Chapter 155 Call Her Mom

Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Call Her Mom

Every time Sophie heard that voice, it felt like a thorn pricking her, making it impossible to suppress her impatience. She turned to look.

Not far away, two adults and one child had also just gotten out of their car. In the middle, Seth Sutton acted as a bridge between Julian Sterling and Stella Sutton, vividly displaying an extraordinary intimacy. Julian was dressed somewhat casually today; his white shirt looked noble and aloof. Beside him, Stella seemed to have purposefully coordinated with him, wearing a white Chanel-style suit. The duo’s appearance was incredibly eye-catching.

Sophie almost couldn’t suppress a soft chuckle, her eyes brimming with sarcasm. Julian really had spent the entire day with Stella. While she was shut out by Sterling Corp, they had been enjoying themselves just fine.

Adrian also looked over, his gaze cold and clear. As Seth spoke, Julian shifted his gaze over, his eyes freezing slightly for a few seconds. With Sophie interacting harmoniously with the little girl, and Adrian standing gently before them, watching, they looked exactly like a family of three.

Stella frowned, then silently sneered.

Julian’s deep gaze swept over Sophie and Adrian, then casually glanced at the well-behaved Lydia. He gave a slight nod. "Mr. Hawthorne."

Adrian asked, "Is this child Mr. Sterling’s son?"

Even Sophie raised an eyebrow.

Julian’s expression remained unchanged. "You misunderstood, Mr. Hawthorne. I don’t have children yet."

Adrian glanced at him and nodded a few seconds later. "I thought Mr. Sterling was secretly married and already had a child behind the scenes. After all, you seem so dedicated and responsible toward Miss Sutton and the boy."

These words carried a subtle jab, which even Sophie picked up on. Julian, on the other hand, showed no discomfort. Stella felt quite flattered. After all, to anyone who saw them, she and Julian looked just like a newlywed couple out with their child.

"Mr. Hawthorne, what a coincidence. Is this little girl your daughter?" Stella greeted him with a faint smile, acting as if she hadn’t seen Sophie at all.

Julian also looked over.

Adrian’s expression was casual. "Yes, my daughter, Lydia Hawthorne." He deliberately introduced Lydia by her full name.

Stella naturally remembered Lydia; she was the one Sophie had been looking after at the school. So, ever since then, Sophie had been eager to curry favor with Adrian and his daughter in an attempt to latch onto the Hawthorne family.

She smiled and said, "Is Mr. Hawthorne on a date today? Is Sophie already planning to take things to the next level with you? Do you two know each other well?"

As she spoke, Stella narrowed her eyes at Sophie. She thought Sophie was blatantly cheating. Before even finalizing her divorce with Julian, she couldn’t wait to secure her next target. It just proved her fickle nature. Julian needed to clearly see the reality of her betrayal.

Adrian looked up, his tone unchanged. "That is our private matter."

Stella looked slightly embarrassed. She hadn’t expected Adrian to skip the superficial pleasantries entirely. Even a vague answer would have confirmed Sophie’s betrayal of the Sterling family without leaving Stella in an awkward position. Instead, he made her look like a busybody.

"Mr. Sterling, Mr. Hawthorne, please excuse me for not welcoming you sooner!" the owner of the entertainment complex called out, jogging over from afar to greet them. Both men were VIPs today. Even in a party setting, they had to be well taken care of.

Many people had also noticed this area, taking in the fascinating scene that looked like two happy little families. People gathered around to greet them, satisfying their curiosity in the process. "Do Mr. Sterling and Mr. Hawthorne both have children?"

Many people knew about Julian and Stella. However, Adrian’s private life was completely airtight. Suddenly bringing a child out—whom they had just heard call him Daddy—made everyone all the more curious and inquisitive about Sophie. After all, they had never heard of Adrian being married.

Stella immediately chimed in, drawing the conversation and attention back to herself before denying it. "No, this is my little brother. We don’t have children yet."

