Pursuing Her

Chapter 1 Do Not Move

It was annoyingly hot in Horington by the time June arrived.

After the self-study session ended at night, Sophie Tanner waited till the other students filed out before she got on her bicycle. She took the road to a quiet alley to head home. It might be deserted, but she could shorten her journey by over ten minutes.

Before she could cycle out of the alley, she caught a whiff of blood with her keen nose.

Sophie was pretty familiar with the scent of blood. Other girls would’ve fled the scene if they were in her shoes.

However, Sophie was no ordinary young woman. She continued riding on her bicycle as though nothing had happened.

Indeed, five minutes later, she saw a fight happening in this desolate alley.

One of Sophie’s feet was on the ground, and the other was on the pedal. She stuck one hand into her pocket and held her bicycle with the other as she whistled loudly to catch the others’ attention.

There were over a dozen tall men beating a man up. As there were no lights in the alley, she peered at the man who was surrounded by the rest under the moonlight.

Looks like he’s the one who got hurt.

Hearing Sophie’s whistle, everyone present turned to look at her.

“Scram!”

As she was tall, skinny, and clad in her school uniform, the leader of the attackers barked at her furiously.

Sophie’s brow knitted together impatiently.

“You’re blocking my way.”

“You have a death wish!” the leader snarled testily. They had gone to great lengths before getting the opportunity to take action against Tristan Lombard.

Anyone who stopped them from doing that would have to die.

It only took one look from him to get two men to march toward Sophie.

Glancing at her watch, Sophie realized it was already half past ten at night.

Before they could lay a hand on her, Sophie placed her other foot on the pedal and cycled toward the men in black swiftly.

In the blink of an eye, she managed to hit one man with her bicycle, who stumbled to the ground in a miserable heap.

Placing both palms on her seat, Sophie whipped around and kicked another man forcefully.

The leader belatedly realized he had overestimated Sophie’s capability.

At once, he ordered, “Kill them both.” They didn’t have much time left. If Tristan’s men arrived, they wouldn’t be able to take him out any longer.

Tristan was barely alive when he heard the leader’s order. He immediately pulled himself together. I can’t die here.

Sophie initially planned to leave after teaching the men a lesson.

She happened to walk past Tristan and caught a glimpse of him. Suddenly, her bicycle halted to a stop even though she had successfully escaped from the men.

“D*mn it.” Sophie changed her mind. I’m going to do a kind act today. Just for today.

The next moment, she turned her bicycle around and pedaled toward the men.

As Sophie didn’t have any weapons, she grabbed two knives from the men.

Using her bicycle as leverage, she started attacking the men.

The men’s expressions grew grim when they realized how vicious and swift Sophie could be.

“Kill them!” the leader commanded.

Sophie darted to Tristan deftly.

“You’re still alive?”

“I’m not going to die.”

They didn’t have a chance to continue their conversation, for the men began charging toward them.

Sophie was capable enough to defeat them all easily. Her actions were cool yet sassy.

After all the men had been beaten to a pulp, Sophie kicked the person who was blocking her path away.

“Goodbye. You’re welcome.” She didn’t want to continue poking her nose into his business.

She got onto her bicycle nimbly. It was almost eleven, so she needed to get home as soon as possible.

Alas, her bicycle remained rooted to the spot even after she started pedaling.

She turned at her shoulder and realized Tristan had grabbed the rear seat of her bicycle.

Her eyes were flashing with fury, for it was late at night.

“What else do you want?”

“Thank you.”

With that said, he fainted and lost consciousness.

“What the f*ck?” Sophie cursed under her breath as she glared at the man on the ground. Despite losing consciousness, he still looked as dignified as ever. In the end, she helped him up and used up all her might to place him on the rear seat of her bicycle. After doing that, she gritted her teeth and rode out of the alley.

As Tristan was shot, Sophie dared not bring him to the hospital.

A gunshot wound was too sensitive. She was pretty satisfied with her current life and didn’t want to return to her past life.

If his gunshot wound wasn’t dealt with, he would meet his doom before the sun rose tomorrow morning.

Sophie brought him to a medical laboratory at Horington University. She walked in freely as though she owned the place.

After switching on the lights, she placed Tristan on the dissection table that the medical students used for their experiments.

Opening one of the cabinets, she pulled out a surgical gown and put it on.

There were no anesthetics around. He had fainted, so she assumed he could bear the pain.

After putting on the surgical gloves, Sophie grabbed a pair of scissors and cut Tristan’s bloodied shirt into half.

The bullet was pretty near to his heart, so if she didn’t pay enough attention, his heart might suffer from a rupture.

She disinfected the scalpel and began to remove the bullet.

Tristan prided himself as a tough man, but the pain jolted him awake when the scalpel sank into his chest.

He glared at the young lady beside him who was holding the scalpel.

“Who are you? Do you have a death wish?”

Sophie had no idea Tristan would regain consciousness at this moment. It was understandable, though. There was an incision on his chest, so he was no less than a dead body if he were to remain motionless.

“If you want to survive, don’t move,” she snapped impatiently.

Not wanting to waste more time, Sophie continued the surgery without hesitation.

“Mm!” Tristan moaned in anguish as she cut into his skin. However, that was the only moan he made throughout the entire surgery.

Tristan waited until the surgery ended before he allowed himself to faint.

“He has a strong willpower, huh?” Sophie remarked. After all, Tristan had remained awake the entire surgery and watched as she operated on him without taking any anesthetics. Hence, he deserved the praise.

Pulling his phone out, she typed out a text and sent it to a random name that was to her liking.

Sophie cleared the laboratory and left with her backpack. She didn’t even bother sparing the man another look.

After receiving Tristan’s text, Felix Northley rushed all the way to the medical laboratory at Horington University.

He was stunned to see Tristan lying on the dissection table.

I wonder who had the guts to do this? Doesn’t he or she know who Tristan Lombard is? He’s one of the Lombards from Jipsdale!

Tristan woke up and saw Felix standing before him.

“Mr. Tristan, who did this to you?” he asked curiously. The person must have a death wish! No one dares to do this to Mr. Tristan in Jipsdale.

Tristan shot the talkative Felix a look.

“Mr. Tristan, who brought you here?” Felix was sweating profusely after he learned of Tristan’s disappearance.

If he meets his doom, many people in Jipsdale will have to die alongside him! I wonder who is the person who did this to him.

Felix’s curiosity was piqued.

“The enemy hired mercenaries to take my life. Find out who saved me tonight.”

Chapter 2 Men Are All Shallow

“No problem!”

Felix arranged for Tristan to be sent to Horington General Hospital without hesitation. The bullet might’ve been removed, but it was necessary for Tristan to undergo a checkup at the hospital.

The doctor at Horington General Hospital gaped in disbelief after he saw Tristan’s wound.

This doctor was the top surgeon at Horington General Hospital. If he was tasked to operate on patients like Tristan, he would have to carry out the surgery carefully. After all, the bullet was too close to Tristan’s heart.

The patient’s heart would rupture if the surgeon wasn’t careful enough. However, the person who saved Tristan managed to operate on him and remove the bullet successfully. Tristan’s heart remained healthy. Only a selected few in Chanaea could complete this feat.

“What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with his wound?” Felix panicked as the doctor stayed silent for way too long.

“Mr. Tristan, may I know who removed the bullet for you?” the doctor asked earnestly.

He was a famous surgeon in Horington, but this person was clearly more skillful than him.

“I don’t know.” Tristan wanted nothing more than to know who was the person who saved him.

“The surgery was successful. You’ll only have to recuperate for a few months.”

The doctor was sorely disappointed to learn that Tristan didn’t know the person’s identity. He was the top surgeon in all of Horington and only became the director of his department after working for over

thirty years. Thus, he didn’t expect to run into someone who was better than him.

After the doctor left, Tristan shot Felix a look. The latter immediately left to investigate the matter.

The next morning, Felix arrived at Tristan’s ward to see the latter walking around.

“Mr. Tristan, do you have a death wish?” He couldn’t believe that Tristan was paying no heed to his health.

If the person back in Jipsdale finds out about this, he’ll rush here at once. Is he trying to get me in trouble?

“Stop talking nonsense,” Tristan snapped.

“I found out who saved you. Here you go.”

Felix handed a file to Tristan.

Tristan opened the file and pulled out the documents. His brows snapped together as he read the information inside.

“An eighteen-year-old student in her senior year?” How could a student in her senior year remove the bullet in my chest? ”Felix, how dare you pull such a stunt?”

Felix hurriedly waved his hands.

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it. I was shocked when I read the file, too. But I’ve confirmed it myself. It’s her.”

Felix showed him a photo.

Tristan took the photo from him. The young woman depicted in the photo had an unforgettable face. She was young, lively, and gorgeous. Her eyes were especially attractive.

“An eighteen-year-old student who is capable of defeating mercenaries and performing surgeries? Interesting.”

