Chapter 28 Partying All Night Next Door to Her

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Partying All Night Next Door to Her

Ivy Hawthorne’s expression darkened. She instinctively wanted to lash out, but one glance at Sophie Winslow’s face held her back; she was more worried that this would upset Sophie.

Yet Sophie didn’t lose her temper. Stella Sutton hadn’t just been spouting empty words; her claims were backed by cold, hard facts. What could she say? Agree? Rebut? Deny? Curse? Any of these reactions would only make her seem pathetic.

Sophie led Ivy away.

Finn Lockwood walked over. "I hope Sophie comes to her senses. Clinging to a position that doesn’t belong to her will only torture both her and everyone else."

Stella Sutton raised an eyebrow. She thought that if Sophie had any self-respect, she would quietly agree to the divorce. Stepping aside would not only grant others their happiness but also earn her some good karma. Standing in the way of true love was something even the heavens wouldn’t tolerate.

***

This trip today had left Ivy absolutely fuming. She had felt Sophie’s utter helplessness and powerlessness firsthand. If Sophie’s husband had been anyone other than the powerful and influential Julian Sterling, she might have had the leverage to flip the table on them. But reality was cruel. Sophie had to think about the long term; the price of acting on impulse was simply too high.

"Did you see that bitch’s smug face? I think I need a heart pill," Ivy ranted, practically steaming with rage at Stella’s earlier remark. If murder weren’t illegal, she really would have slammed on the gas and run her over. "I’m so mad I didn’t study law. If I were in charge, I’d amend the legislation to include a clause that throws every homewrecker straight into jail! Without legal consequences or a heavy price to pay, these people will just keep running rampant!"

Sophie felt exhausted after the whole ordeal. Even so, she managed a weak thumbs-up. "I support your run for Mayor of Kingsford. You can hand out firing squad sentences to people like that every day."

Ivy pouted. "Only you could still laugh at a time like this."

"Life is too long to stay trapped in misery. Wallowing in pain is just punishing myself," Sophie said, looking up at the sky. "If I can’t make sense of something, I’m just not going to think about it anymore."

Ivy opened her mouth to speak but found she had no words.

The air at the resort was fresh and the scenery beautiful, so Sophie decided to stay an extra day. Besides, on her way back, she had noticed the hotel was organizing a volunteer medical clinic where villagers from the surrounding areas could come in for free checkups. She thought it was a meaningful cause and decided to participate the next day, already signing up with the organizers. Ivy, however, had a meeting to attend, so she headed back down the mountain early.

After dinner, Sophie began reviewing the recent database for Digital Chinese Medicine. She spent the evening organizing data on disease prevalence in the general population. Her goal was to eventually update and optimize Digital Chinese Medicine’s renowned prescription archive and develop a few higher-quality remedies.

She worked steadily until past ten o’clock. Just as she was getting up to pour herself a glass of water, the suite door opened again.

When Julian Sterling walked in, Sophie felt a flicker of surprise. She had assumed he’d left with Stella Sutton long ago. Given everything that had happened that day—especially him snatching the Warm Jade and cutting into Lydia’s share—Sophie wasn’t exactly in a peaceful state of mind.

"Do you need something?"

Julian hadn’t stayed the night in the suite yesterday. He knew she was here, yet he had still shown up. She certainly didn’t believe he was here to apologize for helping Stella humiliate her earlier. After all, he had become so brazen that he didn’t even bother explaining himself anymore. Why would he care what she thought?

Julian casually draped his coat over the back of the sofa. "I’m sleeping here tonight."

Sophie’s expression shifted. "Why?"

"Sophie, we’re married," Julian reminded her as he turned to pour himself some water, clearly noticing her surprise. He didn’t need a reason to stay the night.

Hearing those words felt incredibly disjointed to Sophie. Married? So he actually knew that? When he was flaunting his relationship with Stella in public, had it ever crossed his mind that they hadn’t signed the divorce papers yet and were still legally married? It seemed men like him operated on rules that were domineering and ridiculously hypocritical.

