Sophia felt that his smile was somewhat terrifying and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Hastings, what are you laughing at?"
"Nothing, what did Paul say to you today?" Victor asked her in return.
Sophia glanced at Victor through the rearview mirror and said, "Nothing."
He chuckled lightly and looked out the window with eyes that seemed to see through everything. The busy flow of vehicles on the street made the road in Woerek very congested.
Sophia nervously gripped the steering wheel with both hands, feeling as though Victor knew something. She wanted to ask, but he continued to look out the window, creating a sense of distance that made her hesitate to speak. It wasn't until their car stopped outside her apartment complex that she finally gathered the courage.
"I'm home now. Would you like to come up and have a cup of coffee?" she politely invited, not expecting Victor to accept.
"Sure," he replied without hesitation.
Suddenly, Sophia didn't know how to respond. It was late, and as a girl, she couldn't possibly invite a normal man to her place, could she? After thinking for a moment, she quickly said, "It's getting late. You must be tired after a busy day. You should go home and rest."
"Can't I rest at your place?" he asked. His eyes were particularly captivating!
Sophia was taken aback and couldn't bring herself to smile anymore. Shaking her head firmly, she said, "No."
"Park the car and get out," Victor commanded and promptly exited the vehicle.
He had no intention of leaving.
Unable to stop herself, Sophia slapped herself in regret for inviting Victor.
He waited outside the car while Sophia didn't have the heart to rush him away. So, she clenched her teeth, parked the car, and silently followed him upstairs.
"Lead the way," Victor prompted.
Sophia took a deep breath, compromised, and walked ahead without uttering a word.
Although her rented apartment was located downtown, it was a twenty-year-old complex that, despite looking decent, was surrounded by aging structures.
As they walked, Victor couldn't help but assess the area. Even if he were paid, he wouldn't want to live in a place like this.
Victor had seen all sorts of people – those who slept with others for money, those who seduced bosses, those who acted as mistresses, you name it.
However, he had never encountered a mistress as miserable as Sophia.
"So, you live in this place?" he couldn't help but ask.
Sophia nodded and said, "Yes, it's close to the company, convenient for commuting, and most importantly, there are many schools nearby."
"You don't have any children, so why rent a place near schools?" Victor squinted his eyes.
Sophia's heartbeat skipped a beat, fearing that her secret would be exposed. She quickly regained her composure, saying in a low voice, "Places with many schools also have lots of breakfast shops. Most importantly, it's cheap. The cost of living in Woerek is too high, and you always deduct my salary. I could starve to death at any time."
Victor raised an eyebrow, looking at her displeased.
Realizing she had said something wrong, Sophia quickly covered her mouth and said, "I misspoke. Please don't be angry."
Victor let out a cold snort and strode into the elevator.
After pressing the floor button, Sophia retreated to the side and remained silent, staring at her feet, absentmindedly moving them.
Noticing her subtle actions, Victor became slightly curious. Seeing her foolishly playing with her feet, he found it amusing and thought she was quite childish.
Turning his head to glance at the floor, Victor said, "Stop looking, we're here."
"Thank you for taking me home, but this is as far as you need to go. No need to accompany me," Sophia stood at her doorstep and waved her hand at Victor, showing no intention of inviting him inside, as if she were facing a wild beast rather than her boss.
With narrowed eyes and a threatening gaze, Victor approached step by step.
"What are you going to do…" Sophia retreated in fear, backing into the wall. Panicking, she looked up, her voice trembling.
"Are you scared of me?" Victor looked down at her.
Sophia shook her head and said, "No, I'm not afraid at all."
"Then why don't you open the door?" he pressed.
Sophia tightly clutched her bag, afraid to move the key inside. She feared Victor, especially when he was angry. His inherent cold and arrogant demeanor made it difficult for her to breathe. It reminded her too much of the man from that night...
Trembling uncontrollably, she bit her lip and shook her head, saying, "I will not open it."
"Which one do you live in?" Victor questioned.
Sophia gestured to the side, but then remembered that Victor had seen her personal information. She said, "Don't you already know where I live?"
"Hand over the key," Victor reached out his hand.
Sophia tightly clutched her bag and forcefully shook her head, saying, "No, what if you rush in and refuse to leave? My place is small and cannot accommodate someone like you. Although I don't mind sheltering you, it wouldn't be good for your reputation if it got out that you came to a subordinate's house so late at night." She paused, swallowed nervously, and continued, "So you better leave first."
Victor couldn't help but laugh at her words. He lightly pinched her chin and said, "Sophia, would a woman like you care about reputation?"
His mockery was not masked at all...
Her body stiffened, and her face instantly turned pale.
He continued, "Now I am your boss. I want to enter your home, so open the door."
"I have already finished work. We are no longer in a superior-subordinate relationship, so I won't listen to you. And this is my home, I won't allow you to enter." She was angry now, turned her face stubbornly, and refused to let him touch her bag.
He thought she was really good at pretending to be innocent!
She acted so convincingly!
Her tone really resembled that of a pure and innocent girl. To him, it was just her method!
Wasn't it with this trick that she deceived Zach?
The more Victor thought about it, the angrier he became. However, what made him even angrier was that Sophia wouldn't open the door. Initially, he only wanted to see how Sophia lived, never intending to enter her home. The more Sophia disagreed, the more he wanted to go in and take a look.
I wonder if there's something hidden inside the room?
Victor reached out and directly grabbed Sophia's bag.
Sophia exclaimed, "What are you doing? Let go!"
Victor did not stop, and Sophia could only desperately grab her bag. But how could she have the same strength as Victor? He held her bag above his head, and she was instantly stunned by the height difference between them. She stared intently at Victor, who was half a head taller than her, and then she jumped!
However, she forgot that she was wearing high-heeled shoes!
Just as she was about to jump, her body tilted to one side and she fell into Victor's arms.
At the same time, the door of Sophia's house was opened from the inside, and a person walked out...