Chapter 222 Blind Date

Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Blind Date

Sophie Winslow felt a roaring in her ears.

She tried her best to steady her elation, her fingers curled tight. "Really?"

Heaven knew how long she had waited for this moment! She figured Julian Sterling’s showdown with Madam Sterling yesterday must have had some effect, making the old madam see his determination and realize that forcing the issue wouldn’t work.

Sophie suddenly felt a bit grateful for Julian’s reckless disregard for consequences when it came to Stella Sutton. At the very least, it gave her hope.

Madam Sterling’s tone remained even. "But there is a condition."

"Please tell me," Sophie said.

"You told me last time that you’ve fallen in love with another man. I’ve thought about it. If you really have a man you love, it’s not impossible for me to let you go. How about this: bring him here and let me take a look at him. If he’s indeed a good man, I’ll give it to you."

The smile on Sophie’s lips slowly faded. She hadn’t expected Madam Sterling to make such a demand.

But she had only been making things up back then. Where was she supposed to find someone to play along?

Adrian Hawthorne?

That was obviously out of the question. Adrian’s identity was far too special. Having him come over would cause problems, considering the two families were secretly competing against each other. The Sterlings of the North and the Hawthornes of the South wasn’t just an empty saying.

As Sophie fell into a brief silence, Madam Sterling immediately grew displeased. "You were lying to me after all. Why must you do this, child?"

Sophie was caught off guard and choked on her words.

She had only been silent for barely two seconds. Madam Sterling was the matriarch of the Sterling family, after all; she was incredibly sharp. Sophie wanted to say something to salvage her divorce certificate, but then she heard Madam Sterling speak again.

"Since you don’t have such a person, I’ll introduce someone to you. He is the grandson of an old friend of mine. He’s only a few years older than you, very upright and gentle, and a rare young talent. He’s exactly at the age for marriage. Go meet him on a blind date. If you fancy him, we’ll settle the matter."

Sophie frowned, sensing the old madam’s subtle attitude. It was either stay bound to Julian, or settle down with someone else.

But a blind date...

It was too absurd. And to think it was being arranged by her ex-husband’s grandmother.

"If you agree, I’ll have the divorce certificate sent back to you afterward," Madam Sterling offered an irresistible bait.

Sophie gripped her phone tightly and took a deep breath. "Alright, I’ll go."

There was nothing she wouldn’t do to get that certificate. It was just a blind date. They were already divorced anyway, so why shouldn’t she go? Furthermore, only by obtaining the divorce certificate could she completely secure custody of Lydia. She had waited too long for Julian to give it to her, and she didn’t want to wait anymore.

After ending the call, Madam Sterling sent someone to deliver an invitation to a high-end luxury brand’s evening banquet for Sophie. Her blind date was the organizer of this event.

Along with the invitation came a phone call from a man. "Miss Winslow?"

The man’s voice was gentle. "My name is Tristan Thorne, the person you are meeting tonight. Did you receive the invitation? When you arrive, you can call me in advance and I’ll come pick you up."

Sophie could hear the man’s politeness and thoughtfulness. Although she felt guilty for going with an ulterior motive, it should be fine as long as she explained herself clearly when the time came.

"Okay," she said.

"Then, I look forward to meeting you."

"Okay."

Sophie wasn’t the type to open her heart to others easily. There were very few people who could make her lower her guard and show her true self. Therefore, she could only manage a polite attitude.

The other party didn’t seem to mind Sophie’s politeness and distance either. He simply chuckled and ended the call with appropriate tact.

Sophie breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the invitation. She wasn’t sure if Julian knew about Madam Sterling arranging a blind date for her, but this sort of thing probably wouldn’t matter to him, so she had no intention of informing him.

The event took the form of an evening banquet, and it was quite formal. Sophie picked out a foolproof evening gown and headed straight to the venue when the time came.

The luxury jewelry banquet was held on a grand scale, which wasn’t uncommon in high society. Many celebrities and aristocrats would attend, making the banquet’s jewelry sales volume even more impressive.

But this was Sophie’s first time attending. Marrying Julian had granted her entry into this social class, but they had kept their marriage a secret, and he had never brought her to such events.

Sophie didn’t rush to call Tristan. After entering the inner hall, she saw many popular male and female celebrities who were acting as important jewelry "salespeople" for the night. There were plenty of media personnel, as well as wealthy socialites and heiresses.

Sophie didn’t consider herself extravagant. Even though she had a substantial amount of money on hand, she rarely made high-priced purchases. But remembering that Ivy Hawthorne’s birthday was approaching, she thought she might buy a gift for her tonight. Ivy loved sparkly and pretty jewelry the most.

Moving further inside the hall, Sophie saw many wealthy elites taking photos with the popular celebrities. She wasn’t one to chase after stars, so she wasn’t very interested. After a brief glance around, she took out her phone, ready to contact Tristan.

Before she could dial, a voice came from behind. "Sophie?"

Sophie looked over. Evan York, dressed in a sharply tailored suit, looked very surprised to see her. This was quickly followed by a complex expression—one that seemed soft yet mixed with an indescribable awkwardness.

"Yes," Sophie nodded.

Evan’s mindset towards Sophie was quite peculiar these days. A few days ago, because of Adrian, he had found it hard not to take his anger out on Sophie. However, Sophie had then saved his grandmother. He had witnessed the entire process; she was a qualified doctor who didn’t even hold past grudges against them.

As a result, facing her made him feel a bit embarrassed. He wanted to thank her, but a stubborn feeling held him back.

"Why are you here too?" he could only search for a topic.

"Too?" Sophie caught the keyword.

Evan instantly realized he had said the wrong thing. He looked toward a spot not far away, and Sophie followed his gaze.

Julian stood out remarkably among the crowd; even the male celebrities beside him paled in comparison. As Mr. Sterling of Sterling Corp, there was no one who didn’t know him. Female celebrities flocked forward, all wanting to make his acquaintance.

There was no shortage of bold ones. "Mr. Sterling, could I take a photo with you?"

Julian lowered his eyes.

Before he could speak, an elegant female voice came from behind. "Julian doesn’t like taking photos."

Stella Sutton stepped forward in a white dress and naturally hooked her arm through Julian’s in front of everyone. The female celebrities instantly understood Stella’s implication and couldn’t help but look at Julian.

Julian didn’t reject Stella’s approach. His tone was cultured yet distant. "Apologies."

He turned down the female celebrity’s overture.

Instantly, envious gazes were cast toward Stella from all directions. The smile on Stella’s lips grew even sweeter.

Watching this scene, Sophie naturally understood that Julian was rejecting all temptations for Stella’s sake. He maintained strict boundaries and gave Stella a strong sense of security.

Sophie was genuinely surprised to run into Julian here, especially since she had been arranged to go on a blind date today. It gave her a strange feeling regardless...

She didn’t want to run into Julian face-to-face.

She was just about to greet Evan and then leave when a man in the crowd caught sight of her. A smile surfaced in his eyes as he walked straight over. "Miss Winslow? I am Tristan Thorne."