The man halted in his tracks, caught in a bind whether to set down the gifts or hold on to them.
He couldn't help but glance back at Louis.
Louis offered Sophia a smile and said, "This is but a humble token of our apology for dropping by unannounced. We hope Ms. Yearwood won't find it too paltry."
His tone was amiable, even bordering on obsequious.
As soon as he finished speaking, he motioned for his entourage to bring the gifts inside.
But Sophia raised her hand to block the man's approach and then turned to Louis, "Are you here offering a sincere apology, or is this just guilt-tripping?"
Louis' smile suddenly turned embarrassed.
Sophia's gaze shifted to Marian, who had been silent the whole time, and then back to Louis, "Mr. Louis, if I'm not mistaken, Ms. Frost is about my age- hardly what you'd call naive. And since the issue is between her and me; she's the one who should be apologizing. What are you trying to accomplish by apologizing on her behalf?"
Finishing her address to Louis, Sophia's attention turned to Marian.
Marian, who had been previously looked from the sidelines, bit her lip hesitantly, then faced Sophia with a wavering expression, shrinking under Sophia's steady gaze.
"Sophia, I'm sorry," Marian finally spoke up. Her voice carried a coquettish
softness, "I didn't realize that was your work. I'm truly sorry for using it by mistake. Could you forgive me this one time, considering our history as classmates and colleagues?"
Sophia, however, frowned slightly, "Do you mean that if it wasn't my work, it would've been fine to just take it?"
"No, no, that came out wrong. Don't misunderstand me," Marian hurried to correct herself. " I mean, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken a chance with your work. I'm truly sorry and feel terrible about it. That's why I came here today to apologize to you in person, hoping you'll forgive me this once on account of our past."
"And then?" Sophia prodded.
Marian was stumped by her question.
She thought an apology would settle everything, but Sophia's "and then?" had thrown her off. She didn't understand what Sophia was getting at. Wasn't the apology supposed to be enough?
Her eyes sought assistance from Louis.
Louis was also uncertain of Sophia's intentions and guessed that she might be inquiring about further compensation. So he ventured: "What happened was indeed Yoli's mistake. We will cover all of your losses and provide compensation for your emotional distress. You may suggest a figure to start with."
Sophia couldn't help but laugh, with no trace of joy reaching her eyes.
She felt an inexplicable sorrow but couldn't pinpoint why.
"Mr. Frost, do you even know why this design exists?" She asked Louis softly.
"At first, Martin approached me to design this estate for you and wanted to put it under Yolanda Frost's name, to gift this estate to you as if it were her work. But I refused him. I had no intention of serving others like that. I never intended to take on this project. However, when I met Renata, even though she mistook me for someone else, she treated me kindly and protected me like no one else ever has; I have always been grateful for that. So when I saw that you wanted to create an estate reminiscent of her youth, as a tribute to those memories, I wanted to do my part in helping you. It was pure gratitude towards Grandma that led me to create this design."
"I intended to personally give this work to Grandma, but just as I was about to send it, I heard that your project's design had been finalized. Although I felt some regret, I was also happy for you. But then, I never expected..."
Sophia trailed off, forcing a smile without finishing her sentence.
Louis felt a mix of emotions, not having anticipated this backstory. At that moment, he too was at a loss for words.