“Mr. Tristan, are we returning to Jipsdale?” Tristan landed in trouble the moment he arrived at Horington. Obviously, someone was intimidated by their presence here.

“We haven’t solved anything yet. Why would we return? Are you scared? If you are, you’re welcome to leave without me.”

Felix’s lips twitched helplessly.

“Don’t tell him about this.” The “him” Tristan was referring to was his father, William Lombard.

“What if Old Mr. Lombard asks about you? Do I have to keep it a secret?”

“Don’t tell him anything.” Tristan was certain he could handle the matter himself.

“Let’s go find her.”

When Felix found Sophie, the latter was surrounded by a few thugs.

“You’re Sophie Tanner, right?”

Sophie was wearing Horington High School’s uniform. Her sleeves were rolled up to expose her fair wrist.

Ignoring them, she strode forward.

“F*ck it, Boss. She just ignored you!” a lackey yelled. Everyone in Horington High School dared not go against their leader.

The leader of the thugs, Jack Keyes, bristled and rushed toward Sophie.

“I was talking to you. Are you f*cking deaf?” Jack demanded as he reached out to grab Sophie’s hand.

Sophie halted in her tracks and spat out the gum she had been chewing a while earlier.

“Scram,” came her icy reply.

“Ha! You’re quite hot-tempered, huh? You’ve offended someone whom you shouldn’t have offended!” Jack declared.

Having said that, he reached out to attack Sophie.

Before he could lay a hand on Sophie, she threw him over her shoulders. Jack fell to the ground with a thump, and he could no longer move.

“Do you know who I am? My dad is—”

His yell was cut short by Sophie, who stepped on his cheek forcefully.

“Shut up!” she snapped irritably.

The other thugs trembled in fear, for they had no idea Sophie was this good at fighting.

“Call my dad!” Jack screamed. “I want Sophie Tanner to leave Horington!”

Everyone was pointing fingers at Sophie after seeing what she did to Jack.

There was a rumor saying that Sophie used to be a delinquent. She had an abortion in middle school after getting pregnant with a thug’s child. Finding her embarrassing, her family ended up abandoning her in Horington. Thus, she had no choice but to fend for herself.

Sophie ignored their horrible insults and strode away.

A while later, a black car rolled to a stop beside her. The door was pushed open to reveal a tall and handsome man.

Coming to her, the man greeted, “Hello, Ms. Tanner. I am Felix Northley. My employer, Mr. Tristan, would like to talk to you.”

Sophie fished out a piece of gum from her pocket and started chewing on it.

Felix opened the door to the backseat, so Sophie hopped into the car.

The man inside was the very one she saved last night.

“You bled a lot but still survived. You’re quite lucky, huh?” Sophie remarked nonchalantly. Her face was devoid of emotions.

She sounds really aggressive. The corner of Felix’s lips twitched after hearing her words. Back in Jipsdale, only a handful dare to talk to Mr. Tristan this way.

“I am Tristan Lombard. Thank you for saving my life last night.”

Tristan gave her his name card.

Without looking at it, Sophie stuffed it into her backpack.

“Have you studied medicine before?” Felix blurted out. He couldn’t tamp his curiosity, for Sophie was just eighteen years old. She was capable of removing a bullet from a gunshot wound and was thus no ordinary being.

Sophie shook her head.

“Nope. My neighbor is a vet, so I helped him a couple of times previously,” came her answer.

Hearing that, Felix turned to look at Tristan.

Hear that? You’re nothing but an animal to her.

“Do vets know how to remove bullets?”

“Nope. He was almost dead, so there was no harm trying,” Sophie explained. She then told the driver, “Drop me off at the end of this street.”

The driver glanced at Tristan, who gave him a nod.

As requested, the driver stopped at the end of the street, and Sophie got out of the car.

“Ms. Tanner, don’t you need our help?” After all, she seemed to have offended someone influential.

“No need.”

Sophie gave a dismissive wave. She was confident that she could handle the matter herself.

Before Tristan’s car could leave, she hailed a taxi and left.

“Wow, that was sassy of her.” Felix had never seen any woman as cool and pretty as Sophie. “Mr. Tristan, do you think she can be trusted?” he asked.

“What do you think?” Tristan didn’t even bother sparing him a look. “Interesting.”

Felix was befuddled. Did Mr. Tristan just comment that she’s interesting?

“Mr. Tristan, have you taken a liking to her? Yes, I’ll admit that she’s pretty. In fact, she’s prettier than those well-known beauties in Jipsdale. But she’s too young!” he exclaimed.

Tristan shot him a look.

“How shallow of you.”

Felix fell silent. Yes, I’m shallow. Men are all shallow beings!

 

Chapter 3 Does She Even Have A Family

The next morning, Sophie arrived at her classroom to be told that the discipline teacher had come to look for her three times in a row.

“Soph, did you do something wrong?”

Everyone knew Sophie was a delinquent who loved getting involved in physical fights. However, no one had ever seen her fighting after she transferred to this high school. Sophie often slept in class, but almost everyone in Horington High School did the same. Horington High School was the worst high school in all of Horington, so the teachers didn’t even bother to yell at the students for sleeping in class.

“Never mind. I’ll go to his office.”

Sophie tossed her backpack onto her desk and went to the administration office.

In the administration office of Horington High School, the principal, Vincent Zeller, could barely tamp down his anger. “Sophie Tanner, how could you? I don’t mind if you have a bad reputation, but why did you beat Jack Keyes up? Do you know who he is? He’s the son of Percy Keyes, the deputy director! I can’t believe you’re bold enough to beat a government official’s son up. He has been admitted to the hospital. What are you going to do now?” Vincent was already regretting accepting Sophie in the first place.

“I’ve called your mother. You’re too good for us, so we dare not keep you here. You are free to go to any school that dares to take you in!” he concluded furiously.

Sophie didn’t utter a word at all.

Soon, Sophie’s mother, Charmaine Laird, arrived at Horington High School.

“Mr. Zeller, what happened? Did Sophie do anything wrong again?”

The moment Charmaine arrived, she didn’t ask about the details and assumed it was Sophie’s fault.

“We’re no longer capable of teaching your daughter. Please take her with you today. She has offended Mr. Percy Keyes, a deputy director in a government agency. I’m in trouble no thanks to her. I shouldn’t have taken her in in the first place!” Vincent expelled Sophie immediately without giving Charmaine any opportunity to speak.

Hearing that, Sophie spun on her heels and strode out of the administration office.

“Mr. Zeller, Sophie is still young. Please give her another chance. If she gets expelled from Horington High School, no other high school will take her in!” Charmaine pleaded, utterly flustered.

“Mrs. Tanner, I can’t help you. You should worry about Mr. Keyes.” Vincent’s stance remained firm.

Left with no choice, Charmaine left the office reluctantly.

Her frustration kicked in at the sight of Sophie outside. She raised her arm with the intention of giving Sophie a slap.

However, Sophie grabbed her arm and glared at her icily.

“Mrs. Tanner, what are you doing? You and the Tanner family should stay out of my business. You discarded me back then, right? Stop poking your nose into my business.”

They made their choice five years ago, right? They chose Willow, and I was their unwanted daughter.

“Sophie, what was that? How could you be that rude? What else are we supposed to do after your humiliating incident? You were the reason our family became the laughingstock of Jipsdale. Haven’t you learned from your mistake?” Charmaine demanded.

Sophie was disappointed after hearing her words. Despite being her mother, Charmaine had never trusted her.

“I’ve humiliated you, so I’ve cut all ties with the Tanner family. Whether I die or live on is none of your business. Stop coming to me or butt into my business,” Sophie told her calmly. Going to her classroom, she grabbed her backpack and marched out of school.

Charmaine’s disappointment increased when she saw how stubborn Sophie was.

I can’t ignore her. No matter what, she’s still my daughter. Besides, if Dad comes home and finds out we abandoned Sophie in Horington, there’s no telling what he’ll do. After all, Dad adores Sophie the most.

“Mr. Tristan, Sophie has been expelled from her school,” Felix promptly updated Tristan. “She’s the youngest daughter of the Jipsdale Tanners who was abandoned in Horington.”

“She’s Caleb Tanner’s younger sister?” The Tanner family wasn’t that influential in Jipsdale, but Tristan knew who Caleb was.

“Yep, she’s Caleb Tanner’s younger sister. Apparently, Sophie caused an uproar in Jipsdale for living together with a thug when she was in eighth grade. She even got an abortion.”

“Apparently? How could you believe a baseless rumor?”

Sophie isn’t one who would live together with a thug and abort her child in middle school. That sounds ridiculous.

Felix scratched his nose awkwardly.

“It was her elder sister, Willow Tanner, who spilled the truth.”

“Willow Tanner?” Tristan had no recollection of the name.