As soon as she spoke, the people who had been staring at Adrian and Sophie looked her way.

Sophie couldn’t help but let out a soft scoff at the subtle implication of that sentence. It really left a lot to the imagination. Sure enough, prompted by Stella’s words, someone tactfully followed up, "Does that mean good news is approaching? Are there plans for a child?"

Stella smiled sweetly, chiding them playfully, "Don’t tease us, everyone." She then cast a fleeting glance at Sophie. "I’ll be quite busy with my career lately. You all probably don’t know, but I’ve set up an independent project team at Longview. I need to focus entirely on my work right now. Personal matters can wait, and the person beside me understands that."

Another wave of envy rippled through the crowd as they grasped the implication in Stella’s words.

"Mr. Sterling is truly so good to Miss Sutton, putting her first in everything."

"In other words, it’s because their relationship is so solid that Miss Sutton can unhesitatingly prioritize her career. Isn’t that the absolute confidence of being loved?"

When women gathered, it was inevitable for such topics to arise. Stella didn’t deny it, her face brimming with smiles.

Sophie wasn’t stupid; she naturally heard the underlying message in Stella’s words: Julian was willing to wait for her to finish establishing her career before discussing marriage. Turning her head, she unexpectedly met Julian’s gaze.

He hadn’t participated in the chatter, nor had he actively denied anything. He seemed either completely oblivious to Stella’s hints, or he had heard them and was indulging her.

Sophie immediately looked away, turning to Adrian. "Shall we go for a walk?"

Adrian nodded, equally uninterested in the messy gossip.

From the corner of her eye, Stella saw Adrian actually leaving with Sophie. She glanced at Julian, noting that he merely gave them a faint sweep before looking away, seemingly uncaring whether Sophie was deliberately parading another man in front of him. Only then did Stella raise an eyebrow and smile.

With a status like Adrian’s, he wouldn’t genuinely be interested in a married woman like Sophie. There was only one possibility: he wanted to find a hardworking and uncomplaining stepmother for his daughter. After all, Sophie’s standards were low. To put it bluntly, he was just using her.

A proud man like Adrian usually mingled with highly educated women like herself. To him, Sophie was at most suited to be a housewife or a nanny—a woman willing to play stepmother and offer her maternal love to his child. If he weren’t considering his daughter, she believed Adrian would choose someone far superior. In the end, Sophie would be left with nothing.

Julian would discard her like worn-out shoes for being fickle, and as for Adrian—the Hawthorne family would certainly never accept a twice-married woman like Sophie. That day of reckoning was probably not far off.

***

Lydia was in a very good mood today. Soon, she let herself go and wandered all around.

Sophie felt a bit sentimental; she should spend more time with Lydia.

Adrian noticed Sophie’s thoughts. "If you want, just tell me anytime. Lydia’s growth is very important too."

Sophie was slightly surprised. "That would be too much trouble for you."

Sophie was obviously still keeping him at a polite distance. Adrian could see it, but he didn’t force her to correct it. He simply said, "Lydia is my daughter too, Sophie. I cherish her just as much as you do."

Sophie froze. For some reason, this sentence left her not knowing how to respond.

Fortunately, Lydia came running back—PATTER PATTER PATTER—holding three identical LinaBell headbands. She handed one to each of them. "Family headbands! Let’s wear them together, okay?"

Sophie looked at the tender pink headbands, then at Adrian’s cold, handsome face. The contrast was too jarring. She quickly bent down and said, "Sweetie, do you want to pick a different style?"

Adrian, however, wasn’t opposed. He stretched the headband with both hands and slipped it onto his head. "No need. As long as Lydia likes it."

Lydia’s eyes instantly curved into a delighted smile. She looked at Sophie proudly. "Mommy, look, Daddy likes it very much. Hurry and put yours on too."

But this sudden, unexpected "Mommy" forcefully brought the approaching Julian to a dead halt.