Chapter 202 Adrian Hawthorne: I Know Mr. Sterling

Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Adrian Hawthorne: I Know Mr. Sterling

Sophie Winslow didn’t expect that at this critical juncture, the atmosphere could get even weirder.

Lydia clearly didn’t have all those complicated twists and turns in her head. Seeing Adrian Hawthorne’s incoming video call, a bright smile blossomed on her lips. Her dimples were incredibly pretty. She directly tapped to answer, and Adrian’s face appeared on the screen.

"Daddy! How’s the weather over there? Have you been eating well?" the little girl asked sweetly.

A smile crossed Adrian’s usually stoic face. "It’s sunny. I had a sandwich, though it tasted so-so."

Lydia said straightforwardly, "We’re eating right now, but a gentleman came over to visit us."

"A gentleman?" Adrian asked.

Lydia panned the camera over to Julian Sterling, who was sitting across from her and Sophie. Adrian went quiet for a few seconds before greeting him, "Mr. Sterling."

Julian leaned back in his chair calmly, his tone completely neutral. "Mr. Hawthorne, it should only be four in the morning over there."

"Thanks for the concern. No matter what time it is, I can always make time to talk to my daughter," Adrian replied.

Sophie remained silent. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this situation was unspeakably bizarre.

Lydia asked, puzzled, "Daddy, do you know this gentleman well, too?"

Adrian seemed to chuckle softly. "You could say that. Mr. Sterling and I have known each other for many years."

Sophie was caught off guard by Adrian referring to him as "Mr. Sterling" to Lydia. Was it a slip of the tongue, or... intentional? He knew perfectly well that Julian was Lydia’s biological father.

Julian sensed that Adrian’s words carried a hidden meaning, but he couldn’t quite unravel the source of it yet. He raised his eyes, shooting a glance at Sophie. "You seem quite comfortable entrusting your daughter to others, Mr. Hawthorne."

Adrian said, "The child adores her. One must always try to fulfill a child’s heartfelt wishes."

That wish could mean anything. Julian heard the underlying implication: if Lydia insisted on having Sophie as her stepmother, Adrian would fulfill that wish, too. He didn’t respond to Adrian’s provocation, merely saying, "Lydia is very cute."

"Then perhaps you and your beloved should start making plans of your own, Mr. Sterling," Adrian said politely.

Sophie didn’t look up. His "beloved" wasn’t his wife. It was Stella Sutton. Throughout the conversation, Adrian never brought up the fact that Julian and Sophie were married, seemingly determined to play dumb.

With the conversation reaching this point, Sophie could no longer pretend to be invisible. She simply spoke up, "When are you returning to the country, Mr. Hawthorne?"

"I don’t have an exact date yet. I’ll let you know once it’s finalized."

"Alright."

Lydia immediately handed the phone to Sophie so she could video chat with Adrian. The little girl clung to Sophie’s side, making them look just like a mother and daughter casually chatting with their husband and father. Julian’s posture didn’t change. He continued to watch their heartwarming interaction with a flat, indifferent gaze, his expression devoid of warmth.

"I’ll have to trouble you to take good care of Lydia for me," Adrian said.

Sophie’s heart stirred, feeling a wave of gratitude. She understood what Adrian was doing. He was saying this on purpose, deliberately acting as if he were entrusting his daughter to her care. This largely dispelled any suspicions Julian might have about why Lydia was staying with her. Adrian was proactively giving her the rights of a mother while shielding her from Julian’s scrutiny.

"I will," she agreed.

Julian didn’t wait for them to finish their call. He stood up silently. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lydia swinging her little legs from the chair, one of her tiny slippers having fallen to the floor. He walked over quietly, crouched on one knee, and picked up the slipper, slipping it back onto Lydia’s small foot.

His phone rang at that exact moment. Sophie glanced over and caught the name flashing across his screen. Julian didn’t say another word. He turned, pushed the door open, and left. He didn’t even finish his meal, rushing off to the person he truly wanted to see.

Seeing his wife of seven years acting so intimately with Adrian and Adrian’s "daughter," Julian hadn’t shown the slightest emotional reaction. Not a hint of care, jealousy, anger, or displeasure. Absolutely nothing. He was like an apathetic bystander, completely indifferent, and he left without a second thought. Sophie saw through to the core of it—he wasn’t angry because he simply didn’t care. It only made her feel even more pathetic for the person she used to be.

Lydia looked at the doorway, then down at her slipper. She turned to Sophie and asked, "Mom, does that gentleman like me, too?"

Sophie paused. She couldn’t read Julian’s thoughts or emotions either. Yet, the man possessed an unexpected refinement and gentleness that appeared like a fleeting illusion, blurring the lines between what was real and what was fake. His attitude toward Lydia had genuinely surprised her. But she didn’t want to speak ill of Lydia’s biological father to her face. These were adult matters; she wouldn’t drag a child into it to bear the brunt of her parents’ discord, forcing her to make a choice.

She gently patted Lydia’s head and said, "Our baby is so adorable. There isn’t anyone who wouldn’t like you."

***

Sophie spent the entire weekend having fun with Lydia. She pushed the incident of Julian’s visit to the back of her mind. After all, with Adrian helping to smooth things over, she didn’t worry about Julian jumping to any wild conclusions.

Just as she had expected, Julian didn’t show up over the next two days, nor did he make any moves or show any suspicion regarding Lydia. Furthermore, Julian didn’t seem to care about her associating with Adrian. Everything remained calm and peaceful.

On Monday, the moment Sophie arrived at work, she finalized her schedule for the day. Her tumor surgery robot needed to start its pre-launch marketing phase, which required negotiating with future partners in advance for the product’s deployment once it was officially rolled out.

Peter Preston had meticulously shortlisted several medical institutions and private hospitals. Pointing to a premium private hospital named Mercywell, he said, "I’ve already spoken with their Director Linton. We’ve basically confirmed their intent to cooperate. Once the contract is signed, the order volume will be massive, and it’ll serve as excellent publicity. We’re heading over today to discuss the details."

"Is the appointment set?"

"Ten o’clock this morning."

Sophie nodded. "I’ll go negotiate, then. I’m the most familiar with the product, so I can clearly explain its advantages," she volunteered. Intelligent medical equipment used in operating rooms wasn’t yet widespread in the country, especially for a highly technical robot representing a massive technological breakthrough. She worried that if it wasn’t explained thoroughly, it could negatively impact the deal.

Peter agreed.

Sophie headed straight for the target hospital. Premium private hospitals catered to a different demographic; they required top-tier service as well as absolute technological and equipment superiority. Mercywell, much like Calyx, enjoyed exceptional renown domestically. Securing this partnership would blow the market wide open.

Upon arrival, Sophie mentioned her scheduled meeting.

The receptionist, however, replied, "I’m so sorry, but you’ll have to wait a moment. Director Linton is currently meeting with an esteemed guest."

Sophie checked the time; it was almost ten. She had no choice but to wait.

She didn’t expect to be kept waiting for over an hour. It dawned on her then: they were deliberately leaving her out to dry. And the most likely reason for that was...

She calmly walked up to the reception desk. "Who is this esteemed guest inside?"