“Mr. Tristan, this is the Tanner family’s personal matter. Are you going to interfere?”

“I find Sophie extremely interesting. If we bring her back, she might be of use to us one day,” came Tristan’s answer.

“What? Mr. Tristan, are you planning on letting her work in Lombard Group?” Felix was dumbfounded.

“Why? You’ve got a problem with that?”

Felix shook his head profusely.

“Of course not. I don’t have any problem with that. You call the shots,” he responded in an attempt to butter up to his employer.

Night soon fell, but Charmaine couldn’t figure out any solution. She didn’t even get to meet Percy in person.

When she was about to leave without taking Sophie with her, Josiah Tanner’s call arrived.

“Bring Sophie back no matter what. If you fail to do that, you don’t have to come home,” Josiah ordered loudly once the call was connected.

“Bring Sophie back? Dad, five years ago, she…”

Before she could explain, Josiah had already hung up.

Frustration crept up Charmaine’s heart at the thought of the people in Jipsdale waiting to see her make a joke out of herself. If she were to bring Sophie back, everyone would definitely gossip about them.

To her utter surprise, Caleb showed up before her.

“Aren’t you in Anglandur? Why are you even here?” she blurted out in shock.

“Mom, I’m here to bring Sophie home.” Caleb’s answer was curt.

“Caleb, you know about Sophie’s reputation in Jipsdale. We can’t afford to humiliate ourselves,” Charmaine insisted.

“We don’t know exactly what happened five years ago. Thus, we can’t just listen to one side of the story. I don’t think Sophie did anything to humiliate our family. Back then, I allowed her to leave Jipsdale as she was suffering there. It is now time for her to return to Jipsdale to take the university entrance exam.”

As Caleb had made up his mind, Charmaine said nothing else despite her dislike for Sophie.

“I’m afraid she won’t come back home with you. Don’t you know her? She’s stubborn and insistent.”

“Stay out of this. You can leave now. I’ll bring Sophie back home.”

Without further ado, Caleb went to Sophie.

Sophie didn’t know she’d run into Caleb here. Why is he here? I have nothing to do with the Tanners anymore. After all, they picked Willow over me, didn’t they?

Sophie was about to walk past Caleb, so he reached out to stop her from leaving.

“It’s me, Soph. I’m here to bring you home,” Caleb said gently.

Sophie’s brows scrunched up. Does he want to bring me home? He wasn’t even here during my most helpless and darkest moment. I don’t need him now.

 

Chapter 4 Ask For Help

“Sir, you’ve gotten the wrong person.” Sophie pulled her hand out of his grip.

Caleb frowned. Looks like she hasn’t forgiven us yet.

“Sophie, I know you hate us. We didn’t have another choice back then.” He tried hard to persuade her to change her mind.

“You didn’t have another choice? Ha! You did make your choice back then,” Sophie mocked.

“Sophie, Grandpa’s back. He wants to see you. Even if we were at fault, Grandpa is innocent. He isn’t doing well recently.” Caleb knew Josiah was the only one in the Tanner family that Sophie cared about.

“Got it. I’ll pay him a visit.”

As expected, Sophie caved in after he mentioned Josiah.

He told her, “Grandpa told me to give you a ride back home.”

“I can head there myself.” Sophie refused to waste more time with him.

Back in her house in Horington, Sophie switched on her laptop and typed a series of codes. After getting what she wanted, she sent them to the Public Integrity Section.

Percy Keyes, huh? This information is enough to send him to jail! He’s nothing but trash judging from his son’s actions.

She then began packing up her stuff.

After stepping out of the airport, Sophie took a taxi to the hotel she reserved earlier. She might’ve agreed to come back, but there was no way she would live in the Tanner residence.

At the hotel, she checked in and went to her room to take a shower. All freshened up, she hailed a taxi to the Tanner residence.

“Mom, did you say Sophie’s coming back?” Willow’s expression grew grim after she learned about Sophie’s return.

“Your grandpa told Caleb to bring her home.” Charmaine was seething, too.

“What does Grandpa want? After what Sophie did, people are still gossiping behind my back! Now that she’s back, people will start saying that the Tanner family’s daughters are…”

Sophie stepped into the house before Willow could finish her sentence. Clearly, Sophie had heard everything.

Willow wasn’t afraid of being heard, anyway.

“Sophie, how could you be this shameless? If I were you, I would immediately end my life in shame!” Willow scorned. “If you feel sorry, you can end your life now.”

“Where’s Grandpa?” Sophie ignored her blatantly. After all, she was back to see her grandfather as he wished to see her.

A wave of fury crashed through Willow.

“Mom, just look at her!” she huffed.

“Shut up!” Right then, Josiah descended from the stairs.

“Sophie’s my granddaughter, and she has the right to stay in the Tanner residence. If you both have any objection, you can scram now.”

“Grandpa, you can’t do this to me. Sophie—”

Josiah cut in, “Willow, don’t you understand my words?” There was a hint of warning in his tone. “Sophie, come here. I haven’t seen you for five whole years.”

Sophie’s heart ached when she saw her grandfather’s white hair. Obediently, she went to him.

“Grandpa, I’m here to pay you a visit.”

Oh, she’s so skinny. They left her to her own devices in Horington when she was a kid, and there was no one who could take care of her.

Josiah squeezed her hands.

“Sophie, I wasn’t here five years ago and had no idea what happened. Now that I’m back, no one will dare to bully you,” he promised.

“Thanks, Grandpa.” He was the only one who trusted her wholeheartedly in the family.

“There’s no need to thank me. Morgan, go clean Ms. Sophie’s room now.” Josiah was in a jovial mood after seeing Sophie. “Charmaine, you’ll have to enroll Sophie into a school tomorrow,” he ordered.

“Dad, Sophie was expelled by her school five years ago. I’m afraid no school would take her in now,” Charmaine explained.

They weren’t in Horington and couldn’t pay a school to take Sophie in.

“Sophie can attend Jipsdale Premier High together with Willow,” Josiah added as though he hadn’t heard her explanation.

“Dad, not everyone can get into Jipsdale Premier High. It’s the hardest high school to get into in Jipsdale! Not even rich and influential people can send their children there. Willa got into Jipsdale Premier High through her own abilities.”

“Grandpa, you don’t have to do this.” Sophie only came here to pay him a visit. She added, “Besides, I’m staying somewhere else. I’m not moving back.”

Josiah’s face turned dark at her words.

“Sophie, I promise no one can bully you here. The Tanner family needs you,” he reiterated.

“Grandpa, Sophie knows nothing! All she does is fight and spend her time with delinquents.”

Bang!

Josiah slammed his teacup onto the table so loudly that the tea splashed out.

“Willow, you are to leave right this instance if you dare to utter one more word!” Josiah fumed. “Are my orders ineffective now as I wasn’t home for five years?”

He turned to Sophie. “Sophie, are you going to disobey me, too?”

“Grandpa, I…” Sophie trailed off hesitantly. She would definitely ignore those words if they came from someone else’s lips.

However, Josiah was the one who said those words, and he was the only one who cared for her.

“Okay, then.” I’ll go to Jipsdale Premier High if that’s Grandpa’s last wish. ”I won’t stay here, though,” she said.

If she were to stay under one roof with people she hated, she couldn’t promise she wouldn’t do anything to them.

“Fine. I won’t force you to stay. But you’ve only returned tonight, so I want you to spend one night with me.”

Sophie nodded in response.

“Grandpa, it’s late. You should go to bed. I’ll stay home for the next few days to keep you company,” Sophie assured him. She didn’t want to disappoint him.

“Good. I’m no longer young, so I want our family to get along with each other,” Josiah said pointedly. He then got up and went upstairs with Morgan’s help.

Charmaine went to clean Sophie’s room with Morgan, so only Sophie and Willow were left in the living room.

It seemed to Willow that Sophie wasn’t the same person she used to be. No matter what, I’m the only daughter of the Tanner family.

“I can’t believe you had the guts to come back home,” Willow sneered. There was a hint of malice on her face that was unbefitting of her age.

Sophie fished out a piece of gum from her pocket. She unwrapped the gum and stuffed it into her mouth.

“Willow, I’ll definitely kick you out of the Tanner family!”

Having said that, Sophie spun on her heels and entered the room that she used to occupy.

Boiling with anger, Willow flopped back into the couch. D*mn it. How dare Sophie say that to me?

The next morning, Josiah brought Sophie to Jipsdale Premier High personally.

The principal of the school, Andy Langston, was also the head of the Jipsdale Department of Education. Busy with his duties, he would only make time to meet important people.

Josiah was a well-known figure in Jipsdale, so he was allowed to wait outside the principal’s office with Sophie.

Andy only showed up at his office a little after eleven.

He immediately told his assistant to unlock the door and ushered them in. After learning about Sophie’s condition, Andy was stumped.

