Chapter 61 Her Wedding Photos Were Burned!

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Her Wedding Photos Were Burned!

Even though the words were spoken without any emotion, Sophie Winslow felt they weren’t exactly pleasant to hear. She couldn’t be bothered to argue with him over hidden meanings right now. She knew this wasn’t the thoughtful help of a husband, but rather an exchange of bargaining chips.

Sophie felt she had never been this calm. She ignored Julian Sterling’s seemingly joking remark. "Since it has come to this, I think we need to settle things clearly. Antiques are a big deal, and there’s always the possibility of disputes. If possible, I want you to draw up a written agreement stating that the ownership belongs entirely to me."

This museum treasure had not been easy to obtain. She had always been cautious and wouldn’t allow any mistakes. Besides, she had already laid all her cards on the table about their divorce at the hospital a while ago. He had definitely read through the divorce agreement, and their separation was imminent. Since he had funded the repurchase, she considered it compensation for his infidelity. Naturally, they had to settle the accounts clearly.

Julian had no objections to this. "Okay. I’ll have someone draft the agreement."

"Then we have a deal. When will you give me the results?" Sophie let out a sigh of relief, joy surfacing on her fair face. As long as the Winslow family’s belongings could be returned, what did it matter if she helped her soon-to-be ex-husband’s romance by keeping his affair with Stella Sutton a secret?

"Go home and wait for me."

Sophie instantly frowned. She wondered, "Go home? We’re getting divorced soon, and he still wants me to go back?"

"You..." She wanted to suggest another place to talk, but before she could bring it up...

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Julian hung up almost immediately, cutting Sophie off. He dismissed her like a subordinate—arbitrary, dictatorial, and devoid of emotion. Sophie was long used to it and remained completely unfazed. However, the ownership of this Porcelain Double Lotus Bottle had to be finalized.

Ivy Hawthorne, standing beside her, had understood the gist of the conversation. "Ancient Treasures like this aren’t easy to trade, and the procedures involved must be incredibly complicated. He actually put effort into this?"

A hint of hesitation flashed through Sophie’s eyes, but ultimately, she shrugged. "Not really. What I wanted was my grandmother’s dowry, the Unity Lock. He wasn’t willing to give it up because of Stella. He’s probably just using this Lotus Bottle to shut me up."

Ivy clicked her tongue. "Then is he spending this money for you, or for Stella?"

"It doesn’t matter. The museum treasure is returning to the Winslow family. I’d even accept it if he asked me to serve his mistress during her postpartum confinement." Sophie’s lips curled into a dark joke.

Looking at the picture of the Celestia Ware bottle, Sophie’s heartbeat quickened as a smile spread across her lips. This was, after all, her mother’s favorite treasure. How could this not be a joyous occasion? Once she had the written agreement, it would prevent any unforeseen complications.

Ivy hooked arms with her. "From now on, talk about money, not love. If you don’t want his love, then drain his wallet! A scumbag like him will face divine retribution sooner or later. Even his grave will explode after he dies!"

Sophie knew her marriage had caused Ivy a lot of frustration as well. She hurriedly pinched her friend’s puffed-up cheeks. "Don’t be mad. My treat—let’s go to your favorite seafood buffet."

"Then I want the 1,988-per-person tier," Ivy demanded boldly.

"...You can just keep being an angry pufferfish, then."

Ivy immediately bared her teeth and lunged at her. "You! Choosing wealth over your best friend!"

Sophie laughed and dodged, her mood noticeably improving. Regardless of why Julian had paid an astronomical price to buy back the Winslow family’s treasure from abroad, he had at least solved her biggest problem. What else was there to complain about?

Later that day.

After carefully taking the Porcelain Double Lotus Bottle back to her rented apartment, Sophie accompanied Ivy to a restaurant for the seafood buffet. Sophie hardly ate anything, as she avoided cold and raw foods during her period. She had originally planned to drive back, but realized she had eaten some drunken shrimp. Unable to drive, she had no choice but to hail a cab to her marital home.

