Chapter 176 Mutual Destruction?

Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Mutual Destruction?

How on earth did Sophie Winslow manage to make Faye owe her such a huge favor? And now, was she supposed to grovel and beg Sophie? Was she supposed to swallow her pride and apologize?

The patent issue might have been a miscalculation on her part, but when it came to Julian Sterling, it was clearly Sophie’s own incompetence—her failure and uselessness as a woman! Sophie simply wasn’t worthy of her position. Why should Stella be blamed for being too outstanding? The solution Peter Preston proposed was clearly a deliberate insult to her character!

Sophie was also surprised that Peter had such a trick up his sleeve. He hadn’t exposed her identity as Faye, but he had handed her the initiative, forcing Stella to apologize to her face. Peter was indeed doing it on purpose. Due to Lydia’s situation, Sophie couldn’t reveal that she was Faye just yet, but he refused to stand by and watch Stella continue to walk all over her!

The atmosphere instantly froze. Even Madam Sterling, who had been walking ahead, heard Peter’s words. She cast a surprised glance at Sophie. To think Sophie actually had these kinds of connections? And she had been patient enough to never mention it.

"Julian..." Stella murmured, unwilling to accept this and even more reluctant to bow her head to Sophie. Her eyes reddened, making her look rather pitiful and helpless.

Julian raised his eyes, his gaze lingering on Stella’s face for a second before he turned to Finn Lockwood. "Take her home first. I’ll handle things here."

Stella instantly understood Julian’s intentions. He was protecting her. He was going to help her resolve the patent issue, and more importantly, he wasn’t going to let Sophie lord it over her! A sweet, reassured smile immediately spread across her face.

Sophie was only surprised for a second before accepting it. This was classic Julian; how could he ever let Stella be bullied? Everyone knew perfectly well just how much he loved Stella. How could he possibly let her be publicly humiliated?

Stella’s previously anxious heart was instantly soothed. As she left, she walked past Sophie, shooting her a cold glare that shifted into a mocking, triumphant smirk. So what if she lost a little face today? She knew Julian would help her smooth over this unmitigated disaster! In the end, Sophie would be nothing but a clown who gained absolutely nothing!

Peter was infuriated by this and was about to speak up, but Sophie stopped him. There was no point in losing their tempers over Stella now. She knew that the real heavy-hitting drama was probably yet to come.

Madam Sterling selected a conference room. After dismissing a portion of the crowd, she stepped inside. She hadn’t stopped Stella from leaving because Stella was no longer the key to today’s problem.

As soon as they entered, Madam Sterling looked at Sophie. "You actually have that kind of history with Faye?"

Peter answered on Sophie’s behalf. "They are quite good friends. If you want to settle this matter, it all depends on Miss Sutton’s sincerity." He wanted to hand the initiative back to Sophie; at the very least, she couldn’t let these people look down on her.

Knowing Peter’s background, Madam Sterling didn’t speak too harshly. "Julian brought Stella here today, and it’s true that she has been affected, dragging the Sterling family into this mess. Let’s do this: Sophie, go talk to Faye so we can smoothly and politely gloss over this matter in public. Then Faye can put in a good word with Director Philip Preston and Mr. Caldwell. Favors are meant to be used, after all. It’s better than letting them go to waste."

The sheer entitlement of her words made Sophie sneer inwardly. Madam Sterling wasn’t worried about Stella at all. She was worried about the Sterling Group and Longview. Only if Faye personally stated that there was no patent squatting could their commercial image be salvaged. She wanted to sweep a massive scandal under the rug without lifting a single finger.

Peter almost laughed out of sheer anger. It was one thing for a prominent family to oppress people, but to be so shameless about it! He finally understood why it was so difficult for Sophie to break free from this quagmire.

Sophie stared straight at her. "I’m sorry, but I can’t do that."

Stella Sutton, the homewrecker who had ruined her marriage, had stolen her database and registered the patent for herself. And now Sophie was supposed to cover for her, magnanimously forgive her, and clean up her mess?

Madam Sterling’s expression darkened as she looked at Sophie with utter disappointment. "Sophie, since when did you become so stubborn and ignorant? You are a member of the Sterling family, and you should naturally contribute to upholding the family’s dignity. Don’t disappoint your grandmother, alright?"

Here we go again... Sophie took a deep breath.

Over the past few years, she had been bound by Madam Sterling’s hypocritical affection and doting. It had forced someone like her—who had grown up devoid of love and the care of elders—to sacrifice so much. She had been too young to see clearly back then, but now, she felt the full, unfiltered brunt of that malice.

"Do I need to remind you? Julian and I have an irrevocably broken relationship! He cheated on me! The affairs of the Sterling family have absolutely nothing to do with me!" Digging her nails into her palms, she enunciated every word, pushed beyond her limits as she fiercely rebuked the old lady for the very first time.

Madam Sterling’s expression shifted drastically. Julian suddenly looked at Sophie, her words about their broken relationship seemingly still echoing in his ears. Peter couldn’t help but frown, unable to hide his heartache for her. At the same time, he felt a twinge of regret; he shouldn’t have argued out of spite earlier and mentioned that Faye owed Sophie a favor. If he hadn’t, Madam Sterling wouldn’t have been able to use it as leverage.

The old lady’s hand paused on her Buddha beads. "You mean you refuse?"

"Yes."

Madam Sterling voiced her displeasure. "Sophie, have you forgotten that I still have your documents? If you don’t resolve this issue, you can consider those documents as never having been processed."

Sophie’s mind instantly buzzed with static. She was furious, pushed to the absolute brink of anger. This would once again delay the process of transferring Lydia’s household registration. The Sterling family simply wanted her to swallow her grievances and give them a dignified way out, allowing them to salvage their reputation without spending a single cent or lifting a finger.

Madam Sterling didn’t mind that Peter was listening. As long as Sophie could use her favor to persuade Faye, what could Philip Preston and Hector Caldwell possibly say?

Sophie hadn’t eaten before coming here today. Because of this, her intense rage made her dizzy, and she stumbled slightly on her feet. Unknown to her, a figure had stepped up behind her, bringing with him a faint, soothing fragrance. A steady hand supported the small of her back. Sophie turned her head and met Julian’s dark, unfathomable eyes. There seemed to be a flicker of emotion in them, or perhaps it was just her imagination.

After providing Sophie with a steadying point of support, he looked at Madam Sterling and Carter Sterling, who was sitting to the side drinking tea without having said a single word.

Julian spoke in a slow, measured tone, "Pushing too hard can easily force someone to burn everything down with them. You know perfectly well just how much Sophie resents Stella."