Sophie’s results wouldn’t get her into any vocational schools, let alone the prestigious Jipsdale Premier High.

“Mr. Langston, I’ve never asked for anyone’s help, but please do me a favor this time,” Josiah pleaded.

“Old Mr. Tanner, I’m not refusing to help you. I believe you know that Jipsdale Premier High is the top high school in Jipsdale. Most of our students are capable of entering Ivy League schools. I can’t do anything with Sophie’s results. I think you should try applying to vocational schools instead. I don’t think other high schools would take her in with her results.”

Sophie had never wanted Josiah to ask someone else for help, so she got up to leave.

Josiah knew how proud she was, so he rose to his feet and went after her hastily.

Right then, Andy received a call from Felix.

 

Chapter 5 Tell Me Who She Is

After hanging up on his call, Andy rushed out of the office and cried, “Please wait, Old Mr. Tanner. I’ll take Ms. Sophie Tanner as a student.”

His attitude had taken a one-eighty from before.

Even Josiah had no idea why the principal had suddenly changed his mind.

“Are you sure, Mr. Langston?” Josiah asked.

“That’s right, Old Mr. Tanner. I’ll have her placed in a class right away.” Then, Andy immediately called the high school’s academic head and informed her about Sophie’s immediate enrolment.

Sophie went along with the enrolment, but even she knew things were hardly as simple as they seemed.

The academic head promptly assigned Sophie to the worst-performing class in the school. After receiving her school uniform, Sophie was handed over to the homeroom teacher of Senior Class 8, Derrick Hayes.

Before Josiah left, he said to Derrick, “I’ll have to trouble you to keep an eye on Sophie, Mr. Hayes.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Sir! You should head back. I’ll lead Sophie to her class soon,” came Derrick’s courteous reply.

That was the only answer he could give, seeing as every student at Jipsdale Premier High had a wealthy or influential parent that the teachers could not afford to offend.

Derrick happened to be in charge of the third lesson of the day for Senior Class 8, so he personally escorted Sophie to her new classroom.

When he arrived at the classroom, he announced, “Hi, everyone, we have a new student in our class. She’ll introduce herself. Please give her a warm welcome.”

Sophie walked onto the podium at the front of the room and wrote her full name on the board.

Then, she declared, “Hi, everyone, my name is Sophie Tanner.”

Sophie Tanner? Her new classmates immediately whispered furiously among themselves.

“Isn’t she the Sophie Tanner who was expelled five years ago?”

“I think so! She used to be in my class.”

“I heard she had an abortion around tenth grade. Do you know if it’s true?”

“It was! Back then…”

Derrick piped up, “All right, everyone, settle down. There’s a seat at the end of the classroom, Sophie. You can take that.”

Sophie obediently went to the last row and ignored the spiteful glares directed her way.

The students in Senior Class 8 did not produce spectacular grades. Naturally, most of them came from elite circles.

Their upbringing meant they were the farthest thing from cowards. Once Derrick ended his lesson, Queenie Lane sauntered to Sophie and taunted, “It really is you, Sophie! I can’t believe you’re thick- skinned enough to return to Jipsdale. If I were you—”

“Shut your trap, Queenie,” Sophie cut in abruptly. Queenie had always been a member of Willow’s clique and had had her fair share of picking on Sophie in the past.

Sophie was nursing a headache after a sleepless night in an unfamiliar house, and she was in no mood to entertain Queenie’s prissy attitude.

Alas, Queenie did not fear Sophie at all. She grabbed Sophie’s hand and continued, “We’re not in Horington anymore, Sophie. Did you think you were something in Jipsdale?” She still believed Willow’s sister was as meek as before.

Sophie’s beautiful eyes narrowed dangerously.

In the blink of an eye, she twisted her hand and grabbed Queenie’s wrist, swiftly bending it backward.

“Ahh!” Queenie yelped in pain.

Their classmates noticed the threat in Sophie’s eyes, and no one dared to step forward to break up the fight.

Sophie declared, “I don’t want to cause trouble, but I’m not a target for you to pick on, either. Remember this, Queenie. I’m not the same Sophie from five years ago. Not just anyone can trample over my dignity. Oh right! I’m sure you remember what you all did to me five years ago. I’ll make sure you all have a taste of your own medicine soon.”

She suddenly felt as though coming back had been the right decision.

After that, she shoved Queenie roughly, causing the latter to fall to the ground.

Queenie was dumbstruck.

Sophie was utterly fearsome.

I can’t allow Sophie to remain in Jipsdale. We have to get rid of her!

Sophie spent the last two lessons of the class sprawled across her desk, asleep. After school ended, she grabbed her bag and left.

She had just set foot outside the school gates when she spied Felix waiting outside.

Mr. Langston must’ve changed his mind because of them!

Before Felix had said a thing, Sophie decisively got into the car beside him.

Felix did not utter a single word of the speech he had prepared.

With impatience brimming in her gaze, Sophie announced, “Tristan Lombard, right? I saved you last time, and you helped me today, so we’re even. Don’t look for me again.”

She believed Felix and Tristan were complex characters, and she did not wish to be involved with them further.

Meanwhile, Tristan replied, “My life is worth a fortune.” He merely asked Felix to make a call, and it was nothing compared to what she did for him.

He continued, “I’m Tristan Lombard of Lombard Group, and I need your help.”

His words flustered Felix, who wondered, We can have anyone we want in the world. Why must Mr. Tristan insist on this Sophie Tanner?

Sophie stared at Tristan and said drily, “I have poor grades and poor morals. What exactly do you want from me?”

People rarely stared Tristan straight in the eyes, and he knew in that instant that he was staring at an extraordinary young woman.

“Your medical skills,” came Tristan’s reply.

“Medical skills? Are you pulling my leg? I’m an eighteen-year-old high school student. What would I know about medicine? I’ve said this many times; I managed to remove the bullet from your body out of sheer luck. You would be dead now if luck hadn’t been on my side.”

Tristan merely insisted, “I’m dead serious, Sophie. Please consider my offer carefully.”

Lombard Group was rumored to be the corporation every elite in Jipsdale wanted to consort with, yet this young woman appeared to scoff at the golden opportunity.

Sophie was too tired to argue with them. It was clear that they would not give up regardless of what she said. She left the car.

Felix whined, “Just be honest if you’re trying to woo her, Mr. Tristan! She’s obviously not falling for your odd excuses.”

Tristan stared after her, utterly taken by the young woman.

After leaving Tristan’s car, Sophie’s phone rang.

She unlocked her phone and immediately hung up when she saw the phone number.

The caller did not seem to understand the meaning of giving up and called Sophie more than ten times.

With a shrug of resignation, Sophie eventually answered the call and fumed, “You better have some important news. I’m in a foul mood today.”

“Phantom, your persistently ill temper never ceases to amaze me. When are you coming back?” Butterfly was unperturbed by Sophie’s outburst.

“Out with it!”

“All right! Jeez. There’s an assignment. Do you want to take it?” Phantom was notorious for accepting assignments depending on her mood, but she had a perfect track record. Her status as the youngest member of Wings of Light hardly mattered when she was the best.

Sophie replied curtly, “Nope.”

Butterfly urged, “Phantom, this assignment is related to Chanaea’s Internet security. I hope you’ll seriously consider it before rejecting it.” If Phantom had rejected any other assignment, Butterfly would have left her alone.

“Internet security?” Sophie’s interest was piqued. “Fine. Send the information over.” She hung up right after that.

Butterfly had more to say but dropped the conversation after hearing Sophie’s instructions. She quickly prepared the information for Sophie’s perusal.

Meanwhile, Tristan had hurried back to Lombard Group’s offices after receiving a call from Charles Quigley.

“Phantom has appeared, Mr. Tristan,” Charles declared in excitement.

No one would be surprised if he fainted after discovering his idol’s appearance.

Tristan ordered, “Gather everyone in the company. I must figure out who Phantom is.”

Phantom was the most skilled hacker in existence, and no one knew its gender or identity. It was revered as a legend, and every international corporation wanted to hire Phantom’s services.

With Phantom at the helm, internet insecurity would be a thing of the past.

 

Chapter 6 Who Did I Offend This Time

Sophie looked through the information Butterfly sent and learned that hackers from Anglandur were trying to break through Chanaea’s firewall.

If the hackers succeeded, they could steal government information from Chanaea and plunge the country into a huge crisis.

Sophie promptly deleted the information and took a taxi back to the Tanner residence.

The moment she arrived, she heard Charmaine say, “I hope you don’t cause any trouble now that you’re in Jipsdale Premier High, Sophie. Since you’re in the same school as your sister now, you can ask her for help.”

Regardless of how much Charmaine despised Sophie, she was her daughter at the end of the day, and that was a fact she could not change. To that end, Charmaine could only hope that Sophie would not make things difficult for Willow.

Willow piped up, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll take care of Soph and keep her from repeating her old mistakes.”

