Chapter 291 Spilled All Over His Pants

Chapter 291 Spilled All Over His Pants

Sophia stepped into the elevator. One floor down, a group of women piled in.

They were clearly deep in conversation, not noticing Sophia tucked in the corner.

"Amazing! Our bonuses are doubling. I'm so grateful to Ms. Percy! Next time I see her, I'm giving her my sweetest smile."

"And what's that smile worth?"

"She doesn't care about bonuses. She obviously doesn't care about money either—what she values is emotional connection!"

They sounded thrilled, and Sophia felt a little excited too. But the conversation quickly took a turn.

"Oh, please. I heard she's got something going on with Mr. Clifford. That's why she doesn't care about money."

"No way! Don't spread rumors. She's talented! She can achieve things on her own."

"Come on, who knows where she really got those proposals? The key thing is, I know she messed up Mr. Clifford's thing with Ms. Medici."

"The Medici family? That blind date girl, Brielle?"

"Yeah, but Sophia kicked her out of the picture. It's been all over the gossip mill—apparently Mr. Clifford was on a date with Brielle, and she interrupted them. There are photos and everything!"

Several heads huddled together over a phone. From her corner, Sophia narrowed her eyes and caught a glimpse of the picture.

It was a photo of her and Lancelot having dinner.

But the photographer had been clever—Sophia's face was crystal clear, while Lancelot's was blurred, just an outline.

Obviously, they didn't want to offend Lancelot. As for her? Fair game.

Back when she was with William, naïve girls had pulled the same tricks.

Years later, still the same playbook?

Sophia didn't make a scene. Once they left, she clicked out of the elevator in her heels and immediately spotted the car waiting outside.

"Ms. Percy!" Ryan rolled down the window, grinning widely.

She smiled and walked over. "Is Mr. Clifford here yet?"

"He's been waiting for Ms. Percy." Lancelot's voice drifted from the back seat, tinged with a hint of wounded neglect.

Sophia winced. She'd walked right into that one.

"Mr. Clifford."

Lancelot hummed in response but said nothing more. She quickly pulled open the door and slid inside.

Aiden, in the passenger seat, immediately turned around to lighten the mood. "Sophia, you're incredible! You've got your hands in every project. I remember your major was AI in college—how are you so good at everything else too?"

Sophia smiled. "I double-majored in business administration and got my MBA."

"You went to grad school?" Ryan blurted out. "Ms. Percy, didn't you get married right after undergrad?"

Aiden fell silent.

Why on earth would you bring that up?

Does the boss really want to hear about his future wife's marriage history?

But Lancelot's voice came, slow and measured. "I'm curious about that too. As far as I know, Ms. Percy got married right after graduation."

His tone was unreadable, but Sophia felt a chill run down her spine.

She had the distinct feeling that if she didn't answer this correctly, there would be consequences.

Sophia cleared her throat lightly. "I wanted to get married, but I didn't want to neglect my studies. So I applied to grad school. I guess I didn't waste those years."

She let out a dry laugh at her own weak joke.

No one in the car laughed. If anything, the temperature seemed to drop.

Fine. The more she talked, the worse it got. She shut her mouth.

Aiden shrank back into his seat and shot Ryan a glare.

Ryan's expression was innocent. 'I was just curious! Everyone says dating ruins your studies, right? Who knew Ms. Percy could get married and still go to grad school—and excel at it!'

Following that train of thought, Aiden found a way to salvage the situation. "Sounds like your focus was on your studies back then. The relationship was just... a side thing."

"Exactly." Lancelot picked up the thread. "Ms. Percy, is it still the same now?"

Sophia fell silent.

Now that Lancelot put it that way, it sounded strange.

Especially when she met his eyes—she got the distinct feeling he was accusing her of multitasking, juggling three or four things at once.

Better to play dumb.

Sophia cleared her throat and changed the subject, a bit stiffly. "Mr. Clifford, the Hilton is up for sale because the previous owner got caught in a debt dispute. The interior design and management are both top-notch. If we acquire it, renovation should be straightforward."

Seeing her pivot to work, Lancelot sighed softly. "Aren't you tired?"

Sophia froze. That didn't sound like something he'd say.

After all, he was the number one capitalist!

Lancelot reached out and ruffled her hair. "I heard you've been working overtime constantly this past half-month, churning out proposals. Lack of rest will age you faster, you know."

His gentle tone instantly dissolved the professional atmosphere.

Faced with his concern, her emotions tangled into knots.

Especially with other people in the car!

Sophia kept her head down, not daring to move, her voice soft. "It's just work. It's what I should be doing. Besides, all the necessary adjustments are done. I can rest properly now."

"Good." Lancelot's voice remained gentle. "Then spend this time with me overseeing the hotel."

Wait, what?

Was he blatantly telling her to rest while he did the work?

Wasn't that backwards?

Sophia wanted to argue, but when she met Lancelot's deep, water-like gaze, the words died in her throat.

She had to admit—Lancelot was too easy to fall for.

If he weren't the heir to the Clifford family, she'd throw caution to the wind and leap into his arms.

Too bad there were no 'ifs' in this world.

As she fell silent, the car grew quiet. Lancelot naturally pulled her into his embrace.

"It's a half-hour drive. Sleep a little."

She wasn't tired. She'd just had coffee—how could she be sleepy?

But his arms were so comfortable. All her exhaustion seemed to surface at once, and she had no strength to pull away.

He looked down at Sophia, obediently resting with her eyes closed, and a smile curved his lips.

Up front, Aiden and Ryan exchanged knowing glances. Progress!

---

Half an hour later, Hilton parking lot.

After getting out of the car, Sophia expected Lancelot to head straight inside. Instead, he led them around the side entrance toward the restaurant.

"Are we starting the inspection from the restaurant?" Sophia asked curiously, assuming this was his unconventional work style.

Lancelot smiled and tapped her forehead. "It's lunchtime, Ms. Percy. Aren't you hungry?"

Right on cue, her stomach growled.

Face flushing, she followed him into the restaurant.

The group of four took their seats. A server quickly approached, but anyone could see her extra attentiveness was directed entirely at Lancelot.

The server poured tea for Lancelot, all smiles. "Sir, our house specialties are excellent. You absolutely must try them."

Lancelot said nothing. He simply looked at Sophia.

She didn't want to get involved, but his gaze was too intense to ignore. Reluctantly, she spoke. "The menu, please. I'll take a look."

"Oh." The server's response was flat. She casually handed the menu toward Sophia.

But her aim was off. The menu knocked into the cup in front of Lancelot, and tea spilled all over his pants.