Everyone stood frozen in stunned silence.
The next second, the woman let out an incredulous laugh, pointing at Sophia. “A million for a painting? Are you out of your mind? Who do you think you are?!”
“Paul, it’s already really late,” one of the male assistants, clearly fed up with the scene, muttered as he approached Paul. “You still haven’t finished memorizing your lines.”
Paul’s expression shifted. He finally seemed to grow impatient with the whole scene, his gaze growing cold and dismissive as he looked at Sophia. “Forget it, I’ll have your boss talk to me tomorrow.”
He turned, preparing to walk away in the midst of his entourage. But just as he took the first step, he heard a cold, indifferent voice behind him.
“I am the boss.”
Paul froze in his tracks, the self-satisfied woman beside him also momentarily stunned.
Several people turned to look at Sophia. She calmly rotated the cup in her hand and gave them a cold, distant look. “What do you want to discuss with me?”
“Do you want to fire my manager- or fire me instead?”
Her gaze sharpened. “Or are you planning to just ruin my painting and not even offer any compensation?”
She glanced at the camera in Paul’s hands and casually said, “Or perhaps, you plan to expose me?”
Sophia’s lips curled into a smirk as she raised her hand and pointed upward. “Under all the cameras in my cafe? Planning to cut and edit some footage?”
“…”
Paul’s face, usually composed, suddenly faltered. He glanced up toward the ceiling.
He met the cold, unblinking gaze of the security cameras.
The faint red lights on the black lenses blinked like a hundred cold eyes watching him.
Paul stiffened, swallowing hard. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, he lowered the camera from his hand.
The sudden shift in his demeanor was unmistakable, and the assistant who had reminded him about time earlier stepped forward. His tone was firm. “Without consent, you can’t just distribute surveillance footage. That’s illegal.”
Sophia raised an eyebrow, a sharp glint in her eyes as she addressed Paul. “Did your boss get my permission before filming me? Or is the law only convenient when it applies to me, and not your boss?”
“Who do you think you are?” Paul started, but the female assistant cut him off with a frustrated gesture. He glared at Sophia. “Technically, we didn’t do anything extreme besides spill one cup of coffee. But you, on the other hand, left visible marks on her face. People can see that…”
“Enough, enough.” Paul finally interrupted, rubbing his temples in frustration. “Fine, I’ll do a good deed. You want money? No discount, I’ll give you a million. Just delete the footage, and I won’t bother you anymore.”
He gestured toward his assistant. “You stay here, watch them delete all the footage.”
Then, Paul turned back to Sophia, his tone light but his eyes cold. “How about this? Is that enough, *coffee shop owner*?”
Sophia glanced at the still-raging assistant, a smirk on her lips as she nodded, giving him the confirmation.
Before she could even finish nodding, Paul was already striding out, his back full of disgust as if he couldn’t wait to be done with the whole situation. The male assistant, though clearly displeased, dutifully carried out Paul’s orders.
When it came time to pay, the assistant insisted that Sophia write a note. It clearly stated that money would be exchanged for the footage being deleted-if any footage appeared online, Sophia would be required to refund Paul and pay a hefty penalty.
Two copies. Sophia signed with no hesitation.
The assistant prepared the transfer, but Sophia’s gaze lingered on the painting on the wall. Without turning around, she said, “Consider this your bonus for the month.”
The assistant blinked in confusion, then shot a glance at Winona, who gave a sly smile and encouraged him to transfer the money to her account.
The assistant’s expression shifted slightly, and he discreetly glanced at Sophia.
Just then, the female assistant who had been drenched in coffee earlier stormed back into the cafe, her face red and swollen from the impact. She deliberately ignored Sophia and walked past her with a stiff, pained expression. She smiled brightly as she addressed the now-awkward staff who had been pretending not to notice.
“Paul heard you’ve been sleeping on these terrible couches lately, and he’s really concerned about it. He’s booked an entire floor at a nice hotel just outside Cedarwood University’s commercial street for all of you. Please go there and rest-this way, you’ll be fresh and ready to work tomorrow.”
“…”
The staff who had been huddled in the booths exchanged cautious glances. They stood up slowly, unsure. “Well… we don’t want to be rude, so…”
“Of course!” The assistant smiled widely. “Paul was just trying to help! Even though Paul’s just a small role in this film, he still appreciates all of you for your hard work. It’s only right that he looks out for you. The hotel has a great buffet and desserts, drinks, everything you need, and it’s just a short walk away. Even if you just need a quick break, you can go there. It’s so close!”
“But we know about that hotel… isn’t it really expensive?” someone hesitated.
“Why worry? Paul’s paying for it, right? He’s just afraid he’ll be imposing on you!”
The assistant’s voice was light, almost sing-song. “Hurry, hurry! The rooms are already booked! If you keep lounging here, Paul’s worried you’ll sleep yourself out of a job. Go on and get some proper rest, or take a nice hot bath.”
The luxury hotel was practically being handed to them on a silver platter, and the staff, with no good reason to refuse, began trickling out of the cafe in groups.
With the money in hand, Winona happily returned to Sophia’s side. She was about to say something when Sophia shot her a cold look.
“Do you plan on spending the night with coffee on you?” Sophia asked.
Winona froze, tugging at her damp mask. “It’s not that bad… not too wet.”
“Go take a shower,” Sophia replied, clearly uninterested in her excuses.
“…But,” Winona hesitated, “Didn’t you say no one’s allowed to use your bathroom?”
“…” Sophia gave her the coldest look she could muster.
Winona sighed. “Fine, fine.” She grinned widely, her eyes twinkling behind the mask. “I’m going now.”
Just as she turned to leave, she paused, then came back to Sophia’s side. Leaning down, she whispered into her ear with a greasy smile, “I still think you really love me.”
Sophia didn’t even bother turning around. Her face twisted in disgust as she quickly swerved away.
“Shut up, you creep. If one strand of hair ends up in my bathroom, you’ll be dead,” she warned.
Winona, thick-skinned as always, chuckled to herself as she made her way upstairs.
Sophia sat back on the couch, propping her head up, staring at the unfinished mural. The cafe had slowly emptied, save for the lingering staff members. Their departure left a strange silence in the air.
The glass door finally swung shut after the last group left. The assistant’s lingering glare on Sophia shifted into something darker and more contemptuous as she slowly approached.