She ruined Sophie’s reputation five years ago, and she was confident that her younger sister was still not her match today.

Irritated by their pretentious acts, Sophie drawled, “Are you done with your little act? It’s disgusting. Keep your hands out of my matters; they have nothing to do with you. If you love acting so much, why not become an actress?”

Sophie headed upstairs without sparing the two one last look.

Charmaine was infuriated. “Look at her attitude! Who does she think she is? She’s still not remorseful after what she did years ago!”

Willow secretly scoffed to herself before coaxing, “Don’t be angry, Mom. You still have me. I won’t disappoint you.”

“Yes! Thank goodness! You’ve never disappointed your mother. Willa, you know the Tanner family’s situation now. It’s even more imperative that you succeed.”

As long as Willow married into a wealthy family, the Tanner family would have hope of reviving their fortunes.

Sophie ignored the duo downstairs and whipped out her laptop once she was back in her room.

She switched on the nondescript laptop, which started up faster than an Apple computer.

It was booted up and ready to use in under three seconds.

The interface did not look different from an average computer, either.

Sophie sat on her bed and placed the laptop on her lap. She rapidly tapped out a string of code.

“Aha!”

She immediately had a measure of the Anglanduran hackers’ skills after a minute of work.

“Idiots.” I can’t believe they’re messing with the Chanaean government. I need to teach them a harsh lesson before they think they can continue picking on us.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard. Lines of code materialized on her laptop screen.

An Anglanduran hacker had been hired to steal Chanaea’s confidential information on military defense. His employer asked, “How is it going? Did you get it?”

“F*ck!” The hacker was about to access the information when someone blocked his hack and added an impenetrable firewall to the program.

“What happened?”

“We’re doomed.” Before the Anglanduran hacker could do a thing, his adversary had hacked into Anglandur’s firewall. His computer froze for ten whole seconds while he tried desperately to encrypt the firewall. Within that brief time frame, Anglandur’s confidential information had been stolen.

“What on earth happened?”

“The other party stole our confidential documents.”

“What? Who did this? Didn’t you say you were unbeatable?”

“It must be Phantom from Wings of Light. No one but that hacker can compete with me.”

“I cannot stress how important those confidential documents are. You’d better think about how to explain this to the President!”

The Anglanduran hacker swore, “Just you wait, Phantom!”

Back at the Tanner residence, Sophie sent the information she stole to Butterfly. Then, she entered a few lines of code and removed all traces of her past activity before shutting down her laptop.

Butterfly called her right after she switched off her laptop.

“I knew you could do it! I just didn’t think you could even steal their confidential documents in such a short time. You’re really a legend; no one can achieve your heights or defeat you.”

Sophie was already numb to such compliments, and she replied, “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

“All right. Payment goes to your usual card, right?”

“Yup.”

As usual, Sophie hung up without waiting for Butterfly’s reply.

Her hack had dragged another unfortunate victim along with it. Charles stared at the black screen on his computer in shock as he muttered, “Damn it! My laptop was hacked too.”

I wanted to catch Phantom in the act! Why did I get hacked instead?

Felix failed to suppress his laughter as he teased, “Are you sure you’ve got the chops, Charles?”

“This must be Phantom’s doing. No one else can perform such a hack.” There was truly no one else who could achieve that feat in such a short time and not leave a single trace behind.

Tristan, who had been silent all the while, suddenly asked, “Do you have any leads?”

“A little. I can confirm that Phantom is in Jipsdale.” That was the only useful piece of information he had gleaned.

“What? Phantom is in Jipsdale?”

Tristan added, “Find a way to get in touch with Wings of Light.” Wings of Light was a mysterious hacker organization. No one knew where the organization was based. They only knew that the hackers in the group were better than the next, and Phantom was the best of them all.

He returned to the CEO’s office, determined to get through the pile of work he had not dealt with since arriving in Horington several days ago.

After completing her assignment, Sophie played some phone games on her bed.

Someone knocked on her door, and she got up to see who it was.

“It’s your grandpa, Sophie.”

She quickly opened the door and asked, “What’s up, Grandpa?”

At the same time, she helped Josiah to walk into her room.

He said, “Tell me what happened five years ago. You’re my granddaughter, and I want the people who harmed you to receive their deserved punishment.”

“It’s fine, Grandpa. You don’t need to deal with this.” Josiah was old, and Sophie did not want him to worry over her. She added, “Just take care of your health. That’s enough for me.”

Josiah replied, “I know you suffered a great deal when I wasn’t around five years ago. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. Now that I’m back, no one will bully you again. Focus on your studies and leave the rest to me. I have a debit card for you. Buy anything you need. Let me know if you need more money. Don’t mistreat yourself, all right?”

Girls at Sophie’s age were busy prettifying themselves, yet Josiah was dismayed to discover the Tanners’ former princess with such a different personality than before.

Despite her tough demeanor, Sophie’s throat choked up with emotion. It had been a long time since anyone had looked out for her.

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

She could not bring herself to reject her grandfather’s kindness.

Sophie only arrived at school in the afternoon, and Butterfly called her incessantly again.

She found a quiet corner and answered the call.

Butterfly asked, “Did you offend anyone lately, Phantom?”

“Who did I offend this time?”

Others would find a way to ruffle her feathers even if she minded her own business. There was little she could do about it.

“Do you know Lombard Group? They’re investigating your identity.” Nothing could evade the knowledge of Wings of Light.

“Lombard Group? Yeah, I know who they are.” Sophie sounded utterly unconcerned.

Butterfly warned, “Be careful. You don’t want to make enemies of them.” No other corporation was a worthy match for Lombard Group in the whole of Jipsdale.

 

Chapter 7 Cannot Stand The Sight Of Her

“Got it.” Still, Sophie wasn’t bothered about it. Instead, she ordered, “Don’t contact me these few days.”

“Why? Are you really in trouble?” But then, she’s the only one who can handle some of the assignments!

“No, I’m just tired and would like to change my style of living.”

“What? Why are you suddenly tired? Don’t tell me you want to quit Wings of Light? No way! I’m not going to agree to that.”

At that, Sophie couldn’t help chuckling.

“I’m not planning to quit Wings of Light, Butterfly. It’s just that I’m busy with something else recently, so I don’t want to take on any assignments. No matter who it is and how much money they offer, simply decline them all.”

“What exactly happened? If you can’t handle it, you can tell me. Every member of Wings of Light can help you figure out a solution.” Wings of Light had plenty of talents, so they could resolve the issue no matter who she offended.

“It’s nothing.” Sophie didn’t want to continue talking about that, so she hung up right away.

Butterfly was familiar with Phantom’s character. If the latter didn’t want to speak about something, it would do her no good regardless of how hard she pressed for an answer. Besides, she believed that Phantom could resolve all problems.

Anyway, she could never understand the world of geniuses.

When Sophie returned to her class, she noticed that the look in other people’s eyes as they stared at her had turned even stranger.

Nonetheless, she didn’t pay it any mind.

Casting a look at her, Queenie couldn’t help sneering. Regardless of whether it was five years ago or the present, she’s still as annoying as ever!

After the first period, Sophie got to her feet to visit the washroom. A girl in front of her stood up as well.

“Nice to meet you, Sophie. I’m Ysabelle Lombard.” The girl who spoke had a bob cut and a pair of big, beautiful eyes.

Sophie merely grunted in acknowledgment, obviously not in the mood to entertain her.

“Wait a moment, Sophie!” Ysabelle wasn’t as tall as Sophie and hadn’t had the latter’s long legs either, so she struggled to match her pace.

“Is something else the matter?” Sophie could tell that she didn’t mean any harm.

“Sophie, they uploaded the pictures of you fighting to the school’s forum. You were so cool when you fought!” Admiration was written all over Ysabelle’s face.

“What pictures?”

Ysabelle then handed her phone to Sophie.

“Can I gang up with you henceforth?” Ysabelle asked with a sheepish smile.

“I don’t form gangs.” Sophie glanced at the pictures and saw that the discussion on the forum centered on her past. Caustic remarks about her amorality and shamelessness abounded.

“Don’t be angry, Sophie. Such is their attitude, always spouting nonsense. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Go back. Don’t mix with me.”

“Why? I like you a lot!” Ysabelle wasn’t bothered about Sophie’s indifference.

Sophie couldn’t do anything about someone like her, and she didn’t have any malicious intentions, so the former allowed her to tag along.

“Would you please teach me how to fight?” Ysabelle inquired earnestly.

“No.”

Oh well, I really can’t bring myself to hate her.

“Why not?” Ysabelle bit her lip before murmuring, “Do you not like me?”

“No.”

“But why? Am I not cute?” Ysabelle acted cute with Sophie.

Although Sophie remained impassive, she still didn’t give up.

“It’s okay. You still don’t know me well at the moment. When you know me better in the future, you’ll definitely like me!” Ysabelle rambled despite Sophie’s silence.

