Chapter 31 Could You Dial Down the Drama?
When they arrived at Celestial Peak Hotel, it was right around dinnertime.
Sophia took off her helmet and untied her low ponytail that she'd casually thrown together. "Is Michael here yet?"
"Who knows?" Bruce ruffled his short hair and casually hooked his helmet on the handlebars. "His meeting could go on for who knows how long."
Originally, Michael was supposed to pick up Sophia, but if it weren't for that last-minute video conference, he wouldn't have delegated the pickup duty to someone else.
"Let's go in and order first, then." Sophia didn't complain about it. In her mind, work always came first.
Dinner and social meetups could be arranged anytime, but work generally couldn't be postponed.
Michael arrived a bit late, but he showed up right on time as the dishes were being served.
"Long time no see." He patted Bruce's shoulder as he walked past, then went straight to sit in the empty seat next to Sophia. "Sophia, how was yesterday accompanying James to that web series audition? Fun?"
What he really meant was: Did you spot any new business opportunities?
Sophia laughed. "Pretty fun. Turned out it was a company I'd invested in."
She'd forgotten when she'd invested the money, couldn't even remember why she'd originally invested in Stellar Cinematics.
She only remembered that Zane was her business partner and that she owned half of Zane's company.
"Having so many investments you can't even keep track, now that's impressive." Bruce pretended to look disgusted, but now that everyone was here, they could finally eat.
During dinner, Bruce went on another rant to Michael about Emily's attention-seeking behavior from a few days ago, and Sophia's living conditions he'd seen today.
He just wanted Michael to talk sense into Sophia. Why did she insist on slumming it with those people?
It wasn't like Sophia actually cared about so-called family bonds anyway.
Sophia shot him a warning look that made Bruce shut up his complaints.
She changed the subject. "I've been thinking about something these past few days, and I just can't figure it out."
Michael remembered that when he'd called Sophia yesterday, she'd mentioned having something she couldn't wrap her head around. "Let's hear it."
"I knew two years ago that I wasn't the Smith family's biological daughter, so when Emily showed up at the Smith family back then, I didn't think anything was wrong.
"But thinking about it carefully these past few days—George and Jane never cared about me, so they definitely wouldn't have suddenly gotten curious about whether I was actually their biological daughter. And the Johnson family went bankrupt ages ago, so Emily would never have had the opportunity to contact George and Jane.
"So how did she find out she was the Smith family's real daughter? And where did that paternity test come from?"
Michael also found the situation suspicious after hearing this. Thinking it through, when Sophia was born, the Smith family was already among Emerald City's elite. They had private hospitals and exclusive VIP wards. How could they have switched babies with the Johnson family?
This whole thing might have been orchestrated by someone.
Bruce recalled his meeting with Emily that day and nodded in agreement. "Now that you mention it, Emily really doesn't look much like George and Jane."
"George isn't stupid. If Emily showed up with a paternity test, George would definitely have another test done. If Emily is his daughter, then where did that first test in Emily's hands come from? If Emily isn't his daughter, then who was behind the scenes manipulating George's arranged test by switching the samples?"
Sophia didn't care whose daughter she was, nor did she care whether Emily was really the heiress to the Smith family. But if someone was really pulling strings behind the scenes, then she'd become someone's pawn.
And she still didn't know the mastermind's true purpose, and wasn't sure if they were targeting the Smith family or the Johnson family. She didn't like this feeling of being manipulated.
"I'll have someone investigate privately. You find a chance to test Emily."
Michael poured Sophia some orange juice, looking relatively unconcerned about the matter. After all, Sophia had just been born at the time, so even if there was a mastermind, they definitely weren't targeting Sophia specifically.
Whether they were targeting the Johnson family or the Smith family, it didn't really matter to Sophia herself, so naturally, he didn't need to worry too much either.
It was just that this whole scheme was incredibly suspicious. Anyone who could switch people right under the Smith family's noses probably had considerable status and influence themselves. The feeling of being watched from the shadows was rather unnerving, so it would definitely be safest to get to the bottom of it.
"Thanks for handling this." Sophia naturally trusted Michael.
Michael narrowed his eyes with an expression of displeasure. "You're being so formal with me now? I guess after knowing each other for over ten years, you're getting tired of me. Our friendship has grown cold; we're becoming more and more like strangers."
Sophia's eyes widened, somewhat surprised by his sudden burst of theatrics.
She rolled her eyes at him and laughed. "Mr. Green, could you dial down the drama? I can't keep up with your performance."
"See! You really have changed! You used to call me by my first name, now it's become Mr. Green!" Michael put on an expression of utter heartbreak, making Sophia's eyes crinkle with laughter.
"Stop it!" Sophia playfully swatted the back of his hand.
Bruce frowned as he watched the two flirting with each other.
"Should I leave?" He scowled, feeling like the third wheel.
Sophia suppressed her bashful laughter and returned to the topic at hand.
"I invested that three million from the Smith family into Pacific Group's marine biology division. Their research facility has genetic testing equipment. I'll see if I can find a chance to get samples from Emily and George for a genetic match."
Michael sighed lightly. "You should just focus on getting your diploma first. After leaving the Smith family, you won't be shipped off abroad after graduation, but even applying for early graduation from a domestic university would still take two years. I'm managing all the company affairs by myself. I'm dying here. Shouldn't you finish your studies quickly and come help shoulder some of the burden?"
Sophia pouted. "You know what they say—capable people do more work."
Michael laughed in exasperation. "Even I have my limits. Just because you're an investor and shareholder doesn't mean you can exploit me ruthlessly."
"Fine." Sophia gave a few perfunctory responses, clearly acknowledging her mistake but with no intention of changing.
...
Monday, Silver Fir Academy.
When class time arrived, the teacher walked into the classroom with textbooks. Emily turned to look at Sophia's seat, which was still empty, and couldn't help but smirk, a hint of malice flashing in her eyes.
She raised her hand, her brow slightly furrowed with apparent concern. "Teacher, class is about to start, and Sophia still isn't back. Could something urgent have happened to make her skip class?"
Hearing Emily's sarcasm, Amelia rolled her eyes. She'd thought Emily had learned to behave, but here she was looking for another chance to throw dirt on Sophia!
Amelia raised her voice. "Teacher, Sophia is at a business meeting today."
Since it was work-related, the teacher nodded understandingly. "Turn to your textbooks. Today we're covering sunk costs."
Emily's expression immediately darkened. What kind of school was this? They didn't even care when students skipped class.