"Levin," Sophia Shaw called out softly. She hadn’t had ti to compose herself, and her voice was still trembling slightly.
Levin Sawyer saw the redness in her eyes, and a pang of tenderness twisted in his chest.
He walked over and gently patted her shoulder. "There’s no one else here. If you need to cry, just let it out."
"Levin."
Sophia tried to hold back her tears, but they fell anyway.
Sophia closed her eyes, her lashes trembling.
"Why? Why was Mom so good, yet couldn’t win a faithful heart in return?"
"She was willing to give her life for the man she loved, so how could she be t with betrayal?"
She had been asking this question for ten years.
Asking for Brianna Shaw, and for herself.
’Searching her heart, had she not been good enough to Vincent Grant? To Cedric Grant?’
’For Vincent’s sake, she had been willing to give up her own bright future.’
’She endured the scorn and insults from those around him, focused only on protecting him and his company.’
’Even when he despised her, she helped him anonymously.’
’For Cedric, she was ticulous, working day and night.’
’When he wanted to learn about rockets, she fild videos and beca a content creator to teach him. When he wanted to be closer to the rocket base, she, despite being pregnant, traveled hundreds of kiloters back and forth to take care of him.’
"Why is it that when we offer our whole hearts, people trample on them like trash?"
"Is it wrong to give your all to your family?"
This was the first ti Sophia had poured her heart out to him like this.
Her broken whispers pierced his nerves. Levin Sawyer’s heart ached so much it felt like his insides were twisting, and he pulled her into a tighter embrace.
He patted her back gently. "It’s not your fault. It’s the fault of those scumbags who don’t know how to cherish what they have."
"Faye, not everyone in this world is such scum. Your mother was just unlucky. Thankfully, you cut your losses in ti and didn’t end up like her."
"If your mother knew, she would be so relieved."
Levin’s comfort made Sophia feel much better. She pulled away from his embrace. "Levin, thank you."
A deliberate cough interrupted their conversation.
Sophia turned her head and saw Vincent Grant standing in the middle of the path, dressed in black. He was also holding a bouquet of chrysanthemums, his expression as dark as a thundercloud.
His heavy gaze fell upon the two of them.
Far from feeling awkward, Levin Sawyer was brazenly nonchalant. "Well, if it isn’t President Grant. Did soone from the Sherman Family die for you to be paying a visit?"
Vincent’s gaze slid past him and landed heavily on Sophia. He shifted the bouquet in his arms. "Today is the anniversary of my mother-in-law’s death. I’m here to pay my respects."
With that, he strode over, reached out, and pulled Sophia away from Levin.
He led her to Brianna Shaw’s grave and respectfully placed the bouquet before it.
Levin watched his shaless display, wanting nothing more than to kick the flowers away.
He said aloud, "Mother-in-law? Shouldn’t President Grant’s mother-in-law be in prison?"
"The person lying here is Faye’s mother. You must be in the wrong place."
Before Vincent could answer, Sophia bent down, picked up the bouquet, and, with all her might, threw it.
The bouquet slamd into the shrubbery beside the path and bounced a few tis.
She had done the very thing Levin most wanted to do!
Levin was incredibly satisfied and began to clap, showing no regard for decorum. "Bravo!"
It wouldn’t have been appropriate for him to do it, but as the daughter, Sophia was perfectly within her rights!
Vincent’s brow tightened as he looked at Sophia.
Sophia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to suppress the rage erupting in her chest.
"My mother doesn’t need you to visit!"
’In six years of marriage, he had never once co to visit. Now that they were divorced, he shows up to put on a show? She didn’t need it!’
Levin deliberately provoked Vincent. "President Grant, you knew full well today was the anniversary of her mother’s death. What are you doing here? Did you co to tell her how you’ve spent all these years helping the person who drove her to her death bully Sophia?"
"Are you trying to make it so she can’t even rest in peace?"
"This is a matter between husband and wife. President Sawyer, it’s best you don’t ddle!" Vincent said coldly.