“Look at Ysabelle, Queenie. She actually went to the washroom with Sophie!”

“Hmph! Teach her a lesson so that she knows who exactly is the boss of Senior Class 8!” Queenie snarled.

She wanted the entire class to ostracize and pick on Sophie. Above all else, she wanted the latter to get out of Jipsdale.

“Okay! She’s undoubtedly a rotten apple since she’s siding with Sophie!” All the girls in the class didn’t like Ysabelle. She was beautiful, and her grades were passable, but her family background was, unfortunately, lacking.

When the school bell rang, Ysabelle followed Sophie back to the classroom.

Sophie’s seat was in the last row. Meanwhile, Ysabelle sat in the third row as she was pretty short. But when she walked in, someone stretched out a leg and tripped her.

As a result, Ysabelle stumbled forward.

Hearing the movement, Sophie whirled around and swiftly caught Ysabelle. Following that, Ysabelle fell right into her arms.

“Who did that?” She swept a gaze over everyone, upon which the classroom instantly plunged into dead silence.

Verily, Ysabelle suffered a fright. She knew that many in the class loathed Sophie, but she liked her from the depths of her heart at first sight.

Nevertheless, she hadn’t expected them to make a move against her so quickly.

“I’m fine, Sophie.” Afraid that a fight would break out, Ysabelle immediately mollified Sophie.

The girl who stretched out her leg earlier was a touch fearful at Sophie’s gaze. But still, she stood up.

“She was the one who was careless and tripped! What has it got to do with me? Why, do you want to fight?”

Sophie helped to steady Ysabelle on her feet. Then, she stalked toward that girl.

“Apologize.”

“I’m sorry.” The girl apologized without a hint of sincerity.

At that, Sophie saw red.

She stepped right on the girl’s foot.

At that trod, such excruciating pain swamped the girl that her foot went numb.

“How could you?”

The girl burst into tears.

“Sorry, I didn’t see your foot.” After saying that, Sophie spun on her heel and returned to her seat.

Seeing that, Ysabelle liked her all the more. Never had she seen such a cool girl.

When the other girls saw Sophie’s brutality, they didn’t dare utter a single word.

Queenie balled her hands into fists. Sophie’s behavior was different in the past, so she was a tad petrified by the present Sophie.

“Yvonne, go and tell the teacher about this after class. It’s Jipsdale Premier High here, so he’ll unquestionably hope that Sophie will get out of here as well!”

Therefore, Yvonne Zales went crying to Derrick after class. On top of that, she even called her parents.

“Look at my daughter’s foot, Mr. Hayes! It’s all red. Evie has always been a diligent and obedient child. We sent her to school in perfect condition, but she can’t even walk now. You must give me an

explanation today!” The Zales family has some influence in Jipsdale, so they couldn’t possibly allow their child to suffer such bullying without seeking justice.

Derrick’s brows furrowed.

“Calm down, Mrs. Zales. There must be some misunderstanding here since they’re all kids in their teenage years.”

“How could I possibly remain calm? Evie, tell your teacher who did this to you.” Selena Ardern was utterly dissatisfied with Derrick’s attitude.

“It was the new transfer student, Sophie Tanner. Mom, I heard that she used to fight and brawl a lot in the past. That aside, she even cohabitated with a ruffian and had an abortion. I don’t want to be in the same class as such a student.” Yvonne wailed even louder.

As Derrick listened, his expression turned increasingly darker.

“Where did you hear all this, Yvonne? It’s not good to say such things about your classmate. All that are unfounded rumors.”

No matter what, Sophie was his student, and such rumors were devastating to a girl.

“Are you biased toward Sophie, Mr. Hayes? If you don’t give me an explanation today, I’m going to seek Mr. Langston out personally!” Selena threatened furiously.

Just then, Sophie arrived at the office.

When she caught sight of Yvonne, she knew what it was all about.

“I have a question for you, Sophie. Were you the one who stepped on Yvonne’s foot?”

“Yes,” Sophie answered frankly.

Derrick couldn’t help but frown at her answer.

“Then, is there a conflict between the two of you? It’s normal for girls to have some conflicts.”

“There’s no conflict. I simply can’t stand the sight of her.” Such a paltry lesson is nothing when she dared to play tricks right under my nose!

 

Chapter 8 I Am Here For You

“Did you hear that, Mr. Hayes? How could there be such a student at Jipsdale Premier High? She’s too arrogant! She’s simply overbearing!” Selena was so livid that she leaped up from the couch.

“Do you not know the kind of creature your daughter is?” Sophie was exceedingly annoyed at her aggressive attitude.

“How dare you? Mr. Hayes, if you can’t handle this, have the discipline teacher come over.” Selena knew that Andy was very busy and had no time to handle such a matter. By then, she was already so infuriated that she couldn’t wait anymore.

“Mrs. Zales, this matter—”

“What about this matter? It’s already clear as day that she picked on my daughter! Are you still determined to defend her now? What exactly is your relationship with her, Mr. Hayes?”

Left with no other choice, Derrick could only have the discipline teacher come over.

As soon as Selena saw the discipline teacher, Rhett Quillen, she instantly demanded, “You must give me an explanation today, Mr. Quillen! Look at my daughter’s foot. If you can’t handle this problem well today, I’ll have no choice but to hand the matter over to the police. This is intentional assault!”

Rhett alternated his gaze between the fuming woman and Sophie, who said nothing at all.

“What exactly happened here, Mr. Hayes? Isn’t she a new transfer student? It’s only her first day here, and she has created such a huge mess?”

“Mr. Quillen, it’s normal to have conflicts between girls. I think there’s no need for us to make a mountain out of a molehill.”

“I’m making a mountain out of a molehill? How could you say that, Mr. Hayes?”

“Since Sophie is at fault, have her parents come and take her away.” Rhett made that decision after glimpsing Yvonne’s foot.

Meanwhile, Ysabelle called Tristan at once when she saw someone summoning Sophie away.

“Come over quickly, Uncle Tristan! Someone at school picked on me!”

Tristan was in a meeting when he received her call.

“Go to your father instead.”

“Uncle Tristan, my father will kill me if he learns about this. Hurry up and come over!” Ysabelle was on the verge of tears. After all, Sophie only trod on Yvonne’s leg because of her.

Knowing how much William loved that granddaughter of his, Tristan left his work uncompleted in the end and went to Jipsdale Premier High with Felix.

At the school, Rhett had Sophie call her parents and have them come over.

Ysabelle knocked on the door. After obtaining permission to enter, she immediately went in.

“Mr. Quillen, this matter has nothing to do with Sophie. It was Yvonne who picked on me.”

At the sight of her, Rhett’s brows inexorably creased.

“What do you know, girl? Yvonne has always been a good student with impeccable character and grades, while Sophie has always been notorious. Do you think Mr. Quillen will believe that?”

“All I said was true! Mr. Hayes, it was really Yvonne’s fault!”

Ysabelle was frantic to the point of tears when she saw that they didn’t believe her.

“You’re not needed here, Ysabelle. Go back.” Sophie hadn’t expected her to come over.

However, Ysabelle walked right up to her.

“Don’t be afraid, Sophie. I’m here for you!”

Truly, Sophie never thought that she would hear such words from another girl.

“Look, Mr. Quillen! They’re in cahoots. Expel them both! Allowing such students to stay will only affect the reputation of Jipsdale Premier High!” Selena continued kicking up a fuss unreasonably.

Rhett couldn’t quite figure out Ysabelle’s background, so he didn’t dare make a decision then.

“Mrs. Zales, this matter—”

“If you can’t handle this matter today, Mr. Quillen, then I’ll have no choice but to call Mr. Langston.” Selena put pressure on him.

Rhett knew the status of the Zales family in Jipsdale. As an inconsequential character, he didn’t dare offend them.

“In that case, we shall expel them both,” Rhett murmured helplessly.

“Mr. Quillen, neither of them committed any major mistakes. How could you expel them just like this?” Derrick felt that it was too hasty a decision. He held himself responsible for every single student in the class, so he didn’t harbor any prejudice against Sophie despite knowing that her grades were atrocious.

“This matter is decided, Mr. Hayes. Mrs. Zales, I heard that your company are recently—”

“Mr. Quillen is really unreasonable!” Even Ysabelle, who was as timid as a mouse, couldn’t help getting mad by then. She then continued, “Don’t worry, Sophie. I’ve already given my uncle a call. He’s very powerful!”

At that, Sophie arched a brow. Did I say that I’m afraid? It’s merely Jipsdale Premier High. A single phone call from me determines who’s expelled or dismissed.

“Who do you want to expel? Mr. Quillen, I think there’s no need for you to be at this school anymore.” When Felix heard at the door that Rhett wanted to expel Ysabelle, his temper spiked.

