Chapter 9: Sophie Became a Completely Different Person

Sebastian Whitmore shook his head and went to the bathroom to take a cold shower, finally quelling the desire within him.

Meanwhile, Sophie, who had been sent away, felt aggrieved and anxious. She couldn't figure out what had displeased Sebastian Whitmore. She cautiously tried to guess his thoughts.

In the hallway, Sophie encountered Mrs. Mitchell again and eagerly approached her. "Mrs. Mitchell, I can't sleep. Could you keep me company for a while?"

It was already late, and Mrs. Mitchell wanted to rest, but since Sophie was now Sebastian Whitmore's woman, she forced herself to stay awake and smiled. "Of course, Miss Clark."

"Mrs. Mitchell, can I ask you something?" Sophie began probing. "Does Mr. Whitmore dislike lilies?"

Mrs. Mitchell nodded. "Yes, Mr. Whitmore hates lilies. They are not allowed in the house, not even their scent or the word itself."

Sophie then realized she had committed a major taboo of Sebastian Whitmore's and asked nervously, "Why?"

"I don't know," Mrs. Mitchell shook her head. "Mr. Whitmore just doesn't like lilies."

Knowing this about Sebastian Whitmore's preferences, Sophie returned to her room and quickly threw away all her lily-scented bath products and perfumes before taking another shower.

Sophie was worried that this newfound wealth might be lost because of tonight's incident and that Sebastian Whitmore would no longer favor her. She had only enjoyed this luxurious life for a day and didn't want this dream to shatter.

Determined, Sophie resolved to make Sebastian Whitmore fall in love with her.

Just then, Sophie's phone rang. It was Isabella calling.

Isabella had returned to Cedar Grove and found that Sophie wasn't home, prompting her to call.

After hesitating for a moment, Sophie answered the call. "Isabella."

"Sophie, where are you? It's so late, and you haven't come back yet..."

Before Isabella could finish speaking, Sophie interrupted her. "I moved in with my boyfriend and won't be coming back."

Isabella paused for two seconds. "So suddenly? I see you left many things behind."

"Just leave them or throw them away if you don't need them," Sophie replied in a tone that suggested she wanted to cut ties. "It's late; I'll sleep now. We'll talk another day."

The call ended.

Isabella sat in the rental apartment, staring at the phone and the empty room, feeling a bit dazed.

She sensed that Sophie was unwilling to stay in touch with her anymore. They used to be close friends; how could things change so drastically in just two days?

Could it be that Sophie was worried she would hinder her pursuit of happiness?

Sophie was always frugal and stingy, saving even empty water bottles for money. Yet this time, she moved out without taking anything except some daily clothes.

Sophie seemed like a different person now, making Isabella curious about what kind of boyfriend could have charmed her so thoroughly.

Could she have been deceived into some scam?

If she had fallen into a human trafficking ring, it would be disastrous.

Worried, Isabella decided to talk to Sophie again tomorrow.

The next day.

When the alarm rang, Isabella got up to wash up; as a secretary, she needed to arrive at the office before eight o'clock.

Hurrying out of the apartment, Isabella ran into the same neighbor lady from yesterday.

The gossiping neighbor called out to Isabella. "Isabella! Bella! You're still living here? That Sophie has hooked up with a rich guy now, driving luxury cars worth hundreds of thousands with an assistant by her side. Why didn't she help you out?"

Isabella was surprised. "How do you know?"

"I saw her moving out yesterday," the neighbor said disdainfully. "That Sophie now has her nose in the air. She even bragged about having bodyguards and assistants and moving into her boyfriend's house for a luxurious life. Just because she found a rich boyfriend—what's so great about that?"

Did Sophie really find a wealthy boyfriend?

Isabella asked, "Did you get a look at the license plate number?"

She decided to investigate whether this was truly a wealthy man or just someone pretending to be rich.

If it turned out to be true and he genuinely cared for Sophie, then she would feel relieved.