Chapter 156 Made the Child Change Their Tune

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Made the Child Change Their Tune

Even Stella Sutton, who was beside him, looked stunned. She wondered if she had misheard. Adrian Hawthorne’s daughter had just called Sophie Winslow... "Mommy" so sweetly?

Julian Sterling’s eyes darkened, his gaze sweeping over like a blade. Sophie Winslow noticed, and her heart suddenly tightened. She had forgotten to remind Lydia not to call her "Mommy" today. That sharp gaze made her back stiffen.

Stella Sutton frowned, somewhat incredulous. "Mr. Hawthorne, you’ve already had the child change how she addresses her? So soon?"

It was hard for her not to be astonished. She had thought Adrian Hawthorne was just playing around with Sophie Winslow. But now he was actually letting his daughter call Sophie "Mommy." Did he really want to marry a woman like Sophie Winslow?

Adrian Hawthorne looked over upon hearing this and asked in return, "Miss Sutton, it seems you have some advice regarding my affairs?"

His voice was remarkably steady, yet it made Stella Sutton somewhat uncomfortable. She had just been too shocked, which inevitably made her tone sound interrogative.

Adrian Hawthorne clearly didn’t intend to explain. He glanced at Julian Sterling, gave a slight nod, and said, "Mr. Sterling, I’ll take my daughter inside first."

The depths of Julian Sterling’s eyes were unreadable. Sophie Winslow ignored whatever expression he had. Maintaining her composure, she immediately left with Adrian Hawthorne and Lydia.

Stella Sutton still found it unbelievable. She couldn’t help but observe Julian Sterling’s expression and slowly said, "Sophie really seems to be planning on becoming that little girl’s stepmother... From her expression just now, she seemed to enjoy the child calling her Mommy. If that little girl named Lydia really liked Sophie Winslow... would Adrian Hawthorne actually accept Sophie? Was Sophie that eager to find her next backer?"

Sophie Winslow’s unrealistic standards in choosing men made Stella Sutton frown in displeasure. But what she cared about more right now was Julian Sterling’s attitude.

Julian Sterling slowly turned around. His ink-dark pupils reflected no light, and he only uttered two extremely indifferent words: "Let her."

His demeanor clearly showed that he didn’t care at all. Stella Sutton couldn’t help but smile. As for Adrian Hawthorne... perhaps he had just lost his mind momentarily.

After walking a distance away, Sophie Winslow finally felt the subtle sense of suffocation ease significantly. She almost had to thank Stella Sutton for that comment. The phrase "change how she addresses her" had completely shifted the nature and direction of the situation. At least it saved her from being exposed right on the spot. If only the divorce certificate were in her hands, she wouldn’t have to be this terrified.

"What are you so nervous about?" Adrian Hawthorne looked down at her. He took the thermos out of Sophie’s bag, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her.

Sophie hurriedly took a sip to suppress her lingering fear. "It’s nothing, Mr. Hawthorne. You stay with Lydia for a bit; I need to go to the restroom."

Adrian took her cup. "Alright, don’t worry."

Lydia, who was playing excitedly, took a moment to wave at Sophie.

Sophie went to the restroom to calm her nerves. It also made her anxious to find Julian Sterling and talk. She needed the second installment payment, and she needed her divorce certificate. Living like this was sheer torture!

Making sure she looked completely normal, Sophie turned around to search for Julian Sterling.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence. As soon as she walked out of the restroom, she ran head-on into Julian Sterling, who was standing at the end of the corridor lighting a cigarette. The man’s profile was tall and straight. His height gave off an inexplicable sense of oppression even from a distance, especially when he raised his eyelashes to look over at her—his gaze was so profound it made her scalp tingle.

Sophie hesitated for a moment before walking over. "Can we talk?"

Julian Sterling lowered his eyes, put away his lighter, and crushed the newly lit cigarette in the trash can. "Talk about what? I have no experience raising children. If you want to be a good stepmother, you should ask Mr. Hawthorne for advice."

Sophie frowned. She knew that Julian Sterling’s temper was actually far from gentle. Most of the time, he was sharp and acerbic, always managing to make people feel utterly ashamed. But she didn’t have time to bicker with him right now. "I tried contacting you but couldn’t reach you. I hope that when it comes to communicating about essential matters, you can give me the appropriate respect instead of treating me like thin air."