Right after saying that, he pushed open the door and allowed Tristan to enter before him.

Tristan didn’t expect to see Sophie there though he knew that she was also a student at Jipsdale Premier High and was planning to go and visit her later.

“Who are you both?” Rhett had never met Tristan and Felix. But from their auras, he knew that they weren’t easy prey.

“What a coincidence!” Felix was likewise surprised to see Sophie there.

Seeing the two of them, Sophie couldn’t help frowning. Why am I bumping into them everywhere?

“That isn’t important. The important thing is, you have no right to expel them both.”

“How arrogant! Do you think this is your house? It’s the school here! What can you do when Mr. Quillen is determined to expel them?” Selena hadn’t had any opportunity to have contact with people from Tristan’s circle, so she didn’t recognize the man before her. “Just expel them both, Mr. Quillen! Zales Corporation will handle it if there’s any problem!”

“Zales Corporation?” Tristan spoke at long last. “Is Zales Corporation very powerful, Felix?”

“No idea. What kind of business is Zales Corporation involved in?” Felix really couldn’t recall any company known as Zales Corporation right then.

“Did you see that, Mr. Quillen? They don’t even know of Zales Corporation, yet they’re putting on airs here!” Selena threw a contemptuous look at them.

“Why, is Zales Corporation all that mighty?” Felix countered.

“Do you believe I can make it so that you two are dead meat with a single phone call?” Selena grew all the smugger. They’re afraid now, huh?

“Honestly speaking, I’m really a touch scared now. I’ve still got my entire family to support, so what am I to do if I don’t have a job?” Felix fretted sarcastically.

Selena was too confident in Zales Corporation, and her sense of triumph soared after she heard that.

“So, what’s your choice? If the two of you are willing to drop to your knees and apologize to me now, I can still spare you both.”

“What?” Hah! She’s walking all over us! Just because I gave her an inch, she’s taking a mile!

Tristan was already at the end of his patience. Why bother yakking with such a person here?

“I’m giving you three hours to have the Zales Corporation she mentioned vanish from Jipsdale, Felix. Also, ensure that the Zales family do not appear anywhere I might go henceforth!”

When it came to being arrogant and domineering, no one could compare to him.

“What are you saying? Are you dreaming? Make Zales Corporation vanish? Do you think you’re Tristan Lombard?” In Jipsdale, only that man dares to say such a thing!

“Mr. Quillen, I don’t want anyone to know about the incident today.” After saying that, Tristan turned around and headed out.

Ysabelle promptly followed, tugging Sophie along. I just knew that Uncle Tristan could resolve the matter as soon as he intervenes!

 

Chapter 9 Do Not Doubt His Words

Seeing that they had all left, Felix instantly made a call.

“Hey, have Zales Corporation vanish from Jipsdale in three hours.”

Only then did Selena realize the gravity of the matter.

“Who exactly are you both?”

Her knees went weak, and she couldn’t quite remain steady on her feet anymore.

“Well, he’s Tristan Lombard, whom you mentioned earlier! You wanted his niece to apologize to you? How audacious of you!”

“Tristan Lombard? He’s really Tristan Lombard?” Selena collapsed onto the couch. Gah! Why on earth did I say such things just now?

“Mr. Quillen, the Lombard family doesn’t want Ysabelle’s identity to leak out. As such, you’re not allowed to breathe a single word about the incident today.”

The Lombard family merely wanted to give Ysabelle a simple life.

“Sure, sure!” Rhett no longer dared to say anything contrary by then.

After all, it was Tristan Lombard. A single flick of his finger could have the whole of Jipsdale quaking in fear.

“As for you, Mrs. Zales, it’s best that you leave Jipsdale quickly. Don’t doubt Mr. Tristan’s words.”

Having said that, Felix strode off.

Despite my remark, Sophie was the main reason Mr. Tristan came personally today. In the past, even if Ysabelle encountered some sort of problem, he only sent us over. Does he really fancy her that much?

Meanwhile, Ysabelle was over the moon that Tristan came to school personally to help her.

“Thank you, Uncle Tristan! Don’t tell my father about this. Otherwise, he’ll kill me.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

“Uncle Tristan, this is my classmate and best friend, Sophie. She only got into trouble with Yvonne today because she avenged me.” Ysabelle adored Sophie.

“Have you eaten?” It’s noon now, and they probably hadn’t had lunch.

“Nope. Are you planning to treat me to lunch, Uncle Tristan? Okay, then! I want to eat the cuisine at Pegasus Pavilion!”

“Okay.” Tristan nodded in agreement.

“Really? You’re too nice to me, Uncle Tristan!” Ysabelle hugged his arm in elation.

However, at the man’s icy gaze, she immediately dropped her hold on him. Oh God, how could I have forgotten that he detests others touching him?

“I’ve still got something to do, Ysabelle.” Sophie didn’t plan on eating with them.

Upon hearing that, Ysabelle grabbed her hand at once, clutching it tightly.

“I must thank you for this incident today, Sophie. Thus, I insist on treating you to this meal. If you don’t go, it means that you don’t regard me as your friend.” Her tone was firm, but the expression on her face was incredibly coy. “Please? Pretty please? It’s just lunch. My uncle isn’t going to eat you,” she continued coaxing.

Cough! Cough! Cough! Felix couldn’t help coughing. Perhaps Mr. Tristan really wants to eat her up!

“What’s wrong with you, Mr. Northley? Go to the hospital and get yourself checked up if you’re not feeling well.”

“No, no, I’m fine.” Felix swiftly waved a dismissive hand before saying, “I’ll make a reservation at Pegasus Pavilion right now.”

Sophie was most afraid of girls like Ysabelle, who was cute and kittenish, for she couldn’t bring herself to turn the latter down.

“Okay.” She nodded since it was just a meal anyway.

“I’ll go and drive the car over. You guys can wait for me here.” Felix promptly trotted off to get the car.

When the car arrived, Tristan personally opened the car door for Ysabelle.

“Go in.”

“Uncle Tristan, I can sit in the back with Sophie!” In truth, Ysabelle still wanted to cling to Sophie longer. Alas, a look from the man had her slipping into the passenger seat at lightning speed.

After closing the car door, Tristan opened the car door to the back seat for Sophie.

“After you.”

It was clear as day that his attitude toward her was far better than his own niece.

Sophie got into the car and moved inward. Tristan climbed in as well. The two of them sat side by side.

When Felix saw that, the urge to laugh seized him. He’s being too obvious, isn’t he? But is he really serious about a girl who’s only eighteen years old? Why did I never realize that he’s such a beast, liking

them young?

“What do you like to eat, Sophie?” Ysabelle turned and gazed at Sophie earnestly.

“I’m not picky.”

In the face of her smiling countenance, Sophie truly couldn’t bring herself to be harsh and unrelenting. Verily, she resembled a friend of hers very closely.

Throughout the drive, Ysabelle asked her questions every so often. In fact, she was the one doing all the speaking.

Surprisingly, Sophie, who always wore a chilly expression with others, answered all her questions, albeit briefly.

By the time they arrived at Pegasus Pavilion, the manager was already waiting outside.

The instant he spotted Felix’s car, he instantly stepped forward and welcomed them.

“Mr. Tristan, Mr. Northley, Ms. Ysabelle. Everything is ready.”

Tristan alighted from the car first. He waited until Sophie had also gotten out before closing the car door.

The manager had already helped Ysabelle open the car door. After getting out, she quickly went over to Sophie.

“Let’s go in, Sophie! We’re going to the washroom first, Uncle Tristan!” After saying that, she strode in, dragging Sophie with her.

Felix then alighted from the car and went over to Tristan.

“Sophie is remarkably patient with Ysabelle! From the look of things, she’s very fond of her.” After all, she has never given us any quarter!

“Yeah.” Naturally, Tristan discerned that as well.

“Judging from the situation, you’ve got to depend on Ysabelle if you want to draw close to her.”

Ignoring him, Tristan headed straight to the private room.

A few minutes passed before Ysabelle brought Sophie into the private room.

“Let me do the introductions, Sophie! This is my uncle, Tristan Lombard. In the future, you can follow me and address him as Uncle Tristan.”

Hearing that, Felix, who was drinking water, almost choked.

“Mr. Lombard.” Sophie didn’t address Tristan as Uncle Tristan. She had no blood ties with him, so she didn’t want to profess something false.

“You really don’t have to stand on formality, Soph. Whatever’s mine is yours, so my uncle is also your uncle.”

“Ysabelle.” Tristan didn’t give her the opportunity to continue spouting nonsense when that address carried a generational gap.

Following his glare, Ysabelle could only zip her mouth.

The manager came over to take their orders personally, giving them a menu each.

In no time, Ysabelle named several dishes.

Then, she turned and asked Sophie, “What would you like to eat, Soph? You don’t have to be shy with my uncle.”

Hence, Sophie ordered two dishes at random.

