David tried his best not to speak and reduced his presence by remaining silent. He thought he must be going crazy to have such terrifying hallucinations.
He had thought Sophia would notice him and restrain herself, but she didn't pay any attention to David at all. If Sophia hadn't been sitting in the passenger seat with a chair blocking her, David would have suspected she would crawl over and throw herself onto Victor's lap!
The car was swaying as it moved. David was absent-minded, while Sophia instructed him to continue driving towards Hastings Villa.
Victor didn't stop her, implying his approval. His sexy thin lips bore a handsome smile as he thoughtfully looked at Sophia's mischievous eyes. There was no doubt that she was plotting something.
However, Victor couldn't figure out what could be so important to her in his house.
The car slowly pulled into Hastings Villa. It was exactly 10 o'clock at night and there were hardly any people inside Hastings Villa except for a few guards.
After parking the car, David unbuckled his seatbelt, got out, and opened the car door for Victor, saying, "I'll send Ms. Johnson back later. Mr. Hastings, please rest assured."
Sophia, who was called by name, got out of the car and stretched her neck to talk to David across the car. "I want to go in to borrow slippers."
"That's enough!" David warned in a low voice. Why was Sophia insisting on borrowing slippers? He couldn't understand what she was planning, but he just needed to drag her away.
However, Sophia didn't cooperate at all. She quickly ran behind Victor and pulled his sleeve, turning to David and saying, "Mr. Hastings just promised to lend me slippers. If you're going to take me home, you'll have to wait for me."
Victor lowered his head and looked at Sophia's hand gripping his sleeve, his expression complex. He didn't find it disgusting.
Whenever Jessica got close to him, he would feel a chill. However, this Sophia...
There was a hint of curiosity in Victor's eyes, but he didn't say anything and allowed Sophia to pull him forward.
Sophia didn't notice Victor's gaze, but David did. He stared at her clutching Victor's sleeve, his eyes wide open, and his whole body stiff. Victor actually let Sophia grab his sleeve! Was he crazy?
David stood still, too stunned to call Sophia again. He just watched this brave woman pulling Victor's sleeve and walking towards the house. David was super jealous!
Following Victor's lead, Sophia entered Hastings Villa and immediately shook his hand. Victor frowned at her action.
"Mr. Hastings, good evening," the maid, upon seeing Victor's return, quickly put on gloves and approached Sophia unexpectedly. She said, "Miss, please change your shoes before entering, alright?"
Sophia, who was planning to quietly enter and find Liam, paused and bent down to take off her high heels. Victor noticed in his peripheral vision that her heels were worn out and said in a deep voice, "Find her a pair of comfortable slippers."
"Okay," the maid kindly opened the shoe cabinet and found a pair of pink slippers for Sophia.
"Thank you." After changing her shoes, Sophia asked Victor, "May I go in?"
"You may," Victor replied coldly, then said to the maid, "Go and get alcohol and cotton swabs for me."
"Yes," the maid quietly replied before turning to the storage room.
Victor instructed Sophia to sit on the couch and not move, and she obediently complied. She noticed a child's toy on the table and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Hastings, do you have children?"
Victor raised an eyebrow at her. "Why are you asking about this?"
Sophia picked up the toy from the table. "I just saw this and became curious."
Taking the alcohol and cotton swabs from the maid, Victor also threw two Band-Aids on the table. "Treat it yourself, and then have David take you back."
"Thank you, Mr. Hastings." Sophia didn't expect Victor to have such a caring side, and a beautiful smile appeared on her face as she bowed her head and quickly disinfected her injured heel.
She seemed to get injured often, and she was very skilled at treating wounds. Victor knew that alcohol stings when applied to wounds, and an ordinary woman would scream in pain, but Sophia didn't utter a sound. He had underestimated this woman.
Leaning back on the couch with his hand supporting his temple, Victor looked at Sophia's beautiful hands in deep thought and asked, "Do you know Jessica?"
Sophia's body stiffened and she looked up. "Why are you asking this, Mr. Hastings?"
"Do you know her?" Victor repeated once again.
Sophia thought for a moment and realized that Victor must be suspecting them, so she decided to admit it directly. "Yes, I do know her."
A cold light flashed in the man's eyes.
Sophia continued, "Jessica is your fiancée. Who in the company doesn't know her? She even approached me when I was transferred to the secretary department."
"And that's all?" Victor's gaze became oppressive.
Sophia looked up at him. "What else? Does Mr. Hastings think I knew Jessica before? Is that why she tried to frame me with her household maid at that event?"
Victor did not say anything.
Sophia carefully sealed the alcohol and handed it back to him. "I'm fine."
"I'll give you a day off tomorrow," Victor said without taking the alcohol from her. Instead, he called a servant to escort Sophia out.
She didn't see Liam and felt a bit displeased. She grabbed the couch and thought for a few seconds, unable to come up with a good excuse.
Someone was cooking in the kitchen, and the aroma filled the air. Even from a distance, Sophia could smell it. Her stomach growled disobediently, so she couldn't help but glance at the maid carrying a plate and asked with flushed cheeks, "Mr. Hastings, are you still cooking so late?"
"There is child at home, who easily get hungry. You can leave now," said Victor, unceremoniously.
Sophia responded with disappointment and reluctantly shifted her gaze away, wanting to go upstairs to bring Liam down. However, seeing Victor's cold and emotionless face, she fell silent, then turned and left with her head down.
That desolate figure seemed somewhat pitiful.
Victor went upstairs after Sophia left. He would pass by the guest room where Liam stayed on his way. Although Victor knew this kid wasn't easy to fool, Liam still lived in his house and was sick, so Victor pushed the door open and took a peek. He saw several people gathered by the bedside, with vomit on the floor.
And sitting on the bed was a pale-faced Liam. At this moment, he was hugging Carolyn, barely clinging to life.
Seeing this scene, Victor's heart skipped a beat. He walked in quickly, demanding in a stern voice, "What happened to him?"
Carolyn looked up and saw that it was Victor who had returned. Her eyes reddened with distress. "He has a fever and has been vomiting. He hasn't eaten anything all day."
"Wasn't Liam fine this morning?" Victor walked over, reached out and touched Liam's forehead, which was burning hot. He asked, "Did Liam take his medicine? Did you take him to the hospital?"
Carolyn said, "We just came back from the hospital after his fever went down, but Liam started running a fever again."