Chapter 84 Sophie Winslow: It’s Time to Deal with Stella Sutton

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Sophie Winslow: It’s Time to Deal with Stella Sutton

At this moment, Sophie Winslow even thought about how rare this peace and quiet was. She shook her head, changed into a sterile suit, and began working.

Without Stella Sutton present, the people from Kingsford University lost the object of their adulation and went about their experiments quietly. Sophie’s preparations were almost complete. After extracting the traditional Chinese medicine, she had conducted animal testing. So far, everything was stable.

However...

Three days later.

Stella still hadn’t shown up. And today was the deadline she had given Stella. If she still couldn’t deliver a satisfactory result, Sophie was fully authorized to kick her off the team.

"Sophie, I can’t get in touch with Miss Sutton, and the people from Kingsford University are being evasive," Renee Coleman said, pouting as she walked in, clearly displeased.

After all, every day of delay meant another day of uncertainty. It would also affect the publication credits of so many team members once the clinical trials were successfully completed. Who wouldn’t be anxious?

"The clinical trials we agreed on with Calyx are supposed to start tomorrow. With no news from Miss Sutton, how are we supposed to coordinate with Calyx?"

For a single product, they had to coordinate with many parties, not just the researchers. Every step had to be flawless. But since Stella hadn’t signed off, Kingsford University had to wait for her return.

Sophie lowered her eyes and quietly sealed the tube of purified medicine. Her tone was calm. "Tell Calyx that the clinical schedule remains unchanged. As for Kingsford University, let Mr. Preston handle the negotiations with them."

If Stella didn’t show up to sign, Kingsford University couldn’t rashly advance the schedule. But it was impossible for so many people to just wait for her. Whether she was injured or not, failing to arrange and fulfill her primary duties and playing dead at the drop of a hat simply showed a lack of responsibility, leaving everyone in limbo.

It was time to deal with Stella Sutton.

That afternoon.

Ivy Hawthorne stopped by. She didn’t look too good.

"Things aren’t looking great," Ivy said.

"What’s wrong?" Sophie asked, taking off her gloves.

Ivy gritted her teeth. "I don’t know which bastard leaked the raw footage. Didn’t Julian’s Aunt Barbara say someone posted a clip of Stella trying to kiss Julian Sterling? I only found out today that the raw footage itself was leaked. Now the production team has to take the blame."

That was when Sophie remembered. Barbara Coleman had indeed mentioned it in passing, but it had been so chaotic at the time that she hadn’t given it much thought. After all, the documentary hadn’t even aired yet; it shouldn’t have been exposed.

"Have you found out who leaked it?"

"No. No one is going to admit to something that violates company policy."

Sophie understood that Ivy had been implicated as well. For now, the true reason for Stella’s injury had been suppressed. Everyone at Kingsford University and Longview only knew that Stella was injured in an accident. Julian had cleanly taken care of the specific details.

"Come with me to the hospital this afternoon. My boss got the news and told me to handle it," Ivy said. After all, this involved Julian. No one dared to offend him.

Sophie patted Ivy’s shoulder comfortingly. "Sure."

The reason Sophie accompanied Ivy to the hospital was that she wanted to confirm whether Stella was truly entirely immobilized. That way, she could handle the situation fairly and justly.

The hospital Stella was admitted to was Calyx. When Sophie and Ivy arrived, they saw that Finn Lockwood and Evan York had also come to visit the private ward.

As soon as they walked in, Sophie saw Julian standing by the window, his body turned slightly with one hand in his pocket. A dark black suit vest outlined his lean waist, accentuating his broad shoulders and upright posture. Hearing the noise, he tilted his chin up slightly and looked over, his eyes betraying no discernible emotion.

Stella, who had been laughing and chatting with Finn, dropped her smile the moment she saw Sophie. "What are you doing here?"

Ivy answered on Sophie’s behalf. "The show is still filming, after all. We should at least show some basic human decency and care."

As if anyone actually wanted to come see her! They weren’t just some fish in Stella’s pond!

"Miss Hawthorne, are you sure you’re here to show care and not just to be a nuisance?" Finn chuckled, his gaze toward Sophie looking somewhat peculiar.

Evan looked at Sophie thoughtfully. Seeing her composed expression, he narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, if you think our arrival isn’t grand enough, I can hire a funeral procession to bang gongs and beat drums at the door. Would that work?" Ivy sneered. She despised these scions of prominent families the most. They were all cut from the same rotten cloth!

Finn choked on his words. That was far too harsh.

Stella also understood the implication, and her expression darkened. Who was she cursing to die?

Sophie tugged at Ivy’s sleeve and looked at Stella, who seemed perfectly fine on the hospital bed. "Since you’re not seriously injured, when will the Kingsford University project move forward?"

Stella’s gaze turned cold. She suddenly smirked and leaned back against her pillows. "Sorry, but I was framed, which led to my injury. I’m afraid the project will just have to wait."

Sophie wasn’t even surprised by this response. Stella put on airs even when she wasn’t injured, let alone when she had suffered a minor scrape. Since that was the case... kicking her off the team was perfectly justified.

"Fine. Keep lying there, then. Rest up as much as you need." Having gotten her answer, Sophie didn’t plan to stay any longer. Now that she had decided to kick Stella off the team, Stella could lie there until the end of time for all she cared.

"Sophie, aren’t you going to give me an explanation?" Stella’s voice suddenly rang out.

Forced to stop, Sophie turned back to look at her in confusion. "If you have something to say, just say it."

Stella smirked, mockery in her eyes.

"The leaked raw footage drew Barbara Coleman here, but how was the footage leaked in the first place? And how did Barbara just happen to see it by coincidence?" Finn spoke up, looking at Sophie with pity. "Sophie, there was really no need for you to do this."

Alarm bells went off in Sophie’s head. Was this situation...

"Are you suspecting that Sophie leaked it to the second branch of the Sterling family?" Ivy asked, her face darkening.

Stella scoffed lightly. "At this point, it doesn’t matter whether she admits to it or not. Before you got here, I already questioned the people at Kingsford University. On the day the footage was leaked, Sophie, you went to the editing room where the raw footage was kept and had a meal with Miss Hawthorne. Was it just a coincidence?"

Those words laid bare her attitude—she was absolutely certain that Sophie was the culprit.

Sophie truly hadn’t expected such an accusation.

"I wouldn’t mind any direct method of competition from you, but you just had to choose this underhanded way. Sophie, if you were a bit more honorable, I might actually respect you," Stella continued leisurely.

"What are you spewing? If you hadn’t done anything shameful yourself, would Barbara Coleman have had a reason to come after you?" Ivy could see that Stella was intending to pin the blame squarely on Sophie. She instinctively glanced at Julian, who was still standing by the window. He wasn’t even going to say a fair word for his own wife! She felt a chill in her heart on Sophie’s behalf!

Sophie, naturally, also noticed Julian’s detached attitude. From beginning to end, he hadn’t even batted an eye. It barely caused a ripple of emotion in her anymore.

"If you accuse me, then the burden of proof is on you. Show me the evidence," Sophie said. She couldn’t even be bothered to offer a single word of defense.

Finn frowned. "I think if you just admit your mistake, there might still be some room to salvage this."

In his eyes, Sophie was simply refusing to face reality until the bitter end. Who didn’t know that Sophie was madly in love with Julian? What wouldn’t a woman overflowing with jealousy do?

Evan furrowed his brows slightly. He leaned against the wall, remaining silent. Because...

"If you won’t admit to leaking the raw footage, then what about the fact that you pushed me?" Stella spoke up slowly once again.