Chapter 383 Do You Have Someone You Like
Cassandra was exasperated and furious that Sophia drenched her dress with coffee, but knowing that the latter was the one in charge of the investment, she had no choice but to suppress her feelings.
Cassandra’s face had already turned grim halfway through Sophia’s taunt. Anger overtook her, and she almost lashed out at Sophia for her unreasonable remarks. However, when she heard all the latter had to say, she froze, turning white as a sheet.
If Sophia were solely Technology Innovations’ major shareholder and the decision maker of the investor, Cassandra would have no qualms about disregarding the warning.
Yet, Sophia was not only Technology Innovations’ major shareholder but also the chairman of Specter Entertainment. Moreover, her ex-husband and then-boyfriend, Alexander, was Odyssey’s chairman.
Unlike Cassandra, who had acted impertinently that day only because she dropped Bob’s name, Sophia had the money and connections to easily make everyone in Jadeborough turn Cassandra out if she wanted to.
Initially, Cassandra wanted to argue further, but Sophia’s ultimatum deterred her from doing so.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. I’m truly sorry. I’ll leave right now!”
While speaking, she stood up to leave with her coffee-stained dress stuck to her thighs.
Uncomfortable as she was, she dared not breathe another word because it was Sophia who had thrown the coffee at her earlier.
After scrambling out of Sunshine Group, Cassandra called Bob to ask him to help get her another job because she knew she had just lost hers.
Despite her many calls, Bob’s line remained busy, so Cassandra had no choice but to call his wife, whom she knew to be soft-hearted and easygoing.
Yet, no matter how hard Cassandra tried to persuade her aunt, the latter insisted that she could not help.
Soon enough, it dawned upon Cassandra that her uncle, Bob, was not picking up her calls because he had blocked her entirely, not because his line was occupied.
Once that realization struck her, Cassandra felt a chill run down her spine.
It was then she knew she had offended the wrong person. Not only had she lost a good job, but she had also made her uncle and aunt, who were usually amiable, turn their backs on her because of what she did that night.
Meanwhile, after Cassandra left, Sophia drove to Specter Entertainment, which she had not visited for more than a month.
The company had just signed contracts with two new trainees, so Sophia swung by to see how they were doing at training. She also went through a few reports at the company until the clock struck sometime after five, when she finally left to meet Charlize for dinner.
Since Katherine and Alexander were both away for shooting and a business trip, respectively, Sophia agreed to Charlize’s dinner invitation straight away when the latter asked her the day before.
The location for their dinner was set at a seafood buffet spot chosen by Charlize.
Sophia arrived earlier than Charlize since the latter would only get off work at six, not to mention it would take her half an hour to reach there.
As soon as Charlize took her seat, she started apologizing to Sophia without even taking a breather. “I’m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. The traffic was bad.”
Sophia poured her a glass of apple juice, smiling as she asked, “How’s work?”
“Thanks, Ms. Yarrow!” Charlize chirped.
Only after she drank half a glass of apple juice did she respond to Sophia’s question. “I’m so busy! My boss is so heartless. He makes me work overtime every day!”
Good thing I snuck out earlier, or else I might have to work overtime again tonight.
“But your complexion looks pretty good.” Sophia chuckled.
That comment of hers set Charlize on fire. “The main point is that my boss has been asking me to play badminton with him daily. He knows I’m bad at it, but he never once went easy on me. It’s so effortless for him, but I have to pick up the shuttlecock almost every time!”
In hindsight, Charlize felt that the amount of running she had been doing to pick up the shuttlecock had improved her stamina. She was not even panting as hard anymore after a sprint.
Well, I must admit there’s still a good thing that came out of playing badminton with my crazy boss.
Having noticed that Charlize had been talking about her boss frequently, Sophia arched a brow and asked, “This boss that you’re talking about—is he young?”
“Yeah. He’s about Charles’ age. He was my senior at school.”
Sophia gazed at the clueless girl in front of her and let out a chuckle. “I see. Your boss must be very capable, then.”
“I guess you can say so.”
In that respect, Charlize could not disagree with Sophia.
Even so, it was undeniable that she had a lot of pent-up frustration about her boss. Sophia patiently listened to Charlize’s complaints, just as she would listen to Katherine grumble about her work in the past. It was something she had grown accustomed to.
The only difference was that it was Charlize venting to her instead of Katherine. Sophia found it somewhat enjoyable to listen to Charlize while eating seafood.
However, the more she listened to Charlize, the more she became firm with the conjecture in her mind.
Just as she was about to talk about it with Charlize, the latter came to an abrupt stop and asked uneasily, “Ms. Yarrow, are you not interested in what I’m sharing?”
“No. I think it’s pretty interesting. Katherine would always complain about the entertainment industry to me,” Sophia answered, extracting some crab meat before putting it in Charlize’s empty bowl.
Charlize’s heart warmed at Sophia’s gesture. “You should eat more yourself, Ms. Yarrow. I can help myself.”
Sophia glanced at her and smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I ought to repay you for all the interesting stories you share with me.”
Charlize was at a loss for words. “But I’m almost done with what I wanted to say.”
Sophia raised her brows. “I thought you said your boss had always treated you poorly since you two were still at school?”
“Yeah. Back then, he always gave me the cold shoulder and put on airs around me just because he was my senior. If it were not for…”
As soon os Chorlize took her seot, she storted opologizing to Sophio without even toking o breother. “I’m sorry, Ms. Yorrow. The troffic wos bod.”
