Tristan's thoughts were still lingering on the car crash from earlier. I will catch the b*stard who ordered the attack! I won't tolerate anyone who acts so insolently before me!
“Don't stay up too late, okay?” Holding his neck, Sophie kissed the edge of his lips.
While nothing serious had occurred, it still pissed her off. That d*mn Nicholas!
It wasn't until she went to bed that Tristan left.
In the living room, Felix was waiting for the result of the investigation he asked others to conduct. Even after a long while, the identity of the culprit remained unknown.
“I couldn't find out who the assailant was!” It was the first time he suspected his abilities. Our enemy seems stronger than I anticipated.
“Don't stop until you do!” Tristan refused to allow a similar attack to occur again, especially with Sophie by his side.
As Felix poured him a glass of red wine, his mind wandered. This isn't Mr. Tristan's first rodeo with assassinations. He's angry this time because Sophie was with us. Now that he has a lover, he definitely won't condone anyone's attempt at provoking him.
“Understood! Although, you should ease up a little. No one's hurt, isn't it? Besides, Sophie's not a fragile, coddled rabbit. She won't get spooked by this,” he assured.
“That's not the problem. If our enemy is willing to go this far, they're bound to have more surprises waiting for us.” Grabbing the glass of wine, Tristan sipped. Not many people know I'm at Anglandur at the moment. Additionally, Felix still can't figure out the identity of the driver. Whoever is behind this assault is a lot more powerful than I imagine.
“I get it already! I'll ask others to check again.” There was nothing in the world Felix couldn't figure out. As long as it existed, he would have a way to unearth it.
It was then Micah brought them another bottle of red wine.
That was what he always did whenever the duo had a discussion.
“Put it down, Micah. You should head to rest!” Tristan urged. He really should consider his age and rest early.
“All right, Mr. Tristan. You should rest early too. Remember, you have massive influence and power in Norham as well.”
“Mhm.”
After Micah departed, Felix opened the red wine the old butler brought them, refilled their glasses, and handed one of them to Tristan.
Meanwhile, after Tristan left, Sophie woke up and peered at the silver ring on her finger, which was emitting another eerie light.
Unable to withhold the rage burning in her heart any longer, she called Nicholas.
Ever since the beginning of the incident, Nicholas had been waiting for her call. Just as he expected, she called. I think she'll still relent!
“It's been a while, Sophie!” His grating voice was promptly heard on the other end.
Sophie's mouth formed a cold grin. “Is my lesson last time not enough for you, Nicholas? Do I have to kill you to reclaim my peaceful life? I won't hesitate to do that if I have no choice.”
Nicholas smirked. “Why so angry, Sophie? I didn't do anything wrong. I've simply... missed you. That's why I went to meet you. Why are you acting like this? We're still friends no matter what, aren't we? Is it really necessary for you to act like this?”
“You...” Her top was almost blown off. “Just tell me what you want.”
“Didn't I do that already? I miss you. How about we meet at the cafe opposite Tristan's mansion tomorrow morning at ten?”
No response was heard from Sophie.
“Don't get angry. You won't look beautiful anymore if you get mad.” Their conversation was making him giddy. I've missed this feeling. It's been too long! Ever since I was kidnapped back here by her from Jipsdale, I've been feeling down. At long last, I'm in the mood to smile again.
“Hah. All right, just you wait.” She had a burning desire to tear him into pieces.
“You can be sure I'll be waiting no matter how late you arrive. I'll also be dreaming of you tonight.” Nicholas ignored her resentment when she said that.
As long as he heard what he wanted to, he didn't care about anything else.
Fury still burned in Sophie's eyes when the call ended.
It was then Arius contacted her. “Are you all right, Sophie?”
“I'm fine.”
“Nicholas hasn't done anything yet? He's been waiting for you for a long time. Now that you're there, he'll stop at nothing to capture you.” He called because he was just that concerned about her safety.
“Of course, he will, but that doesn't mean he's capable enough to succeed. I'm no longer who I once was after all this time.”
“If you need help, you can contact Dr. Smith. He's in Anglandur, after all. At least he'll be able to lend you a hand. That Nicholas is truly perverted. It'll be dreadful if he catches you when your guard's accidentally down. Oh yeah, don't meet with him alone, okay? He lost last time because he was in Jipsdale. However, things will be different this time around.”
“All right, there's no need for you to fuss about me. It's the same no matter where I go.” Despite knowing he was merely fretting about her security, Sophie really wasn't in the mood to console him.
“Oh yeah, does Tristan know? If you refuse Nicholas' condition, he might go after Tristan!”
“He doesn't know yet!”
“Why don't you just tell him everything? He chose you as his girlfriend, so he should face your hardships with you.”
“I can take care of this by myself. There's no need for him to learn of this.” There were things Sophie wasn't ready to reveal to Tristan yet.
Additionally, it was her matter, so she didn't want to trouble others.
Arius commented, “You're always like this, stubborn as a mule. Why not share your burden with your partner when you have one?”
“All right, you should rest early.” Everyone had something they were adamant about, including Sophie. She didn't stay with Tristan out of a desire for his protection.
Her love was something she wished would remain pure.
A sense of resignation was heard in Arius' voice. “Do whatever you want, then. Clearly, you don't appreciate my advice, and I don't know how to persuade you to do otherwise. I'm not in Anglandur at the moment, so I can't help you out. Just stay safe, okay?”
After hanging up the phone, Sophie took in a deep breath. I really don't want to bother Tristan with this. I have too many secrets, and some of them aren't appropriate for him to know. But everyone's like that, isn't it?
Tristan opened the door, thinking that she was already asleep. To his surprise, he saw her standing by the window, deep in thought.
It pained him to see how lonely her figure appeared from behind.
Upon approaching her, he hugged her waist. “What's the matter? Can't sleep? Are you still spooked by the crash earlier?”
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