After work, Sophia received a message from Margaret.
"How's it going, Sophia? Did you quit your job successfully?"
"No, I'll try again."
Margaret: "I knew it! How could Lucas let you off so easily? !"
Sophia put down her phone and lowered her head on the desk.
For some reason, she was so tired and wanted to cry.
She missed her mom and dad.
Maybe she should go to the cemetery and visit them at the weekend.
Sophia was also in the car in the car accident. If her mother had not held her tightly, she would have died along with them.
Eleven years old, she still remembers the suffocating feeling of being held tightly in her mother's arms.
Her mother died instantly, and her father was in the hospital for a few days, but he also died along with her mother.
That's why she never liked to fasten the buttons at the neckline of her shirt, because it would make her suffocate with the thought of the car accident and her parents.
If only she could have gone with them that year. She wouldn't have had to put up with being treated like a guest in someone else's home, being looked down upon, being bullied at school, or being used as a sex object by Lucas now.
Her life would have been much less painful, and she would have only had the happiness of her childhood.
At that moment, she heard a tapping sound coming from the table.
"Secretary Sophia."
Sophia looked up, and Lucas was standing in front of his desk.
Seeing Sophia's reddened eyes and tears streaming down her rosy face, Lucas froze.
He felt his heart being torn apart.
Sophia...why was she crying?
Was it because she was in pain? Because she didn't want to have sex with him? Or because he wouldn't let her resign?
"President," Sophia wiped her face hastily.
"Where's the business trip itinerary?"
Lucas stared at her face, and every second he spent looking at her made him feel like his heart had missed a beat.
"I'm sorry, President, but because the information on the booked hotel has changed, I just made a new one and sent it to you," Sophia said, picking up the folder on the table, 'and I printed another one for you."
"Mm,' Lucas took the folder.
"If the President has nothing else to do, I'll go off work first," Sophia bowed slightly to him.
Just as she was about to turn around, Lucas asked something he had never said to a woman in his 29 years:
"Dinner?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he was shocked even by himself.
He, Lucas, subconsciously, was actually inviting a woman to dinner?
Sophia frowned in confusion, wondering if she had heard wrong.
"I'm sorry, CEO, could you repeat that?"
"It's nothing."
Lucas took the folder and turned to go back into his office.
...
Lucas sat in the back of the Rolls-Royce as Henry drove him to the Ji residence.
The whole way, Lucas didn't say a word. He crossed his legs, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the armrest of the backseat, his expression as cold as ever.
For the first time, he didn't read documents in the car, but looked out the window.
His heart felt like it was being churned by something, and he felt an indescribable sense of discomfort.
After spending two nights with Sophia, had he become addicted?
The black Rolls-Royce pulled up to a private villa halfway up the mountainside.
The villa was built into the hillside. It took ten minutes to drive from the golden relief gate to the front entrance of the villa. The whole way was lined with emerald green lawns, towering poplars, and all kinds of flowers competing for attention.
Just maintaining all this vegetation required a lot of manpower and resources.
There was no second villa like this in the capital city, where every inch of land was precious.
Lucas usually lives in the villa district in the center of the imperial capital, and his grandparents and parents live in the Ji residence. He is usually very busy at work and only comes back once in a while.
He got out of the car, pushed open the door to the villa hall, and walked in with long strides.
His mother, Elizabeth, was sitting on the mahogany sofa in the living room, drinking tea. She was wearing a black silk dress, her hair high and up in a bun, and she looked elegant and dignified.
She gently blew on the English black tea in her cup and didn't look at Lucas.
"You're back?" she said nonchalantly.
Elizabeth had a small face and fair skin, and was a natural beauty. Lucas looked a lot like her.
"Mom," Lucas said casually, sitting on the sofa and crossing his legs.
Elizabeth glanced at him. From that glance, she could tell that her son was in a bad mood today.
She whispered, "Put your legs down,"
Elizabeth grew up as the famous Miss Elisabeth of Xincheng and married into the Lucas family with a generous dowry. She has the bearing of a lady of the upper class in every move she makes, and she has been strict with Lucas since he was young.
If there is one woman in the world who can make Lucas obedient, it is probably Elizabeth.
He reluctantly lowered his legs and looked around, "Where's Dad?"
"He went to the city to participate in a golf tournament."
"Where's Grandpa?"
"He's gone to find you a marriage partner."
Lucas's face fell.
Since retiring from his position as president of LU Group more than ten years ago, Grandpa Ji has had few hobbies. Apart from practising calligraphy, growing flowers, amusing the birds, he has been busy finding himself a granddaughter.
He is tireless in this pursuit.
At this moment, the door opened and the butler ushered Grandpa Ji in.
Grandpa Ji, with his white hair and boyish face, was in high spirits. Seeing Lucas home, he immediately beamed, and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened even more.
Lucas stood up and said, "Grandpa."
"Lucas is back? How is Sarah, the one I introduced to you last time?"
When Sarah was mentioned, Lucas's mind immediately conjured up Sophia's little face, which was beaten red.
He couldn't help but feel a pang of remorse.
Damn it, what madness is he in again.
Lucas immediately said with a serious expression, "Grandpa, did you tell her to come to the company to find me?"
"Yes."
No wonder, Lucas was wondering at the time who had given her the nerve to barge into his office so arrogantly.
"I kicked her out. She hit my secretary, so I bought a search warrant and had her arrested."
Grandpa Ji almost lost his balance with the walking stick he was leaning on.
Elizabeth laughed lightly, "Dad, don't make things difficult for yourself, this boy has no intention of getting a girlfriend."
An expression of anger flitted across the old man's face, and his voice rose: "No girlfriend? Our LU Group is such a big enterprise, and he's going to break the succession here? !"
Elizabeth was not at all worried: 'He's not interested in women, and there's nothing you can do even if you hold a knife to his neck."
Lucas thought, not interested in women? It seems that's not the case.
The old man was so angry that he had a headache, and he turned and went upstairs: 'Call me when dinner is ready."
After the old man left, Lucas sat back down on the sofa and, irritated, picked up the orange on the table and started to peel it. His long, slender fingers, with their well-defined joints, skimmed across the orange peel, as if he were creating a work of art.
Elisabeth stared at her son in disbelief. He was usually so meticulous, and yet he was peeling an orange with his bare hands.
It seemed that his mood was indeed not good at all.
The orange juice stained Lucas' clean fingernails yellow. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket with disgust.
Bang.
With a soft sound, something was brought out of his pocket along with his handkerchief.
Elisabeth bent down to pick it up and gave Lucas a meaningful look.
"Did you hurt yourself?"
Lucas turned his head, and in Elisabeth's hand was Sophia's ointment.
He had casually stuffed it into his pocket when he left the hotel suite that morning and then completely forgotten about it.
The four large red characters on the ointment, "For Gynecological Use Only," were glaring and extremely eye-catching.
Lucas extended his hand to Elizabeth, "Mom, give it back."
Elizabeth placed the ointment in his hand, 'You can use this?"
Lucas ignored her and shoved the ointment into his pocket.
At this time, the butler walked over, 'Madam, young master, dinner is ready."
Elisabeth stood up and turned to lucas and said, "Don't screw this up."
"Got it."