Chapter 214 Bride and Groom

Chapter 214: Chapter 214: Bride and Groom

Sophie Winslow stared at the man’s uncommonly handsome face. Her heart felt as though it was being encased in crushed ice, inch by inch.

Suddenly, she understood what Julian Sterling meant. He knew her objective, so he was giving her a taste of her own medicine, fully aware that she couldn’t pull off such a massive bluff.

Moreover, Julian was putting her on notice. He could act as the host, or he could act as the buyer. The antiques she wanted to protect still wouldn’t end up in her hands.

Tears of emotion instantly gathered in Stella Sutton’s eyes. She cast an enigmatic glance at Sophie, her smile growing even sweeter.

Sophie understood. She couldn’t compete with Julian. The profound sense of powerlessness filled her chest like scalding gravel as she looked at him in near despair.

Julian seemed oblivious to Sophie’s emotions. He spoke slowly. "Thank you all for gracing us with your presence today. I will set things off to a good start with this first piece. Later, this item will be gifted to a lucky guest in the audience."

Sophie snapped her gaze toward him, as if she had misheard. As Julian’s voice fell, waves of cheers erupted through the room.

Stella was also taken aback, but she quickly looked at him with eyes brimming with gratitude. "Julian, thank you for doing so much for me..."

Julian was buying it to gift to a guest who liked the vase. This would expand Stella’s network and pave the way for her future, adding momentum to her current plan to salvage her reputation and whitewash her image. When she launched her next endeavor, the people present today—those who had benefited from Julian’s generosity—would become solid, strategic partners supporting her.

It was killing multiple birds with one stone!

Sophie finally grasped Julian’s underlying intentions. Her chest felt as if it had been forcefully wrenched. She tugged at her lips in a self-deprecating smile.

In this arena, she truly was no match for Julian. He had completely blocked her path, sending a clear message: if she continued to cause trouble, he would simply keep matching her bids and giving the items away at random.

He was using the Winslow family’s lifeblood as stepping stones for Stella’s success, trampling them underfoot.

A proud smile surfaced on Maeve Walsh’s face, so wide she couldn’t even try to hide it. "Sophie really overestimates herself. So what if it’s the Winslow family’s assets? If she insists on making things difficult for Stella, Julian won’t tolerate her."

Isaiah Sutton sighed. "That child... If she had any sense, she wouldn’t have acted this way."

Ivy Hawthorne’s eyes were red with anger. Faced with a situation where the enemy was always one step ahead, she was so furious she could have spat blood, let alone Sophie.

Sophie grasped her hand and lowered her head in deep thought.

She couldn’t go head-to-head with Julian. The disparity between them was too vast, and he had read her perfectly. Today, she couldn’t stop him. Julian’s strategy was designed to completely freeze her out of the auction.

Sophie closed her eyes, finally accepting the reality of the situation.

Her only option was to take photos and document every single auction item. These all belonged to the Winslow family. If any of them were pieces that absolutely could not be sold to outsiders, she would find a way to take them back one by one once she gathered enough strength.

Before this grand feast in honor of Stella concluded, Sophie chose to make her exit.

While Ivy went to get the car, Sophie took one last look around the small building. As she turned the corner, she saw the display board. At the very bottom, the names of the hosts were listed.

Julian Sterling. Stella Sutton.

The two names sat side by side. It looked so much like a welcome sign for a bride and groom.

"Oh, there you are. We were just about to head out. We’ve booked a restaurant—do you want to join us?"

Sophie turned around. Stella was walking over, shoulder-to-shoulder with Julian.

Stella was beaming with radiance. Today’s transaction volume had surpassed forty million, all of which would go to her foundation. It perfectly bolstered her reputation, ensuring the public would overlook the Mercywell incident and focus on her philanthropic persona instead.

Sophie remained expressionless. An invitation at a time like this was nothing more than a blatant display of triumph. Without sparing Julian another glance, she turned and walked away.

Today, she had learned all over again just how ruthless and heartless he could be toward her.

Julian turned his head slightly. His deep, dark eyes lingered on Sophie’s retreating figure. He didn’t say another word. Only after a long moment did he finally say, "Let’s go."

Seeing his thoroughly indifferent expression, Stella’s smile grew a few degrees sweeter.

-

Sophie was in a terrible mood.

Ivy had an emergency meeting and needed to head to the television station first. After dropping her off, Sophie felt a wave of profound disorientation.

She didn’t know where to go. Her heart felt hollowed out.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t hurting. She sat quietly in her car for a long time, forcefully banishing the memories of everything that had happened at the antique shop today. Only after she finally composed herself did she drive to the hospital.

Quentin Winslow had just finished his injection and was sitting in his wheelchair, watering the plants.

When Sophie approached, he chuckled and asked, "Has Mia eaten yet?"

A sudden wave of guilt washed over her. Intense anxiety and shame threatened to drown her.

If it hadn’t been for her youthful infatuation, diving headfirst into the flames like a moth and marrying Julian without a second thought, perhaps they wouldn’t be in this situation today. The Winslow family wouldn’t have been dragged into this mess, and she might have actually been able to protect some of their heritage.

"What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?" Quentin was sometimes a bit muddled, but seeing Sophie force a smile still made his heart ache for her.

Sophie shook her head. "No, Grandpa, I’m doing fine."

She took a deep breath and showed Quentin the photos of the fifteen collection pieces she had taken today. "Grandpa, when I was little, you told me there were certain family pieces that absolutely could not be sold to outsiders. Are any of them in here?"

Quentin’s mind wasn’t entirely lucid to begin with, and the moment Sophie changed the subject, his train of thought was easily carried away. He looked at the photos as she swiped through them.

Confusion and weariness clouded his milky eyes. He muttered to himself, "These things... I don’t recognize them. I’ve never seen them."

Then, he went back to watering the plants.

Sophie sighed helplessly. Her grandfather was clearly confused again. Not only had he forgotten whether there were unsellable antiques, but he had even forgotten his own belongings.

She didn’t push him, though. She would just have to find another way later.

After staying to have a meal with Quentin, Sophie finally left.

Unsurprisingly, the antique shop’s charity event provided a massive boost to Stella’s image.

By the time Sophie arrived at Helios, Peter Preston even came over to mention it to her. "Did the antique shop partner with Stella Sutton to set up some kind of charity foundation? I heard they donated forty million. The shop even received an official commendation. Now she’s completely distanced herself from the Mercywell medical malpractice scandal. Nobody is even bringing it up anymore."

Sophie wasn’t surprised. After all, she had witnessed firsthand exactly how Julian had cleared the obstacles from Stella’s path.

"And I hear that antique shop has gone viral," Peter continued. "It’s become a popular tourist spot. Apparently, they have a lot of pieces that even museums don’t possess. Their popularity has shot through the roof; the place has been completely revitalized."

Sophie stared at the news articles on the screen. It took a long time before she could force the words from her throat. "That’s good."

At the very least, the antique shop belonged to the Winslow family.

She didn’t even find it surprising that Stella had emerged from yet another scandal completely unscathed. With Julian by her side, what did Stella have to fear?

Even if the sky were to fall, Julian would be there to hold it up for her.

Although Stella’s project probably wouldn’t be able to launch anymore, her future was secure. Anyone else in her position would have lost absolutely everything.

Later that afternoon, just as Sophie was getting ready to leave work, her phone rang.

She glanced at the screen and stopped dead in her tracks, completely taken by surprise.

It was Julian.