His brow was heavy with displeasure as he took a few steps closer to Sophia. "Sophia, I understand you’re upset. It’s Mom’s death anniversary, after all. But always having an outsider interfere in our affairs isn’t the way to solve problems."
"This is sothing we can resolve between ourselves."
"And what, President Grant, do you think is left for us to resolve?" Sophia asked coldly.
’They were divorced, the children were separated, and the assets were divided cleanly.’
’Sophia didn’t think there were any personal issues left between them that needed resolving.’
That "President Grant" instantly created a huge distance between them, making Vincent extrely uncomfortable.
But he didn’t dwell on it, saying seriously, "We need to have a serious talk about how to move forward. Our animosity will have a very bad influence on the two children."
"So now President Grant is thinking about how animosity affects the children?" Levin found he really couldn’t hold his tongue around Vincent.
’This scumbag always managed to say the most shaless things.’
"When you were playing the good man, spending your days and nights at another woman’s house, did you ever think about how that might affect your relationship? When you brought your own son along to help raise soone else’s kid, did you ever ask yourself if that would have a bad influence on your child?"
"Oh, right. You ntioned two children. Have you ever once treated Bun like your own child?"
"Sophia, if you’re angry because of all that, I apologize," Vincent said.
He didn’t explain. He didn’t tell Sophia that everything he had done was just to give Joanna Sherman a helping hand, and that there was nothing more to it.
Cedric Grant had gone along because he liked Joanna, not because Vincent had encouraged him to.
This kind of self-righteous attitude only made Levin see him as even more arrogant. Levin scoffed. "That sounds like an apology, but President Grant has never truly believed, deep down, that he did anything wrong. He just thinks of Faye as an unreasonable woman he can casually placate!"
Vincent didn’t reply, but stared intently at Sophia and reminded her, "Sophia, we are husband and wife."
’Husband and wife, again!’
Levin was so furious he wanted to smash their divorce certificate over Vincent’s head. He surged forward, ready to throw a punch.
Sophia quickly grabbed him and shook her head. "I’ll handle this myself."
Levin reluctantly unclenched his fists, but he stepped back, giving her space.
Sophia took a step toward Vincent. The crimson mole beneath her eye seed to tremble as her gentle gaze took on a distinct chill.
"Vincent Grant, you keep saying we’re husband and wife. Did you marry because you fell in love with ?"
Everyone knew that wasn’t the case.
Vincent didn’t want to lie, so he answered with silence.
Sophia nodded with understanding. "Then let ask a different question. Do you want to continue this with because you’ve fallen in love with ?"
Vincent’s eyes narrowed slightly.
His opinion of Sophia had indeed changed a great deal, but he couldn’t yet call it love.
Sophia understood.
"Vincent, when I married you back then, it was because I liked you."
"And now, the reason I’m staying away from you is because... I don’t like you anymore."
Having said what needed to be said, Sophia looked at Levin. "Levin, let’s go."
"Alright."
The two of them walked down the hill.
Levin’s brow furrowed with a hint of hesitation.
"Faye, the reason you won’t tell him that you’re already divorced... is it because you still have feelings for him?"
’He hadn’t forgotten that she had just admitted she used to like Vincent.’
Sophia laughed. "I did take 200 million in hush money from Joanna Sherman. If she wants to keep it a secret, I’ll let her."
"Two hundred million!"
Levin suddenly felt an imnse sense of satisfaction, and his mood brightened instantly.
When Vincent ca down the hill, Joel Hale hurried to et him.
"President Grant, how...?"
He glanced at the two figures disappearing in the distance, his face a mask of confusion.
Vincent had co specifically to accompany Sophia on the anniversary of her mother’s death. Joel had assud Sophia would leave with him.
In Joel’s eyes, even Sophia’s divorce was just a strategic retreat, a way to get Vincent’s attention.
Vincent Grant was undeniably the city’s foremost new magnate; among the younger generation, he was unparalleled, save for Levin Sawyer.
But Levin had never been married. The likelihood of being cast aside in the future by a man like that was easy to imagine.
The safest bet was still to reconcile with Vincent.
But then why did Sophia still leave with Levin, leaving President Grant all alone?
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