Chapter 108 His Love as Deep as the Sea

Chapter 108: Chapter 108: His Love as Deep as the Sea

Those words struck Stella’s most sensitive nerve. The color instantly drained from her lips. Sophie turned and walked away.

If she had previously doubted whether Stella was truly capable of such ruthless acts, she was absolutely certain now. Stella’s heart was far more vicious than she had imagined. For the sake of her future, she would discard anything and anyone.

The upcoming spot checks on the clinical trial drug inventory codes involved the theft of Helios’s unreleased core pharmaceuticals. Coupled with the medical malpractice that had occurred at Calyx, it also constituted defamation and slander against Calyx’s reputation. With each offense piling up, Stella would be facing a massive lawsuit. It would be a drawn-out process, but it would not end well for her.

The next day.

After waking up, Sophie texted Lydia a good morning before receiving a call from Peter Preston.

"Come to the company. Julian Sterling is here."

Sophie’s heart suddenly tightened. It wasn’t unexpected, yet... it still left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She quickly freshened up and headed out. When she arrived at Peter’s office, she saw Julian sitting on the sofa with his usual aristocratic grace. His suit jacket was unbuttoned, revealing a dark black waistcoat that accentuated his lean, powerful waist. Hearing her enter, he unhurriedly lifted his gaze to meet hers.

Peter spoke up. "Sophie is the victim in all this, after all. Mr. Sterling, if you want to plead for Miss Sutton, why don’t you talk to Sophie?"

Sophie understood Peter’s intention. He was deliberately forcing Julian to bow his head to her.

Julian was entirely unfazed. He sat up a little straighter. "If Helios withdraws the lawsuit, the terms are negotiable."

Sophie’s lips twitched in a wry smile. He really wasn’t one for beating around the bush.

"You really are broad-minded, Mr. Sterling. Sleeping next to someone who’s sharpening her knives for her own flesh and blood, and yet you still protect her so fiercely," she retorted sarcastically.

Was this true love? Even knowing the other party was far from a good person, he was still more than willing to smooth over everything for her without a second thought. Loving every side of her, even her malice. What an ocean of deep devotion.

Julian raised his chin slightly, completely ignoring her blatant mockery. "If you drop the lawsuit and put this to rest, I will invest one billion into Helios’s financing project."

He was too straightforward. So straightforward that he didn’t waste a single breath on nonsense. And that one billion... Even Peter was shocked. To casually throw out a sum they would have found entirely impossible to secure in financing on his very first offer.

Sophie’s chest gave a violent lurch, her throat suddenly constricting as she met his unfathomable eyes in astonishment.

If Helios’s project succeeded, it would pioneer a new era. But financing had always been a massive hurdle. Very few investors were willing to trust the evaluations. Without adequate funding, the subsequent bottlenecks would endlessly multiply, increasing the project’s failure rate and infinitely dragging out the research and development timeline. This had always been their biggest headache.

But now... such a breathtakingly generous offer, all just to solve Stella’s troubles.

Julian withdrew his gaze from Sophie’s face and slid a contract toward her. "One billion, remitted in three installments, allocated from Longview. Furthermore, I will only take the minimum dividend percentage, and I promise not to interfere in Helios’s research process or decision-making. Mr. Preston, Sophie, are you satisfied?"

Peter couldn’t help his bewilderment. The billion alone was staggering enough. Yet now, Julian was even willing to slash his dividends by seventy percent, giving the lion’s share entirely to Helios. And not interfering in their R&D... wasn’t that essentially handing over all the investor’s authority to Helios?

If word of this contract got out, it would send absolute shockwaves through the industry. After all, the investment world had never seen a "charity" project quite like this.

Sophie could practically hear her own heartbeat drumming in her chest. Julian’s sincerity was impeccable. His love for Stella was clear for all the heavens and the earth to see.

Peter couldn’t help but look at Sophie. This was an absolute boon for Helios. It wouldn’t just solve their financing difficulties; it would exceed their goals entirely. The only problem... was that it broke Sophie’s heart. After all, she was being forced to watch with her own eyes just how much genuine devotion Julian could pour into another woman...

