Chapter 193

"Do you like it? Mommy went especially to buy this for you."

Sophia gave another look at the assistant standing beside her. "You can head back now. Thanks for all your hard work during this time."

The assistant handed the bags of various sizes to Benjamin, wearing a warm smile.

"Mr. White, these are the things Ms. Brown bought for Katya. Please take them."

Sophia looked down at Katya. Watching Katya's eyes full of joy as she held onto her gifts, Sophia's eyes were filled with tenderness and affection.

"I love it!"

Katya looked up, her eyes full of longing. She wrapped her arms around Sophia's neck, burying her head in, breathing in the cool floral scent, and let out a long sigh.

"Mommy, you have no idea how much I missed..."

Hearing Katya's chattering voice expressing how much she missed her, Sophia responded gently, showing no sign of fatigue.

She looked up at Benjamin standing nearby, the warmth in her eyes fading.

"Benjamin, if you don't have anything else, you can head back first. Next time I have an overseas trip, I'll send Katya over. Or if Grandpa misses Katya, just let me know, and I'll have someone bring her over."

Benjamin's throat bobbed.

"No rush, I'm not busy. Let me take you both home first, then I'll head back. There's plenty of time."

Sophia had already stood up. Hearing this, she responded coolly.

"No need. Someone's already here to pick us up. It's Daniel. He should be waiting outside. Thanks for taking care of Katya these past few days."

That one "thank you" shut down whatever Benjamin was about to say. He opened his mouth, but thousands of words turned into a long sigh.

He only held the title of ex-husband, not even qualified to drive Sophia home.

Sophia didn't say anything more, and she wasn't deliberately showing off to Benjamin—Daniel really had come to pick them up.

Daniel's pursuit was completely one-sided. No matter how coldly Sophia responded, his enthusiasm never dimmed. After all these years, he remained the same, never backing down.

Actually, Daniel had to pester her constantly with text messages before Sophia agreed to let him pick them up from the airport.

The car was parked outside the airport. Katya wasn't surprised to see Daniel come to pick them up. She got in the car, still treasuring the souvenir Sophia had brought her.

She looked at the eager Daniel and asked curiously.

"Uncle Daniel, you keep chasing my mom, and she doesn't respond to you. Why don't you just give up?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere in the car became awkward. Daniel cleared his throat uncomfortably, finally willing to take his eyes off Sophia.

Katya was purely curious. She hadn't thought about whether her question would make these two adults feel awkward.

"Uncle Daniel, I know how to describe you. What you're doing is called... called unwavering devotion!"

Sophia gently interrupted Katya.

"Don't talk nonsense. What kind of random stuff have you been learning online all day? Alright, let's head home first."

Daniel rubbed his nose. He was thick-skinned and didn't feel too embarrassed. Besides, he'd been rejected by Sophia countless times over the years.

Being rejected by Sophia once a month was nothing unusual.

The car drove smoothly. Katya sat to the side playing with her little toy while Sophia watched her with tender eyes.

When the car finally arrived at Sophia's villa, Daniel turned around and asked in a hoarse voice.

"What I mentioned before, have you thought about it?"

Sophia's expression remained calm.

"Right now, I'm focused on my career. If you're going to keep asking me these questions, there's no point. If you keep asking, don't contact me anymore. I think it's better if we keep our distance."

That one sentence successfully silenced Daniel. His expression instantly dimmed, his eyes full of helplessness and disappointment, yet he still couldn't bring himself to blame her.

After all these years, he'd grown used to it. Sophia's heart had always held her own boundaries and rhythm. Love had never been a necessity in her life.

He never forced Sophia, only waited silently.

The car slowly stopped. Sophia took Katya's hand and got out without any extra pleasantries.

"Get your things. Mommy will help you out. After we get back, Mommy will cook for you, okay? What would you like to eat?"

With Sophia by her side, Katya's mood was visibly better. She hopped and skipped, turning back into a little girl who depended on her mommy.

"Mommy, I'll eat whatever you make!"

At the villa entrance, two understated yet luxurious cars were parked by the road. One was Daniel's. He never left, staring deeply at Katya and Sophia as they walked away.

The other was Benjamin's. He had followed all the way silently, no one knew for how long. He sat alone in the car, gazing from afar through the window.

Watching Sophia now—confident, radiant, no longer bound by marriage—watching her be relied upon by Katya, cherished and waited for by others, his heart was densely packed with belated regret.

He had personally destroyed those gentle times they once shared, personally pushed away the person he loved most. Now he could only watch from afar; even getting close had become an impossible wish.

Matthew was the most respectful of boundaries among Sophia's suitors, and the one Sophia felt most comfortable with.

Matthew and Sophia rarely met in person. They only occasionally chatted on their phones, which was the situation Sophia preferred most.

Isolde and Jagger saw that Sophia had no intention of returning to the Porter family. They simply kept Sophia's identity hidden and didn't reveal it to the Porter family, but behind the scenes, they never stopped helping her.

Under these people's care, Sophia's career path was smooth sailing. Her studio was no longer just a small workshop but had become one of the country's top music teams.

Even top international concerts would specially adjust their schedules just to wait for her to perform.

Sophia had long been at the peak of the international music scene, a highly acclaimed and celebrated violin artist.

The grand finale solo performance ended perfectly. The applause didn't stop for a long time, and camera flashes kept going off.

Sophia bowed gracefully and slowly walked off stage.

Backstage was filled with flowers that had been sent over. The assistant specially handed her a gift box.

"Ms. Brown, this just arrived. There's no contact information or name on it, but the person who delivered it insisted it be given directly to you."

Recalling the person's appearance, he shook his head.

"Ms. Brown, I think the person who delivered this looked really familiar. I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."

Sophia took the gift box and deliberately waited until she was alone to open it.

Her expression froze for a moment. Looking at what was inside the box, she couldn't help but smile. Then Sophia quickly stood up, lifted her dress, and headed toward the audience area.

Katya was looking up at her. Standing beside her was a tall man with a gentle expression.

"Sophia, let's go home together."

Sophia nodded gently and took Katya's hand.

Yes, it was time to go home.

【The End】