Chapter 723
Changing only for her (Sophie and Tristan)
âWeâll do it together.â
No matter what we have to do, we are together in this. I will not let him deal with it all on his own.
âAll right. Weâll do it together.â
A strategy was required to deal with the Sable familyâan intricate, subtle strategy.
Tristan began scheming. Sean and the others knew what he wanted to do and did not stop him.
Instead, they helped with his planning.
Meanwhile, in Anglandur, Nicholas was furious upon finding out what Javier had done.
âI told you before, stay out of my affairs. Why wonât you ever listen?â Nicholas shouted hysterically. I
have lain low this whole time.
Javier did not expect him to find out about that.
Even worse, he had hired five of the best hitmen in the world, none of whom were left alive.
âI told you, Nicholas, I wonât let Alex die in vain!â
Alex is family. His death shall not go unavenged.
Nicholasâ face was scrunched up.
âThen donât blame me for what Iâm about to do. Iâm just trying to protect the woman I love.â
I canât stop loving her just because Alex is dead.
âWake up, Nicholas! How many times do I have to tell you she doesnât love you back? She will be the
death of you if you keep going down this path.â
I canât believe Sophie survived this.
âEven if I were to die by her hand, itâs my business.â
âDo you think yourself noble? You still donât know, do you? Sheâs getting married to Tristan.â
Surely heâll give up after this.
âNo, she wonât. Sheâll only marry me. Nobody else can marry her.â The wedding hasnât taken place yet,
anyway. I will not allow that to happen.
Javier frowned.
âWake up, Nicholas. I told you Tristan and Sophie are getting married, and everybody knows how
protective he is. What do you think youâre going to accomplish?â
Why wonât this boy give up? I donât wish to see him hurt. Tristan doesnât show anybody mercy.
âI will refrain from harming Sophie, but I want you to stay away from her. There are many other women
out there. Youâre free to have any one of them.â Iâm worried that something will happen to him.
Nicholas had had enough. âAs I said, stay out of my business. Iâve got this handled.â
So what if there are plenty of other women out there? I only want her, and I canât help myself.
She was seared like a brand upon his heart, which he could not remove. His heart ached every time he
thought of her.
I hate being this dramatic, yet love is an impossible matter over which nobody has any control.
âI am sending you to the psychiatric nursing home, and you should get some rest there. Donât concern
yourself with the affairs of our family any longer. Iâm going to take over, anyway.â
âI am your father, Nicholas. I donât wish to be placed in a psychiatric nursing home. Iâm in excellent
health. Thereâs no reason for me to be there.â
âIâm doing this for your safety, Dad. Youâve always known what a willful child I am, and I donât know
what I would do if you kept going.â
There was a manic glint in Nicholasâ eyes.
âDonât you dare place me on house arrest, Nicholas. Iâm the head of this family!â Is he thinking of
replacing me while Iâm still alive?
âWhat are you talking about, Dad? Youâre not going to die! Donât worry. Iâll keep you alive and well.â
Having had enough of the conversation, he gestured for the servants to bring his father away.
Javier was beside himself with rage. âHow dare you treat me like this, Nicholas? Everything I did is for
your own good! How could you do this to me for a woman?â
However, Nicholas did not even give him the opportunity to protest.
Heâs lucky that nothing happened to Sophie, or Iâll kill him as well. Nobody can harm her.
âWhat do you plan to do now, Boss?â Richard asked. Previously Alexâs assistant, he had taken over the
latterâs spot upon his death.
âWhat do I plan to do? I, too, would like to know what my options are.â
Sophie said she had never loved me, and it had been a one-sided love affair the entire time.
Naturally, he was greatly saddened by those words.
What else can I do? Surely I canât just give up? I would have done so long ago if I could instead of
dragging it on up to this point, hurting others and myself in the process.
âNo matter what you ask, Boss, I will do it to the best of my abilities.â Being new to his position, Richard
was eager to prove himself.
âAll right. Leave me for now.â
I need to think about it carefully. Sheâs about to get married, isnât she? Only I can be Sophieâs groom,
no one else. I cannot accept another in my place.
âI will have you return to me of your own free will, Sophie.â No price is too high for this endeavor.
Upon finding out about Tristan and Sophieâs wedding, William summoned his son, who waited quietly
instead of commenting on the old manâs palpable discomfort.
âWhy, you littleââ William was livid. âAh, forget it. Iâm not going to hold you against it. Youâve been this
way since you were a boy, anyway. Bring Sophie home one day and make an appointment to discuss
the wedding with her parents.â
They will be going through with the wedding whether or not I give them my blessing. Heâs still my son.
How can I stand idly by when heâs getting married?
Despite the Lombard familyâs reputation in Jipsdale, they placed great emphasis on etiquette.
âDonât concern yourself with the wedding, Dad. I will make all the arrangements.â Dad is getting old. He
shouldnât have to worry about me.
Besides, it was his wedding, which he hoped to have a hand in its preparation and preside over its
decisions.
âWhat do you mean by that? You still have to let me meet Sophie! Isnât that something you should do
now that youâre officially getting married?â
âAll right, I will.â
Tristan was being difficult on purpose in response to his fatherâs awkwardness, against which the latter
could do nothing.
That night, Tristan picked Sophie up. William had also called Lincoln to return. Sarah and Ysabelle
were also there.
The family had not gotten together in a long time.
âHave you made your peace with it, Dad?â Lincoln asked over a game of chess with William. Judging
by his carefree demeanor, he must have gotten over it.
âWhat can I do otherwise? Iâm not getting any younger, and all of you are learning to defy me. Who
among you would still heed my words?â