Chapter 808
He only cared about her life. The lives of others had nothing to do with him.
After the meal, Sophie requested, “I want to see Butterfly. I won’t stop worrying until I see her.”
Unfortunately, Nicholas shook his head.
“Sophie, I know that I’m just a villain in your eyes, but don’t you worry! Since I’ve promised not to harm her, I’ll keep my word. However, I will never agree to you seeing her now. I know how skilled you are. Moreover, I’m certain that you’re carrying a gun with you! If you were to see Butterfly, you would definitely rescue her and take her away. By then, I wouldn’t even have a chance to see you.”
That was how pathetic Nicholas was willing to become for Sophie. All that he had done so far was just for a chance to see her face.
Sophie was rendered speechless by Nicholas’ response to her request.
Nicholas knew her all too well.
“I can’t even take a look at her?” Sophie narrowed her eyes in displeasure.
Her annoyance did not go unnoticed by Nicholas, but he would not cave. Nicholas was too well-versed in Sophie’s powerful skills, which was why he could not risk it.
“Fine, then! If that’s the case, I’ll be heading back now. I’m tired. I want to rest.”
She had been on a flight for quite a long while. Not only so, but she still had not adjusted to the time zone and was struggling with jet lag. It was only natural that she felt tired.
All she wanted to do was to retire for the day.
“All right. I’ll send you back.”
Nicholas was familiar with her temper. If he continued to retain her in the restaurant after she had made such a statement, she would be infuriated.
Sophie’s temper toward himself had always been terrible.
Hence, Nicholas would sometimes be envious of the people around her, for Sophie would always be gentle to those she cared about.
Without arguing, Nicholas personally sent Sophie to the hotel.
“Can I hang in your room for a bit?” When they arrived at the hotel, Nicholas was still reluctant for them to part ways. He had pulled a lot of strings just to see her. It had always been his desire to spend more time with her.
When Sophie heard Nicholas’ question, her expression darkened instantly.
Nicholas immediately took a few steps back.
“Okay. Got it. I was just asking. I know that you wouldn’t agree to it.” Nicholas raised his hands in surrender. After all, Tristan was in the room. There was absolutely no way Sophie would allow himself to enter the room.
Before he left, Nicholas left Sophie with a final statement. “Remember, Sophie, no one else in this entire world will love you more than I do.” Not even Tristan comes close. “All right. I know you’re tired. Go and get some rest.”
Sophie did not reply. Whether or not Nicholas loved her was none of her problems.
Love required mutual affection from two parties. Nicholas’ feelings for her were one-sided. In Sophie’s eyes, that was not love but an obsession and a nuisance.
Nicholas’ eyes trailed Sophie as she made her way inside the hotel until she could no longer be seen. For a long while, Nicholas did not return to the car. He stood frozen outside the hotel doors, unable to believe that all that had happened was real.
It was starting to rain. Richard approached Nicholas to shelter the latter from the rain with an umbrella.
“Boss, we should head back now,” Richard advised. You’ve had a meal with her and have already seen her, as you’ve wished for. It’s time for you to go back and settle the issues within the Sable family.
“Mm-hmm.”
Nicholas hummed in response and got into the car. However, he did not order the driver to drive off immediately.
He still wanted to stay there for a moment longer.
For at that moment, the distance between him and Sophie was close enough.
Nicholas was aware of how pathetic he looked, but what else could he do?
In regard to love, whoever had fallen deeper would always be more pathetic. That was a reality that no one could change.
In the meantime, Sophie pushed open the door to the presidential suite only to see Tristan sitting on the couch and staring into space.
Curious, she made her way over to him.
“Why aren’t you taking a nap?” Sophie was already feeling sleepy by then, so she could not help but wonder why Tristan did not sleep first when he had gotten back earlier than she did.
“I was waiting for you to return.” Tristan could not fall asleep with the knowledge that Sophie was out with Nicholas. Thus, he had been sitting on the couch and waiting for her ever since he got to the room.
