CHAPTER 299: CHAPTER 301: MY HEAD HURTS SO MUCH, CAN YOU MASSAGE IT FOR ME, THOMAS SHANNON?

Woken from a deep sleep, she was still very groggy. Sophie Sullivan’s head instinctively leaned on Thomas Shannon’s shoulder. She lowered her eyelids, her long, curled eyelashes casting a beautiful silhouette.

"Maniac."

The drama William Guillen had anticipated didn’t unfold, which left him somewhat disappointed; he couldn’t help but call out her nickname.

"Hmm?" Sophie Sullivan murmured, too lazy to even lift an eyelid.

Amelia Shaw stood to the side, her face burning as if she’d been slapped. Humiliation, embarrassment...

"Haven’t you woken up yet?" William Guillen pressed. Doesn’t she see Amelia Shaw standing right there? How can she tolerate this? He truly admired her for her composure and magnanimity; she was unmatched.

Edward Benson knew William Guillen well. When William despised someone, he would target them from all angles, leaving no room for mercy. Now, he merely wanted to use the maniac to embarrass Amelia Shaw. Edward raised his hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice tinged with a warning as he gestured for William to stop. "Lan Singh."

William Guillen leaned back on the sofa, casually lit a cigarette, and silently puffed out clouds of smoke.

Sophie Sullivan lifted a hand to cover her mouth, yawned gracefully, and her beautiful, dreamy eyes suddenly filled with a watery shimmer.

"Do I look like I’m awake?" Sophie’s gaze fell on William Guillen.

William Guillen smiled but said nothing, while Thomas Shannon cupped her delicate chin in one hand. "Very sleepy?"

Sophie nodded. "Yes."

Thomas Shannon let her head rest on his shoulder again. "Sleep a little more."

This scene painfully stabbed Amelia Shaw’s heart.

Whether a man treated a woman well could be discerned from his eyes and the details of his actions. She was all too familiar with the way Thomas Shannon looked at Sophie Sullivan...

So much so that the current scene began to overlap with memories from two years ago.

Back then, when Thomas Shannon pursued her, he had also looked at her with such deep, affectionate eyes. The feeling that, in all the world, you were the only one in his eyes, the focus of his gaze, his entire universe.

To be the one and only in the heart of an exceptionally outstanding and handsome man—for a woman, this brought the utmost satisfaction to her vanity.

If time could flow backward, allowing her to choose again, she would choose Thomas Shannon without a moment’s hesitation.

Now, seeing that familiar look in his eyes, Amelia Shaw began to panic, to feel a creeping fear.

Had he developed feelings? For the maniac... had he already developed feelings for her?

The self-hypnosis she had painstakingly maintained, the mental fortitude she had carefully constructed—all of it crumbled to dust in this moment.

The fortress in her heart collapsed with a crash.

Her body trembled slightly. She fought to steady her breathing, her smile uglier than tears. "Thomas, the red bean pastries should be ready. I’ll get them for you to taste."

She held her breath, waiting for Thomas Shannon’s answer.

Even a simple reply would allow her to regain a trace of dignity. At least, he hadn’t ignored her. At least, she still felt like she existed to him.

Sophie’s soft, sweet voice mumbled against his shoulder, "My head hurts so much, Thomas, please rub it."

"Where does it hurt?" Thomas Shannon raised his hand and gently massaged her temples.

"Mmm, a little harder."

The two of them continued their blatant display of affection, as if no one else was present. Thomas Shannon’s attention remained entirely on Sophie Sullivan, completely ignoring Amelia Shaw.

William Guillen watched with a smirk. Indeed, one shouldn’t underestimate the maniac. Effortlessly, she kept Amelia Shaw in check.