After a long silence, Sophie looked at Julian. "You need to be clear, Mr. Sterling. This matter doesn’t just concern Helios; it also involves Calyx. How do you plan to resolve things with Calyx?"

Julian remained calm and unflappable. "Longview specializes in smart medical tech. Replacing the most advanced equipment in Calyx’s top departments for free isn’t exactly a difficult task."

"..."

A hush fell over the room.

Hospitals always had bottomless pits when it came to investments in medical equipment. Julian had precisely pinpointed the core needs of both parties. This was far more lucrative—an absolute windfall, even—than pursuing Stella and sending her to prison. Calyx’s senior hospital management would inevitably grant Julian this favor.

The matter was already settled. As long as Julian intervened, Stella’s dead end could miraculously become a path to survival. This was the absolute backing he provided to the woman he loved.

She looked at the contract on the desk. Given the absolute profit margins for Helios and the bigger picture, she had no reason whatsoever to stubbornly cling to some petty personal grudge. She had always kept her public and private lives separate.

Sophie’s lips curled up in a faint smile. "Since Mr. Sterling has handled everything so flawlessly, trading one billion for your sweetheart’s peace and happiness—how could that be a bad deal?"

She pushed the contract over to Peter. If she gave up a billion just to spite Stella, she would be stupid beyond belief—letting personal grievances dictate her actions at the expense of Helios’s grand scheme. One billion. She supposed she ought to thank her ex-husband and his mistress for their selfless generosity.

Peter understood what Sophie meant. Julian naturally grasped it as well.

Just as he assumed the negotiations were complete and prepared to leave, he heard Sophie tapping her finger against the contract. "We can drop the lawsuit and the case, but Helios’s reputation within the industry has been damaged, and Calyx almost took the fall. You’re paying to keep Stella out of prison, Mr. Sterling, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t owe us an apology."

Julian looked at her.

Sophie met his gaze, not evading it in the slightest. "Since Stella is a star doctor with over a million followers across various platforms, please have her publicly admit her mistakes."

Hearing this, Peter had to stifle a laugh. Wasn’t that poking right at Stella’s most painful spot? After all, Stella cared about her image, honors, and reputation more than anything else. She wanted to retreat unscathed and unnoticed, but Sophie clearly wasn’t having it.

Julian stared at her for a moment, seeing right through the unyielding resolve beneath Sophie’s "good-natured" smile. After a long pause, he gave a soft scoff. "Fine."

He slowly stood up, buttoning his suit jacket with one hand. "Once the withdrawal of the lawsuit and case is confirmed, the first installment of three hundred million will be transferred immediately."

As he passed by Sophie, Julian slightly lowered his eyes and stopped in his tracks. "Is your cold feeling any better?"

Sophie almost laughed at the sudden concern. She certainly wasn’t going to be bewitched by this sugarcoated poison now. She didn’t look at him. "Don’t trouble yourself. Even if you don’t show any concern, Mr. Sterling, Helios won’t go back on its word."

Did he think he was sweet-talking some clueless Kurovian? To ensure Stella remained perfectly safe and sound, Julian had truly gone to great lengths. He was even willing to patiently offer her a few meager crumbs of care.

Faced with Sophie’s attitude, Julian merely shot her a calm glance, completely indifferent to her thorny words. He gave a slight nod to Peter before pushing the door open and leaving.

Sophie opened Julian’s contract and read through it meticulously. It was exhaustive and crystal clear. There were no hidden clauses or word traps whatsoever.

Peter came over and sat down. "Are you unhappy?"

Sophie shook her head. "Free money that solves our ultimate dilemma? I couldn’t be happier. Especially since, even while getting a divorce, I still get to squeeze my ex-husband’s wallet dry. What’s there to be unhappy about?"

Peter sighed. "The evils of capitalism." Julian had negotiated while gripping Helios by its lifeline, knowing exactly what they needed most.

Sophie didn’t say anything else. After returning to her own office, she sat quietly at her desk. Once again, she took a red marker and repeatedly circled a specific date on her calendar.

There were only three days left.

Then she would finally have her divorce certificate.