Yvette furrowed her brows slightly but quickly eased up. "Your clothes are dirty now. I shouldnât keep you any longer. Go home and get them cleaned.
Aunt Jen, please see our guest off."
"Ms. Jones, shall we?" Aunt Zhang went around the back of her wheelchair and grabbed the handle.
Leah glanced at Yvette with a conflicted look on her face. She hummed a reply before getting wheeled out by Aunt Jen.
All of a sudden, dark clouds started stacking up layer upon layer in the azure sky. The sound of a dull and heavy thunder traveled from south to north, and beads of raindrops started pattering down.
Sophia was on the bed lying on her side. She was curled up into a ball, hugging herself tight. She stared at the gift box next to her pillow with only one thought in her mindâ
She wanted to succeed!
If Charles refused to let her go after sleeping with her, she could take photographic evidence of when they slept together and use those photos or videos to threaten him to let her go!
If she failed, then Charles would undoubtedly fly into a rage out of humiliation. He had always been cruel. He might even have the thought of murdering her by then.
Death could be another way to set her free.
Patter.
The moment she heard the sound of the door opening, Sophia bolted upright at almost the same time and was in the state of hypervigilance as she stared at the door.
Only when she saw that it was Yvette did her hair that had stood on end loosen. "Aunt Harris."
"Mm." Yvette hid her right hand behind her back and walked to the side of the bed before taking out the gift hidden behind her. "I am going to be very busy attending to guests at your birthday party tomorrow, so Iâll give you your present first. I wish that our Soph will be forever... 17 and that you will remain blissful, safe, and healthy forever."
"Thank you, Aunt Haris," Sophia said.
There was no fancy packaging on the gift, just a square transparent glass box with an unusually beautiful small crown adorned with tiny diamonds.
This crown was a gift Aunt Harris had promised to give her for her 18th birthday. She said that she could wear this small crown when she married Charles.
However, things happened so quickly after that that she did not even have the chance to receive Aunt Harrisâ birthday gift before her leg was broken.
Then, she got sent to prison.
"I can't take it." Sophia put the gift box back in Yvette's arms with both hands and said with her eyes closed, "This belongs to the Harris familyâs daughter-in-law. Mr. Harris and I will never be together."
She once hated it the most when someone told her that she could never be with Charles. Right now, however, she had been repeating these words over and over again. How ridiculous.
"Who said so? You are the Harris family's daughter-in-law. This is meant for the Harris family's daughter-in-law. Even if youâre not the Harris family's daughter-in-law, this is still for you. Take it or Iâll get angry."
Patter.
At this moment, the door opened without warning and Charles strode in. His well-tailored suit accentuated his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs, making him appear forbidding and cold with a tinge of noble aura.
The transparent gift box that was still in Sophia's hand shook rhythmically. The light reflected off the glass and shone on her face, making her face paler.
She licked her dry lips, got out of bed, and handed the gift box to Charles with both hands. "Aunt said that this is a gift for you."
"I wonât go so far as to snatch a plaything from you. Keep it." Charles glanced at the little crown in the glass box, and his pupils darkened slightly. He tilted his head a little as his gaze fell on her short hair.
Sophia pursed her lips and walked to Yvette's side with the gift box still in her hands. "Aunt Harris, Mr. Harris refuses to take it. I think itâs best that you keep it for now. You can give this crown to Ms. Jones yourself during her and Mr. Harrisâ engagement."
If she accepted this crown in front of Charles, then he might think that she was still having wishful thinking.
"Alright, then." Yvette took the gift box and asked Charles, "Charles, is the gown ready?"
Charles nodded and lifted the three gift bags in his hands. "As you said, I ordered three limited edition gowns."
"Mm." Yvette smiled, relieved Charles of the three gift bags, and put them in Sophia's hands. "I don't know if your taste has changed, so I asked Charles to order a few more dresses. Pick one to wear tomorrow, or you can wear all three dresses. Itâs entirely up to you.â
"Thank you, Aunt Harris." Sophia took the gift bags and set them on the bed without uncovering the contents. She then stood next to Yvette with her entire body tensed up.
With the transparent glass box in her hands, Yvette curved her lips and dragged Charles outside. "Soph is shy to change with a man like you standing around. Let's go out first.â
She pulled the door open, then shut it after going out with him.
