Chapter 63 Sophia, You Are Really Something
The eerily quiet conference room was suddenly interrupted by the buzz of a cellphone.
Everyone exchanged glances, wondering who would be so bold as to forget to silence their phone during a meeting.
As they looked around, Benjamin, with his stern expression, picked up the phone from the table.
He glanced at the caller ID, hesitated for a moment, and finally pressed the answer button.
"What's up?"
Benjamin's voice was low and refined, carrying an unspoken authority that made everyone's heart skip a beat.
The entire room instinctively held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
They watched as Benjamin's face grew darker and darker.
Whatever was being said on the other end of the line, it caused Benjamin's expression to change suddenly.
The usually composed Benjamin abruptly stood up and strode out of the conference room.
Once he left, everyone exhaled in relief, feeling like they had narrowly escaped a disaster.
Whoever had saved them, they silently wished that person a long life!
In the office at Stellar University, school administrators were lecturing the girl who had spilled hot water on Sophia.
Sophia, bored, rested her chin on her hand, looking uninterested.
Her wound was untreated, and the red mark on her arm looked alarming.
Yet, there was no trace of pain on Sophia's face.
This level of pain was nothing to her.
She had endured far worse.
However, others didn't see it that way.
Elijah, noticing her downcast eyes, assumed she was hiding her pain.
He quickly handed her some ointment. "Sophia, this is for burns. Put it on right away."
Sophia was momentarily taken aback by the sudden appearance of the ointment.
A warm feeling spread through her heart, and she smiled slightly. "Thanks, Dr. Martinez."
Seeing her gentle and obedient demeanor, Elijah's affection for her deepened. "I'm Robert's friend. No need to be so formal."
"Got it." Sophia looked up, her face smiling sweetly.
It was hard not to feel fond of her.
Elijah chuckled, thinking he should have taken on a soft, sweet apprentice himself.
Just imagining a little girl following him every day made him feel happy.
At that moment, Alaric rushed in, his face full of worry. "Sophia, are you okay? Where are you hurt? Is it serious?"
He quickly approached Sophia, examining her from head to toe.
Seeing Alaric's anxious expression, Sophia felt a warmth in her heart.
She pointed to her arm, dismissively saying, "Don't worry, it's just a minor injury! Nothing serious."
Chase, standing nearby, twitched his mouth. This wasn't serious?
What would be considered serious then?
Even he, a grown man, couldn't guarantee he wouldn't scream if scalded like that.
But Sophia didn't make a sound, stubbornly acting as if she wasn't the one injured.
This kind of resilience and strength made even Chase, who had been through tough times, feel a sense of admiration.
Chase softly reminded, "Mrs. White, you should really put that ointment on. Dr. Martinez said your wound's serious. If you don't treat it, it might get infected."
As soon as he finished, Chase received an angry glare from Sophia. "If you can't say anything nice, zip it."
Chase mimed zipping his lips and fell silent.
Alaric sighed heavily, his tone full of helplessness and concern. "Sophia, you shouldn't hide things from me. I'm your older brother, not some stranger."
In Alaric's heart, Sophia was already family, just as important as Benjamin.
Facing Alaric's eyes, Sophia felt a pang of guilt. She blinked, her eyes full of innocence.
Seeing her hang her head like a child who had done something wrong, Alaric's heart softened. "Alright. Just don't do it again. Benjamin cares about you a lot. If something happened to you, he'd be heartbroken."
He sighed, gently ruffling her hair.
Just then, Benjamin walked in, his usually composed face clouded with anger.
He quickly approached Sophia, his tone harsh. "Sophia, you've got some nerve, getting into fights now?"
Sophia's face lit up when she saw Benjamin, but before she could speak, she was met with his angry glare.
Seeing his cold, deep eyes, her eyes welled up with tears.
She hadn't flinched when scalded, but now she felt a wave of grievance.
"You're yelling at me! You're actually yelling at me!" Sophia was stunned, her heart aching.
Feeling wronged, she turned to leave the office.
But in the next moment, a strong hand grasped her arm.
That hand gently pulled her into a familiar, warm embrace.
Sophia blinked, not quite understanding what had just happened.
Instinctively, she tried to look up but noticed Benjamin's body trembling slightly.
It seemed like he was scared, terrified even.
Benjamin held her tightly, his eyes filled with lingering fear. "I'm sorry."
His cool voice came from above her head, with a slight tremor.
Sophia didn't understand why Benjamin was apologizing.
But feeling his warm chest, she decided to forgive him this time.
She lifted her hand, gently patting his back, signaling him not to be sad.
She had forgiven him.
Benjamin slowly released her, his gaze scanning her body before fixing on the large red mark, his eyes turning cold and fierce. "Who did this?"
Benjamin's icy eyes were devoid of warmth, like a sharp blade, emitting a chilling aura.
In the corner, a girl in a red T-shirt shrank back, trying to make herself invisible.
But Benjamin still noticed her.
He let go of Sophia and strode towards the girl. "Did you throw the water?"
Benjamin's tall, imposing figure loomed over the girl like a king.
His presence exuded a powerful, oppressive aura that instilled fear.
The girl's lips trembled, wanting to defend herself, but no words came out.
Seeing this, Chase couldn't help but shake his head.