Chapter 198 Mrs. Sterling Is Being Replaced

Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Mrs. Sterling Is Being Replaced

"Mr. York, is there any news from Chairman Hayes?" Stella Sutton was intensely curious about this mysterious individual. She felt that uncovering their identity in advance would allow them to plan ahead and build a solid relationship with such a prominent figure. It certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Evan York tore his gaze away from the side of Sophie Winslow’s face before finally replying, "No idea. My grandmother never discusses these things with me."

He knew, however, that given his grandmother’s status, she likely had the connections to find out the person’s identity. After all, they were both prominent figures in the medical field; their paths were bound to cross. Hearing this, Stella fell into deep thought. Perhaps she needed to figure out a way to get acquainted with this mysterious, exceptionally appointed professor.

Sophie hadn’t heard their conversation. She was distracted by the university administrators who had come over to exchange greetings, Philip Preston among them. The senior officials of Kingsford University all held prestigious administrative ranks. After working their way through the crowd, they stopped in front of Sophie and Julian Sterling.

Principal Kensington looked at Sophie, his gaze carrying a hint of distinct admiration. "Miss Winslow, your reputation truly precedes you."

He knew Sophie’s background better than anyone. That was precisely why he was so astounded; for someone so young to achieve so much, her future was bound to be extraordinary. Sophie stood up humbly to shake his hand. "You flatter me, Principal."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Sophie, Principal Kensington turned to Julian with a smile. "Mr. Sterling, you have an exceptionally brilliant wife."

Julian’s lips curved upward. "Thank you."

Behind them, Evan watched the interaction with a deep frown. He knew exactly how much weight Principal Kensington’s status carried. Why did the man seem to hold Sophie in such unusually high regard? It wasn’t just his imagination, nor was it merely out of respect for her title as Mrs. Sterling. After all, the principal had spent far more time chatting with Sophie than he had with Julian.

"What’s on your mind, Mr. York?" Stella asked in a low voice, handing him a bottle of water.

Evan snapped out of his daze. "Nothing."

Stella felt that he hadn’t fully opened up to her yet; he always kept his thoughts to himself. Pursing her lips, she thought about how much she wanted all of Julian’s friends to be absolutely biased toward her. However, Evan was much harder to read than Finn Lockwood. Getting him to open up was difficult, and that was not ideal.

Although Sophie was seated beside Julian, they hadn’t actually exchanged a single word. Halfway through the event, Julian was invited onto the stage as a special guest speaker to impart some practical advice to the students. He was completely in his element at large-scale occasions like this. Exuding an air of calm and aristocratic elegance, his speech was far from empty platitudes; it offered immense value to the students, earning him thunderous applause.

Sophie couldn’t help but look up. As she did, she noticed that Julian was also looking in her direction. Standing under the spotlight, the corners of the man’s lips curled upward, radiating an indescribable, almost hallucinatory gentleness. Caught off guard by a look she hadn’t seen from him in seven years, Sophie froze.

Would Julian really look at her like that? For a fleeting second, intense doubt washed over her.

Her question was answered a moment later when Finn’s voice drifted over from behind her. "The moment you waved at Julian, he couldn’t help but smile. He really doesn’t even try to hide who his heart belongs to."

Sophie calmly glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, she saw Stella waving at the man on the stage, gazing at Julian with eyes full of deep affection. Amidst the roar of the crowd, the two of them—one on the stage, the other in the audience—locked eyes in a picture-perfect moment of romance.

She wasn’t surprised. That made sense. Her earlier doubts were well-founded; Julian hadn’t been gazing at her so tenderly. His eyes had been meant for Stella, who was sitting right behind her. Sophie was merely the convenient smokescreen sandwiched between them, masking their secret romance. If anyone ever tried to stir up trouble, Julian could always use her as a shield to take the heat.

Withdrawing her gaze, Sophie remained completely unbothered. She knew better than to flatter herself.

Once the event concluded, Peter Preston came over to find Sophie. "There’s a standard procedure up next—a large group photo. The university wants you and Julian to stand together for positive publicity."

Essentially, they wanted them to play the part of the devoted, loving couple. Sophie had lost all patience for this charade and flatly refused. "It’s fine if I don’t go."

Just then, a voice rang out from behind. "Julian, shall we go take a picture? We should be able to get a photo of just the two of us, right?"

Sophie’s brow twitched slightly as she looked over. Julian and Stella were walking out of the hall together. Stella wore the coy, charming expression of a smitten woman, staring heatedly at the man beside her.

"Sure."

Julian didn’t even seem to notice Sophie. He agreed without a second’s hesitation. It was as if this opportunity to take a couple’s photo had been entirely orchestrated for Stella’s benefit.

Finn emerged from behind them, tossing out a cryptic remark. "Actually, there’s no need to put on airs and reject the offer. Julian never wanted to take a photo with you in the first place."

Finn walked away briskly, not even giving Sophie a chance to respond.

"Isn’t he way out of line?" Peter bristled with indignation. "And what the hell is Julian playing at?" Was Julian seriously rejecting the idea of taking a photo with Sophie before she could even say no?

Sophie simply patted Peter’s sleeve. "It doesn’t matter. I never cared about these things anyway. It doesn’t affect me." With that, she turned and headed for the restroom.

Sometimes, she had to admit that restrooms and pantries truly were the ultimate hotspots for eavesdropping on gossip. As she stood at the sink washing her hands, the sound of chatter drifted out from the stalls.

"Did you see Sophie Winslow sitting on Mr. Sterling’s lap today? I went to the Sterling family’s anniversary gala with my husband a while back, so I knew about their relationship. But Mr. Sterling actually brought Stella Sutton with him today. It’s blatantly obvious that he doesn’t take Sophie seriously at all. Being Mrs. Sterling is a position worse than being a discarded scrap at this point."

"If you ask me, Sophie did it on purpose. She wanted to declare her territory by sitting on his lap and desperately claw back some dignity in front of Stella. Only someone utterly insecure would try that hard. It’s honestly pathetic."

"Did you see Mr. Sterling say a single word to her the entire time?"

"And then look at Stella—so composed and at ease. That’s real confidence. Mark my words, Sophie will have to vacate her position sooner or later. Pretty soon, we’ll be calling someone else Mrs. Sterling..."

Sophie kept her head bowed, watching the water cascade over her fingertips. Then, she calmly pulled out a paper towel and dried her hands. Deep down, she already knew the truth. Julian had only made their relationship public because his hand was forced. It pained him to see Stella drowning in malicious gossip, which was why he was going to such lengths to prop Stella up now. He was sending a clear message to the world: Stella held an incredibly important place in his heart.

But proving that point inevitably meant stepping all over her dignity as "Mrs. Sterling" to elevate the other woman.

Sophie tossed the paper towel into the trash. Just as she turned around, she saw Stella standing in the doorway, though she didn’t know how long she had been there. Stella wore an undisguised smile. Clearly, she had heard every word of the gossiping women as well.

Stella strolled into the restroom. As she brushed past Sophie, she shot her a sideways glance and said breezily, "The truth hurts, Sophie, but you really should accept reality. If you just step aside and let Julian be with me, perhaps he’ll at least appreciate the favor."