Chapter 295

Chapter 295

One month later, in Monaco.

The Mediterranean Sea shimmered under the bright sun. A salty sea breeze swept across the luxury hotel terrace, lifting Sophie's long hair.

Benjamin's injuries had mostly healed, though his movements were still slightly stiff. As a result, his usual commanding presence had softened, leaving him looking more composed.

The group had just arrived at the hotel. The front desk staff respectfully handed over several room keys, and Simon cleared his throat before beginning his "important speech" about the room assignments.

"Considering how complex and confidential this operation is,” Simon said, giving Benjamin a pointed look, “the room assignments need to be planned carefully.”

He picked up one key card. "Steve, you'll stay in this suite. It'll make it easier for you to handle communications and intelligence analysis remotely."

Then he picked up another. "I'll be next door. We can look out for each other and keep things secure."

Finally, he pushed two key cards toward Sophie and Benjamin and said in a businesslike, chilly tone, "Sophie, your room is at the other end of the hallway, with the best view. As for Mr. Brown, this guest room is a little small, but it’s quiet, which should be good for your recovery."

The implication was clear. Stay away from Sophie.

Simon's intentions were obvious to everyone.

Steve leaned against the wall, head down, fiddling with his phone, and could barely hide the upward curve of his lips. Sophie nearly laughed out loud and could only hide it by taking a sip of water.

However, Benjamin did not object or look displeased.

He simply nodded and reached for the key card for the smallest room, looking remarkably humble.

"You're right. I'll follow the arrangements."

Benjamin's compliant attitude left Simon with all his prepared remarks stuck in his throat. It was like throwing a full-strength punch only to hit cotton. His mood sank.

He'd meant to set the rules for Benjamin, but Benjamin had taken a "just tell me where to go and what to do" attitude, leaving him with nowhere to direct his anger.

Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, Sophie’s phone lit up with a video call invitation.

On the screen, Thomas and Timothy's identical little faces were squeezed together, looking expectant.

"Mommy!"

"Daddy!"

From the side, Zola said with amusement, "Mr. Brown, you've only just left, but Thomas and Timothy have been talking about you nonstop. They kept counting the minutes and insisted on calling to ask if you've arrived."

Sophie's heart melted instantly. She brought the phone closer and smiled. "We're here. Mommy and Daddy are both fine. You need to listen to Mira at home, okay?"

Benjamin leaned in as well. Looking at Thomas and Timothy on the screen, his features softened. The deference he'd shown Simon had now given way to genuine, unguarded paternal love.

"Thomas, Timothy, once Daddy and Mommy finish our work, we'll come back and bring you gifts."

"Daddy, are you and Mommy staying together?" Thomas asked suddenly, his big eyes full of curiosity.

The question shattered the tense atmosphere in the lobby.

Sophie and Benjamin both froze.

Simon's expression grew even harder to read.

"Of course!" Sophie blurted out, then quickly hung up.

The silence in the lobby was so complete that you could hear a pin drop.

Finally, Steve cleared his throat and looked at Simon with a straight face. "Simon, I think it would be better for Benjamin to share a room with Sophie."

Simon's eyebrows shot up, his gaze murderous.

Steve remained unmoved and reasoned, "Think about it. The kids might call again at any time. If they find out the two of them are not staying together, they may overthink it and get upset. For the children's sake, we adults need to think this through."

His speech practically waved the banner of "for the children" for all it was worth.

Simon glared at Steve, who was clearly siding with Benjamin, then at Sophie beside him, who was wearing a "Steve's right" expression. Finally, the expectant looks in Thomas and Timothy's eyes flashed through his mind, and the nameless anger in his chest faded away.

He reluctantly said, "...Just this once. It won't happen again!"

The family conflict sparked by the room assignments thus ended in an absurd way.

After checking into the hotel, they immediately got to work.

Sophie opened her computer and pulled up all the information about Monaco's royal family, as well as all publicly available information about this jewelry selection, beginning a thorough search and compilation.

Benjamin naturally sat beside her, skillfully filtering out redundant commercial hype and media releases, extracting the most valuable core information, marking it, and passing it to her.

Benjamin and Sophie worked together seamlessly, showing no trace of the five-year gap between them.

Just then, Sophie noticed a name trending on social media: Vivienne.

The headline was extremely sensational: "Rising Designer Vivienne Enters Competition for Monaco Queen's Crown Design with Stunning Work!"

In the report, Vivienne had publicly unveiled her submitted design proposal, even attaching several exquisitely beautiful concept images. And the core creative concept, which the media praised as "a silent epic written with light, shadow, and diamonds" was clearly labeled:

"Silent Fireworks."

Seeing this name, Sophie instantly went cold all over and froze in place.

She knew this concept and this name intimately, because this was her never-published graduation project!

Back then, still young and impetuous, she'd felt that while the "Silent Fireworks" theme had profound meaning, it wasn't bold enough, so before the final submission she had switched to another, more dazzling proposal.

That abandoned draft carried her purest design aspirations and all her creative ideas.

And now, it had become someone else's stunning masterpiece?

"What's wrong?" Benjamin immediately sensed something was off.

Sophie said nothing. She only pointed at the news on the screen.

Benjamin followed her finger and was confused at first, but once he saw Sophie's reaction, how could he not understand?

The gentle, composed Benjamin from a moment ago, suddenly had a much colder air about him. The sharpness he had deliberately restrained in front of the Scott family now came out without reservation, and the whole room's temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

His voice was icy. "She stole your work."

This wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Sophie nodded with difficulty.

"I'm going to find her." Benjamin stood up abruptly, no longer wearing the humble look of someone living under another person’s roof. Instead, his face held the dark determination of an approaching storm.