Comparison was the source of all discontent. Once, theyâd derided those whoâd gone over to Cooperâs side as being too dumb to judge the situation, but their young lady had now pinned theirs to the ground, yet they didnât even dare retaliate.
As Sophia watched as the Mitchells carried Sandra away with their tails between their legs and disappeared into the exhibition hall, she was still feeling peeved. Upon seeing that Linus wasnât saying anything, she instantly urged, âDonât take their words to heart, Linus.â
Linus caressed her head gently. âIâm fine,â he reassured.
Grabbing his hand, Sophia tugged at it slightly. âYouâve always been the pride of our family, Linus. Dad is always asking me to learn from you!â
Warmth infused Linus. Truly, Iâve got the best father and sister in the world! Dad is aware of my sexual orientation, but he has never interfered. Heâs really open-minded. Sophia, on the other hand, has never had a problem with me liking men. In this family, no one ever thought that Iâm a monster. How niceâ¦
This family is truly great! However, he knew that the Mitchell Family would never accept it. Theyâll definitely use my sexual orientation to kick up a fuss, but so what?
All the Mitchells sat at a table. It was rare that everyone was sitting here today to receive some exposure to art. All of them found those few slaps of Sophia impressive since Sandra indeed had a foul mouth.
All of a sudden, Sophia felt a burning sensation in her back. The moment she glanced over her shoulder, she noticed Lucy staring at her. Lucy was drinking alone, and she quickly averted her gaze the moment she saw Sophia looking at her. Nevertheless, Sophia still felt that her gaze earlier was brimming with sorrow.
Lucy Edwards is really a tad strange these days. She helped Sandra settle the open and secret dual-
priced contracts, invested a lot of money in her project, and even facilitated her meeting with Billy Kim.
Besides, she also rebranded Kingâthe luxury brand for pets Sandra previously ruinedâto go head-to-
head with Pourl. Itâs truly puzzling⦠Could it be that Sandra has some dirt on her? But sheâs such a strong woman, independent and outstanding. What could Sandra have on her? Because of her, itâs been rather difficult for me to eliminate this signature advocate of Alex Mitchell, so I should really take some time to investigate her.
As the exhibition was drawing to its end, Michael came looking for Sophia with Carmen. Carmen was pretty tired after all the exposure sheâd gotten today, so she was dozing off in Michaelâs arms. Cooper, however, had disappeared somewhere. The curtain is falling on the exhibition, yet Dad hasnât even seen Louis Osborne. If he misses him this time, itâll be a long wait before heâll get to see him next time. They then phoned Cooper, but he said he wanted some time alone and would go home by himself later.
Sophia then bid Louis farewell. She initially wanted to also bid the Yard twins and Anna farewell but found it rather abrupt to seek them without a prior appointment, so she returned home with Michael first.
Meanwhile, Anne and the Yards discussed building an ancestral hall since theyâd returned to their homeland. In the end, they decided to have dinner together. Anne happily went in search of Louis as she contemplated a name that would be worthy of her identity. No, Iâve got to find myself a husband first!
Stanley Fletcher, Michael Fletcher, and the likes arenât worthy of me. I want to find someone like the head of the Michel Family, Fass Michel! While rumor has it that he has a daughter whoâs pretty old, his brother named Linus or something will do. When Iâve changed my last name in the future, Iâll be able to associate with top-notch people like them. Iâll definitely figure out a way to meet Linus! Iâm going to be a princess very soon, so Iâve got to find my destined Prince Charming!
Unexpectedly, her enthusiastic footsteps abruptly came to a halt at the corner as she seemingly spotted something. She saw a man standing quietly before a window in the corridor ahead. The man was tall and slim, his profile more than perfect. From his looks, he appeared to be in his early 30s. His gaze shone with profound maturity, the blue of his eyes bright and alluring as the ocean. He seemed to be of mixed blood. A fallen leaf fluttered in, upon which he stretched out a hand and caught one. He gazed at the leaf caught between his long and slender fingers, his mind wandering to thoughts unknown as his eyes teemed with grief.
He merely stood there silently, forming a beautiful picture of a tragic song. It held Anne so transfixed that her steps ceased, and she stood there looking at him quietly. Has he experienced something devastating? From his back, she could see the sorrow that overflowed from the depths of his soul. Heâs a person with a story.
Out of the blue, the man seemed to have sensed that someone was watching him furtively. All at once, his sorrowful gaze turned forbidding and domineering. âWhoâs there?â he demanded frigidly.
Anne jumped in fright. When the manâs gaze shifted to her, she felt her breath catching in that instance.
The manâs powerful aura and shockingly handsome countenance stole her every breath, depriving her brain of oxygen that she couldnât think for a moment, merely staring at him blankly. For the first time, her usually eloquent self was rendered speechless.
The man nonchalantly glanced at her. Upon seeing that she was a young girl, he didnât take offense to her and whirled around to leave.
Anne, on the other hand, was gripped by shock. Sheâd never seen such a unique manâhandsome, mysterious, and powerful. The moment the man disappeared from sight, the powerful aura vanished as well. As a breath of fresh air entered her nostrils, she finally snapped back to her senses, only to immediately chase after the man.
âSir! Sir, wait a momentâ¦â Sheâd never felt as bold as she did in that moment as she called out to him.
She felt as though sheâd regret it for the rest of her life if she didnât call him back. However, never could she have known that sheâd suffer for the rest of her life just because she called out to him.
âWhat is it?â The man turned back, his gaze still as indifferent as ever.
Mustering her courage, Anne stepped forward and tried her best to control the stammer in her voice.
âYou must be here to attend the solo exhibition of my grandfather, Master Louis Osborne,â she noted.
When she drew near to him, she suddenly felt his aura growing increasingly distinct the closer she was.
At this, the man nodded slightly.
âWhy donât you go and discuss the finer points of things with my grandfather?â she instantly blurted.
The manâs voice was low yet devoid of emotion. âMr. Osborne is a busy person, so I wonât intrude.â
Anne, however, immediately countered, âMy grandfather is free now, so Iâll take you to him!â After saying that, she led him to Louis. Iâve decided on him! I donât want any prince or rich heir. Instead, I want this man!
Thus, the man followed her lead to Louis.
Louisâ private exhibition was drawing to an end, so he happened to have his head raised, looking everywhere for Anne. Heâd particularly asked his fellow acquaintances to bring along their unmarried descendants to this exhibition today, hoping that sheâd take a fancy to one of them. To his surprise, he caught sight of her approaching excitedly with a man in no time.
Nudging his reading glasses, he scrutinized the man. Hmm⦠he looks pretty decent, so it seems that Anne has quite some taste. But he appears to be somewhat up in years. No matter how I look at him, he canât be any younger than 30 years old. Nonetheless, 30 isnât too old. After all, my idol, Michael Fletcher, is already 40 years old, and this man looks much younger than him.
Bringing the man over to him, Anne exuberantly exclaimed, âThis is my new friend, Grandpa! His name is Cooper Mitchell, and heâs your long-time fan!â