Chapter 214: You... Are You?
Sophia’s gaze landed first on the man’s crisp white shirt, and a cool, composed aura struck her at once.
It was him, Ryan.
No longer the plain, disguised face she’d seen before.
She looked up at his sharp jawline and flawless features, all radiating a cold and distant vibe.
The reason she recognized him instantly was because of his eyes—exquisitely shaped, unforgettable.
However, at this moment, beneath the seemingly calm exterior, a hint of darkness had already flashed through his eyes.
Ryan suddenly turned, and their eyes met.
His gaze was filled with unfamiliarity, as if this were their first meeting.
Out of politeness, Ryan gave her a courteous nod.
Sophia smiled.
Both of them pretended not to know each other.
Her indifferent gaze swept over the surrounding passengers, but the woman from that day was nowhere in sight.
There were plenty of empty seats in first class, yet he chose to sit right next to her.
Sophia stayed at alert.
She had a nagging feeling that Ryan's appearance before her was no coincidence.
The Morris family wielded enormous power and had always been the leader in northern business circles. Every day, countless partners wanted to meet with him.
Ryan's schedule was practically year-round with no breaks.
For such an important figure to appear before her twice in just two days, Sophia didn't think she was fate's chosen one.
He definitely had an agenda.
Sophia sat in her chair with her eyes closed, resting, with no intention of making conversation with the person beside her.
Ryan's fingertips trembled involuntarily. He forced himself to suppress the powerful urge rising inside him to move closer to her.
Actually, from the first time he met her, he had discovered something very strange.
Whether it was when she lifted his chin before, or when she touched his wound, Ryan found that his body seemed to have no resistance to her whatsoever.
And he deeply hated it when such uncontrollable things happened.
It felt like handing his fate over to her and letting her take control.
He ran through it repeatedly in his mind, but couldn't find the reason.
So he decided to come and test it again.
The plane jolted suddenly, and something rolled to Sophia’s feet. She opened her eyes and looked down to see the small item she had left in that room before.
Ryan spoke, "Could you please pick that up for me? Thank you."
His voice was as cold and distant as his demeanor.
Sophia picked up the item and handed it to him.
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but Ryan's expression looked somewhat strange after taking the item back.
Ryan's jaw tightened as he lowered his eyes, lost in thought.
...This feeling was real.
Just at the instant his fingertips touched her palm, the satisfaction that surged from deep within was overwhelming, like a flood, enough to devour all his rationality.
If Ryan's inner strength weren't strong enough, he would have difficulty controlling such intense emotional fluctuations.
Even the drone of the plane seemed to test his patience at this moment.
...Could he have been drugged?
Sophia keenly sensed Ryan’s shifting emotions beside her, as well as his brief glances in her direction.
She pretended to be completely unaware and continued resting with her eyes closed.
Until they landed at Empire City airport, the two had no further interaction.
Sophia had no luggage and headed straight to the Johnson Villa after getting off the plane.
Ryan watched her hurried figure, his face covered with a thin layer of fog, making him unreadable.
The person picking him up had been waiting at the exit.
As soon as Ryan got in the car, he received a call from Rebecca, who asked him tearfully, "Why did you leave me there alone?"
His voice was calm but cold, "When your injury heals, they'll send you back."
But Rebecca wouldn't let it go, "But you're my fiancé!"
"Ryan, have you forgotten what you promised Dad? You promised Dad you'd take care of me personally!"
Thinking of Sophia, whom he'd only met twice, Ryan's tone was indifferent, "That promise still stands—but only if you truly are Nova Green’s daughter."
He continued asking, "Are you... Really?"
The other end of the phone instantly fell silent, then, after a few seconds, she quickly raised her voice, insisting that, of course, she was.
But by this time, Ryan had already hung up.
Returning to the Johnson Villa, Sophia first went to the master bedroom to see Emily.
Seeing James and Michael surrounding Emily, her heart softened.
Glancing at the time, Sophia grabbed her casual clothes, planning to shower in the adjacent children's room, and gently closed the door.
Outside the window, the dawn light shone into the room.
The bathroom light wasn't on, but Sophia heard the sound of running water from inside.
Just as she was wondering about this, she saw William come out of the bathroom, walking while drying his hair.
Sophia immediately felt speechless and awkward.
Seeing the clothes in her hands, William reminded her, "The light bulb's broken. Why don't you use Michael's room?"
The two children each had their own bedroom at the Johnson Villa, only slightly smaller than the master bedroom.
He was staying in James's room.
Sophia nodded and went to the adjacent room.
By the time she finished showering and came out, the children were awake.
William was holding Emily, picking out clothes for her to wear today in her walk-in closet, "Which one does Emily want to wear today?"
He had also called James and Michael to the next room, "Your clothes are ready for you, go change yourselves."
When Sophia came over, Emily was still wearing her sky-blue onesie pajamas, held in William's arms with one hand.
In the closet full of hanging clothes, William was seriously and attentively selecting clothes for Emily, finally saying, "Emily, let me buy you some more dresses. You don't have enough yet."
Sophia had set aside a large children’s walk‑in closet. With the clothes inside, Emily could wear a different outfit every day for years.
And this was just one season's worth of clothes.
If you counted all four seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—Sophia would practically need another building just to store them.
At the Seraphim estate, there was an entire floor dedicated to storing Emily's clothes, jewelry, and accessories.
Most of her clothes were bought by her two godmothers and her uncle. The ones she couldn't wear yet, Sophia saved for her, planning to let Emily truly feel the love from those around her when she grew up.
Hearing William's words, both Sophia and Emily pressed their lips together.
Emily pointed softly to the pink Peter Pan‑collar top and red pinafore William had set down. "That one," she said."
William was about to help when Sophia took over, "Let me do it."
Hearing her voice, Emily immediately turned around, "Mommy!"
She opened her arms, reaching toward Sophia.
Sophia took her and kissed her, saying lovingly, "Emily, did you miss me these past two days?"
Emily's voice was clear, "Yes!"
After they had their affectionate moment, Sophia began helping Emily change into the outfit she liked.
But neither of them expected William's next move.
Both Sophia and Emily were stunned in disbelief.