She had moved out nearly a month ago. Evidently, Julian was quite pleased with this arrangement, as he hadn’t initiated a single phone call to check on her. Or, perhaps, given his level of indifference toward her, he might not have even noticed she had moved out. Was that why he asked to meet at the villa? Sophie didn’t dwell on this ridiculous thought.

Upon arriving at the villa, she entered the living room. Five servants were working, currently in the kitchen slicing fruit to make a platter. Ms. Coleman had taken the day off, so when Sophie didn’t see her, she turned to ask the others, "Is Julian back?"

"Mr. Sterling isn’t home yet, but his friend came over to visit today." One of the younger maids had a rather strange expression on her face.

Checking the time, Sophie asked casually, "Who is it?"

"Mr. York."

Evan York? Sophie instinctively frowned. She didn’t have a good impression of Evan. He came from a noble background, born at the top of the pyramid with an unconcealable arrogance. He had always disliked her, and their interactions were never pleasant.

"Where is he?"

"Drinking tea in the back garden." The maid hesitated, ultimately choosing not to mention that someone else was there as well.

Sophie nodded. Not wanting to sit around doing nothing while waiting for Julian, she decided to check the master bedroom for any belongings she hadn’t taken with her before. Packing up a few more things would prevent any oversights later.

As soon as she entered the master bedroom, Sophie sharply noticed a change. The specially designed photo gallery area was empty. Her and Julian’s wedding photos were gone.

Sophie’s footsteps halted abruptly. She stared at the blank wall for a long moment just as a maid came in to deliver laundry. Sophie pointed at the wall. "Where are the wedding photos?"

The maid stammered, "Mrs. Sterling, please don’t be angry. The wedding photos were taken down and moved to the back garden. We tried to stop it, but we couldn’t..."

Tearing apart her and Julian’s marital bedroom? Sophie couldn’t think of anyone else who would do such a thing. She turned and headed straight for the back garden.

By the time she got there, plumes of black smoke were already rising before her eyes, tongues of fire curling in the wind. A sizable iron barrel sat in the courtyard. The largest of the wedding photos had already been thrown inside, while the remaining unburnt tabletop frames were piled next to it.

Seth Sutton’s chubby figure stood in front of the iron barrel. Seeing Sophie, a mischievous grin spread across his face as he grabbed another wedding photo and tossed it in.

"Bleah! Why should your photos stay in Julian’s house? Stella and Julian’s new wedding photos will be hung up there in the future!"

The child’s shrill voice pierced Sophie’s ears, making her temples throb. The firelight could barely illuminate any color on her pale face. Her blood boiled inch by inch, only to turn freezing cold.

Stella Sutton’s own brother had come to her and Julian’s marital home to burn her wedding photos. Who had instigated this? And who had tacitly allowed it? The answer felt like needles piercing deep into her bones, bringing a dense, suffocating pain with every breath. She never expected this child to be in their marital home, acting like a little master and making decisions on behalf of the owner ahead of time!

Evan York was on a phone call nearby. Hearing the commotion, he turned around to look. He cast a glance at Seth, feeling a rare moment of agreement that this child was indeed lacking in manners. Yet, he didn’t intervene, let alone try to stop him. Instead, he looked at Sophie, whose face was completely drained of color, with a half-smile. "He’s just a six-year-old child. You wouldn’t hold it against him, would you?"

Hearing these self-righteous words, Sophie treated Evan as if he were invisible. Expressionless, she walked toward Seth.

"What are you doing? Are you going to hit me again? You evil, bad woman! If you dare, Julian will teach you a lesson!" Having been disciplined by Sophie last time, Seth felt an instinctive fear. But remembering that this place was his sanctuary, he bent down, snatched up one of the solid wood tabletop frames from the pile on the ground, and hurled it at Sophie with all his might.