Chapter 189 Repaying Kindness with Love
Tension silently filled the living room.
Sophia couldn't help herself—she turned away and laughed freely.
"William, save that domineering tone for other women. It won't work on me."
Her laughter broke the tension in the room.
William stared at her genuine smile, his gaze heavy and his eyes darkening.
He could tell that the amusement in her eyes was real—and so was her indifference.
Perhaps it was because he had just been so serious, delivering those words with such a straight face, that Sophia couldn't stop laughing.
Unlike her, who was growing increasingly clear-headed, William felt trapped—unable to tear his gaze away from her.
The warmth inside drove away the autumn chill.
William planted his hands on the armrests of the sofa, trapping Sophia between them.
Sophia's expression shifted instantly.
He let out a low laugh. "Are you mocking me?"
Sophia shrank back into the sofa, looking at the cold, noble man before her.
Seeing him about to lean down again, she stretched out her foot and pressed it against his chest.
Her gaze swept over his groin as she said pointedly, "I don't think you'll still be able to stand up if we go another round."
William went silent.
Sophia withdrew her foot and said firmly, "This is the last time I'm making this clear to you—we really don't have a chance anymore."
As she stood up to push him away, William lowered his head and said, "Haven't you ever wondered why?"When I saw you and Raymond coming out of the same hotel room, I never questioned you?"
He stared at her intently and continued, "As a man, why do you think I'd rather endure the shame of my wife's infidelity than divorce you?"
"You're going to say it's because of love?"
William went silent.
Sophia let out a light laugh and said mockingly, "Then do you know what a man's greatest charm is? It's knowing how to solve problems."
"When you first saw that video, why didn't you ask me? Once you had doubts, you'd already decided it was fact. Didn't you convict me in your heart?"
The air between them grew tense again.
Sophia was in no rush to leave now.
She continued, "I don't like dwelling on what happened five years ago. But you keep bringing it up again and again. Let's be honest—don't you just think you were betrayed, yet you're still willing to be with me, and you think you're so noble for not mentioning divorce?
William pressed his lips together and retorted, "I didn't."
"Fine, you say you didn't. But when I asked you what your relationship with Alice really was, when I asked why you kept helping her—what was your answer?"
Sophia's expression cooled. "You didn't answer."
If it had only been helping her once or twice, she wouldn't have cared so much.
It was William's indulgence that allowed Alice to provoke her constantly.
If he had warned Alice even once in front of her, Alice wouldn't have dared to make trouble in front of her—the legitimate wife.
Sophia curved her lips and leaned closer. "Besides Philip, does anyone else know I'm your wife?"
Their eyes met, and his gaze held her reflection.
William explained, "In those years, Peace Group was in its development phase—I had too many enemies..."
Sophia cut him off. "Right, so you assigned all those bodyguards to protect Alice. She wanted to enter the entertainment industry, so you paved the way for her." To give her special treatment, you didn't hesitate to humiliate me. In the end, you summed it all up with 'repaying a debt.'"I'm so touched by your gratitude toward your benefactor."
"I gave birth to James and Michael for you—I nearly died during childbirth. Why weren't you that good to me?" William, if you had accompanied me to even one social event, those five years wouldn't have been so exhausting for me.
When they got married, the Peace Group issued an official announcement. Who in their circle didn't know William was married?
Yet he kept appearing at Alice's side, backing her up. This was nothing but humiliation for Sophia!
She couldn't think about it—the more she did, the more she wanted to hit him.
People who didn't understand Sophia would see her refusing to explain the hotel incident with Raymond while mocking William's relationship with Alice—and would definitely think she had double standards.
Others would think William was physically faithful—that he only helped Alice to repay a debt—while Sophia's constant harping on it seemed cold-hearted.
But what about those five years of secret marriage?
Was she simply unlucky?
In Sophia's view, how could two people who truly loved each other watch their beloved protect another person and remain unmoved?
A debt could be repaid with one's life, but never with feelings.
Because that would not only make love seem false, but also make the debt seem cheap.
Whether others thought her views were wrong or extreme—
That was simply her personality.
"I need to remind you—I had no idea Raymond would be at that hotel, and I had no clue how he ended up coming out of that room."
That room right after me. Even if you ask me a thousand times, my answer will be the same!"
"As for you... Alice was just the trigger. What I really can't accept is your coldness. In a marriage, that's emotional neglect."
As she spoke, Sophia's eyes reddened in anger.
"Do you know why I was at that hotel? Because my friend Seraphine was dying—and that room had special meaning to her."
"I went to visit a friend who was dying. I wanted to use my medical skills to save her, but I failed. Is that reason good enough?"
William wanted to hug her, but he didn't dare move.
In just a few minutes, the amusement in her eyes had turned to tears, and her face was flushed with anger.
William slowly sank down, kneeling on one knee at the edge of the sofa.
Without touching her, he pressed his forehead against the back of the sofa.From behind, it looked like he was enveloping her in his embrace, but in reality, he hadn't even touched the hem of her clothes.
After finding out she had no emotional entanglement with Raymond, William didn't feel the joy he'd imagined—instead, he felt suffocated.
They were too close—
Each breath carried the other's scent.
Don't think Sophia was completely clear-headed now—she, too, had once been lost in the brief tenderness William had shown.
"You've probably forgotten that at first, you called me 'Sophia'—just like Grandpa did. But after Alice appeared, you called me 'Sophia Johnson.'"
"William, have you ever truly examined your own feelings?"
Sophia gave him a push. The tall man was easily pushed away, sinking powerlessly onto the carpet.
This time, his answer came quickly and without hesitation.
"I've never liked Alice—there's no doubt about that."
"...Is that so?"
Sophia's questioning response made William's heart clench, his hands tightening into fists.
He looked up at her. "You don't believe me?"
"Whether I believe you or not doesn't matter. I only ask that you stop interfering so much in my love life from now on."
Whether it's Raymond, Benjamin, or any other man—who I want to be with is my freedom."
"You and I—when it's over, it's over."
"If you ever had even a shred of feeling for me, please get your emotions in order—and don't make things difficult for James and Michael."
In William's smooth-sailing life, he had always been the superior whom others looked up to. Only Sophia dared to speak to him so bluntly.
And he was completely helpless against it.
This time, he didn't stop Sophia.
The driver outside the seaside villa was perceptive.Seeing Sophia come out of the villa alone, he immediately approached. "Ms. Johnson, Mr. Smith asked me to drive you back to the Johnson Villa."
The black Maybach was parked in the villa's courtyard, but the driver opened the door to another car—a relatively low-key new one.
The seaside villa area had strict management—taxis couldn't get in, and neither could non-residents.
Sophia hesitated, then got into the back seat.
The driver said nothing and quietly drove Sophia home. Only after she went inside did he return to the seaside villa to await William's instructions.
In the quiet living room, William sat on the carpet, his back against the single sofa where Sophia had just been sitting, surrounded by various bottles of alcohol on his right side.
Two buttons of his shirt were undone, his tie nowhere to be seen. His once noble and aloof aura was now tinged with the melancholy of night.
Why couldn't they just get back together...
Why couldn't they just get back together...