“Yes, it’s also giving you a chance!” Sophia smiled confidently. “All I need is a single chance to check your pulse, and I’ll make you believe that I can truly cure your vitiligo.”
Wilson hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended his hand.
Sophia gently placed her hand on his wrist, checking one hand and then the other.
Wilson scoffed, “Your technique is actually quite professional.”
Sophia chuckled, “It’s always been professional.” After finishing, she glanced at Wilson, smiling. “You often feel dizzy, have ringing in your ears, lower back pain, a pale tongue, and constant dryness in your mouth, don’t you? Drinking water doesn’t seem to help.”
Though surprised, Wilson replied, “Those are common symptoms of vitiligo; it’s no surprise you’d know that.”
“Really?” Sophia closed her medicine box with a smirk. “Then what if I told you that you suffer from impotence and premature ejaculation? You wouldn’t say those are common symptoms of vitiligo, would you?”
Wilson, usually unshaken, flushed red with embarrassment.
Given his skin condition, the blush was highly visible and undeniably awkward. No man wants his private matters aired out, especially by an attractive woman.
“Damn it!” Wilson cursed, looking furious. “How do you know that? Are you stalking me?”
Sophia shook her head with a smile:
“Stalking? If I could figure that out by following people, then every man in the country would fear me.”
Wilson considered her words and realized they made sense. More importantly, he remembered that in earlier years, he was still quite active with female entertainers from his company, as that’s often how the industry worked. A little wining and dining and some “entertainment” were par for the course. Wilson never cared much for romance, but he’d pursue a woman if he fancied her. Yet, over the last two years, he found himself increasingly unable to perform, only keeping things to his wife. His wife was the only one aware of his problem.
Sophia, as a doctor, was unfazed by such matters. But knowing men’s pride, she said nothing more and turned to leave, gathering her box.
“Hey, you!” Wilson realized she was leaving and quickly followed. “Did you really figure that out by checking my pulse? Can you really treat my vitiligo?”
Sophia stopped and gave a slight smile. “If I say I can, I mean it.”
“Conditions?”
She only smiled. “My objective isn’t hard to guess. You’ll surely investigate me. Once you uncover my identity, you’ll understand my purpose.”
Wilson was stumped by her words, momentarily uncertain of who Sophia was.
“How do I contact you?”
Sophia gave him an address with a smile. “Come to the clinic tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.”
That night, Sophia flipped through the final pages of The Golden Notebook.
Though it was well-written, it was not an easy read, and Sophia, a frequent reader, still took some time to get through it. Reading morning and evening, she’d finally finished the book.
To be honest, by the end, she barely recalled the earlier parts. Sophia rarely reread books; she usually read them once and moved on. She decided to return the book to Scott Livinus.
But just as she reached the door, she saw Scott Henry storming in, looking furious.
“Sophia! What’s with you? I never thought you could be this vicious. I don’t even recognize you anymore!”
She glanced at him. “Rabies acting up?”
“What?” Scott Henry looked bewildered.
“If you’re not rabid, why are you going around biting people? Go on, then, tell me—how am I so vicious?”
“You’re not vicious?”Henry Scott shouted. “Olivia went to see you for treatment, and you gave her bad medicine, making her so sick she’s constantly afraid she’ll lose the baby.” He was genuinely worried and looked furious.
Sophia sneered, “Not surprising; she’s an actress, after all. Twisting facts is just her talent! Shouldn’t she get an Oscar for this performance?”
“You…” Henry was no match for her in an argument and clutched his chest in frustration. “Sophia, are you seriously claiming you didn’t harm her baby? If you didn’t do something, why else would she be in pain?”
“Poisoning?” Sophia chuckled. “You really underestimate me. If I were going to poison her, I’d do it properly. Don’t insult my skills by implying I couldn’t do the job right!”
“…”
With that, she gave him a slight shove out the door, warning, “Come one step closer, and I’ll make sure you have impotence and erectile dysfunction!”
“…”
She shut the door behind him, leaving Scott Henry fuming as he pounded on it.
When the door didn’t open, he ran downstairs and yelled up at her balcony, “Sophia! Come out if you have the guts!”
Annoyed, she grabbed a book nearby and tossed it down at him.
With a loud yell, Scott Henry shouted, “Ow! Who threw a book at me? Was that you, Sophia?”
Only then did Sophia realize she’d tossed Scott Livinus’s book at him.
During dinner, everyone’s expressions were priceless. Scott Henry threw the book onto the table, saying furiously:
“Sophia, was this yours?”
Sophia calmly kept her eyes on her food, her tone unruffled. “No, it must’ve just fallen from somewhere upstairs.”
Scott Henry was seething.
“Do you think I’m stupid? Who else would throw it? The upstairs rooms are for the staff, and none of them have a reason to chuck a book at me.”
“Maybe they were doing the world a favor?” she suggested.
“You!” Flipping open the book, he barked, “Let’s see if it’s yours! I’m sure you wrote your name in it somewhere!”
But as he turned to the front page, he froze.
There, in bold, powerful handwriting, were three words: Scott Livinus.
The characters were as strong and commanding as the man himself, with an air of undeniable authority.
Scott Henry stood there, speechless, stammering for words.
Meanwhile, at the head of the table, Scott Livinus kept his usual composed expression under everyone’s silent gaze.
“I was reading on the second floor, and I left the book on the balcony wall, but then it suddenly disappeared. I searched for it just now, and it turns out you took it,” Scott Livinus said, sounding calm but pointed.
Sophia lowered her head, stifling a laugh. Only Livinus Scott could twist things like this so smoothly, saying it with such a straight face that no one dared to question it.
Henry looked utterly exasperated. The book was a hardcover, the size of an A4 notebook and as heavy as a brick. There was no way it simply blew away; it was clearly thrown. But instead of explaining who threw it,Livinus Scott merely implied his book had mysteriously vanished, making it sound as though Henry had actually taken it.
“No, Uncle, I didn’t take it. Someone threw it at me!” Henry said, feeling increasingly helpless.
“Threw it at you?” Livinus Scott leaned back, loosening his tie as he looked at Henry with an air of detachment. “Surely you’re not implying that I threw it at you?”
He made his point so directly that it rendered any retort meaningless.
Henry hesitated. “No, Uncle, that’s not what I meant. I’m just saying that this book…”
Livinus Scott raised an eyebrow, his dark gaze narrowing slightly. “Hmm?”
Under his gaze, Henry’s energy diminished significantly. It was just like Lvinus Scott—he didn’t need to say much to control the room’s atmosphere with ease.
Especially with Henry’s initial anger, which Livinus Scott managed to extinguish within seconds. Henry stumbled over his words, unable to continue, left simmering in frustration without resolution.
It was then that Andrea nudged him and laughed, saying, “Forget it. Your uncle’s book was sitting up there, and some shameless person threw it down. You can’t blame your uncle for that.”
Henry frowned but reluctantly sat down, holding his tongue.
Noticing the scene, the old patriarch looked around the room before speaking, “If we don’t start eating, the food will get cold!”
Just then, Richard Scott entered, looking somewhat unsettled.
