Chapter 178

Chapter 178

Just as the atmosphere was about to sink into dead silence, Sophia eased the tension with a light smile.

She glanced at Daniel's gloomy face, then turned to the troubled waiter with understanding.

"No need, you can go about your work. We don't need you here anymore."

The waiter let out a heavy sigh of relief. He gave Sophia a grateful smile, then turned and quickly walked away.

"Why accept his wine?"

Daniel's expression was stern, his cold eyes gleaming with frost.

Francis raised his eyebrows.

"Don't be like that."

He deliberately wanted to end this somewhat sensitive topic. The smile on Sophia's face faded a bit, and her expression became serious.

Looking at Daniel's stern face, she spoke in a calm tone.

"Mr. Wilson, I'm grateful you provided me with this opportunity. There are some things I don't want to say in front of everyone, and perhaps this is the right moment."

She took a deep breath. "Using what Benjamin did today as an opportunity, let me make things clear. Mr. Wilson, I don't have any romantic feelings for you. What I feel toward you is more gratitude."

"Perhaps something I did or said before gave Mr. Wilson the wrong impression. I hope Mr. Wilson can let our relationship return to what it was at the beginning—a professional superior-subordinate relationship, without any emotional involvement."

Sophia slowly stood up. She picked up her bag, her face showing a sincere smile.

"If Mr. Wilson feels I must repay your feelings with my own emotions, then I'm sorry, I can't do that. If Mr. Wilson is angry about what I said today and doesn't want to work with me anymore, I accept that too."

She smiled calmly, then looked at Francis, who had been silent beside them.

"Sorry, Mr. Vasquez. Let's end this dinner here. I'll head back first. If there are any changes to the work arrangements, Mr. Vasquez, you can call me directly. You don't need to worry about my feelings."

Sophia left, leaving only Daniel and Francis behind.

Francis leisurely took a sip of wine. The sweet wine slid down his throat. He raised his eyebrows and sighed softly.

"Mr. White really knows his stuff. The wine he sent is excellent. This one sip cost me nearly half a year's salary."

He then looked at Daniel, who sat beside him, looking somewhat dejected.

"I already told you clearly—Sophia isn't what you imagine. She seems gentle and accepting of everything, but the toughness in her bones is beyond your imagination."

He gently patted Daniel's shoulder and advised earnestly.

"Maybe just let it go. Don't push her so hard that she runs away. I understand what she just said—she's already prepared to leave the company at any time."

Daniel remained silent for a long time. After what seemed like forever, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse and low.

"I... actually didn't mean it that way. I didn't want to push her like this. I didn't expect her to just leave without even giving me a chance to explain."

He suddenly stood up from his seat, grabbed his suit jacket, and headed for the door. Francis reached out to stop him.

He didn't even need to think to know Daniel was going to chase after Sophia to clear things up.

"Come on, some things can't be explained just by chasing after her. What you need to do now is create distance between you and Sophia, and stop making her uncomfortable."

"She's the woman who made Benjamin back down and beg for mercy. Don't think everything is so simple."

Sophia had no idea what happened after she left. Even after getting in her car, she didn't see Daniel chasing after her. She let out a heavy sigh of relief.

This was for the best. She had wanted to clear things up for a while now, to prevent the misunderstanding between her and Daniel from deepening and becoming more tangled.

She pressed her hand to her temple, feeling a wave of exhaustion.

She was already overwhelmed dealing with the messy, unclear relationship with Benjamin, let alone adding Daniel to the mix.

That night, it seemed everyone except Sophia lost sleep.

Matthew received Benjamin's call before bed.

"Mr. Moore, were you the one who introduced Sophia to Daniel?"

Benjamin's voice was cold and heavy, transmitted through the phone clearly into Matthew's ear.

His grip on the phone slowly tightened, and his voice became hoarse.

"Yes, I introduced her. Why? Is Mr. White calling to hold me accountable?"

Benjamin was noncommittal.

"No, I'm not calling to hold you accountable. I just want to ask why you introduced Sophia to him. There are countless well-known violin studios and top orchestras. You could have found Sophia another studio, but you specifically arranged for Daniel's company."

"You should know that now Daniel's feelings toward Sophia have changed, filled with a man's possessiveness. Are you satisfied with this situation?"

Matthew's breathing lightened. He didn't rush to answer, and after a moment of silence, he said.

"So what? As long as it benefits Sophia's future path, what difference does it make whether I introduce him or someone else? Besides, I trust Daniel. With his connections and resources, it will greatly benefit Sophia's future."

Benjamin laughed coldly.

"Fine, then I'll just have to see if you can still sit still when Daniel makes his move. I'm not unaware of your feelings for Sophia, but I hope you understand—I'm the one standing by Sophia's side."

He hung up, leaving only the cold, harsh sound of the dial tone.

Daniel didn't sleep all night. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about calling Sophia, but every time his finger hovered over the dial button, he hesitated, unable to press it.

Sophia had just walked out of the cage that imprisoned her. He didn't want to trap her again in the name of protection and love.

Daniel and Benjamin might be able to do that, but he never could.

Because he had seen how Sophia's eyes lit up when facing the violin, and even her usually cool expression couldn't hide her happiness.

He couldn't bear it, didn't want to, and hoped Sophia could be more resolute.

When dawn finally broke, Daniel simply got up, washed up, and drove to Sophia's apartment building.

Sophia saw the messages on her phone the next day.

They included messages from Benjamin, Daniel, and Francis.

She opened Francis's message first. It was a brief word of encouragement.

"Don't let other things interfere. Sophia, I know how hard it was for you to get this far. I hope you can use Daniel or Benjamin to pave your way. If they're willing to help you, you can accept it without hesitation."

From beginning to end, Francis hadn't offered any extra opinions on this matter. He just watched silently from the sidelines, as if watching a show, but he understood things more clearly than anyone.

He didn't care about others' thoughts; he only cared about what would happen to Sophia's career.