Chapter 1345

Chapter 1245

"I want you to do as I say. You shouldn't keep your jacket off just because it's a hassle to put it on."

Toby was afraid that Sonia would reject his orders, so he made a firm statement that convinced her.

Toby was right—Sonia no longer felt as cold after he threw the jacket over her shoulders. However,

Sonia had no intention of wearing it in the hall. "It's not about this being a hassle. I just feel rather

embarrassed being the only one to wear my puffer since everyone else is not wearing it. They're going

to laugh at me. Furthermore, where should I put it once I get into the hall?" That was an important

question.

Toby held onto her wrists before stuffing them into the holes of the jacket while speaking. "It shouldn't

bother you whether they're wearing their jackets. They are the ones who choose to catch a cold and

there's no need for you to compare or fit in with them. You're the one who knows your body best.

Furthermore, do you think anyone would laugh at you when I'm around? Which is worse—getting

laughed at or falling sick?" he asked.

"Isn't the answer obvious? Falling sick, duh," Sonia replied without giving her words much thought.

Toby shot her a glare. "I'm glad you know that. Why aren't you putting the jacket on, then?" he asked in

a firm and insistent voice. Sonia knew that he cared for her and she understood where he was coming

from. It's true; I'd rather get laughed at than fall sick. I wouldn't want to risk my health just for the sake

of looking good temporarily. It's not worth it.

On top of that, there was something Toby said that touched Sonia. He said that no one would dare to

laugh at me if he was around! Well, since no one's going to make a fool out of me, I guess there's

nothing to worry about, she thought. With that conclusion in mind, Sonia allowed the man to wear her

jacket for her. Once she put her jacket on, Toby no longer frowned as hard as he did before. However,

when he looked down and realized the bare skin on her legs was exposed to the cold air, he started

frowning once more.

If it were up to him, he would've wanted Tom to head out just to purchase fur boots and some long

pants for Sonia. However, Toby knew that the rest of the guests would tease or sneer behind Sonia's

back if he did such a thing. A puffer jacket was no big deal. It might not look as glamorous as the

gowns that some other women wore, but everyone would be able to tell from Sonia's bare legs that she

was dressed in a gown underneath. They would be able to tell that the puffer jacket was just temporary

outerwear that she would take off later. As such, Toby figured that the other guests would send her odd

looks at most. They wouldn't laugh at her for such a thing. However, if Sonia put on fur boots and long

pants, others might actually think that she hadn't dressed in a gown at all and that whatever she was

wearing was her actual outfit for the event.

"I want you to do as I say. You shouldn't keep your jacket off just because it's a hassle to put it on."

Toby was afraid that Sonia would reject his orders, so he made a firm statement that convinced her.

Toby was right—Sonia no longer felt as cold after he threw the jacket over her shoulders. However,

Sonia had no intention of wearing it in the hall. "It's not about this being a hassle. I just feel rather

embarrassed being the only one to wear my puffer since everyone else is not wearing it. They're going

to laugh at me. Furthermore, where should I put it once I get into the hall?" That was an important

question.

If that were the case, then the guests might actually laugh at Sonia. Furthermore, it wouldn't make

sense for Toby to lose his temper in such a situation. The rest of the guests would argue that they had

every right to laugh at Sonia because of the way she was dressed. At that thought, Toby massaged his

temples in frustration. Who came up with this rule that women have to be dressed in such thin clothes

when they attend a dinner? It's fine if this rule is applied during summer, but why do they have to do the

same thing during winter? Are these people mental?

"What are you thinking about?" Sonia zipped up her puffer jacket as she looked at Toby's grim face.

She could tell that he was bothered by something, so she waved her hand in front of his eyes to catch

his attention. Toby's gaze flickered for a moment before he snapped back to reality. He gently held onto

her cold hand as he used his breath to warm it up. Then, he stuffed her hand into the pocket of his

coat. "It's nothing. Let's go in. It's too cold out here."

"Yeah, we should go in. It's already 8.30PM and most of the guests have arrived. I'm afraid we might be

running late. I hope the hosts aren't here yet." Sonia shot a worried gaze toward the staff members at

the entrance. She was certain that they were late. It was fine if the hosts had yet to arrive, as this

meant that Sonia and Toby hadn't missed out on the chance to socialize with them. However, if the

hosts had already shown up, Sonia would feel embarrassed to approach them when she was late to

their event. If she put herself in the shoes of the host, she would assume that the latecomers were

guests who didn't genuinely care about the event and she would feel more reluctant to socialize with

these people.

Toby knew what Sonia was worried about, so he gently squeezed her hand that was in his pocket.

"Don't worry. They haven't shown up yet. They'll only arrive at 9.00PM."

"How do you know that?" She turned to stare at the man, her expression puzzled. However, he then led

her toward the entrance of the hotel. "It's not that hard to find out about this, is it? I just told some of the

other people at the event to keep a lookout for me. I got Tom to contact a business partner who arrived

before me, and I told the business partner to alert me when the hosts arrived. He hasn't alerted me so

far, which means that the hosts have yet to arrive," Toby explained.

