Chapter 122 Mr. York’s Biological Grandmother

Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Mr. York’s Biological Grandmother

Sophie truly hadn’t known this. She only knew that Ms. Winnie Hayes was a luminary in the medical field. Alongside Hector Caldwell, representing Western and traditional Chinese medicine respectively, they were titans of the exact same caliber—true figures who even held sway in political circles. She only knew that the York family was immensely powerful. She never expected Evan York to be so lucky as to be Ms. Winnie Hayes’s biological grandson.

At the thought of Evan, Sophie almost subconsciously frowned.

"A bad apple from a good tree," Sophie could only say. Evan’s biggest problem was that he was deaf and blind to the truth. He lacked objectivity and blindly favored his so-called friends and their beloveds.

"Did Mr. York offend you?" Peter Preston asked, somewhat curious.

Sophie stood up with a stack of documents. "I just don’t get along with him. We clash like oil and water." He had repeatedly urged her to leave Julian Sterling to make room for Stella Sutton, completely oblivious to the fact that she was the actual victim. She simply couldn’t communicate with someone like Evan, who would disregard everything just to protect his own people.

After finishing her work, Sophie headed to the marital home as usual. Since Madam Sterling had caught onto her and Julian’s deception last time, she was undoubtedly keeping a close eye on them right now. Naturally, Sophie wasn’t going to provoke her.

Just as she had expected, Julian was also willing to return home. As soon as she walked through the door, she saw that Julian had already changed into a relatively casual set of black loungewear. He was sitting on the sofa, leafing through a foreign-language book.

Hearing her, he looked up and said in a calm, flat tone, "You’re back."

Sophie paused midway through changing her shoes. In the past, Julian had never come home this frequently. Now that the situation involved him being unable to divorce and give Stella proper status as a single man, he was suddenly willing to cooperate.

This brought Sophie some peace of mind. Initially, she had been worried that Julian wouldn’t take the matter of retrieving their divorce certificate seriously. Now that it threatened his ability to be with Stella legitimately, he was indeed more anxious than she was.

"Yeah," Sophie replied.

Julian turned a page. "You’ve worked hard. Let’s eat."

Sophie was speechless. This sudden display of care and consideration was truly an eye-opener. Julian really was a better actor than she was.

Seeing that the two were getting along quite well, Ms. Coleman served dinner with a beaming smile. She even specifically handed Sophie a bowl of taro paste bird’s nest soup.

"Mr. Sterling ordered this to be stewed for you, Madam. He said it’s your favorite."

Only then did Sophie glance across the table. Julian met her gaze, his deep eyes calm and unruffled. "Try it?"

Only after getting a divorce did her ex-husband’s "love" begin to overflow, making their days feel warm and cozy. Sophie didn’t think Julian was actually being sincere. They shared a common goal—she did it for their daughter, and he did it for his lover. Therefore, she wouldn’t attach any meaning to his actions.

That night, Sophie and Julian continued to sleep in the same bed to "complete their mission." However, they stayed strictly on their respective sides, as if divided by an invisible chasm. Because of this, Sophie was able to fall asleep comfortably.

On the day of the pharmaceutical approval conference, Sophie and Peter headed there together.

"There are many VIPs present today. It’ll be good for you to show your face and make some connections," Peter advised. Thanks to his background with Calyx Hospital, many people were already well-acquainted with him.

As soon as they entered the venue, quite a few people took the initiative to come over and greet them. Peter navigated such occasions with effortless grace. While handling the pleasantries, he smoothly introduced Sophie. "This is Sophie Winslow, our Head of Pharmaceutical Research and Development and Smart Healthcare at Helios."

Sophie was also very perceptive, carrying herself with poise and grace as she conversed with various contacts.

Many were surprised. "Miss Winslow looks very young."

Peter proudly replied, "Age isn’t important. Sophie got involved in this industry even earlier than I did. She was memorizing ancient medical texts before she was even ten years old."

