Chapter 140 Stella Sutton Fails to Force Marriage?

Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Stella Sutton Fails to Force Marriage?

Sophie’s movements were simply too crisp and decisive. She... had actually accepted Adrian Hawthorne’s proposal ring.

So much so that, for the split second Julian Sterling stared at her actions, his pupils reflected the faint flash of the night’s neon lights, burning with a piercing, icy glare. He could barely see her clearly.

Adrian’s gaze remained fixed on Sophie as he quietly stepped up to stand by her side. He looked as triumphant and high-spirited as a general who had just won a war.

The atmosphere in the room reached a boiling point once more. A continuous stream of voices rang out, congratulating Adrian.

Peter Preston, who had previously been stumped by Julian’s questioning, instantly relaxed. He raised his glass to clink it against Julian’s again. "You’re overthinking it, Mr. Sterling. Sophie doesn’t resist at all. Especially with a high-quality bachelor like Mr. Hawthorne—why would she ever refuse to date him?"

As he spoke, Peter shot a glance at Stella Sutton, whose expression was unreadable. "However, our Sophie is still quite shy. She’s far too reserved to publicly propose on her own initiative. This kind of thing is much more interesting—and much more natural—when the man takes the lead."

He acted as if he were completely oblivious to the fact that Julian was Sophie’s husband. Every single word was "unintentionally" cutting right to the quick.

Julian didn’t respond to Peter. Peter, on the other hand, was in an excellent mood. He didn’t feel the slightest pinch in his wallet as he paid out of pocket to open several bottles of fine wine, chatting and clinking glasses with the other tables. He was being so high-profile it looked as if he were the one getting married.

Sophie simply couldn’t bear to watch him.

Of course, she knew perfectly well that Peter was covertly venting her frustration for her. Stella had been itching to "propose" right in front of her face, even secretly manipulating the clueless onlookers into pressuring Sophie to record a video for them. Every single act had been a blatant attempt to rub her superiority in Sophie’s face.

She was incredibly grateful. Adrian’s sudden appearance had completely derailed that scenario, ensuring this humiliating scene wouldn’t come back to haunt her dreams in the dead of night. She was also thankful to have a fiercely protective friend like Peter.

However, because of where Sophie was standing, she was facing Julian directly. She only had to lift her head to see him. Everyone else was reacting to the situation, but her husband of seven years remained perfectly still, acting like a proper yet entirely detached spectator.

It wasn’t until this very moment that she realized the bitter truth: all her devotion over the years had been less rewarding than feeding a stray dog.

"Thank you."

Adrian’s voice suddenly rang in her ear. Sophie finally looked up. Adrian was looking at her, his gaze filled with reassurance. He spoke in a low voice that only the two of them could hear. "You took the ring to save me from being embarrassed in front of all these people. Don’t be nervous, Sophie."

Sophie froze, completely taken aback that Adrian would say such a thing.

For a fleeting moment earlier, she truly hadn’t wanted Julian to think she was so hung up on him that she couldn’t accept anyone else. She had also worried about how things would end if Adrian actually believed she was agreeing to marry him.

But Adrian seemed to... be able to read her mind. On the surface, he appeared to be thanking her for saving his pride, but in reality, he was giving her a graceful way out.

Yet, in that same instance, a sudden suspicion flared in Sophie’s mind. Adrian’s abrupt proposal—and the way he had perfectly cut Stella off—was all a bit too coincidental. Did he really not know that she and Julian used to be husband and wife?

Stella’s expression grew even colder at the sight of Sophie taking the ring. That ring was supposed to be for her and Julian. Sophie certainly knew how to make a show of stealing other people’s things.

Stella was utterly bewildered. Given Adrian’s status, why on earth would he take a fancy to someone like Sophie? What’s more, Sophie was a married woman and technically still a daughter-in-law of the Sterling family.

Perhaps Sophie was jealous of her status in Julian’s heart. Unwilling to be outdone, she must have secretly seduced Adrian to prop up her ridiculous pride and competitive urge, right?

Adrian had clearly been deceived by Sophie!

She pursed her lips and turned to look at Julian, suddenly feeling a sliver of comfort. At the very least, Julian hadn’t been swayed by Sophie. He hadn’t let Sophie’s manipulative little act provoke his masculine possessiveness.

"Julian, we can talk about our matter properly later. Let’s discuss it in private. After all, neither you nor I are the type to put on a show."

The distance wasn’t far, so Sophie heard every word loud and clear. Stella didn’t explicitly state what "our matter" was, but considering everything that had led up to this, Sophie could only think of one possibility: Stella still planned to discuss marriage with Julian in private.

Stella was sending a clear message: they already had plans for their future.

Sophie didn’t cast another glance in their direction, simply turning to Adrian. "Let’s go sit down and eat."

The Helios employees immediately swarmed over, surrounding Sophie and cheering enthusiastically. The atmosphere in the restaurant was harmonious, filled with joyous blessings.

Peter couldn’t resist looking back at Julian. Stella was murmuring something, and Julian was leaning in to listen. He didn’t even spare Sophie a single glance.

The sight made Peter choke with exasperation. Did Julian Sterling even have a heart? That was his wife of seven years. Even if he didn’t love her, it should have been impossible to be this utterly indifferent. Instead of rushing over to stop it, he was turning a blind eye? Was he truly that apathetic, or was he just arrogant enough to believe that he had Sophie entirely in the palm of his hand?

Once the large group had taken their seats, they unsurprisingly began to tease her.

"Sophie, how did you meet this gentleman?"

Adrian answered on Sophie’s behalf. "We are family."

Sophie thought about it and realized it was actually quite fitting. One was Lydia’s mother, and the other was Lydia’s "father." Didn’t that really make them a family?

Halfway through the meal, Peter shot Sophie a knowing look, but she acted as if she hadn’t seen it.

The dinner proceeded in harmony. As it came to an end, Sophie realized she had forgotten her bag and went back to retrieve it. However, as she stepped into the elevator, she ran into Julian, who had yet to leave.