Julian didn’t waste time on pleasantries. He walked over, sat down, and lowered his gaze as he unfastened the emerald green cufflinks at his wrists. "My grandmother knows I’m here. I’m staying to avoid any sudden check-ins."

Looking at his cufflinks, Sophie immediately remembered the bracelet Stella had specifically bought at the auction today—a piece that perfectly matched Julian’s cufflinks as a couple’s set. She averted her eyes as his words fully sank in. "So, you want me to be a smokescreen? A human shield for you and Stella?"

He was worried Madam Sterling would cause trouble for Stella. That was the only reason he had deigned to reluctantly spend the night in her room.

Julian calmly lifted his gaze. He seemed completely unfazed by Sophie’s biting sarcasm. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an exquisite gold-threaded wooden jewelry box. "Take this in exchange. It’s a fair trade."

Sophie’s eyes landed on the box. She recognized it immediately. It was the top-tier Warm Jade Peace Lock—the very item Julian had snatched from her by throwing down a sky-high bid of a hundred million just to impress Stella. To think he was now casually offering it to her as a bargaining chip, all to buy her silence and protect Stella from his grandmother’s wrath.

Of course, she knew. Madam Sterling was not a woman known for her kindness. Having weathered countless storms throughout her life, she had firmly secured her position as the matriarch of the family. If she wanted to deal with Stella, she had no shortage of ruthless methods at her disposal, and Stella wouldn’t stand a chance.

Julian clearly didn’t want Madam Sterling to know Stella was at the resort. He wanted to feed the old manor the illusion that he was spending the night in his wife’s room. That way, Stella could remain safely out of the crosshairs.

"I get it. Hush money," Sophie said, her tone exceptionally calm.

"She hasn’t touched it, so you don’t need to feel disgusted or refuse it," Julian remarked, ignoring her comment as his long, slender fingers tapped the box.

Sophie was mildly surprised that he had read her mind so accurately and laid it out so bluntly. She didn’t see anything wrong with the arrangement. If anything, it was a highly profitable transaction. After all, her divorce from Julian was set in stone. There was no point in letting her emotions drag her down.

Sophie stepped forward and picked up the box. "Deal."

She took it and retreated to her bedroom. If Julian wanted to spend the night in the suite, so be it. There were other rooms, and she couldn’t care less what he did. She snapped a photo of the Warm Jade Peace Lock and sent it to Lydia. Only then did Sophie take a shower and peacefully go to sleep.

The volunteer medical clinic at the resort was scheduled to start around nine the next morning. Sophie woke up early and got ready. When she emerged from her room, Julian was nowhere to be seen. Since Julian had a habit of working out, she naturally assumed he had gone to the gym.

Keeping an eye on the time, she headed out the door. But before she could even take a full step into the hallway, the door to the adjacent room clicked open. Julian and Stella walked out together. Because they were looking straight ahead, they didn’t notice her witnessing their synchronized exit.

Sophie froze, standing motionless for a long time. Had they been together all last night? Had Julian snuck into Stella’s room in the middle of the night? A sudden, indescribable flush of humiliation burned her cheeks. Julian had spent the entire night sleeping with his mistress... right next door?

The mere thought of them passionately entangled with only a single wall separating them made Sophie feel as if she were covered in needles. A violent wave of nausea surged in her chest. The word "humiliating" didn’t even begin to cover Julian’s behavior. Just how much contempt did he hold for her to so recklessly trample on her boundaries and dignity?

Sophie dug her fingernails into her palms. Ironically, she found herself feeling grateful that seven years ago, Chairman Sterling had despised her enough to force her into signing a divorce agreement.

Sophie let out a heavy breath. She waited until the two of them were completely out of sight before finally stepping out into the hallway.

Upon arriving at the clinic site, she tried to grab a volunteer uniform, but was told they had completely run out. Instead, Sophie decided to look around and see which patients needed help. As she rounded a corner, she suddenly heard heavy panting coming from up ahead.