A group of people shared a mutual understanding: Sophia was a health-conscious eccentric!
—
Over on the other side, Scott Livinus cast a glance at Sophia, his tone indifferent:
“Come here.”
He stood up and gestured for Sophia to take the seat.
Sophia glanced at the card game and replied, “You should continue playing. My skills are better suited for spectating.”
“Give it a try.”
With no other choice, Sophia sat down. She had already noticed that the men playing were all seasoned players, skilled at cards but slightly inferior to Scott Livinus, who had dominated the game and won repeatedly. When Scott Livinus ceded his place to her, the other men collectively heaved a sigh of relief.
Tony chuckled, “Dr. Smith, do you know how to play cards?”
Sophia smiled politely. “I rarely play.”
“That’s great!” The three men shared mischievous grins. “No pressure—after all, our boss has plenty of money to lose!”
Sophia sat down with a serene smile. Her card-drawing pace was unhurried, making her look very much like a novice.
The others snickered, clearly anticipating making Scott Livinus lose heavily.
Sophia drew her cards, looked them over, and played slowly. The others laughed as they asked, “Dr. Smith, are you trained in traditional medicine?”
“Yes,” Sophia replied.
“You don’t seem like it, but traditional medicine is good for treating chronic illnesses,” commented Elias.
The implication was clear—traditional medicine wasn’t effective for acute conditions.
Tony wasn’t having it. He was a die-hard fan of Sophia and wasn’t about to tolerate any disparagement of her or traditional medicine.
“Who says so? Anyone who thinks that just hasn’t met a truly skilled practitioner. Dr. Smith here is a miracle worker! After just a month of treatment, she helped Clara conceive.”
It was no secret in their circle that Tony and Clara struggled with infertility, and Tony was frank about it.
This revelation left Elias genuinely surprised. “Dr. Smith cured her?”
Tony and Clara had been trying for years without success, and the issue was widely gossiped about. Some even joked that the family businesses might end without an heir. But then, a few days ago, Tony announced on social media that his wife was pregnant.
The news stunned everyone. Some loose-tongued individuals even joked about the possibility of infidelity. Who would have guessed Sophia was responsible for the breakthrough?
Elias scrutinized Sophia with disbelief. Was it a secret family remedy for infertility? Otherwise, how could such a young woman treat complex cases?
“Exactly!” Tony beamed. “So if any of you face issues like low energy, premature ejaculation, or erectile dysfunction, don’t hesitate to consult Dr. Smith. She’ll fix you right up!”
Liam, nearby, burst out laughing. “If any of you dared seek Dr. Smith for male health problems, Scott Livinus would likely show up at your house wielding a machete!”
This prompted hearty laughter from everyone.
Sophia, focused on her cards, ignored the playful teasing.
“Enough of that,” Scott Livinus said, though his tone was unusually soft, which only made everyone laugh harder.
“Seven!” Elias played a card.
Sophia claimed the card.
Elias was taken aback. Undeterred, he played another card.
“What? I don’t believe it…”
After a round, Elias played yet another card, only for Sophia to yawn and push her cards forward.
“What’s wrong? Done playing?” Elias asked, frowning.
Sophia tapped her cards lightly and smiled modestly. “Sorry, I’ve won.”
“What the—!” Elias couldn’t believe it and checked her cards. To his dismay, he had been the one to cover her win.
Their stakes weren’t trivial, and with the payout rules, he alone lost over 20,000 dollars. Elias looked sour.
“Seriously, Dr. Smith? Didn’t you say you didn’t know how to play?”
Sophia tilted her head. “I said I rarely play.”
“…That’s different, isn’t it?”
Unconvinced, Elias insisted on playing a few more rounds. To everyone’s amazement, Sophia continued to dominate. Her moves seemed targeted at Elias who kept losing large sums, eventually totaling nearly 100,000 dollars. The others couldn’t stop laughing.
For the first time in his life, Elias felt utterly defeated in a card game. No matter how wealthy he was, losing repeatedly stung.
After the fifth loss, Elias was dizzy and barely conscious of his moves. He kept handing Sophia victories.
“That’s it! I surrender! Dr. Smith, you’re not cheating, are you? I’ve never met a woman this good at cards!”
Sophia chuckled. “What’s so hard about cards? Remembering the cards and calculating probabilities—knowing what everyone holds is second nature. When I need a card, I wait for someone to play it. Is that difficult?”
Predicting card patterns was child’s play in comparison.
Her casual explanation made Elias feel even worse, as if his intelligence had been crushed.
The room erupted with laughter.
Scott Livinus observed Sophia with an intrigued smile.
Theo teased, “Elias, just admit defeat. Dr. Smith might be the most skilled card player in our circle!”
Word of her prowess spread, and soon, people lined up to challenge Sophia at cards, much to her amusement.
—
The car stopped a short distance from the Scott residence.
“Let me off here,” Sophia said. “If we walk in together, it might cause misunderstandings. I’ll head back on my own.”
Scott Livinus didn’t argue. Driving slowly, he watched her follow behind before turning into his driveway.
They hadn’t played long that evening—Sophia’s nearly unbeatable streak had frustrated the men into quitting. Elias, red-eyed from losing so much, declared he would never play with her again.
Winning so easily left Sophia feeling unsatisfied.
—
Around 11 p.m., Sophia returned home, exhausted. Normally, she’d be asleep by then, but her hectic schedule had her staying up later than usual, disrupting her health regimen.
Stepping inside, she was surprised to find the lights on and Olivia waiting.
Thinking of the earlier incident at the bar, Sophia’s expression darkened. Nathan had admitted to being coerced into taking compromising photos of her. It wasn’t hard to deduce who was behind it—Andrea and Olivia were the likely culprits. Resorting to such underhanded tactics to avoid paying up? Did they think Sophia was an easy target?
It seemed they were due for a lesson.