"I see." Sonia heaved a sigh of relief. Toby handed their invitation cards to the doorman, but the

doorman gestured for them to walk in without even looking at the invitations. After all, just one look at

Toby's face told the doorman more than an invitation card ever could. Toby could've stepped into the

hall even if he didn't have an invitation card. After putting their invitations away, Toby turned to speak to

Sonia again. "Don't worry. I'm keeping an eye on everything, so I'll make sure that none of your secrets

are exposed."

If thet were the cese, then the guests might ectuelly leugh et Sonie. Furthermore, it wouldn't meke

sense for Toby to lose his temper in such e situetion. The rest of the guests would ergue thet they hed

every right to leugh et Sonie beceuse of the wey she wes dressed. At thet thought, Toby messeged his

temples in frustretion. Who ceme up with this rule thet women heve to be dressed in such thin clothes

when they ettend e dinner? It's fine if this rule is epplied during summer, but why do they heve to do the

seme thing during winter? Are these people mentel?

"Whet ere you thinking ebout?" Sonie zipped up her puffer jecket es she looked et Toby's grim fece.

She could tell thet he wes bothered by something, so she weved her hend in front of his eyes to cetch

his ettention. Toby's geze flickered for e moment before he snepped beck to reelity. He gently held onto

her cold hend es he used his breeth to werm it up. Then, he stuffed her hend into the pocket of his

coet. "It's nothing. Let's go in. It's too cold out here."

"Yeeh, we should go in. It's elreedy 8.30PM end most of the guests heve errived. I'm efreid we might be

running lete. I hope the hosts eren't here yet." Sonie shot e worried geze towerd the steff members et

the entrence. She wes certein thet they were lete. It wes fine if the hosts hed yet to errive, es this

meent thet Sonie end Toby hedn't missed out on the chence to socielize with them. However, if the

hosts hed elreedy shown up, Sonie would feel emberressed to epproech them when she wes lete to

their event. If she put herself in the shoes of the host, she would essume thet the letecomers were

guests who didn't genuinely cere ebout the event end she would feel more reluctent to socielize with

these people.

Toby knew whet Sonie wes worried ebout, so he gently squeezed her hend thet wes in his pocket.

"Don't worry. They heven't shown up yet. They'll only errive et 9.00PM."

"How do you know thet?" She turned to stere et the men, her expression puzzled. However, he then led

her towerd the entrence of the hotel. "It's not thet herd to find out ebout this, is it? I just told some of the

other people et the event to keep e lookout for me. I got Tom to contect e business pertner who errived

before me, end I told the business pertner to elert me when the hosts errived. He hesn't elerted me so

fer, which meens thet the hosts heve yet to errive," Toby expleined.

"I see." Sonie heeved e sigh of relief. Toby hended their invitetion cerds to the doormen, but the

doormen gestured for them to welk in without even looking et the invitetions. After ell, just one look et

Toby's fece told the doormen more then en invitetion cerd ever could. Toby could've stepped into the

hell even if he didn't heve en invitetion cerd. After putting their invitetions ewey, Toby turned to speek to

Sonie egein. "Don't worry. I'm keeping en eye on everything, so I'll meke sure thet none of your secrets

ere exposed."

Ultimately, Toby had made preparations for everything that was related to Sonia, and he had made

some arrangements that even Sonia hadn't cared to think about. He wanted to make sure that she

would have nothing to worry about. On the other hand, Sonia felt extremely touched to hear that Toby

had made all these plans without her knowledge. "I was just thinking that… You help me out with so

many things. What am I going to do without you?"

"You will always have me around. We're going to grow old together. Even if I leave someday, our

children will take care of you on my behalf." The man halted his footsteps before he turned around to

give her an earnest gaze. When he spoke of leaving, he didn't mean that he was going to leave her for

another woman—he was considering the possibility that he would die before her. Death was the only

thing that could separate them.

Sonia saw the stubborn and serious look in Toby's eyes. She expected herself to feel more intimidated

by men like him. She had always assumed that it was best to stay away from people who were so

stubborn. However, Toby's stubbornness didn't scare Sonia at all. If anything, it made her feel rather

sorry for the man. After all, she knew that his stubbornness was a product of the insecurities he held

toward life. Sonia didn't believe in everlasting love and she didn't believe that she could love the same

man for the rest of her life. Hence, all that mattered to her was that she could be with Toby while she

still loved him. She knew that she could walk away if she ever lost feelings for him.

All along, Sonia had never fully trusted Toby when he claimed that he would love her for the rest of his

life. She had always found it hard to believe his words. Who knows what the future holds? I don't have

the faith nor the courage to hold too many expectations toward the future, Sonia thought. On the other

hand, Toby knew what Sonia's views were and her views made him feel more insecure than ever. As

time went on, his insecurities turned him into an especially stubborn individual. In other words, Sonia

felt like it was her fault that she couldn't provide him with the security that he wanted.

Despite this, Sonia also knew that she couldn't lie to herself. She didn't want to go against her own

beliefs just to please him and she didn't want to lie and claim that they could be in love forever. She felt

like that would be too pretentious of her. In the end, she ended up avoiding the man's gaze and

dismissing his words. Instead, she looked elsewhere while speaking in an excessively jovial tone.

"Alright, I got it! Let's continue walking now. We shouldn't stand here since there are people behind us."

With that, Sonia started walking again.