She hailed a cab back, but as she approached the villa, she saw her husband waiting at the door, visibly angry.
“Where were you?” he demanded.
“Since when did you care about my whereabouts?” Sophia replied with a leisurely tone.
Henry froze, scowling. “You think I care? I’m asking because of the mess you caused! Did you humiliate Olivia in front of the reporters?”
Sophia looked him over. With his short hair and striking features, Henry looked dashing in his casual black suit. He had a fresh, youthful energy uncommon among typical rich heirs. Despite his righteous appearance, this only proved that scumbags didn’t come with labels.
Sophia sighed. Was the mistress really so wonderful? Just a few well-placed words and the husband would rush home to question the wife? If the original Sophia were still here, she would’ve been devastated again. Shaking her head, she replied, “Henry, what could I possibly do to humiliate her?”
“Stop denying it! Olivia told me everything!”
“Oh, did she?” Sophia laughed bitterly. “How funny. A woman whose husband cheated on her—how could she humiliate the mistress? Especially when that mistress is a skilled actress.”
“Didn’t you tell the media that she’s a homewrecker, seducing me and tarnishing her name?” Henry’s voice grew angrier with each word.
Sophia laughed outright this time and looked at him, puzzled. “Henry, even if I had said those things, what would be wrong with that?”
“You’re admitting it?” he stammered.
“Admitting what? Olivia is a mistress, and you, Henry, are a cheater. She ruined my family, and you betrayed your family and wife—those are facts. Whether you acknowledge them or not is your business. Do you really expect me to keep quiet, sing your praises, and claim you’re a faithful husband while Olivia is some pure-hearted little flower?”
“You…” Henry was livid, but then he asked, “I’ll ask you again—where were you the other night? I heard you were out with another man?”
“Oh? ‘Heard’? Who told you? Olivia?” Sophia retorted.
“Don’t worry about who told me,” he sneered. “I’m warning you, Sophia, if I catch you cheating, I have plenty of ways to deal with you!”
“Relax, I know exactly where I stand.” Sophia scoffed, tired of arguing. “Thanks for the heads-up, though. You and Olivia are scheming to lure me into an affair, hoping to get evidence to kick me out empty-handed. Who’d have guessed how low the Scott family could stoop?”
“You’re talking nonsense!” Henry’s face tensed. “Who’s scheming with Olivia? Don’t go making baseless accusations!”
“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.” Sophia sighed. “Also, I’m truly touched that while you’re out with your mistress, you still find time to worry about whether I’m seeing other men.”
“You…” Henry was so furious he could barely speak. Watching Sophia walk further away, he shouted, “Sophia, just you wait!”
She waved dismissively over her shoulder. “Bring it on!”
Opening the back door to the Scott family villa, she was about to step inside when she noticed Livinus standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of coffee, staring off into the distance.
How long had he been standing there?
Instantly on guard, Sophia lowered her gaze and readied herself for a confrontation.
Sensing her attention, Livinus turned and lifted his coffee cup, calmly asking, “Want some?”
Sophia shook her head and headed upstairs.
Behind her, Henry entered, still calling after her. “Sophia! Don’t walk away from me—I’m not finished talking…”
Noticing his Uncle, he stopped in surprise and asked nervously, “Uncle? What are you doing here?”
Livinus raised a brow and gave him a cold look. “Am I not allowed? Is this your house?”
Henry, rendered speechless, felt as if all his energy had been blocked, swallowing his indignation under Livinus’s cool gaze.
After her spat with Henry, Sophia slept soundly, feeling much more relaxed. She even woke up late the next morning.
The house was eerily empty. Wandering into the kitchen, she muttered, “Is anyone home?”
Odd. No one was around, but that was fine—she liked the solitude.
Just as she was about to look for food, she turned around and spotted Uncle Livinus, standing by the counter in a black T-shirt, elegantly preparing a meal.
Seeing her, he raised his eyes slightly and asked, “Want some?”
Caught off guard with no polite way out, Sophia nodded. “Toast, please. Thank you.”
A CEO of Scott Livinus’s stature carried an aura that filled the room with a chill, as if he were a walking air conditioner. Despite engaging in something as ordinary as making breakfast, his cold expression made him look out of place in the kitchen. Even the tempting aroma of his toast somehow seemed beyond the reach of mere mortals.
Keeping her head down, Sophia minimized her presence. Over the past couple of days, she had nearly confirmed that Uncle wasn’t aware it had been her that night. This was ideal. They should have minimal interaction as long as she didn’t attract his attention. She was determined to let the secret of that night stay buried forever.
“Coffee or tea?” Livinus asked in his usual indifferent tone.
“No need.” Sophia pulled out her thermos and, with a slight smile, opened it to reveal, “I brought homemade herbal tea.”
With a faint raise of his eyebrow, Livinus casually glanced at her thermos, noticing a few goji berries and red dates floating on top, along with other unidentifiable medicinal ingredients. A sweet, herbal fragrance drifted from her thermos, surprisingly overpowering even the scent of his coffee and filling the room.
Glancing down at his plain black coffee, Livinus couldn’t help but feel as if he had somehow lost.
