Chapter 189

Chapter 189

Sophia sat on the edge of the bed, her fingertips rubbing the piece of paper over and over. She could almost still feel Isolde's caution and hesitation when she wrote down that number.

She didn't know how much time had passed when her phone, tossed aside earlier, rang. She immediately sat up straight and grabbed it.

It was Matthew calling.

Sophia took a deep breath, feeling both nervous and uneasy as she slowly swiped to answer.

"Matthew, how did it go? Did you find out?"

Matthew, on the other end, didn't rush to answer. His silence spoke volumes.

Sophia's stiff body suddenly went slack. She leaned back against the sofa armrest, holding her forehead, her voice tinged with exhaustion and weakness.

"Matthew, so what they said is true then?"

Matthew let out a heavy sound of confirmation.

"Sophia, I checked. They do have an aunt. I saw photos of their aunt—she really does look like you. Actually, it's not just 'look like.' You're practically identical."

"The information I found shows that their aunt gave birth to a child over twenty years ago. The birth year matches your age perfectly. You... you're probably just like they said—their aunt's daughter."

After delivering this news, Matthew hung up, leaving Sophia alone to digest this hard-to-accept information.

She didn't even notice Russell's call, just sat there on the sofa in a daze until the sky grew dark and the sounds of children playing downstairs gradually faded away.

The apartment was pitch black, just like Sophia's mood. She blinked and looked up at the window.

It was already very dark outside. Downstairs was quiet—even the usual sounds of children playing were gone.

Could it already be late at night?

Sophia picked up her phone and checked the time. It wasn't quite late night yet, but close.

Turns out she'd been sitting on the sofa in a daze for an entire afternoon and half the night.

Russell had called her several times. When she didn't pick up, he stopped calling. The remaining messages were from Benjamin.

He'd sent several in a row, his tone gradually shifting from cold indifference to anxious restlessness.

Asking where she was, if she was okay, and why she wasn't answering her phone.

Looking at Benjamin's name on the screen, Sophia felt nothing—just extreme exhaustion.

She couldn't be bothered to reply. She just locked the screen and let the phone go dark.

Sophia returned Russell's call the next day. Russell's voice carried concern.

"Sophia, are you okay? I called you so many times yesterday, and you didn't pick up. Did something happen?"

Naturally, Sophia didn't plan to tell Russell much about family matters. She mumbled an excuse.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I was just really tired. I went straight to sleep when I got home. You called so many times yesterday—was there something you needed?"

Hearing she was okay and had just been sleeping from exhaustion, Russell breathed a sigh of relief and brought up why he'd called.

"Sophia, yesterday our studio suddenly got an investor, and they put in quite a bit of money. The investor won't meet with us. I've been trying to get in touch with them."

Russell's voice carried confusion. "Our studio just got started. Even though you're making waves right now, no one would dare invest that much money. Sophia, could you maybe ask around and find out who it is?"

Sophia immediately understood what was going on.

Yesterday, Jagger and Isolde found her, and today her studio got an investor. Such a coincidence made it obvious the investors were Jagger and Isolde.

"It's fine, I know who it is. I'll call them. I might need to deal with some personal matters these next few days, so I'll leave the studio to you."

Russell readily agreed.

"Sophia, don't worry, go handle your business. Oh, and in a while, two or three concerts are coming up. You need to be prepared. For two of them, we'll need to fly abroad—they're pretty high-profile international concerts."

With Russell's help, Sophia's stress had lessened considerably. She didn't know much about the international scene anyway, so having a reliable person managing things for her gave her peace of mind.

After chatting a bit more about work, Russell finally hung up.

Sophia's gaze fell again on the paper note tossed aside, with just a few simple digits on it.

At the same time, on the other side at the Porter Villa, Isolde stared blankly at her phone. She'd been staring at it all afternoon—not a peep.

Sophia still hadn't called.

She pressed her lips together and shifted to a more comfortable position, trying to suppress her growing impatience.

Daniel sat down nearby with his coffee.

"She still hasn't called, has she?"

Isolde nodded.

"Did you take care of what I asked? She has her own studio now—we should at least invest to support her. As for Mom... let's keep it from her for now. Don't tell her."

"Also, my people found out Sophia's already married, but we can't find out who her spouse is yet."

Isolde stopped there, pausing to look at Daniel beside her.

"Go dig into it some more. I'll wait here for the call. What if Sophia calls soon?"

Just as she finished speaking, the phone rang.

Jagger and Isolde, who had been lounging lazily on the sofa moments ago, immediately sat up. Isolde glanced at the caller ID and eagerly answered.

Sophia's contact information had long been saved in both siblings' phones.

"Hello, Sophia."

Isolde said softly. She put it on speaker so that Daniel beside her could hear their conversation too.

"Hello, Ms. Porter. Maybe you should consider withdrawing your investment. I know you invested in my studio, but I haven't decided about what you mentioned yet. Maybe you should withdraw for now."

Sophia's cool voice came through the speaker.

Isolde froze, not expecting her to figure out the investors' identity so quickly, much less her refusal.

She exchanged a glance with Daniel beside her. Both their eyes showed undisguised surprise.

"Sophia, you don't need to be polite. This is just a small gesture from us. We're not investing to pressure you into acknowledging us. Besides, you have a lot of potential—we really believe in you."

"Investing in your studio isn't a loss for us. Sophia, I won't pressure you. I'll give you plenty of time to think it over. You don't need to rush, and you don't need to worry too much about us."

Isolde quickly explained, afraid Sophia would misunderstand. Her tone was both urgent and rushed.

Jagger, beside her, spoke up, his voice steady and gentle.