Chapter 230 Sophie Winslow, Beg Me

Chapter 230: Chapter 230: Sophie Winslow, Beg Me

Julian Sterling finally set down his teacup. "I’ll handle it." He had made his stance clear.

The tight knot in Stella Sutton’s heart instantly unraveled. She knew it. Julian couldn’t stand the idea of his relationship with Sophie Winslow being exposed either. If she was displeased, Julian would be even more so.

Sophie’s attempt to play hard to get over the phone clearly failed to trigger any reverse psychology. It wasn’t enough to make Julian deliberately leave the news up just to spite her "wishes." Sophie had miscalculated.

Finn Lockwood chimed in playfully, "Well, Sophie’s face wasn’t captured anyway. Julian covered her up, so she didn’t actually show her face to the public.

"With that in mind, even if we explain later that the woman in the photo is Stella, what’s wrong with that?"

Stella’s eyes flashed, but she said nonchalantly, "I don’t need to borrow someone else’s name." Since Julian had decided to take down the news, she felt much more at ease. At least she would have a way to explain things to her fans when the time came.

"However, I’m going for my interview the day after tomorrow. That’s what’s really worth celebrating," she added. Instead of racking her brains to steal the spotlight through romantic entanglements like Sophie did.

Finn looked over. "You got the notice?"

Stella smiled. "It’s confirmed."

"Then you’ll definitely get a spot. Director Preston usually has three openings. With your qualifications, it’s practically guaranteed."

Stella knew this too. Her background and resume gave her a massive advantage. With three spots available, one was bound to be hers as long as she performed well in the interview. Too much had happened recently. Her biggest trump card was her doctoral application. It was the only way to turn her public image around. The face she had lost at the Sterling family’s home might just be won back.

Looking at Julian, she dropped the topic of the news photos, acting as if she didn’t care in the slightest. "Julian, can you go with me that day? I’ll feel more at ease with you there."

Julian leaned back in his chair and nodded unhurriedly. "I can."

Sophie still hadn’t managed to contact Julian, nor had she received a call back. He never told her about his whereabouts anyway, always acting elusive. She couldn’t find him even if she tried. She felt that her current position was indeed quite passive. Julian had been consistently avoiding confronting any issues with her head-on.

Fortunately, Lydia’s situation was stable for now. Things hadn’t reached a do-or-die boiling point yet. However, Peter Preston had still noticed something fishy. He recognized the clothes and shoes the woman was wearing in the photos; he had seen Sophie wear them before.

Sophie could only explain, "It was just an accident... This won’t affect my current relationship with him. I’ve already gotten the divorce certificate. We’ve completely gone our separate ways."

Peter knew Sophie had been busy with the divorce paperwork lately. After all, she needed proof of divorce to transfer Lydia out of Adrian Hawthorne’s registry.

"That’s great news. Officially divorced and returning to your true self—that’s worth celebrating." Without a moment’s delay, Peter rushed off to order a cake.

Sophie’s mood lightened as well. She was truly reborn now. Having obtained the divorce certificate, Lydia’s matter only required waiting for Adrian’s return. She no longer had to worry about Madam Sterling threatening to revoke the divorce at any moment. She was free of all lingering concerns.

Sophie didn’t waste too much energy dwelling on the news. The second phase of her project was approaching, and there was one crucial matter she had to handle: visiting Acuity to discuss future order volumes and pricing. The necessary part optimizations also required an in-person discussion, and she was the one who understood the details best.

She scheduled an appointment with Mr. Linton at Acuity for three o’clock that afternoon. Acuity’s factory was an industry benchmark. Sophie planned to tour the facilities again to facilitate a more targeted discussion.

Mr. Linton was an easygoing man who always wore a smile. He greeted Sophie with exceptional warmth, showing no signs of slighting her just because she was a figurehead at Helios without any real power. He led her on a tour of their massive factory.

