Chapter 199 Sophie Winslow Was Abandoned

Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Sophie Winslow Was Abandoned

After Stella Sutton finished speaking, she washed her hands and turned to leave, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her radiant triumph was impossible to conceal, morphing into a tangible blade that made Sophie Winslow’s temples throb with a faint ache. Stella left so abruptly that Sophie didn’t even have a chance to retort.

A sharp scoff escaped Sophie’s throat; she couldn’t help but laugh out of sheer exasperation. It was astounding how shameless some people could be. They would do the wrong thing and still crown themselves with a beautiful excuse, glorifying it as "true love above all else." When Sophie walked out, she saw Stella beeline straight for Julian Sterling, acting as though her place beside him was far more legitimate than Sophie’s.

Peter Preston walked over, noticing her heavy expression. "What’s wrong?" he asked.

Sophie retracted her gaze and pursed her lips. "Nothing. Just got bitten by a dog."

A rabid dog was exactly the kind of creature that would relentlessly hunt you down, even if you paid it no mind. Peter instinctively glanced over at Stella. "Her?"

"What’s on the schedule for later?" Sophie asked, unwilling to waste her time and energy discussing Stella.

Peter shifted gears, replying, "We have a dinner gathering in a bit. The university leadership wants to speak with you formally to arrange the details of your upcoming appointment." Sophie was currently a highly sought-after figure, and the university was taking her very seriously.

Sophie lightly scratched the tip of her nose. "Oh. Do I really have to attend this dinner?"

Peter flicked her lightly on the forehead. "Your senior brother is going too. What are you afraid of? It’s just a formal introduction to your future colleagues. Since your hiring process isn’t fully completed yet, your identity won’t be made public for now, but a private, formal meeting is absolutely necessary." He chuckled and shook his head. At heart, she still had a bit of a young girl’s temperament, feeling somewhat insecure about these kinds of situations.

From a distance, Evan York saw the interaction clearly. The dynamic between Peter and Sophie was incredibly harmonious. He could tell that Sophie trusted Peter deeply, even revealing traces of innocent, girlish charm around him. Anyone who didn’t know better would assume Peter was her biological brother. But there was no denying that Sophie seemed to be very popular with the opposite sex. The realization made Evan unconsciously furrow his brows. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what he was feeling.

"Mr. York? What are you looking at?" Stella asked solicitously as she approached him.

Evan snapped back to reality. "Nothing."

Stella smiled. "Is that so?" She had seen it—Evan was staring at Sophie. He seemed far too focused on her. This realization caused her smile to fade slightly.

Finn Lockwood strolled over and slung an arm around Evan’s shoulder. "Stella secured some clients today for the product launch. All in all, things went quite smoothly. She even greeted Director Preston, which plenty of people witnessed." Stella had purposely sought out Philip Preston for a conversation during the group photo session, ensuring there were pictures of the two of them engaged in a "pleasant chat." When the time came, they could use this to artificially boost Stella’s credibility.

"Did Director Preston explicitly state that he’s taking on a student?" Evan asked.

Stella smiled. "That will depend on the interview results, but I shouldn’t have a problem."

Finn teased, "You were a student at Kingsford University back in the day, and you’ve got a study-abroad background. Your comprehensive skills are strong. There’s no reason Director Preston would reject you. It’s practically a done deal." As he spoke, Finn glanced over at Sophie, who was currently walking with Peter toward two renowned professors from Kingsford University. "Once you start conducting medical research under Director Preston, Sophie will be left in the dust. The only reason she got to meet those professors today was because she piggybacked on Mr. Preston. If she ever wants to set foot in Kingsford University again, she’ll have to go through the standard appointment channels."

Sophie was just lucky to have jumped to a good company and found a boss like Peter, who was willing to show her the ropes. After today, if Sophie tried to enter Kingsford University, she would be shut out at the gates.

Understanding Finn’s implication, Stella covered her lips and giggled softly. He was saying that Sophie wouldn’t even be able to catch her exhaust fumes—they simply weren’t on the same level.

Julian Sterling was currently looking down at his phone, replying to work messages. He seemed utterly oblivious to the discussion about Sophie, appearing completely indifferent.

Finn looked back at Evan. "I really don’t know what got into Mr. Hawthorne’s head. Of all people, why did he set his sights on Sophie?" There were so many exceptional women out there. Aside from having a pretty face, what did Sophie actually have going for her?

At the mention of this, Stella let out a faint smirk. "Mr. Hawthorne probably realizes he’s been played by now." After all, at the Sterling Family’s anniversary gala not too long ago, Julian had resorted to exposing his marital relationship with Sophie to save his own skin. Once Adrian Hawthorne found out about Sophie and Julian, he would naturally understand that Sophie had been stringing him along on purpose. What made a married woman think that Adrian would ever accept her or treat her the same as before?

"True. I heard Mr. Hawthorne recently went abroad. He’s probably given up on Sophie. There hasn’t been a single update since," Finn scoffed. Given a man of Adrian’s status and pride, the fact that Sophie had concealed her marriage—especially to the Sterling Family—meant that he would never drag himself into such a messy scandal for her sake.

Stella raised an eyebrow. To put it bluntly, Sophie wasn’t exactly a saint either. She was still part of the Sterling Family, yet she had been looking outward, setting her sights so high that she reached straight for Adrian. It was nothing more than an attempt to secure a solid backup plan for when Julian eventually kicked her to the curb. But now, Sophie’s wishful thinking was completely shattered. Adrian going abroad at this critical juncture clearly indicated that he had abandoned her.

"Adrian’s daughter," Julian suddenly spoke up, raising his head to look over with clear, cool eyes. "How is the search for Lydia Hawthorne’s biological mother going?" He was asking Evan. Evan had been unwilling to let Adrian make a fool of the York Family, so he was dead set on finding Lydia’s birth mother to throw a wrench into the whole affair.

Evan narrowed his eyes. "We have some leads. Five years ago, Adrian spent a significant amount of time in Seabourne. He frequently visited a private hospital, and the timeline roughly matches the date of Lydia’s birth." However, because it was a private hospital, extracting any information was exceedingly difficult.

Julian shoved his phone back into his pocket. "As long as you have a direction, finding the person is manageable."

Evan’s tone was unreadable. "As long as this woman comes back demanding a proper status, whoever Adrian gets involved with will inevitably be affected." He knew that the marriage arrangement between their two families would sooner or later be canceled through formal negotiations once Adrian returned to the country. But he refused to let the York Family be placed in a passive position. If that woman came back to pester him, it would at least give Adrian a headache for a while.

Julian glanced at him sideways. "Still no news about your sister?" Stella and Finn both looked over as well.

Evan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sometimes I wonder if we’ve just been chasing shadows all this time. Maybe..."

"If she’s alive, how old would she be now?" Julian asked thoughtfully, as if something had just crossed his mind.

"Probably twenty-seven."

Julian rubbed his fingertips together before slowly asking, "What month was she born?"

"May. Why?"

"Nothing." Julian lowered his gaze, the emotions in his eyes flickering indiscernibly. Sophie was born on March thirteenth.

Later, Sophie attended the dinner with the leadership of Kingsford University. She rarely participated in such formal social events, but fortunately, everyone present was an academic, and the conversation consistently revolved around academic topics. It kept her from feeling too awkward. By the end of the night, her appointment had essentially been finalized. The official public announcement would be made directly at the end of next month.