“I’m not being shy.”

Seeing that they had ordered enough food to go around, Tristan and Felix handed their menus back to the manager without ordering anything.

“Please wait for a while, Mr. Tristan.”

“What’s your phone number, Soph? I’ll add you to my contacts on WhatsApp.” Ysabelle wanted Soph’s phone number right after they had finished ordering.

Sophie didn’t decline, taking out her phone and tapping open WhatsApp, allowing her to scan her QR code.

“Where are you staying right now, Soph? Can I go and visit you?”

“I’m staying in a hotel right now and will look for a place in a few days.” Sophie didn’t plan to continue staying at the Tanner residence.

“Look for a place? I can help! What kind of place are you planning to look for?” Felix queried earnestly.

He could tell Tristan’s thoughts with a single glance without the latter having to voice them out.

“That’s right! Let Mr. Northley find a place for you, Soph!” It’ll be very troublesome for her to do it by herself.

“You don’t have to go to the trouble. I can manage by myself.”

“It’s no trouble at all. It’s my honor to help a beauty!” Felix didn’t allow her any chance to decline.

Soon, the manager came in with some servers and served the food.

Sophie sat between Tristan and Ysabelle. Once the food was served, both of them took food for her.

It was Ysabelle’s first time seeing her uncle taking food for someone else. Even she had never had such a privilege. As such, she eyed him strangely.

 

Chapter 10 An Unpleasant Encounter

“Eat your food. Are you going to be full just by staring at me?”

At that, Ysabelle promptly buried her head in the food. While Uncle Tristan is devastatingly handsome, I still can’t get full from staring at him.

Sophie didn’t turn to rebuff their kind intentions, and she ate everything the both of them presented before her.

Her appetite wasn’t ginormous in the first place, so she only ate half a bowl of pasta at most.

Pegasus Pavilion’s dishes were indeed pretty good, but she didn’t eat much.

“Is the food not to your liking?” She’s too thin. She’s almost one point seven meters, but she probably weighs only ninety pounds.

“No, it’s good. I just don’t eat much usually.”

“You eat even lesser than I do, Soph. We are still in the process of growing now, so you’ve got to eat more.” Ysabelle, who had been quiet for a while, started chattering nonstop once more.

“Okay.” Sophie didn’t refute that.

It was rather late after they finished lunch. Tristan personally sent them both to their nightly self-study session.

When the car was five minutes away from school, Felix pulled over.

“Study hard,” Tristan said to Ysabelle.

“Got it, Uncle Tristan! Do you still not know that I’m always a good girl?” Ysabelle was still all smiles.

When Sophie and Ysabelle returned to class, all the students in the class were talking about Yvonne transferring schools.

“Queenie, aren’t you good friends with Yvonne? Why did she suddenly transfer schools? Is it because of the incident this morning?”

“Exactly! Didn’t you say that Sophie will definitely be expelled? What exactly is going on here?”

“How would I know? I can’t even get in touch with her now.”

As soon as Queenie saw Sophie walking in, she immediately zipped her mouth.

Could it really be because of her? But the Zales family is quite reputable in Jipsdale, and the average person can’t possibly affect them.

Ysabelle went back to her seat. Shortly after, she rushed over in search of Sophie.

“This is for you, Sophie! She’s my favorite amateur singer. Although she’s an amateur singer, her music is really great. I love her a lot!” She handed Sophie a music player.

“We should start studying.”

“Ah, then I’ll be returning to my seat.”

Because of Yvonne’s incident, the self-study session that night appeared unusually quiet.

No one dared to pick trouble with Sophie and Ysabelle.

After the self-study session, Ysabelle waited for Sophie at the side.

“Why are you still here?” Her family has probably come to pick her up.

“I’ve been waiting for you! Let’s go! Everyone has left.”

Ysabelle took her bag out from the drawer and carried it before she went out with Sophie.

They had only walked for a little while when the car they rode in that afternoon came into sight.

“Your uncle is here to pick you up, so go home first.”

However, Ysabelle grabbed her hand and refused to let go.

“I’ll have him drop you off first.” While saying that, she resolutely dragged Sophie into the car.

This time, Tristan drove personally without Felix there. Finally, Ysabelle’s wish to sit with Sophie in the back seat came true.

Throughout the drive, she was still the one to chatter endlessly. Sophie, on the other hand, gave brief answers occasionally.

Tristan drove Ysabelle home first.

“You must help me send Sophie back, Uncle Tristan. You’re not allowed to bully her, okay? If you do so, I’ll… I’ll… Never mind. You probably won’t do that.” Ysabelle truly didn’t have the guts to threaten her uncle.

Only after watching her enter the Lombard manor did Tristan turn the car around.

“What exactly do you want from me, Mr. Tristan?”

He’s the top dog in Jipsdale, but he has been circling me the whole of today. Therefore, he can’t possibly have no ulterior motives.

“Do you still remember saving me in Horington? The mastermind knows that you were the one who saved me, so you’re now in great danger.”

“In danger? Oh, I see.” Sophie didn’t react much to that piece of news. Instead, she asked, “So?”

“I’ll protect you before the danger is neutralized.”

“Oh…”

Hmm, I’m merely a normal high school student now, so I should react like a high schooler.

“Jipsdale Hotel, please.” Sophie didn’t want to continue talking about that subject.

Tristan didn’t speak further either. When the car arrived at Jipsdale Hotel, he didn’t leave. Instead, he got out of the car.

“Is something else the matter?”

“I’m going to check out your living situation.”

Sophie was promptly rendered speechless.

What exactly is he trying to do?

She was staying in a single room in Jipsdale Hotel. Everything she had was still in her suitcase, which remained unpacked.

Initially, she hadn’t planned on staying long in Jipsdale. But judging from her grandfather’s condition, she couldn’t leave for the time being.

“This is everything there is to see. It’s very safe here.”

It couldn’t be clearer that she was giving the man the boot.

“Pack your things and move into Wisteria Apartments before the danger is neutralized.” Tristan had a unit in Wisteria Apartments, so she could stay there temporarily.

“Is Lombard Group that desperate to hire new employees, Mr. Tristan? I haven’t even graduated high school.” Sophie didn’t believe that the top dog in Jipsdale would care about a high schooler.

“Don’t worry, for I won’t coerce you into anything you’re unwilling to do.”

It must be some mysterious organization seeking to assassinate him. After all, someone who can afford to hire mercenaries can’t be a simple character.

Sophie decided not to stand on formality with him.

Since he’s so eager to take responsibility for my safety, I’ll just give him that opportunity. I can deal with those assassins, but I’ve got something else to do on my trip to Jipsdale this time. Hence, there’s no need for me to waste my time on that.

Everything of hers was basically still in her suitcase, so she didn’t have much to pack. Wheeling the suitcase along, she left with Tristan.

The car went straight to Wisteria Apartments. It was the most high-end and expensive residential area in Jipsdale. On top of that, it was even within the area of Jipsdale Premier High. Thus, one could only imagine its price.

“You probably don’t live here, yes?”

“I do occasionally.” Tristan had Sophie register her fingerprint. “Stay here with peace of mind. I’m not going to stay here during your stay.”

“Thank you.”

Tristan opened the door to a room. The décor inside was exceedingly simple, in line with the impression he gave others.

Sophie didn’t unpack her suitcase. Not only was she uncertain about how long she was going to stay there, but she didn’t have much luggage, so she was in no hurry to unpack.

“Let’s go! There’s a supermarket downstairs. I’ll bring you down to buy some necessities.”

“It’s very late. I’m tired and would like to rest.” Sophie didn’t feel like going out to shop.

“There aren’t even any toothbrush or towels here. It’ll only take about ten minutes.”

“Okay, then.”

The two of them proceeded to the supermarket downstairs. Sophie was a speedy shopper, so it only took her ten minutes to choose some daily necessities.

After an exhausting day, all she wanted to do was go back and rest. She looked back, but she didn’t see any signs of Tristan.

Not in the mood to look for him everywhere, she waited at the cashier.

Before Tristan showed up, however, she caught sight of Queenie. Queenie hadn’t expected to see her there either.

“I was just wondering who it was, and it turned out to be you, Ms. Sophie! You hooked up with a ruffian back then, so who else did you seduce this time?” Her voice was shrill and loud, making it so that everyone around could hear that.

“Who is she, Queenie?” Queenie’s boyfriend was with her. The instant he glimpsed Sophie, he couldn’t take his eyes off her anymore.

Queenie was considered quite a beauty, but the girl before her stood at a height of about one point seven meters, complete with long and slender legs. Her skin was extremely fair, and one couldn’t forget her countenance just after a single look. Her eyes, especially, were bewitching.

Clocking the look in her boyfriend’s eyes as he stared at Sophie, a sense of utter chagrin rose within Queenie. She’s still as shameless as before, seducing men all the time!