"I’ve heard a lot about you, Miss Winslow. Meeting you today and hearing your insights on these components has truly impressed me." Mr. Linton took a strong liking to Sophie and was very willing to communicate.

Sophie was pleasantly surprised. Even though Stella Sutton had joined Acuity, the company as a whole remained cooperative. However, the phrase "heard a lot about you" struck her as odd. "You know of me?"

Mr. Linton was about to reply when a work call interrupted. Sophie immediately gestured politely. "It’s fine, please take your call. I’ll just look around on my own."

Acuity’s factory was vast, complete with its own independent research labs. Since she hadn’t yet discussed pricing directly with Mr. Linton, Sophie was escorted to a private reception room to wait.

Not long after she sat down, the door was pushed open again.

Sophie wasn’t entirely surprised when she saw Stella. She knew before coming that Stella, having heavily invested in the company, would likely be here.

Stella walked in and shot Sophie a cold glance. The assistant beside her said, "Miss Winslow is here to discuss the details for the next phase of cooperation."

Stella took a seat in a single armchair, crossed her legs, and picked up the quotation sheet. "Let’s hear it. What is Helios’s ideal price?"

Sophie could sense the other woman’s condescending attitude. She didn’t waste time with pleasantries. "I want to keep the unit price for each part under 1,800."

Stella scoffed lightly. "Do you think Acuity is a charity? If we aren’t making a profit, we might as well close our doors. 1,980. That is my absolute bottom line. If you find that unacceptable, you can take your business elsewhere."

Sophie knew full well that Stella was deliberately making things difficult. The price negotiated for the first phase was 1,920. Now, Stella was taking it upon herself to hike up the price.

"Who gave you the authority to make that call?" Sophie asked.

Stella frowned. "That sounds like Acuity’s internal business. Sophie, who do you think you’re questioning?" Tossing the quotation sheet onto the desk, she let out a light chuckle. "But it’s not like we can’t negotiate. That depends entirely on how much your sincerity moves me. I’m not an unreasonable person. As long as you adjust your attitude and perhaps satisfy me, I might consider your price."

There was no emotion in the depths of Sophie’s eyes. She stared at the smirking Stella almost expressionlessly.

Stella was trying to make her grovel and beg. Sophie had anticipated this the moment Stella became a shareholder in Acuity. Stella was bound to abuse her power, acting as high and mighty as possible to exploit, harass, and grind down her dignity. But this was her project and company business; she wouldn’t choose to run away. Avoiding Stella wouldn’t solve anything.

"Sophie, acting aloof and noble is the most useless thing in the real world. This is the first lesson you need to learn. Your dignity isn’t worth that much. You’re better off earning yourself some value and benefits—it’s quite a bargain," Stella said with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

If Sophie went back without closing the deal, Helios would be dissatisfied. If she pleased neither side, what kind of future could she possibly have? Ever since Sophie deliberately let the media photograph her with Julian, she should have known that she had made a grave mistake.

Sophie could see that Stella had no intention of keeping things strictly professional. She was determined to trample her and make her feel utterly humiliated. Sophie remained silent.

Instead, her phone let out a sudden DING.

Sophie glanced down at a WhatsApp message from Philip Preston, along with an information notification. She asked slowly, "So there’s no room for negotiation?"

Stella’s phone rang as well. She saw a notification from Kingsford University informing her of the reporting location for her interview.

The smile on her lips grew more pronounced. "I told you, you can show me your sincerity. If I’m satisfied, anything is negotiable." She curled her lips. "You could try begging me.

"I’ll give you time to think about it, but I’m very busy getting ready for my doctoral interview." In short, she didn’t have time to waste on Sophie.

Sophie had finally witnessed the ugly face people like Stella revealed the moment they gained a sliver of power. But...

She slowly took out her phone and looked at Philip Preston’s WhatsApp message once more.

—[For the doctoral admissions interview, you need to come in as an interviewing professor. The university should have notified you of the exact time, right? Don’t be late.]