“Mom, we’ve already eaten,” Sophia said.
“Since you’ve eaten, it’s time to go upstairs and rest,” Jessica said, shooting a glare at Leo. “Leo, what’s your temperament? I know very well. Stop playing the emotional card with Sophia; it won’t work.”
Leo clenched his fists, taking a step forward, staring angrily at Jessica. “Everyone has a limit to his patience. I warn you, don’t test my limits. Besides playing poker cards, do you know when you genuinely cared about Sophia? Do you know what she went through today? Listen, I bought this villa. If you want to stay here, it’s best to behave yourself, or I can kick you out right now!”
Leo finished and grabbed Sophia’s hand. “Sophia, let’s go upstairs to rest.”
Leo’s sudden burst of dominance left Jessica dumbfounded. It wasn’t until she saw Leo and Sophia heading upstairs that she finally regained her senses.
For Leo’s reaction just now, Sophia completely understood. She knew her mother was unreasonable. After all, this villa was purchased by Leo, and her parents could live here because of her. Sophia wished Leo would stop suppressing himself and would speak out against her mother’s oppression.
Jessica’s verbal tirades often grew worse when people cowered before her. Sophia didn’t want Leo to feel restrained. She wanted him to express himself when necessary, just as he had done earlier.
After a while, Jessica finally snapped out of her daze and staggered back a few steps. She mechanically made her way to the couch, where she sat down.
The exchange with Leo had left her feeling an overwhelming sense of oppression. This feeling was so strong that, for a moment, she couldn’t bring herself to shout at him again.
“I can’t believe this! If it weren’t for me bringing you into this family four years ago, what kind of life would you have now? You dare not to respect me. What an infuriating waste!” Jessica muttered to herself in frustration.
Martin, who was nearby, couldn’t bear to see this any longer. He shot a sidelong glance at Jessica and whispered, “Honey, Sophia’s company is in a crisis, and they are stressed. Everyone’s a little edgy; you shouldn’t make things worse.”
Martin’s words served as a spark, and Jessica immediately found an outlet for her pent-up frustration.
“Martin, what do you mean? Are you saying that I’m causing trouble out of nowhere and being unreasonable?” Jessica suddenly stood up from the couch, anger fueling her actions. She lunged at Martin, yelling, “You heartless man, you’re actually taking useless Leo’s side to accuse me.”
Jessica went after Martin like a madwoman, her hands scratching and clawing at him while she continued to berate him. Martin, trying to avoid her attacks, yelled in pain, not daring to fight back.
In the bedroom, Sophia watched Leo apologetically. “Leo, my mom’s temperament is just terrible. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
“Sophia, I didn’t want to lose my temper at your mom just now,” Leo explained. “I know this upsets you. But I couldn’t control myself.”
Sophia shook her head and said softly, “No, you did nothing wrong just now. Over the past four years, you’ve been patient and compromising. In contrast, my mom hasn’t changed at all, and instead, she keeps pushing the boundaries. You don’t have to suppress yourself. When it’s time to stand up, you should.”
Leo was deeply moved by Sophia’s understanding and reasonableness.
People often say that offspring resemble their parents, but Sophia’s character couldn’t be further from that of Jessica or Martin. She was not only independent and kind but also incredibly understanding.
Having a daughter like Sophia, Jessica must have saved the world in her past life.
“Sophia, it’s getting late. I’ll go to the bathroom and prepare a bath for you,” Leo said as he got up from the bed.
Sophia nodded and watched Leo’s figure with affection. Today’s events had given her a new appreciation for his abilities.
In fact, Sophia had a strange feeling that Leo was like an iceberg in the sea, and what she knew and understood about him was just the tip of that iceberg. What lay beneath the surface remained a mystery to her.
As Sophia was lost in thought, her phone, charging on the bedside table, started ringing. She picked up the phone and answered it immediately, hearing Karen’s voice, filled with both relief and excitement. “Thank goodness, Sophia, your phone finally went through.”
“Karen, do you know about what happened at my company?” Sophia asked.
“With such a huge incident, how could I not know? All day long, the news has been full of reports about your company and Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company. Your phone was off, and I was worried that you had been arrested,” Karen said, her voice trembling with emotion.
Sophia laughed, “I’ve been dealing with this situation all day. I forgot to charge my phone, so I’m sorry I made you worry.”
“What on earth happened? During the day, the public sentiment was overwhelmingly against your company and Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company. But suddenly, in the evening, the tide turned. What happened?” Karen asked, puzzled.
“Tide turned? What do you mean?” Sophia inquired.
Leo hadn’t told Sophia about his encounter with Ford Gregory and Larry Roy at Spring Wind Cosmetics, and he hadn’t had a chance to explain the details of what happened outside Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company during their return trip.
Karen was a bit surprised by Sophia’s question. “Are you serious? Aren’t you aware that the general manager of Spring Wind Cosmetics and the sales manager of Merano Group, Larry Roy, were taken into custody by the police? And they’ve confessed to their crimes.”
“Really?” Sophia said with excitement.
“Of course! Haven’t you been following the news? It’s reported that a man with a strong sense of justice provided the police with substantial evidence, implicating Ford Gregory and Larry Roy in the criminal activities. I watched a video recorded by someone online. Although the just man was wearing a hoodie and a mask, I instantly recognized that it was Leo!” Karen added.
This sudden good news left Sophia feeling a bit overwhelmed. “Karen, are you sure all of this is true?”
“Absolutely, if you don’t believe me, you can check online now.”
“Now, the whole town of Langstel knows that Spring Wind Cosmetics maliciously framed your company, and it’s been exposed. But you’re still in the dark. You’re quite a character, aren’t you?” Karen said, chuckling.