Chapter 111 Father and Daughter Meet

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Father and Daughter Meet

She hadn’t expected to see a message like that.

A hotel? Getting a room?

The phone in her hand was still vibrating, turning her palm numb. It was a clinginess that only came from someone who knew they were spoiled and indulged.

"Give me the phone."

A shadow fell over her, accompanied by the cold, crisp scent of fir. She looked up, meeting Julian Sterling’s deep, dark eyes. He looked at her without a trace of emotion, his long, elegant hand held out toward her. There was an undeniable, commanding presence in his posture.

Even though his words were perfectly ordinary, Sophie Winslow felt he had probably misunderstood something.

Sophie didn’t hesitate; she handed the vibrating phone back to him. She couldn’t care less about the details of his romance with Stella Sutton. She just didn’t want her grandfather to see any of that filthy mess. Even when telling him about the divorce, she intended to frame it strictly as an "amicable split." After all, knowing she had been cheated on, abandoned, and humiliated would only break the old man’s heart.

As for whether Julian misunderstood and thought she had deliberately snooped on his privacy... it didn’t matter. She didn’t care.

Julian didn’t stay long. After sharing two pots of tea with Quentin Winslow, he left.

Sophie had work to attend to as well. When she came out, the ward next door was still empty. She knew Julian would handle the situation and the Sutton Family would settle down. Due to the scandal involving Stella Sutton and the female graduate student at Kingsford University, the university had issued disciplinary actions, ensuring the project wasn’t delayed. The pharmaceutical review was imminent. It would be her first brilliant battle, and her workload grew even more demanding.

The next day.

Sophie received a phone call bright and early.

"Is this Lydia’s parent?"

Sophie immediately tensed. "Is everything okay?"

"Well, today is Parent’s Day at the school. We require the children’s parents to attend. Please arrive by ten o’clock."

Sophie finally relaxed and checked the time. After a brief hesitation, she said, "Alright, I’ll make arrangements." She hung up the phone.

Out of caution, Sophie texted Ivy Hawthorne to ask. Ivy didn’t reply. She was most likely sleeping after staying up all night editing videos. As for Caldwell, the old man was in his eighties. An exhausting event like this was entirely unsuitable for him.

Sophie held her phone, mulling it over for a good while before making a decision. She would just go herself. Since she would be getting her divorce certificate tomorrow anyway, there was no need to remain so tightly wound.

The truth was, she had been absent for most of Lydia’s life. Only because of this divorce was Lydia finally able to move to Kingsford to live with her, giving them a chance like this. She couldn’t keep disappointing the little girl just to play it safe.

Sophie immediately got ready and submitted a leave request. When the time came, she headed straight for the kindergarten. It was a massive establishment; all the children of Kingsford’s most powerful and wealthy elite attended school here. By the time she arrived, many parents were already there.

"Mommy!"

Lydia spotted Sophie at a glance. Her face instantly broke into a bright smile, and her little legs pumped as she ran toward her.

Sophie immediately bent down and caught the little girl.

"I thought Grandpa would be the one coming today!" Lydia’s cheeks were flushed. Overjoyed by Sophie’s arrival, she couldn’t help but bounce up and down in place.

Sophie gently pinched her nose. "Mr. Caldwell is getting older. We shouldn’t tire him out."

"Okay! I love it when Mommy keeps me company. Can Mommy be the one to come from now on?" Lydia asked somewhat cautiously. She knew her mother was very busy and had her own difficulties. Mr. Caldwell had told her that her mother had been working very hard so they could live together and never be apart. She knew she shouldn’t make things difficult for her mother, but the other kids always had their mommies and daddies with them...

A bitter wave of guilt washed over Sophie. Lydia had always been so sensible. Even with such a small wish, she remained remarkably well-behaved.

"Alright, Mommy promises you," she said, her heart melting and aching at the same time.

"Tch, why is it you, you bad woman? Why are you the one coming as her parent?"

A childish voice piped up from the side. Sophie frowned and looked over.

Seth Sutton had already been discharged from the hospital. He looked a little thinner, but because he was so heavily built, it wasn’t very obvious. Thanks to his sturdy physique, he had recovered from his illness much faster than most. Right now, he was glaring at her with a smug, overbearing expression.

Sophie asked Lydia, "Is he your classmate?"

Lydia nodded. "We’re in the same class."

This situation caught Sophie completely off guard. When Julian had re-enrolled Seth, she assumed their paths wouldn’t cross. She hadn’t expected them to be in the exact same class.

Sophie ignored Seth, took Lydia’s hand, and walked to the side. Glancing around warily, she asked, "Baby, do you want to play a game with Mommy?"

Lydia nodded excitedly. "Yeah!"

Sophie wasn’t sure who from the Sutton Family would be attending Parent’s Day for Seth. Acting out of caution, she said patiently, "Let’s play the ’No Mommy’ game, okay? From now until the event ends, you aren’t allowed to call me ’Mommy’. If you succeed, I’ll take a whole day off to go to the amusement park with you. How does that sound?"

Lydia’s fighting spirit was instantly ignited. "I’m going to win!" She rarely got the chance to play alone with her mother, so she was determined to succeed.

Sophie finally felt a little more at ease. Running into Seth was unexpected. She was getting her divorce certificate soon—just one step away. Her careful nature wouldn’t allow for any deviations or problems.

However, just as she took Lydia’s hand to head to the classroom, she came face-to-face with the highly anticipated "family of three."

Among the crowd of parents, Julian’s striking appearance clearly stood out. He looked so relaxed and at ease that it hardly seemed like his first time here. He and Stella Sutton were each holding one of Seth’s hands. The little chubby boy proudly tilted his chin up, smugness written all over his face.

Even though Sophie had mentally prepared herself, coming face-to-face with Julian still triggered an uncontrollable sense of guilt and panic. She silently tightened her grip on Lydia’s hand.

Lydia couldn’t help but look up at her. "Mommy, what’s wrong?"

Sophie took a quiet breath. "Nothing’s wrong, baby."

But as she looked over, a hint of irony touched her lips. Julian really seemed addicted to playing "Daddy" for other people’s children. Anyone who didn’t know better would think Seth had no father of his own and needed Julian to handle everything for him.

When he bumped into Sophie, Julian’s gaze flickered slightly. His eyes slowly shifted from her face down to Lydia.

Even Stella was surprised, her brows instantly furrowing. She wondered, "Is Sophie doing this on purpose? Did she know we were coming today, so she borrowed a kid from somewhere to fake a chance encounter?"

Julian’s deep, dark eyes stared at Lydia for a long moment before looking back up at Sophie. Suddenly, he asked, "Who are this child’s parents?"

He only knew she was a child of the Hawthorne Family. He didn’t know who her actual parents were.

Sophie was surprised that Julian had initiated a conversation. She thought he would continue pretending they were barely acquaintances. After all, it had always been that way in the past. Yet today, he was suddenly curious.

Stella couldn’t help but purse her lips. She hadn’t expected Julian to pay attention to Sophie, either. It made her very unhappy.

The man’s gaze was sharp, carrying a perceptive, oppressive weight. Sophie’s heart beat heavily in a chaotic rhythm, but she kept her expression perfectly composed. "Ivy is busy, so I’m here to help out."