Chapter 87 Public Opinion Will Force Him to Acknowledge It
"What... what do you mean?" Lucy stared at Sophia in horror, hesitantly drawing her hand across her throat in a cutting motion.
"You're overthinking this. I'm a law-abiding citizen."
Sophia stuffed the documents into her bag and said casually, "Your two brothers control most of the family's business empire. Your parents want you to marry Wesley purely to secure benefits for them. Since none of this serves your interests, why obey? If you don't want to be your family's puppet, then break free from them."
"But... I'm not like you, with my own business empire and millions in savings to walk away from the Smith family so confidently. I have nothing—I'm completely dependent on my family. If I leave them, where would I go? How would I survive?"
Lucy sighed heavily. She never imagined there would come a day when she'd be pouring her heart out to Sophia, the person she used to despise most.
Now she didn't have a single trustworthy person around her, and after much consideration, only Sophia's character seemed reliable enough to confide in.
These eighteen years of her life had been truly pathetic.
Sophia didn't care about Lucy's predicament—they'd never been friends. She didn't like playing philanthropist; she preferred making investments. If there was profit to be made, she wouldn't mind helping Lucy along the way.
"I can help you gain control of LunaStride, provided you transfer all your current shares to me. The condition is that once successful, I want fifteen percent of LunaStride's shares."
Lucy's eyes suddenly lit up. If she could gain control of LunaStride, the income from this one brand alone would be enough to support her lifestyle. Even if she defied her parents and ran away from home, she wouldn't have to worry about financial security.
Sophia continued, "I'm not worried about you backing out afterward. If I have the ability to help you get it, I have the means to make it go bankrupt."
"I won't back out! After the field trip ends—no, as soon as we get to the hotel, I'll draft the equity transfer agreement and guarantee immediately!"
……
Matthew's condition had visibly improved compared to a few days ago. His complexion and spirits were much better, both hands could move now, though he still couldn't lift his arms very high.
The doctor recommended frequent muscle massage to aid recovery, so the caregiver gave Matthew massages four or five times a day.
As for Brandon, he didn't want to see that damned bastard Matthew, so he simply moved Sarah to a different room and only provided acupuncture for her, saving himself the discomfort of encountering Matthew.
After leaving Applewood Estate, Michael went straight to the hospital to find his father, planning to get the full story and understand what had caused the misunderstanding before going to explain things to Sophia.
"Dad, when Sophia came to visit you the day before yesterday, what exactly did you say to her?" Michael was rushed and his tone wasn't particularly pleasant.
"You little brat, are you interrogating me?" Matthew was immediately annoyed, but quickly calmed down somewhat. "We didn't discuss anything important. She knows herself that she's not suitable for you—what does that have to do with me?"
Michael took a deep breath, not wanting to argue with his father. "Did you tell her I was going to get engaged to Harper?"
"I never said that."
"If you didn't say it, then why would she suddenly claim I was going to have an engagement ceremony with Harper?"
"Look, did I say you were blinded by love? What's wrong with Harper? She's beautiful, academically excellent, well-educated, gentle and virtuous, and her family background matches the Green family's status. If you spend more time with her, you might develop feelings."
"Where exactly is Sophia inferior to her?"
"Sophia is too career-focused. She's suitable as a friend or business partner, but not as a wife."
Michael's eyes instantly dimmed, filled with disappointment, cloudy as if covered by a layer of fog. "Dad, you've changed so much."
Matthew hadn't said such things before. He used to praise Sophia's cleverness and intelligence, commending her graceful and generous demeanor, her social savvy and quick wit. He admired not only her academic excellence but also her business acumen.
A powerful, determined, ambitious woman would be more suitable as Michael's wife.
But after Sophia lost the Smith family's backing, her former strengths had now become flaws in Matthew's eyes.
The Green family wasn't an old-money dynasty of several generations. They'd only begun to prosper around the year Michael was born, rising rapidly in just three years to join the elite and move into Emerald City's affluent district. Now, over a decade later, they were poised to rival the Smith family's century-old legacy.
Money and power truly could make people lose themselves. The kind, gentle father from the beginning had transformed into an ugly beast who calculated advantages and used his children's marriages to secure benefits.
"Michael, the Green Group represents your mother's and my life's work. In another two or three years, when you're more mature, you'll understand me."
Tears glimmered in Matthew's eyes. He knew all too well how cold and ruthless this social circle was. When you wanted to climb higher, many things weren't up to your personal preferences—circumstances would push you forward.
Michael had no mood to argue about right and wrong anymore. He asked once more, "Did you tell Sophia that I was going to get engaged to Harper?"
Never having imagined he'd be questioned by Michael with such tone and expression, Matthew broke down in tears. "I swear, I really never mentioned this to her. I only said that your statuses were unequal and being together wouldn't have a good outcome, then she left. But that day, the Phillips family father and son came to visit me, and she ran into them."
Michael's eyes trembled, and without wasting more words, he turned and left.
It must have been that Sophia saw the Phillips family father and son talking with his father, and Henry might have said something ambiguous to her, causing the misunderstanding.
He needed to find Henry and get to the bottom of this!
The caregiver continued massaging Matthew's arm, hesitantly asking, "Mr. Matthew Green, I can see that Mr. Michael Green really likes Miss Johnson. Aren't you afraid he'll resent you for secretly arranging an engagement with the Phillips family behind his back?"
Matthew closed his eyes, enjoying the massage, and replied nonchalantly, "I'm his father. Even if he hates me, it'll only be temporary. When he grows up, he'll understand me."
"Then aren't you afraid he won't acknowledge this engagement?"
Matthew slowly opened his eyes. "Public opinion will force him to acknowledge it."
……
For the Luminous City trip, Silver Fir Academy had arranged student accommodations at a resort.
A row of log cabin villas, six students per cabin, two sharing each room.
Sophia and Amelia chose the villa's master bedroom, leaving the other two twin rooms for the remaining four students.
She casually pushed her suitcase beside the wardrobe and locked the door behind her.
"You go shower first. I need to call home and let them know I arrived safely." Sophia sat down on the small loveseat beside the bed with her phone.
"Oh my, our little princess has learned to check in with family when traveling now." Amelia teased while opening her suitcase to find clothes.
With her short hair, washing, showering, and blow-drying took her just over half an hour.
When she emerged from the bathroom, she found Sophia still sitting in the same spot holding her phone, with a faint coldness visible in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Amelia asked with concern.
Sophia turned her head and looked over expressionlessly. "Nothing, just dealing with a minor inconvenience."