"I will hold a birthday party for Soph at the Pearl Hotel tomorrow. You should come." Yvette handed the transparent glass box to the servant next to her and ordered the latter to put it in her room.
Charles paused in his steps before walking down the spiral staircase. "Iâm not free."
âI wonât intervene in the affairs between you, Soph, and Leah, but you have to attend tomorrowâs birthday party. Do we have a deal?" Yvette rubbed the area between her eyebrows, then stood on the steps while staring at his back.
Charles went down the last step before turning around to look at her. "What time will it end?"
"11 o'clock at night," Yvette replied.
Charles hummed a reply and turned around to walk toward the door. He said, "I'll be there before it ends."
"Wait," Yvette called out to him. She walked around to face him and looked up at her son who was half a head taller than her. "Can we sit down and talk?"
"What do you want to talk about?" Charles turned around and walked to the couch to sit down. His slender, long legs were crossing each other.
The fruit on the coffee table had oxidized after being left there for a while now. The servant brought a new plate of fresh fruits over, then placed a cup of hot tea in front of each of them before moving to the side to wait for further orders.
"Why are you doing this to Soph when you are clearly aware that it was all just Leah playing tricks back then? Iâve been thinking for two years and I still canât figure out why," Yvette asked, taking a sip of her tea.
Charles tugged at his lower lip and tapped his slender fingers on the coffee table gently. "Mom, when did you start developing a liking of meddling in your childrenâs affairs just like Aunt Lewis?"
"I won't force you if you refuse to tell me." Yvette frowned slightly when she heard the name âAunt Lewisâ.
She took several sips of tea before continuing, "There are too many things involved if you marry Leah. I can understand that youâre marrying her according to your father and your grandfather's plan.â
Charles's eyes darkened. He was tapping the coffee table a little faster now. However, there were still no surges in his calm voice. âThanks, Mom."
"Don't thank me yet." Yvette let out a rather self-deprecating chuckle. "I can understand, but that doesn't mean that I can accept it."
The arc at the corners of her mouth loosened up a little, and she slammed the teacup. Even so, a faint smile was still hanging on her well-maintained face. "Charles, do you know how it feels like to be in-laws with a homewrecker? It feels like youâre eating a fly."
"I can call off the engagement if you donât want me to get engaged to her." Charlesâ legs that were crossing each other were now placed flat on the ground, his body leaning forward in a slightly hostile manner. His elbows were propped up on his knees.
Yvette said, "You will only anger your dad, your grandfather, and the guys in the company if you break off this marriage contract. Your grandfather has never liked you to begin with. If you do this, your unclesâ children will be eager to have a finger in the pie. Iâm afraid you wonât even get eight percent of Harris Corporationâs shares when that happens.
"Iâll lay my cards on the table today. I will not mess with your future because of personal emotions, but I will not just stand around and watch as both the Jones mother and daughter rely on you and your dad to lead a smooth sailing life. You must attend Sophâs birthday party tomorrow at six."
The servant came over, cleaned up the mess on the ground, and placed a new cup of tea in front of her.
"You want me to go and show Sophia some support?" Charles picked up his tea and moved it closer to his mouth but did not drink it. He then put it back on the table. "Are you doing this because you truly care for her or are you just using her?"
Yvette darted him a complicated glance and stood up. "I'll go and see which gown Soph has picked out."
When she arrived at the spiral staircase, she stopped and turned around to look at him. "Pearl Hotel. Remember to be there by six tomorrow."
Charles stared at her back, then picked up a slice of apple and popped it into his mouth. He wiped the corner of his mouth with a paper towel, got up, and left.
The nights of 27th and 28th September amounted to a total of twenty-four hours, yet every passing minute and second in between was a torment for Sophia.
Atrophy of Love: Mr. Harris, Stop Fooling Around!
ï¤Chapter 86 I Am An Abandoned Child She had nightmares all night. They played one after another in an endless loop, never-ending. She bolted awake from her nightmares three times, drenched in a cold sweat each time. Despite that, the nightmares returned as soon as she fell asleep after lying down.
When she woke up in the morning, her pajamas had already been soaked in cold sweat. Her body was ice-cold, and there were dark shadows under her eyes. Her complexion was just awful.