Chapter 192

Chapter 192

The divorce went surprisingly smoothly. Paxton must have said something in private, because Benjamin eventually agreed to the divorce.

On the day they received the divorce decree, he was unusually dejected.

"I'm sorry."

As Sophia was about to leave, he suddenly spoke.

"I... I really held you back for so long, but thank goodness you got out, thank goodness you weren't dragged down by me."

Sophia paused for a moment. She didn't say anything, but she didn't leave right away either. She waited for Benjamin to finish speaking before walking away without looking back.

In the following days, she was incredibly busy. The day Daniel heard about her divorce, he showed up at the studio.

"Sophia, I heard, I heard you got divorced?"

He probed carefully, his eyes fixed on Sophia, ready to change the subject the moment she showed any sign of annoyance or impatience.

But this time, Sophia didn't avoid the topic. Instead, she was quite open about it.

"Yes, I'm divorced. I have custody of the child. Katya is here in my studio. Would you like to meet her?"

Daniel froze, not expecting the conversation to shift so quickly.

"I... Sophia, I came to talk to you about something else..."

Before he could finish, Sophia called softly toward the small room.

"Katya, come say hello to Uncle Daniel."

Katya quickly rushed out of the room, her round eyes wide with curiosity as she looked Daniel over.

"Hello, Uncle Daniel. My name is Katya. I'm Mommy's precious daughter. Do you want to get to know me?"

Her voice was soft and sweet. She tilted her little head up, looking at Daniel innocently.

Daniel softened his cold demeanor. He understood Sophia's avoidance and didn't want to press further.

He bent down to Katya's eye level.

"Yes, I want to get to know Katya. Would you like to be friends with me?"

Katya's eyes lit up even more.

"Yes, Katya would love to!"

When Katya learned about Sophia and Benjamin's divorce, she cried uncontrollably. She didn't want to leave Sophia, but she also didn't want to leave Benjamin's side.

Later, Sophia held her on the living room sofa and talked with her all night, gently explaining the complex concept of "divorce" to Katya, who had no understanding of such matters.

"Katya, Mommy, and Daddy aren't completely separated. We'll still see each other. If you miss Daddy, you can go see him. If you miss Great-Grandpa, you can visit him, too. Mommy won't stop you."

Katya nestled in Sophia's arms, crying in hiccups. Hearing this, she pouted and softly protested.

"But Mommy, I want you and Daddy to be together forever. I want... I want to be with both of you at the same time. I don't want to be apart from you."

Sophia pressed her lips together, her heart aching, but she could only hold Katya gently and patiently comfort her.

"Sometimes when two people are together, and they're unhappy, forcing themselves to stay together will only make them sad and miserable every day."

"Mommy and Daddy both still love you very much and will never abandon you. We just won't be living together anymore."

"Mommy will always be with you, and you can visit Daddy and Great-Grandpa anytime. No one will miss out on watching you grow up."

Katya seemed to understand, though not completely. Tears still streamed down her face, but she obediently stayed in Sophia's arms without making a fuss.

Sophia's career took off rapidly. She had performance invitations from all over the world and was incredibly busy. Her name became a household name.

This time, she was flying back from abroad. Katya, knowing she was going to Paris, had begged her to buy Paris souvenirs. Sophia squeezed in time to buy the souvenirs Katya wanted.

Her assistant stood nearby, watching her select souvenirs.

"Ms. Brown, just tell me what you need, and I can find time to buy it. Why make the trip yourself?"

Sophia shook her head gently. As if imagining Katya's surprised round eyes looking at the souvenirs in her hands, her eyes filled with affection.

"You don't know my daughter. She wants me to buy them myself. If someone else buys them, she won't like them."

In the end, she bought two large bags of souvenirs. If the assistant hadn't stopped her, she would have bought several more bags.

During the time Sophia was away from the country, Katya usually stayed with Benjamin. Over these years, Benjamin had become dispirited. His life revolved between home and the office.

He seemed to have become a lifeless puppet, only coming alive when facing Katya.

"Daddy, Mommy's coming back today! I miss her so much! What souvenirs will she bring me?"

Katya had grown much taller, but still hadn't lost her spoiled and innocent nature. She chattered away around Benjamin.

Benjamin watched Katya like this, a smile appearing in his eyes.

"Your mommy will definitely pick out nice gifts for you. Just wait here patiently, and we'll go to the airport to pick up your mommy together, okay?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the smile in his eyes faltered, and the slight smile at the corner of his mouth turned bitter.

He could no longer pick up Sophia as his wife. He was... just Katya's father now.

At the airport, Sophia's flight landed on time. Her assistant followed behind her, carrying bags of various sizes.

She deliberately covered her face with a mask. With Sophia's current fame, she could easily be recognized, which would not only delay her and cause complications but also attract crowds of fans.

She walked calmly, dressed in simple but elegant clothes. Her aura was cool and dazzling. She had long shed her former timid dependence on others, radiating her own brilliance from head to toe.

Benjamin arrived early with Katya, waiting by the exit. He spotted Sophia walking toward them with her powerful presence right away.

He stared at Sophia with deep eyes, his heart aching, unable to look away for a long time.

Katya, beside him, had already bolted out like a wild horse, running straight toward Sophia.

"Mommy!"

A clear and joyful shout rang out.

Hearing this, Sophia looked up. Her cool eyes instantly softened, and she instinctively stretched out her arms, steadily catching Katya as she threw herself into her embrace.

Katya's soft body crashed into her arms, and all the exhaustion from traveling instantly vanished.

She gently stroked Katya's hair and asked softly, "Have you been good?"

Benjamin slowly walked forward, stopping at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, his voice low and hoarse.

"Sophia, you must be tired from the journey. I watched your performance."

A simple greeting, polite and distant, with none of the intimacy they once shared as husband and wife.

Sophia nodded lightly, her voice flat. "It was fine."

She didn't make small talk. Her attention was focused on taking out the exquisite and adorable Paris souvenirs from the bags, one by one, and handing them to Katya.