Sophie took a seat next to him and leaned on his shoulder.
“Didn’t you eat with Arius and the others? I believe they would have had something to eat before heading over to the International Medical Association.”
Tristan merely stared at her in silence. How could he possibly have the appetite to eat when he knew that she was dining with another man?
After a brief pause, he replied, “I didn’t want to go with them. Besides, I’m not really hungry right now. What about you? How was your dinner with Nicholas?”
Sophie looked up at him.
“Are you feeling jealous? Tristan, haven’t I told you? I have never had any feelings for Nicholas all this while.”
If it weren’t for the fact that Butterfly was in Nicholas’ hands, Sophie would never agree to dine with him.
That was something that Tristan had to get through his head.
“Mm-hmm. I know that.”
Nevertheless, knowing and accepting were two different entities. At the thought of Nicholas, Tristan wanted nothing more than to kill that man.
“Cheer up. Would you like me to accompany you out to eat? We can come back and get some well- needed rest after the meal,” Sophie offered.
No matter how hectic it was outside, it would be tomorrow’s problem.
“No need for that. I’ll just call room service to get us some food,” Tristan suggested instead, bearing in mind that Sophie must have been exhausted. Starting from the next day onward, they had no idea how long they would be at the International Medical Association, which was all the more reason for them to stay in and get all the rest they needed.
“That works too. In that case, call room service, then. I’ll join you in a bit after my shower.”
“Okay.”
Sophie stepped into the bathroom. As the water ran down her body, the wheels in her head began turning rapidly.
Where could Nicholas be holding Butterfly captive? This is Anglandur. Nicholas owns mansions everywhere here.
With the many mansions that he owned, it would be impossible for her to comb through every single one of them.
Sophie took a quick shower absent-mindedly before changing into a fresh set of clothes. She was so caught up in figuring out Butterfly’s location that she just bundled her hair up with a towel, not even bothering to pat it dry.
When she thought of a location, she immediately rang up her friend in Anglandur.
“I’m going to send you an address in a little bit. Get someone to scout out the place. I’m looking for someone called Butterfly.”
“Phantom? Have you come to Anglandur?”
“Mm-hmm. I’m here for some other reason, but finding Butterfly is also an important task. Please help me check out the place.”
“All right, no problem! Don’t worry about it! Your problems are my problems. Your friends are my friends.”
It was not every day Phantom would ask him for help. Naturally, he would not deny her the help she needed.
“Thanks in advance. When you find her, I’ll treat you to a meal.”
“Deal. See you then.”
Sophie’s contact was the best out of the best when it came to finding someone. Therefore, Sophie had complete trust and confidence to task him with finding Butterfly.
Unbeknownst to her, Tristan had also gotten the same address and had sent forces to investigate the location.
However, when Tristan’s men arrived at the mansion, they discovered that the security of the place was impenetrable. It was simply impossible to sneak into the mansion.
When Tristan received the report from his subordinates, he furrowed his brows.
Nicholas was not a fool. If he dared to lock Butterfly up in that mansion, he must have predicted that they would be able to find her.
Hence, he flooded the place with security guards.
Forcefully barging into the mansion to get Butterfly out did not seem like a good plan either.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Tristan. We’ll come up with a solution. Once we can confirm that she’s inside, we’ll think of a plan.”
As of then, the most important step was to sneak into the mansion and see whether or not Butterfly was inside.
Unfortunately, Nicholas had been extremely cautious that time around. He had made it a tough challenge for others to enter the mansion.
“Be careful.” With that final instruction, Tristan hung up the phone. Seeing that Sophie had not gotten out of the bathroom after a considerable amount of time, he frowned and went over to knock on the bathroom door.
“What’s taking you so long?” Tristan asked as he pushed the bathroom door open.
Upon entering the bathroom, he noticed that Sophie was still wearing a bathrobe with her hair twisted inside a towel. She had not even blow-dried her hair.