This introduction immediately drew a chorus of gasps and admiration. Sophie felt a little embarrassed, but Peter seemed to share the proud, vicarious glory of a father introducing his own accomplished daughter.

Just as they were about to head to another section, Sophie turned around, only to come face-to-face with a group of people who had just walked in.

Julian was inherently eye-catching. The moment he arrived, sharp-eyed attendees crowded around him, seeking an opportunity to chat. Beside him, Stella was smiling brightly, her arm linked with his. The two looked like a match made in heaven. Without needing to do anything, they instantly became the center of attention.

Two women walking past Sophie chatted enviously. "Did you notice? Mr. Sterling and Miss Sutton are wearing matching outfits."

Inevitably, Sophie’s gaze drifted over.

The other woman said, "Mr. Sterling’s tie is navy blue, and Miss Sutton’s suit is also in a blue tone. Have you heard the saying? ’My tie will always match the color of your dress.’ Oh my gosh, that is just too romantic!"

Only then did Sophie notice that Julian’s tie was indeed a low-key dark blue.

Time couldn’t prove the depth or quality of one’s feelings. At the very least, during her seven years as his wife, she had never received such treatment. The number of exceptions Julian had made for Stella was simply uncountable.

"Why did he bring her?" Peter frowned. Stella was no longer even on the pharmaceutical R&D team. What was the point of her making a special appearance today?

"Let them be," Sophie said, withdrawing her gaze. She could roughly guess the reason. Lately, Julian had been forced to come home to "deal with" her, which meant he had to coax Stella to make up for it. Today was probably his way of compensating Stella. After all, many people in the industry knew that Stella had participated in the joint project between Helios and Kingsford University. She was simply here to steal the spotlight.

Peter had also figured it out and scoffed. "She really won’t give up. Not getting her name on the credits must be eating her alive." This drug would go down as a milestone medication in the future. No matter how unwilling Stella was, she had no choice but to swallow it.

The one who noticed Sophie’s presence was Finn Lockwood, who had followed closely behind them. As a businessman, he naturally attended today to scout for the best investment opportunities. Spotting Sophie, he looked a bit surprised. "Wasn’t she pulled from the final stage of the clinical trials? How is she still qualified to be here today?"

Julian glanced over, just in time to see Sophie turning around and walking away side-by-side with Peter.

Only then did Stella notice that Sophie was also there. A flash of displeased irritation flickered through her eyes. "Mr. Preston is certainly bending over backward to elevate Sophie."

What a pity. He had been bewitched by beauty and was stubbornly trying to prop up a lost cause. What was the point of giving opportunities to Sophie?

Finn smiled and shook his head. "Even if resources are spoon-fed to you, you still need the ability to digest them. She didn’t follow through with the final stage of the clinical trials, so the credits have nothing to do with her. All she can do is watch from the sidelines."

These words brought Stella a bit of comfort. Even if she had failed to stay on the team until the end and secure her name on the credits because of Sophie’s scheming, Sophie hadn’t gained anything either. Sophie still wasn’t qualified to be mentioned in the same breath as her.

"Julian, let’s go take our seats," she said, looking up at him.

Julian glanced at his wristwatch. "Let’s go." He showed no intention of paying any attention to Sophie.

Peter ran into a senior figure in the industry and went over to exchange pleasantries, so Sophie went ahead to take her seat. Many pharmaceutical companies had shown up today, all waiting for the approval results, and Helios’s seats happened to be in the front row.

The moment she sat down, she unlocked her phone to review the drug data. Someone took the seat next to hers, bringing with them a faint, incredibly familiar scent of fir and rime cologne. Sophie turned her head and saw Julian’s sharp, clean-cut side profile. She hadn’t expected them to be seated together.

Before she could say anything, another figure appeared in front of her. She looked up and saw Stella. Looking down at her, Stella spoke in a tone that was gentle yet carried an undeniable, forceful edge. "Miss Winslow, please swap seats with me. It’s much more appropriate for me to sit here."