CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER 51: SO MANY LOVE RIVALS

Afternoon.

Sophia was watching a movie and eating snacks in the living room.

Meanwhile, he was sitting next to her, working on his laptop.

They occasionally exchanged a few words.

But for the most part, they quietly did their own thing.

In the evening, he cooked dinner, ate quickly, and left without lingering.

——

The next morning, Sophia accepted Faye Ellison’s invitation.

She had slept well last night, a good night’s rest, feeling exceptionally bright.

She changed into her sportswear and went downstairs, looking for something to eat.

When she opened the fridge, she was stunned.

Inside were neatly arranged small boxes, each thoughtfully labeled.

Breakfast, meat, ingredients, and so on.

The handwriting was Zane Sterling’s.

Could he have done this while she was napping yesterday afternoon?

She pulled out the breakfast box, and inside were little compartments with shrimp dumplings, buns, mantou, shumai...

All neatly arranged.

"This guy does big things quietly."

She smiled slightly, took out some shrimp dumplings, and put them in the steamer.

Bzzz—

A call from Ethan Sinclair came.

[Detective Sinclair, what’s the matter?]

[Hey, ma’am, come out, I’m at your doorstep.]

??

She hung up.

Shouldn’t he be resting at home at this time?

She turned off the stove and hurried out.

She saw Ethan Sinclair, with dark circles under his eyes, leaning against a white car.

"Imperial Consort Lowell, your carriage~" He half-squatted, extended his right hand gentlemanly, and made a gesture to invite her in.

Hanging from his right index finger was a BMW car key.

Sophia paused, walking around the car.

"This car..."

"Ma’am, this will be your ride from now on." Ethan tossed her the car key.

Sophia hurriedly caught it, holding it cautiously.

This model must cost over a million!

"I just asked him to lend me a regular car, and he..."

"This is already the most ordinary choice, and he wasn’t satisfied. I spent all night convincing him to settle on this one, look!" He pointed at his dark circles.

Clearly, it was from staying up all night.

"Is it new?"

"Yes, brand new."

"Being rich is indeed different."

"Ha, you’re happy, but now I have to go back to work overtime."

"Weren’t you supposed to be resting? Is he so insane to pull you back to work?" Sophia teased.

"It’s all because of you." Ethan opened the car door, signaling her to get in and take a look.

"What does this have to do with me?"

Sophia climbed into the driver’s seat while Ethan sat in the passenger seat.

She noticed a small bouquet of tulips in the cup holder and tulip-scented perfume hanging from the rearview mirror.

"Last year, our boss gave us a two-day year-end holiday, but this year he’s frontloading all our work, so we need to work overtime to free up more time for the New Year."

"So?"

Sophia was absorbed in exploring the new car.

Everywhere were thoughtful details, even tulip stickers on the buttons.

The seat cushions were pink, identical to the ones on the office chair.

"Do you think the boss is the kind of person who likes vacations? Someone who loves money suddenly wants to take a break, he wants to be with you."

Sophia paused, "Ethan, are you out of your mind? Why would he make time to be with me?"

"Haven’t you noticed the boss likes you?"

"Zane Sterling is nearsighted, not blind."

"Then what are these?" Ethan pointed at the car’s perfume, flowers, and pink seat cushions.

"Isn’t this your doing?" She was taken aback.

"Ma’am, do I have that much free time?"

Ethan looked at her with a look of disappointment.

"..."

"The day before yesterday, he said we’d rest for two days, but yesterday, did you provoke him again? We were dragged back to work overtime."

Sophia blushed.

Yesterday, she kissed him.

Could he really like her?

She thought it was the marriage certificate that made him care for her.

No, no.

How could he like her?

They’ve hardly met; why talk about liking?

"Did he say anything?"

"No." Ethan checked his phone, "Alright, I can’t keep you company any longer, my ride’s here. Enjoy yourself, I’m off to the grasslands to work like a horse."

He got out of the car and hurriedly ran toward the villa exit.

Sophia pressed her lips together, looking at the car’s interior.

So, last night he left in a rush to tinker with this car.

But—

How could he like me...

She bit her lip and sent him a message.

[Thank you, I like it very much.]

[Mm.] A prompt reply.

Does he have so much free time? To reply instantly.

But why does he never reach out to me first.

Perplexed, she drove the car back to the garage and went back inside to have breakfast.

As afternoon approached, Faye Ellison texted asking if she needed a ride, but Sophia declined, asking him to prepare a racket instead.

Back in school, she used to play with them often, but after graduation, they hardly gathered, and her racket is likely lost somewhere.

[Riverbend Arena]

This is the city’s luxurious badminton and basketball venue. You can’t get in without a membership, and money alone won’t grant you access.

The elevator stopped at the top floor, and the receptionist confirmed her identity before guiding her inside.

She wore a gray form-fitting yoga outfit, black sneakers, and had her hair tied in a loose, elegant bun.

"Eli Young." She instantly spotted the standout among the group.

He wore a loose black ensemble, with relaxed sports pants and a tight vest, exposing his chiseled muscles.

He must have just finished warming up, a light sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Sophia, you made it." He grinned widely, showing his white teeth.

"I’m not late, am I?"

"No, just on time."

Then, she noticed two familiar faces on the court.

Eli Young and Tim Sawyer.

Eli Young was the first to spot Sophia, waving at her, and Sophia nodded back.

The four of them made up a doubles team, paired perfectly, with two other men Sophia hadn’t met before on the opposing side.

"Do you know them?" Eli glanced at her expression.

"They are two new managers at our company. I didn’t expect them to be so close, and you with them..."

"The three of us graduated the same year, old classmates."

"Oh." She nodded.

"One of them is a client, and the other is his friend."

"Okay." Sophia wasn’t interested in them, so she smiled and began warming up.

They played for a while before gathering together.

After exchanging some pleasantries, they began to reorganize teams.

"Hello, I’m Miles Lockwood." A crew-cut guy in a loose T-shirt, cargo pants, and Doc Martens in the sweltering heat.

He extended his hand to Sophia, even wiping his hand on his clothes before offering it.

Apparently, Miles recognized Sophia.

But deterred by Zane’s prior mention of keeping things under wraps, he avoided calling her sister-in-law.

The others, who were drinking water, watched the two of them.

Sophia naturally extended her hand, holding about a third of his. "Hi, I’m Sophia."

"Nice necklace." Miles pointed at the ring hanging from her neck.

Tim gave her a glance, and Sophia quickly tucked the necklace inside her clothing.

"Thank you." Sophia noted his dark eyes, realizing he was not a simple character.

Eli Young and Tim paired up, with Sophia and Eli forming a team. They played first, while Miles and his partner rested on the sidelines.

Miles took out his phone, reporting to Zane.

[Sterling, your wife is here, surrounded by many rivals. [video]]