She almost never called Julian Sterling except when there was something urgent that had to be dealt with. Yet Julian always ignored her calls or rejected them for Stella Sutton’s sake. She didn’t want to become a part of their romantic games.

Julian Sterling replied absentmindedly, "Hmm."

Sophie didn’t expect him to make any stance. "Give me an exact date for the divorce certificate."

Only then did Julian Sterling look at her.

Sophie didn’t care what he was thinking and continued, "Also, regarding the second installment payment for Helios, I hope your finance department can process it as soon as possible. Our project can’t afford any delays."

Sophie only had these two things to say. She tilted her head up. "I don’t think you want the divorce filing to drag out and get canceled either. If it’s not finalized for even one more day, Stella Sutton remains the other woman for one more day. It delays your happy occasion with her, and it delays my arrangements."

Only then did he ask tepidly, "Do you need a divorce certificate for remarriage?"

Sophie was taken aback. She guessed that Julian Sterling probably thought she wanted to rush to get her marriage certificate with Adrian Hawthorne, which was why she was hounding him for the divorce certificate. If he thought that way, Sophie actually felt it was a good thing. After all, it meant she could keep hiding the fact that it was actually for Lydia’s household registration.

"What doesn’t require it?" she asked in return. "For household registration, remarriage, real estate, work, and so on—it was an indispensable proof when necessary. These two things. Give me a definitive answer." Sophie refused to yield an inch, even going as far as to press him relentlessly.

Julian Sterling calmly lowered his eyes to look at her.

Before he could answer, Stella Sutton’s voice rang out from around the corner. "Julian?"

Stella Sutton was looking for Julian Sterling. He barely hesitated, taking long strides straight in that direction. It was as if he didn’t want Stella Sutton to see him alone with her, distancing himself without a second thought, let alone wanting to make Stella anxious. His attitude of putting Stella Sutton first was clearly displayed for all to see.

Sophie’s throat choked up. When it came to her matters, he always delayed, delayed, delayed!

Having failed to get an answer, Sophie wasn’t in a very good mood. When she returned to the party venue, she found that toasts had begun. Julian Sterling was surrounded in the center. On the table beside him were goblets filled with wine, stacked like a small mountain.

Sophie could only go look for Adrian Hawthorne and Lydia first, which meant she had no choice but to pass by Julian Sterling’s area. Just as she walked over, someone bumped into her, causing her to stumble to Julian Sterling’s side.

Before she could steady herself, someone bumped her shoulder—neither lightly nor heavily—casually pushing her away. Sophie nearly lost her footing and fell from the bump. She barely managed to turn her head back, only to see that Stella Sutton had come over at some point. Stella blatantly wedged herself between Sophie and Julian, pushing Sophie to the outside. It was a silent display of dominance and a declaration of sovereignty, as if the spot beside Julian Sterling naturally belonged to her alone.

The momentary conflict between her and Stella Sutton was also noticed by others. One of the men looked at Sophie teasingly and said, "Miss, don’t stand in the wrong place and mistake someone else’s soon-to-be husband for yours."

The teasing tone didn’t harbor any real malice, but the smile in Stella Sutton’s eyes deepened. Sophie was almost angered to the point of laughing. For the other woman to act so arrogantly, her confidence stemmed entirely from Julian Sterling’s indulgence. She understood this truth all too well.

Sophie didn’t want to tangle with them in the slightest. Just as she was about to turn around, she heard Lydia’s voice ring out.

"Why did you snatch my thing?"

Sophie looked toward the source of the voice. That little chubby kid, Seth Sutton, was actually grabbing Lydia’s headband again, his face full of arrogance. "Stella and Julian each have one. I’m still missing one, so you have to give it to me."

Lydia’s little face was tense. She was getting angry and fiercely protected her belonging. But Seth Sutton was even more domineering. Using both hands, he gave a vicious yank.

Perhaps not realizing that Lydia’s strength was so small, he used too much force. He snatched it away effortlessly, causing his entire body to fall backward from the momentum. His stocky body slammed into the edge of the table stacked with wine glasses like a cannonball.

In an instant, the mountain of wine glasses began to shake violently. In the blink of an eye, the wine glasses crashed down with a loud CLATTER. Sophie happened to be standing right in the direction of the fall.

Her pupils suddenly shrank.

"Watch out!"

"Sophie!"