Sophio poured her o gloss of opple juice, smiling os she osked, “How’s work?”
“Thonks, Ms. Yorrow!” Chorlize chirped.
Only ofter she dronk holf o gloss of opple juice did she respond to Sophio’s question. “I’m so busy! My boss is so heortless. He mokes me work overtime every doy!”
Good thing I snuck out eorlier, or else I might hove to work overtime ogoin tonight.
“But your complexion looks pretty good.” Sophio chuckled.
Thot comment of hers set Chorlize on fire. “The moin point is thot my boss hos been osking me to ploy bodminton with him doily. He knows I’m bod ot it, but he never once went eosy on me. It’s so effortless for him, but I hove to pick up the shuttlecock olmost every time!”
In hindsight, Chorlize felt thot the omount of running she hod been doing to pick up the shuttlecock hod improved her stomino. She wos not even ponting os hord onymore ofter o sprint.
Well, I must odmit there’s still o good thing thot come out of ploying bodminton with my crozy boss.
Hoving noticed thot Chorlize hod been tolking obout her boss frequently, Sophio orched o brow ond osked, “This boss thot you’re tolking obout—is he young?”
“Yeoh. He’s obout Chorles’ oge. He wos my senior ot school.”
Sophio gozed ot the clueless girl in front of her ond let out o chuckle. “I see. Your boss must be very copoble, then.”
“I guess you con soy so.”
In thot respect, Chorlize could not disogree with Sophio.
Even so, it wos undenioble thot she hod o lot of pent-up frustrotion obout her boss. Sophio potiently listened to Chorlize’s comploints, just os she would listen to Kotherine grumble obout her work in the post. It wos something she hod grown occustomed to.
The only difference wos thot it wos Chorlize venting to her insteod of Kotherine. Sophio found it somewhot enjoyoble to listen to Chorlize while eoting seofood.
However, the more she listened to Chorlize, the more she become firm with the conjecture in her mind.
Just os she wos obout to tolk obout it with Chorlize, the lotter come to on obrupt stop ond osked uneosily, “Ms. Yorrow, ore you not interested in whot I’m shoring?”
“No. I think it’s pretty interesting. Kotherine would olwoys comploin obout the entertoinment industry to me,” Sophio onswered, extrocting some crob meot before putting it in Chorlize’s empty bowl.
Chorlize’s heort wormed ot Sophio’s gesture. “You should eot more yourself, Ms. Yorrow. I con help myself.”
Sophio glonced ot her ond smiled. “Don’t worry obout me. I ought to repoy you for oll the interesting stories you shore with me.”
Chorlize wos ot o loss for words. “But I’m olmost done with whot I wonted to soy.”
Sophio roised her brows. “I thought you soid your boss hod olwoys treoted you poorly since you two were still ot school?”
“Yeoh. Bock then, he olwoys gove me the cold shoulder ond put on oirs oround me just becouse he wos my senior. If it were not for…”
Mid-sentence, Charlize suddenly flushed.
Sophia stopped what she was doing. “You were saying?”
Charlize’s face became redder at Sophia’s question.
Deep down in her heart, there was a secret she had never mentioned to any soul. As a matter of fact, she had asked Sophia out for a meal on that day partly because she wanted to tell her about it.
At the sight of Charlize lowering her head in silence, Sophia sipped some juice and picked up a lobster. “Go on.”
Charlize snuck a glance at Sophia. With her face still red, she whispered, “Ms. Yarrow, how did you manage to stay in love with Mr. Xenos for so long?”
Now, where did this question come from?
Sophia blinked, then looked at Charlize with a half-smile. “Do you have someone you like, Charlize?”
Given how protective the Johnson family was—or, more precisely—how protective Charles was of Charlize, there was no way she could have dated anyone at school.
It was something Sophia could tell at a glance through Charlize’s bashful reaction.
Ah, what an obedient but poor girl.
Having had her soul bared to Sophia, Charlize went scarlet.
The smile on Sophia’s face broadened. “Is it your boss?” she asked.
“H-How did you know?”
Charlize was shocked. Was I that obvious?
Sophia swallowed the shrimp in her mouth, then replied smilingly, “I guessed it myself.”
At that, Charlize was stumped for words.
That’s spot on!
The young woman covered her face as a mixture of embarrassment, anxiety, and exhilaration coursed through her body.
Two seconds later, she could not help but steal a glance at Sophia through the gap between her fingers. When she saw that the latter did not have much of a reaction and was only smiling at her, she sighed in relief and put down her hand. “How did you guess it?”
“I guessed it the moment you mentioned him the second time.”
At that point, Sophia paused before continuing, “Also, I realized that—”
“What did you realize?” Charlize looked at her, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“I realized that although you were complaining about him, it seemed like you gladly put up with him.”
Embarrassed from being exposed, Charlize lowered her head and said, “It’s because I get to be closer to him.”
Sophia propped her chin in the palm of her hand and stared at the younger woman. “So, are you going to confess to him?”
“Did you guess that as well, Ms. Yarrow? You’re so good at this!”
Amused by her reaction, Sophia chuckled. “I’d advise you to hold off for now, though.”
Since Charlize had always admired Sophia and had even asked the latter out that night to solicit advice from her on that matter, the discouragement did not upset her. Instead, she continued to ask for guidance. “What should I do then?”
Gazing at the innocent girl before her, Sophia fell silent for a second before she spoke. “Don’t worry. I’ll guide you.”