression. I’m well aware that she wants to marry Tristan. I don’t know what he did to deserve a woman like her, but she’s absolutely devoted to him. If I’m being honest, a love like theirs really makes me so jealous.
“Tristan,” she replied, frankly. It’s no surprise I’d be thinking about my fiancé, right?
“I knew it. You only seem to have that expression when you think of him.”
“Mm-hmm. It’s about time you get yourself a girlfriend. If you continue like this, I’m afraid you’ll never experience this feeling in your lifetime.”
Arius promptly shook his head. “Love is a complicated thing. I don’t have so much time and energy to spend with another woman.”
Sophie also shook her head. Those are all just excuses. These concerns won’t even come to mind if one meets a person one truly likes. Falling in love isn’t something that can be controlled, and one won’t even care about such things!
The pair stayed in the laboratory the entire day. When it was lunchtime, they made do with ordering a takeaway, as they did not even have time to go out and eat.
After having lunch, Sophie took a short nap at her desk. It was a brutal truth that many dreamed of being a part of the International Medical Association without realizing that the association’s work was
intense enough to drive the average person mad.
That night, she and Arius invited the others to eat out together. They happened to bump into Winter, who was still the same as before. No matter where she went, she was accompanied by a posse of daughters from wealthy families.
Neither of them brought up the events of the past year. It was as though Winter had never gotten sent away.
The moment Winter saw Sophie, she balled her fists without realizing it. It was their first meeting after what had happened and seeing how happy Sophie looked made Winter’s heart clench painfully. What right does she have to be so happy? She doesn’t deserve it!
Arius guessed straightaway from the way Winter kept staring at them that the latter had to be one of Tristan’s crazy admirers or someone jealous of Sophie’s beauty. There are too many such people.
“Do you need me to step in?” he asked nonchalantly while holding a bowl of soup.
“That won’t be necessary. She’s nobody important. You don’t need to bother.”
“All right, then. Oh, by the way, has Tristan proposed? I’m telling you, you mustn’t say yes so easily,” he said, thinking that now was the time to show Tristan just how popular Sophie was.
“There’s no need for a proposal. You know I don’t care about these little details,” came Sophie’s reply. All that matters to me is that Tristan and I have a tacit understanding. We’re both so busy and don’t have time for such nonsense.
Arius was rendered speechless. Finally, he said, “I genuinely doubt whether you’re a woman. Other ladies dream of their boyfriends popping the question with romantic proposals, but you give a reply like that!”
Is that even something a woman would say?
“Well, I don’t care about those formalities!”
All Arius wanted to do was sigh in exasperation at her response. “It may be troublesome, but don’t you think it’ll be a beautiful memory for you to look back on in the future? Don’t you want the two of you to be able to reminisce about everything that happened during this time when you’re old and gray?”
“We already have plenty of memories between us,” she argued. Besides, I already know just how much Tristan cares about me.
“Ah, forget it. I’ve nothing to say to people like you, but Tristan probably doesn’t think the same way as you,” said Arius. Otherwise, with Sophie’s character, she really might get married just like that and have no memories to cherish in the future.
After a pause, he added, “Oh, right. How’s your leg? You encountered five assassins previously, didn’t you? How did it feel?”
“I think it has almost fully recovered. As long as I don’t use the injured leg in a head-on attack or defense, there doesn’t appear to be a problem.”
“That’s great!”
After their meal, Sophie received a call from Yale. She hesitated briefly when she saw the number, but in the end, she answered her phone.
“Sophie, it’s me! You and Mr. Tristan are getting married, aren’t you? You should come home so that we can discuss your dowry.” If Sophie were to marry anyone else, Yale would not have bothered to give that matter any thought. However, things were different because the other party was Tristan.
“No need for that. I’ll handle my own affairs.”
She was about to hang up when Yale said, “Regardless of what happened in the past, we’re still your parents. Are you really not going to come back to discuss something as big as your wedding with us? Can’t we get along as a family just because your grandfather is no longer with us?”
Her eyes darkened when she heard him mention Josiah. “Very well. Got it. I’ll find time to go back.”
“Good. We’ll wait for you at home. Just come right over when you have the time,” he reminded her once more, worried that she would not turn up.
Yale could barely contain his excitement that he would soon become in-laws with the Lombard family. After all, it was the dream of many to marry into the Lombard family.
Charmaine could not help sneering when she saw that, and her reaction elicited a frown from him.
“What’s your problem, Charmaine? Didn’t you always hope that Willow would marry into a wealthy family? Well, Sophie has done what she didn’t do, so why on earth do you have that expression? They’re both your daughters. Isn’t it enough that your dream has come true?” he asked. He could not understand why she was being so difficult.
“Aren’t you the least bit worried about Willow? How can you be so indifferent after not hearing from her for so long?” Charmaine demanded, wondering how such a father could exist.
“What else can I do? You should know better than others, shouldn’t you? I have no power or authority in Jipsdale now, so what right do I have to ask about her? All I hope for now is that Sophie will return Tanner Group to me after marrying Tristan. That’ll be enough. I don’t want anything else!”
Charmaine let out a snort of laughter. “You’re delusional. Do you honestly think she’ll return Tanner Group to you? Quit dreaming! She’s the embodiment of a selfish person, so it’s impossible that she’ll
give up something she has acquired.”
“We won’t know unless we give it a shot, right? Lombard Group doesn’t lack funds, so there’s no point for her to continue hoarding Tanner Group,” Yale countered, confident that he had a high chance of succeeding.
Meanwhile, Tristan had arrived to pick Sophie up. As soon as Winter saw him, she subconsciously rushed forward and blocked his path.
