Chapter 782
Changing only for her (Sophie and Tristan)
âYes, letâs go watch the fireworks together,â Tristan said eagerly, his eyes alight with excitement. âHurry
up and change into something you can be comfortable in.â He wanted to be able to count down to
Christmas with her.
âSure! I wonât be long. Let me head upstairs to grab a jacket, and Iâll meet you outside!â Sophie agreed.
It seemed like a great idea to welcome Christmas with him.
Time seemed to fly by for them, and before they knew it, they had been together for two years.
âMm, itâs fine. Take your time. Iâll wait for you outside,â Tristan told her. He had no intention of heading
into her house.
Sophie went upstairs to grab a jacket. Before leaving, she applied some lip gloss.
Applying makeup was a hassle, and she had no interest in putting it on just for the sake of going on a
date, but she figured the least she could do was apply some lip gloss to give her a more lively look.
As Sophie ran her fingers through her hair, she observed her reflection in the mirror and was surprised
by what she saw.
Just like any other young woman, she was filled with excitement and anticipation as she was going to
meet her boyfriend soon.
After putting on her jacket, Sophie went down the stairs and bumped into Yale.
âItâs late. Where are you going? Wonât you come back tonight?â Yale inquired. He wasnât worried as he
knew who her boyfriend was.
Besides, he dared not stop Tristan from bringing her out on a date.
âYes. Tristan is waiting for me outside. Weâre going out, and I wonât be back tonight,â Sophie answered.
She had a hunch that Tristan wanted to spend the evening counting down until Christmas, so she
probably would not be returning home that night.
âOkay. Go, then. Donât let Mr. Tristan wait for too long as itâs pretty chilly outside,â Yale reminded her.
He was determined not to keep his beloved son-in-law waiting outside in the cold for too long.
Sophie nodded and said nothing else. She didnât like explaining herself and couldnât be bothered by
what others thought about her.
Once she ventured out of the house, she spotted Tristan standing beside his car. It was freezing, but
Tristan had only donned a thin black wool coat for protection against the cold.
âWhy didnât you wait in the car? Itâs freezing, so thereâs no need to wait for me outside,â Sophie chided.
She walked over to him, and he opened the door for her.
âI waited outside so I could get to see you earlier,â he replied cheerfully. He couldnât help himself.
A smile nudged Sophieâs lips as she entered his sports car. The heater was running, so she felt warm
and pulled off her scarf.
Mere moments later, Ysabelleâs call arrived.
âSophie, where are you? Weâre at Breakwater Port, and itâs absolutely buzzing with activity. Come here
now! Iâll wait for you here so we can count down to Christmas together, okay?â
Sophie wasnât able to join them for dinner earlier, but they could still count down to Christmas together.
Sophie glanced at Tristan and replied, âIâm with Tristan, but I donât think he wants to count down with
you.â
It was obvious that Tristan wanted to spend the night with her without anyone else disturbing them.
Ysabelle was speechless. Seriously? We should count down together as itâs more fun that way!
âSophie, will you or Uncle Tristan call the shots in your family in the future? Why are you going along
with his plan?â Ysabelle complained.
She really wanted to count down to Christmas together with Sophie and couldnât understand why
Sophie couldnât keep her company.
âTristan, Ysabelle wants to know whoâll call the shots in our family in the future,â Sophie repeated
Ysabelleâs question solemnly.
Ysabelle nearly died of embarrassment upon hearing that.
âUh, Sophie. The signal isnât good here. I know that you donât get to spend much time with Uncle
Tristan, so I wonât intrude upon your time together. I hope you both have a wonderful time!â she quickly
said. Ugh, why did Sophie do that to me?
Ysabelle quickly hung up and patted her chest, still reeling in shock.
Seeing that, Felix gave her a peck on her cheek.
âSweetheart, why are you so adorable? Donât worry. Sophie wonât let your Uncle Tristan harm you,â he
comforted her with a smile. âIâm here, and no matter what happens, Iâm going to be right beside you. No
one will be able to bully you while Iâm around.â
âReally? Are you certain that you would be brave enough to tell Uncle Tristan that? Arenât you afraid
that heâll teach you a lesson?â
âIâm scared, of course. You know how scary your Uncle Tristan is. I donât have another choice, though.
Iâm terrified of the thought of him punishing me, yet Iâm even more worried about losing you,â he
revealed honestly. Making sure that Ysabelle stayed safe was far more important to him than anything
else.
âReally?â Ysabelle asked happily.
She was delighted that her boyfriend had acted in the manner that was expected of him.
Felix answered rapidly, âOf course! How can you doubt my feelings for you? I love you dearly. If
anything I said was a lie, I wouldââ
âThatâs enough. I believe you, okay? Why would you say that? Come on, letâs go have some fun!â
Meanwhile, Tristan was chuckling in his car. âYou get to call the shots in our family unless you would
rather not. Should that be the case, I can step in and take over the responsibility.â
Sophieâs lips curled into a grin.
She wasnât being serious as she didnât care who would get to make decisions.
Tristan turned the ignition key and was greeted with the deep rumbling of the car engine. It was the
time of day when couples would be flocking to the port, drawn in by the prospect of the fireworks
festival. After all, this event was held exclusively for couples.
When they arrived, there were no parking spots available.
Sophieâs face lit up with a broad grin when she took in the bustling scene at Breakwater Port. She
hadnât expected such an enthusiastic turnout as it seemed like the whole town had come out to join the
festivities.
âDo you like crowds?â
Tristan knitted his brows. He had never been a fan of large gatherings of people, and yet he had still
chosen to bring her here as everyone seemed excited to be here.
âWhat should we do? Should we head home?â Sophie asked. It was freezing, and she didnât feel like
fighting her way through the throng of people. That didnât sound fun at all.
âOkay. Letâs go home, then,â Tristan agreed.
So long as they were in each otherâs company, it didnât matter where they would spend Christmas Eve.
âSure. Letâs leave now.â
They had just arrived at their destination, but Tristan immediately drove back home. On their return
journey, the sky was illuminated with a spectacular display of fireworks, which was a stunning sight to
behold.
Tristan pulled his car to the side of the road, and they both got out of the car to enjoy the fireworks.
âSo?â
âItâs quite pretty,â Sophie answered.
âAre you feeling cold?â Knowing that she was afraid of the cold, Tristan pulled her close and wrapped
her up in his coat.
âNo. I feel warm,â Sophie assured him.
His chest was radiating warmth, after all.
As they spoke, the night sky continued lighting up with vibrant and colorful fireworks, providing a
beautiful backdrop for their conversation.
The stroke of twelve was like a magical signal, announcing the arrival of Christmas. Tristan wrapped
his arms around her in a tight embrace.
âMy dear Sophie, Merry Christmas! I hope this holiday season brings you nothing but peace and joy.â
As Sophie heard the melodic chimes of the clock and the sultry sound of Tristanâs voice near her ear,
she felt an overwhelming sense of contentment and joy.
Turning around, she returned his hug.
âMr. Lombard, I hope your wish comes true this holiday season!â With that, Sophie pressed her lips to
his.