Sophia exchanged a glance with Barbara, both of them sharing a silent understanding of how absurd the situation was.
Barbara shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, Sophia. I didn’t expect my friend to be interested in Livinus.”
Sophia chuckled. If she hadn’t witnessed it herself, she wouldn’t have realized just how many people were drawn to Livinus.
“It’s not your fault. Besides, if he’s so easily swayed, it just means I have poor taste.”
“I wouldn’t have invited you if I’d known this would happen. I only wanted to take a break from work and thought it’d be nice for us to attend together since Leah had extra tickets. But now she’s questioning the authenticity of your ring and making a move on your boyfriend… I feel awful.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Sophia said with a smile. “Anyway, it’s interesting to see how appealing my boyfriend is to others.”
“Appealing? Sophia, he’s literally the prototype for a CEO in those romance novels. Handsome, rich, powerful—he’s the real deal. You should keep a close eye on him. Losing someone like him would be such a waste!”
“I am keeping an eye on him,” Sophia replied, sipping her wine.
“How exactly?”
“By taking a approach. Love him if he stays, let him go if he leaves. No pressure.”
“…” Barbara was speechless at her attitude.
—
Meanwhile, Livinus was exchanging pleasantries with a few guests, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Sophia.
He hadn’t expected to see her here.
After a moment, he excused himself and headed toward the garden. Sophia set down her wine glass, intending to follow him, but Leah’s voice stopped her.
“Mom, he just went to the garden. I’ll go introduce myself and see how he reacts!”
“Go ahead!”
Leah lifted her dress, her face flushed with excitement as she hurried after him. Sophia casually followed.
Leah looked around but couldn’t find him. Frustrated, she grabbed a server and asked, “Did you see where Mr. Scott went?”
“No, miss.”
Leah scanned the area again, but there was no sign of him. Sophia turned a corner just as a hand reached out from under the staircase storage room, pulling her inside.
The familiar scent of the man calmed her instantly.
“What are you doing here?” Livinus asked, his gaze locking onto her face.
“Got dragged along by Barbara. I forgot to mention it yesterday. What about you?”
“I decided to stop by last minute. I planned to leave by nine,” he said, his eyes trailing over her outfit. Smirking, he added, “Why no jewelry? I’ll get you some when we’re back.”
Sophia chuckled. His attention to detail never ceased to amuse her.
Taking her hand, he admired the diamond ring on her finger under the dim light. The vibrant blue sparkled brilliantly, catching his eye.
“It’s beautiful,” he murmured.
“You have good taste,” Sophia teased.
“I was talking about your hand.”
Before she could respond, he pressed her against the wall, his features magnified in her vision. The intimacy left her momentarily dazed, and before she knew it, his hands were lifting the hem of her dress, sending shivers through her body.
“Why do you always pick places like this?”
He had done something similar back at the Scott family home, pulling her into a closet. Did he have a thing for confined spaces?
“It’s thrilling,” he replied with a mischievous grin.
Despite the cramped storage room, Livinus managed to make the space work for him. Outside, footsteps and voices could be heard—one of them Leah’s—but Livinus remained calm and composed, as though they were in the privacy of his own home. His unshakable confidence left Sophia in awe, though she couldn’t help feeling tense.
When it was over, Sophia stumbled slightly as she tried to regain her footing.
“Careful,” he said, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Legs weak?”
Sophia gritted her teeth. Her legs did feel like jelly, while he seemed completely unbothered.
As she stepped out of the room, Leah called out, “Sophia, right?”
“Yes?”
“Did you see anyone come through here?”
Sophia shook her head. Leah huffed in frustration. “Where did he go? I was following him, and he just disappeared!”
Sophia said nothing and accompanied Leah back to the main hall.
“Ugh, such a shame I couldn’t find Mr. Scott ,” Leah lamented.
“Is he that impressive?” Sophia asked.
“Of course! Men like him are on a different level. Honestly, someone like you… no offense, but you’d never stand a chance with a man like him. Guys like that don’t belong to any woman—they’re too exceptional to be tamed.” Leah sighed, her face a picture of longing.
As Leah walked away, Livinus emerged from the shadows.
“Mr. Scott , that young lady is looking for you,” Sophia teased, crossing her arms.
“Young lady? You mean you?” he quipped.
Sophia paused, then smiled. “I meant you have quite the luck with admirers. I envy that charm, Mr. Scott .”
“They’re irrelevant,” he replied with a dismissive wave.
