Chapter 78 Sophie Winslow Takes Action and Hits Stella Sutton

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Sophie Winslow Takes Action and Hits Stella Sutton

The sound caused Hector Caldwell to shoot to his feet. Frantic, he took off in long strides, rushing straight toward the courtyard. It was Lydia! He had watched her grow up. Ever since she was old enough to understand things, she had hardly ever cried, unless she was in pain!

Sophie Winslow recognized the voice, too. Her heart skipped a beat, and she turned to run outside, but Peter Preston discreetly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. He gave her a silent warning: Julian Sterling was still here. A chill crept down Sophie’s spine, and she forced herself to swallow the urge to rush out.

However, Stella Sutton noticed their intimately clasped hands and immediately jumped to a conclusion. "Well, that explains it. It seems even Mr. Preston isn’t immune to a beautiful woman’s charm. Did you come all this way today to pull strings with Mr. Caldwell just for Sophie?"

The moment Stella opened her mouth, Sophie felt a physical wave of nausea, her brows knitting together in disgust. The first thing she felt was Julian’s casual gaze. His eyes trailed downward, landing briefly on Peter’s hand still wrapped around Sophie’s wrist. He didn’t say a word.

"I just wonder if Mr. Preston is as generous with her as Julian is with me. Fifty million is no small sum. Investing it in Helios’s R&D project would surely yield a much higher return than wasting it on her," Stella offered a sweet, patronizing smile. She was almost certain that Peter wouldn’t pander to Mr. Caldwell’s interests and fund the children’s foundation just to help Sophie. A woman like Sophie was only good for a casual fling. No one would take her seriously.

Peter let out a dry, exasperated laugh. "Rumors of Mr. Sterling’s marriage have been circulating everywhere. Doesn’t that mean Miss Sutton is spending a married man’s money? You certainly have a lot of nerve. Aren’t you afraid of getting sued?"

To act so arrogantly right in front of Sophie! Who gave her the audacity? The answer was self-evident. The jab struck a nerve, and Stella flared with irritation. What lies had Sophie been feeding Peter? Why else would he take Sophie’s side over a woman like her?

Sophie pursed her lips, a knot of worry tightening in her stomach. Peter had just humiliated Julian’s precious sweetheart right in front of him. Would Julian retaliate against Peter and Helios because of this? She glanced over silently, only to find Julian lifting his gaze at that exact moment. Their eyes collided unexpectedly.

"Instead of bickering, shouldn’t we go see if Mr. Caldwell is alright?" Julian’s simple interjection instantly quelled the back-and-forth argument.

Sophie finally had an opening to check on the situation outside without drawing suspicion. She started to leave, then paused. Understanding her hesitation, Peter turned to Julian. "Mr. Sterling, why don’t we sit down and chat? There’s no need for us to intrude on the commotion outside."

"Of course," Julian agreed without objection.

Sophie quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Silently thanking Peter, she turned and hurried outside.

Stella thought it over for a moment. It was crucial for her to interact more with Mr. Caldwell and get on his good side, so she decided to follow Sophie out.

As soon as Sophie stepped into the back garden, she saw Lydia buried in Hector’s embrace. The little girl’s large eyes were glistening with tears as she tried her hardest to hold back her sobs. Lydia’s palms were held open, the skin scraped raw from a clear fall. Blood oozed from the abrasions, making for a shocking and painful sight.

Sophie’s heart clenched violently. Lydia had a mild blood-clotting disorder. Even minor injuries could easily escalate into something serious for her. The realization made Sophie tremble uncontrollably, her legs feeling as heavy as lead.

Heartbroken for the child, Hector erupted in fury. He whipped his head toward the courtyard and bellowed, "Whose child are you?! Is this how your parents raised you?!"

Sophie followed his gaze. When she saw clearly that it was Seth Sutton, the redness rimming her eyes was instantly eclipsed by a glacial coldness. Seth was thoroughly intimidated by Hector’s terrifying aura. His chubby face flushed bright red, and he didn’t dare throw a tantrum.

Stella, who had walked out with a lingering smile, abruptly changed her expression. She had told Seth to stay in the car and wait for them to take him to dinner! How did he end up getting into a fight with a kid from the Caldwell family?

Spotting Stella, Seth immediately knew his backup had arrived. He defensively clutched the toy he had snatched. "I just asked to play with it for a bit! She was being stingy and wouldn’t let me! Why shouldn’t I get to play with it?"

Sophie recognized it. It was Lydia’s Lego set. So...

