Chapter 325: Chapter 328

After hanging up on the call, Sophia turned to Woody and asked, “Dad, are you hungry? Do you want to grab a bite at the cafeteria? The meals prepared by the cafeteria of our university are delicious!”

“Alright, let’s go,” Woody replied with a trembling body.

While she assisted him on the way to the nearest cafeteria, he was rather chatty and didn’t stop talking.

As he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, his consciousness and logic were completely messed up and he never got to any point of his topic.

He had gripped Nathan once and asked, “Nate, are you studying the same major as Uncle Cooper? He has double doctorate degrees in economics and law. You should learn from him!”

Then, he would turn and speak to her again. “Son, I know you still hate me over what happened with the girl, but I had no other choice. How could I bear to see you heartbroken? However, besides being my son, you’re the future family head for the Mitchell Family and you need to lead by example for the whole family!”

“Yes, of course,” she replied and nodded.

So, Woody and Cooper are not on the best of terms.

With a sigh, he said in a hushed voice, “Let me tell you a secret. Back then, I know I told you that I killed that girl, but she’s actually still alive!”

Huh?

Sophia pricked her ears and subconsciously asked, “She didn’t die?”

Woody whispered, “Back then, I found her and wanted her to leave your side. I know that you fancied her, so how could I bring myself to kill her, knowing that she’s the girl whom you love? So, I paid her off and asked her to leave! Don’t blame me, Cooper.

I’m the family head, after all, and had to consider the interests of the family in everything that I do. I lied to you that she’s dead because you’re the pride of our family and no one in the family wants you to make a mistake! One day, I hope you can understand my difficulties, Cooper.”

From his words, she could guess that Cooper was a person with a high status within the family and the future family head. Unfortunately, he fell in love with a girl below his status and was forced to break up with her by his family.

Woody had found her and was able to make her leave. Then, he turned around and told Cooper that he had killed her. Once Cooper heard the news, he threw in the towel, which was how his hatred for his father started.

Sigh… That’s the problem with big families! The family head of the prominent Mitchell Family in Bayside City is also helpless! She silently thought. Hang on, could Cooper and Coop be…

However, Sophia quickly shot down her bold idea—it was impossible to have such coincidences.

“Dad, I’ve never blamed you and now that I’m an adult, I see how childish I was back then as well as your difficulties,” she comforted Woody.

He appeared at ease, bobbing his head nonstop. “Cooper, it’s wonderful that you can understand my difficulties. Back then, I also wanted the girl to stay, but your wife must be someone who is of equal status. I told her that she could still stay by your side even if you’re married, but she refused.”

As Bayside University had a huge campus, there were eight or nine cafeterias within the compounds, so they were built as close as possible to the teaching facilities as well as the dorms.

They arrived at the nearest cafeteria to them, which was in the vicinity of the School of Foreign Languages, School of Music and School of Film. Taking a look around, she didn’t see anyone whom she knew as they were all in different schools as hers.

It happened to be mealtime, which meant that there were more people in the cafeteria. After securing a table, she settled him down, asking, “Dad, what would you like to eat? I’ll go and get it.”

Still thinking that he was staring at his own son, his face brightened with delight as he said kindly, “Whatever is your favorite food will be mine as well.”

She left and took a couple of steps before turning back to see that Woody was starting at her with a look of longingness. She took a couple more steps and turned again; there he was, still maintaining his vision on her. Every look he gave seemed to be the last time that he was looking at her.

Sigh, it can’t be helped since he’s getting on in his years.

The wealthiest school on campus was none other than the School of Arts. Thus, the cafeteria, which was basically part of it, came with better decor and food quality as compared to the one which she usually went to. The dishes looked better as well and she brought them over with Gemma after placing her order.

However, just as they were making their return, they saw from afar that Woody was surrounded by a group of people who looked as though they knew him, but their attitude toward him was horrible.

“Old Master, what are you doing here in the university? Where’s Madam Lewis? Why did she let you come out alone?” The girl, who was the group leader, looked very elegant, but seemed rather cold and upset as her brows were tightly knitted together.

He smiled at her, grabbing her with his aged hand, “Ah, you’re Natasha. Are you in kindergarten now, Natasha?”

Woody’s grip on her arm had turned many heads before an impatient look flashed across the face of a girl named Natasha. Violently jerking her head away, she ordered the people next to her. “Take him home. This is embarrassing!”

Two tall and well-built men roughly grabbed him on each side and wanted to drag him away with an annoyed and embarrassed look on their faces.

Gary grabbed Nathan to the side as Woody struggled with the few youngsters, unwilling to leave. “I’m not leaving. I want to wait for Cooper. Where are you, Cooper?”

Subconsciously, Sophia wanted to rush forward but Hale stopped her. “Madam, that’s Natasha, the daughter of the current family head for the Mitchell Family. This is their family issue and it’s best that you don’t get involved.”

Upon heeding his words and remembering about Michael’s warning not to be involved with the Mitchells, Sophia stopped in her tracks. It was their family affair and she had no right to interfere, so she watched in vain as he was roughly dragged away by a few men.

Tears streamed down his face like a helpless child as he cried, “Where are you taking me? I’m not leaving; I want to wait for Cooper. He said we’ll be eating together!”

“Cooper had been dead for more than a decade and won’t appear anymore! Don’t bring him up again!”

Natasha chided loudly.

Refusing to believe her, he argued, “He was speaking with me earlier! You’re lying to me! Cooper’s not dead! He was still here earlier!”

Wearing a cold look, she said impatiently, “Take him away and send two more people to look after him from now onward, so he won’t slip out and embarrass us!”

Even Nathan had a tough time watching as a group of youngsters picked on an old man—it was nothing to be proud of!

Woody caught sight of Sophia, who was returning with the meals, and broke into tears of joy as he stared at her. He even breathed out a couple of snot bubbles. “Cooper, you’re back!”

She had completely forgotten about Michael’s warning and dropped the plates in her hand on a table and dashed forward. “Are you guys even human? How can you do this to an elderly man? Do you even have any ethics?”