Then Sophia remembered something else, continuing, “By the way, at lunchtime today, Karen came to my office again. She said she wants to snatch her piano prodigy back from me. So, what do you think?”
This put Leo in a bit of a predicament. It had been an innocent act, and he never expected it to cause such a butterfly effect.
Leo replied, “Don’t worry, I’m on yours. If she dares to use force on me, I’ll resist to the end.”
“How conceited!” Sophia playfully retorted. “Karen was just joking. You really think you’re irresistible and everyone will fall in love with you?”
Leo chuckled, “Sophia, have you checked the weather forecast? It’s getting cold, especially on the ground.”
“Is that so? I’m warm in bed. But if you’re feeling cold, you have two choices.”
“What are the two choices?” Leo was a bit intrigued.
“First choice, sleep on the couch; second choice, go back to your own room.”
His intrigue turned into a bit of disappointment.
“Is there a third choice?”
“No.”
Leo let out a long sigh. Today he truly understood a saying: once you miss the opportunity, it becomes water under the bridge. Missed opportunities turn into lost chances.
Asking you how much you’re worried is like asking the river how much it flows, much like a river’s endless course of action.
That night, in a bar booth somewhere in Langstel.
Bruno and Philip sat face to face, surrounded by empty bottles.
Bruno had informed Philip about the meeting with Sophia, and the latter was quite excited.
Philip had seen Sophia’s pictures and had met her in person. He had been present at the wedding four years ago when she married that deadweight. Since then, Sophia’s beauty had captivated him.
Now learning that Sophia and her useless husband didn’t sleep together was even more stimulating to his hormones.
A woman who had been married but untouched by her wife had a deadly attraction for Philip.
Yes, Philip had a particular fetish – he liked married women, or what’s commonly known as “someone else’s wife.”
“Bruno, I’m quite satisfied with what you’ve done. If you ever need my help, just let me know. I’ll do everything I can to help you,” under the influence of alcohol, Philip felt rather lightheaded.
A hint of wickedness flashed in Bruno’s eyes. Since he took over Breeze Cosmetics, he knew Sophia was a stumbling block to his path to becoming chairman. Removing this obstacle would grant him control over the entire the Henley Group in the future.
Especially after Sophia became the exclusive distributor of Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company, Bruno’s hatred for her deepened, and he felt an increasing sense of urgency.
After contemplating for a moment, a slightly tipsy Bruno looked at Philip, his voice slurring, “Philip, I have a small request. I hope you can grant it.”
Philip took a sip of his drink, intrigued, “What request? Go on.”
“Once you’ve had your thing with Sophia, I want the folks in our family to know. It’d be even better if there are some photos as evidence,” a sinister gleam filled Bruno’s eyes.
Hearing this, Philip couldn’t help but shoot Bruno a deep look, and with a wicked smile, he said, “Bruno, I finally get to know you today. You’re quite ruthless, man. Are you trying to wipe out Sophia?”
With a sheepish grin, Bruno responded, “Philip, when you’re in, you go all in, right? Of course, if you’re not up for it, just pretend I never said anything.”
Fueled by the booze, Philip burst into laughter, “Getting some photos like this? Feels pretty damn accomplished. Especially with a babe like Sophia. I’m in, Bruno.”
A pleased expression spread across Bruno’s face. Now things were set. As long as they had videos or photos as proof, Sophia would never be able to bounce back.
“Oh, and by the way, once I’ve got the shots, don’t forget to show them to that pathetic Leo. Let him see how the woman he couldn’t touch for four years is getting down under me,” Philip added.
He was already imagining the loser’s expression when he saw the photos. It was going to be a lot of fun.
Lifting his glass, Bruno proposed a toast, “Philip, if you nail Sophia, she sure as hell won’t want that loser anymore. And who knows, she might even come begging you for more.”
Philip grinned proudly, clinking his glass with Bruno’s before downing his drink in one gulp.
The following morning, Bruno called Sophia.
“Sophia, everything’s set. It’s tonight at seven, out in the suburbs at the Clearwater Bay Country Inn. Since we’re family, that’s why I’m helping you. Opportunities like these don’t come knocking often. Make the most of it.”
Sophia remained wary of Bruno, but she still wanted to give it a shot. If it was real, great. If it was fake, she could expose the truth at the next family meeting, letting everyone know what kind of person Bruno really was.
After ending the call, a hopeful expression lit up Bruno’s face.
If this drama wrapped up today, Sophia would definitely fail to become the head of Sophia Cosmetics. And not only that, her reputation in the Henley family and the industry as a whole would crumble.
And that way, she and Leo would be a picture-perfect pair, forever living in the shadow of scorn and disdain from others.
Fanny, who was on the sidelines and clueless about the truth, appeared puzzled. “Bruno, what’s gotten into you? Why would you help Sophia?”
From Fanny’s perspective, there was a perfect opportunity to strike Sophia by targeting her company’s imports. Bruno should have seized that chance for a fatal blow, but here he was, seemingly wanting to assist her. It just didn’t add up.
Could it be that he’d lost his mind out of the blue?
Bruno offered a mysterious smile, “Fanny, a grand performance is about to unfold. Just wait and watch. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
Fanny knew Bruno well when it came to drama. She pondered for a moment, then asked, “Bruno, what are you really up to? Care to share?”