"So you pushed her? And caused her to get hurt?" Sophie’s voice was as cold as frost, her gaze frighteningly icy.

Seth was startled by Sophie’s glare, but then flew into a rage out of humiliation. He violently hurled the toy to the ground, smashing it to pieces. "So what?! I always get what I want! If she won’t give it to me, she doesn’t get to play with it either!"

The chubby boy strutted arrogantly. Though he was the same age as Lydia, his heavy build made him look more than twice her size. Stella hadn’t gotten a clear look at the little girl in Hector’s arms, but she knew this was bad. She rushed over to stop Seth and looked at Hector. "I’m so sorry, Mr. Caldwell. My brother is young and doesn’t know any better. Please don’t hold it against him. Is that your granddaughter? I can apologize on his behalf."

She was highly reluctant to do so, but she had no choice. This was Hector Caldwell’s granddaughter, after all. Offending him would do her no good! She still needed to become his apprentice and secure a spot in the National Academy of Somatic Medicine. Hector was a top-tier figure she absolutely had to win over.

Hector lifted Lydia into his arms, his anger completely unmasked. "If you want to apologize, then let her push him back! Otherwise, you and this unmannered brat can get the hell out of my house!" He had spent the last few years cultivating inner peace and hardly ever lost his temper anymore. This was the first time in a long while.

Stella’s heart trembled, her expression twisting in embarrassment. She couldn’t understand it. It was just a petty squabble between children. Was it really that big of a deal? Did it warrant Mr. Caldwell being so merciless?

Sophie forced herself to calm down as much as possible and looked at Hector. "Please take Lydia inside to treat her wounds first. Use the side door to go upstairs." That way, they wouldn’t run into Julian.

Hector understood Sophie’s concern. He gave a curt nod and strode away. Seeing Sophie take the opportunity to "cozy up" to Hector, Stella shot her a frigid glare. "Do you think you own this place?"

She moved to chase after Hector. But to her surprise, as she passed Sophie, her arm was seized in a vice-like grip. Stella furrowed her brow, her face etched with displeasure. "What does this have to do with you? Sophie, sucking up to Mr. Caldwell isn’t going to work like this. They’re just kids. A few bumps and scrapes are nothing to fuss about. Stop blowing things out of proportion..."

"Mhm," Sophie nodded. "That’s exactly why I want a word with you."

Stella looked confused. "What?"

The moment the word left her lips, a resounding SMACK echoed through the air. The slap landed fast and ruthless. Caught completely off guard, Stella stumbled from the sheer force of the blow. Her cheek instantly swelled and turned a bright red. The stinging pain left her so stunned that she forgot to react.

Sophie stared at her expressionlessly, but in her mind, she thought it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t nearly enough. Not by a long shot! Compared to Lydia getting hurt, she wanted nothing more than to slice Stella into a thousand pieces! Lydia was already frail and struggled with a blood-clotting disorder, yet she had been bullied right on their doorstep.

Whenever Sophie thought about how Seth was the son of Isaiah Sutton and Maeve Walsh, how he shared half her blood and was technically her so-called "younger brother," it made her skin crawl, like maggots gnawing at her bones! She obviously couldn’t just strangle Seth to death. But Stella’s endless indulgence was the root cause of his awful behavior. Why shouldn’t she settle the score with her?

Sophie kept her iron grip on Stella’s arm, refusing to give her a chance to dodge. Her pale face remained deadpan and frosty as she raised her hand again, swinging it down with all her might.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her vision, accompanied by the distinct, faint scent of fir. Sophie’s hand connected. Another crisp, resounding slap echoed through the air. But... she blinked, staring at Julian, who had somehow rushed over and placed himself squarely between them, shielding Stella behind his back.

His sharp, handsome jaw was turned slightly to the side, and a glaring red mark was already blooming across his pale skin. Julian was tall. The height at which she had aimed for Stella meant her palm hadn’t landed squarely on his face. Instead, her fingers had fiercely grazed his jawline, the impact leaving her fingertips trembling and numb.

He slowly turned his face back, his dark, bottomless eyes locking onto Sophie without a single blink. Sophie hadn’t anticipated this at all. Julian had actually taken the blow for Stella...

Her fingers—and even her breaths—were quivering, yet she stubbornly stiffened her neck, standing frozen with a completely blank expression. His gaze was so deep it felt as if she were drowning in it. After a tense moment, he spoke, his tone so calm it was entirely devoid of emotion, "Is that enough, Sophie?"