Chapter 161 Hiring a Tutor for Emily

Chapter 161 Hiring a Tutor for Emily

Sophia looked at Victoria with a gentle smile. "Well, we'll be going now. See you next time. Thank you for everything, Victoria."

Victoria waved her hand and turned her face away, not looking at her.

Sophia picked up her luggage, took Emily's hand, and walked toward the door for a bit before stopping and waving at Victoria.

Victoria followed them out and raised her hand, waving once.

Sophia curved her lips into a smile and got into the car parked by the roadside.

Before long, the plane took off. Sophia leaned against the window, watching Emerald Harbor slowly shrink in her view. Those high-rises, streets, and streetlights grew smaller and more distant bit by bit, finally becoming a blur of light pressed against the horizon, then covered by clouds and disappearing from sight.

This city where she had spent over ten years.

She silently said goodbye in her heart.

Emily sat beside her, having fallen asleep at some point, her head resting on Sophia's shoulder, breathing steadily.

Sophia glanced down at her, gently tucked her hair behind her ear, then lifted her head again and closed her eyes.

Four hours later, Silvermoon City.

The apartment Sophia bought was on the quieter side of the city, with good greenery. The evening breeze carried the scent of grass and trees, different from Emerald Harbor—even more refreshing.

The two of them unloaded their luggage from the car and carried it into the house piece by piece. Although Emily hadn't fully recovered yet, she insisted on helping, carrying the lightest bag and following Sophia in and out.

After a simple arrangement, they sat down on the living room carpet, leaning against the sofa, each catching their breath.

The house was spacious, with tree shadows gently swaying outside the window.

Emily looked around and nodded with satisfaction. "This is great. Sophia, look, this is so much better than the house we lived in when we were kids."

"Yes." Sophia smiled. "As long as you like it."

Emily turned her head to look at her and suddenly spoke seriously. "Sophia, what's the plan going forward?"

Sophia thought for a moment before speaking. "First, let's settle your situation."

"My situation?"

"You've hardly been to school." Sophia's tone dropped a bit, then picked up again. "You weren't well, and we didn't have money for a tutor. But that's all in the past. Things are different now."

She straightened her back and said very seriously, "You, Emily, are going to school."

Emily opened her mouth, about to say something, but Sophia raised her hand to stop her.

"I know you might not adjust right away." Sophia continued persuading. "So I'm planning to find a tutor first, work on the basics, then go to school—take it step by step."

"Of course, if you still don't want to go to school, that's fine too. Just find something you like and keep at it."

"It's not that I don't want to go, it's just..." Emily said hesitantly.

"If you're not against it, then it's settled." Sophia clapped her hands, calmly cutting her off with a firm tone. "No discussion."

Emily looked at her, pouted in silence for two seconds, then slowly curved her lips into a smile, beaming.

"Got it," she said. "I'll listen to you."

One week later.

Sophia sat in the living room, seeing off the last interviewee of the day, then leaned back into the sofa and rubbed her temples.

She had interviewed seven tutors in total.

The first was too serious—Emily was a bit scared of him. The second was knowledgeable enough, but his way of speaking put people to sleep. The third and fourth had decent qualifications, but Sophia felt something was off—she trusted her instincts, so they didn't work out. The fifth and sixth were too superficial.

Sophia had nothing to say.

The last one came in the afternoon.

When the doorbell rang, Sophia went to answer it and froze for a moment when she saw the person standing at the door.

He wore thin-framed glasses, his hat pulled down low, and a light-colored scarf covering the lower half of his face, revealing only a pair of eyes—clean eyes with a hint of a smile.

Sophia looked him over from head to toe and spoke. "You're Scott Robinson?"

"That's me." The person nodded, his voice kept very low. "Ms. Winters, sorry to disturb you."

Sophia raised an eyebrow, stepped aside, and let him in.

He entered, took off his hat, but kept the scarf on. He sat down on a chair in the living room, his posture natural, back straight, hands resting on his knees.

Sophia looked at him, feeling a strong sense of familiarity.

She picked up his resume and scanned it.

Scott, twenty-eight years old, double degree from a prestigious overseas university, taught private tutoring for two years, specialized in science and business, plus several additional skills listed densely—clearly carefully prepared.

Sophia pressed her lips together and glanced at him suspiciously.

"If you're concerned, I can provide proof documents." Scott's tone was respectful.

"Are you a local from Silvermoon City?"

Scott seemed unprepared for this question. He blinked, hesitated, then nodded. "Yes."

Sophia leaned back into the sofa, crossed her arms over her chest, and thought for a moment.

This person's build and mannerisms were too similar to Alexander's.

But his temperament and personality had nothing in common with Alexander at all.

Sophia shook her head, let out a breath, and pushed these strange thoughts away, figuring she'd just been dealing with too much lately and her mind was foggy.

She continued asking a few more questions, and he answered them all smoothly—solid knowledge, well-balanced in depth, not showing off but not holding back either.

After finishing, Sophia was fairly satisfied with him. She looked at Emily sitting properly beside her, and Emily indicated no problem.

"Alright, you're hired. Start tomorrow." Sophia finally relaxed.

The person's eyes curved in a smile that spilled over the top of his scarf, bright and radiant, like spring sunshine.

Sophia's heartbeat skipped a beat beyond her control.

She coughed lightly twice, looked away, and stood up. "Remember to bring teaching materials tomorrow and prepare the first lesson."

"Okay, I won't forget." He also stood up, his voice soaked with undisguised amusement. "Ms. Winters, and Emily, see you tomorrow then."

Sophia nodded, walked him to the door, closed it, turned around, and leaned against the door, standing there for two seconds.

She felt in her heart that something was off about this Scott, but she had no proof, and besides, his credentials were all real.

Whatever, she'd just watch for now.

If he really was the person she suspected, she'd like to see what game he was playing this time.

Meanwhile, in Emerald Harbor, at Scent Memories.

Afternoon sunlight slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the small shop, bathing everything in warmth, with a faint fragrance floating in the air.

The scents were still the few signature ones Sophia had left behind, blended beautifully, making people relax without realizing it.

Victoria was introducing newly arrived fragrances to a customer, her expression relaxed—much more at ease than she ever looked at those high society events in Emerald Harbor.

After the customer left, she tidied things up, turned around, and nearly bumped into Jack standing by the chair.

Victoria stumbled back half a step and frowned. "Why are you still here?"