Chapter 182
William had long disliked Isabella. If not for his position as an elder making it inappropriate to interfere in the younger generation’s affairs, he would have sent Isabella abroad ages ago. Now, with Henry out of New York, he finally had the freedom to deal with feabella himself
Truthfully, if not for Sophia constantly putting in a good word for Isabella, he probably would have thrown Isabella into the ocean to feed the fish.
During the early years when the Harding family was establishing itself, William’s hands had been stained with blood; dealing with a young woman like Isabella would be nothing to him. But it wasn’t worth ruining his relationship with his grandson Henry over someone like Isabella.
William ignored Isabella’s pleas and screams, signaling the nurses to proceed. They descended upon the trembling Isabella, each with outstretched hands resembling demons crawling out of hell.
The sight was so terrifying that Isabella fainted immediately.
The old man glanced at the unconscious young woman on the hospital bed and shook his head. “Completely useless!”
Just then, Mark pulled out his phone, and William’s face immediately brightened with joy. The screen displayed photos of Sophia and Billy at a ski resort in Aspen, Colorado.
In the pictures, Sophia held Billy’s hand, both bundled up against the cold with only their eyes visible. Mother and son both wore gloves, their hands–one large, one small–forming a heart shape as they smiled with eyes curved into crescents.
After admiring the photos, William reluctantly let Mark put the phone away and said, “According to my arrangements, my friend’s grandson should arrive there in a couple of days. Make sure they meet.” He paused, then emphasized, ‘Remember, the handsome one–arrange for him to meet Sophia in a completely natural way. She shouldn’t suspect it’s a matchmaking attempt, understand?”
Mark couldn’t help but feel bemused. “Sir, are you helping the young master or hurting him?”
William huffed. “Henry needs to develop some sense of crisis! Sophia has been deeply hurt by love–she certainly won’t look for another man on her own. If I don’t worry about her future, who will? Since my grandson doesn’t love her, we should find someone who does.”
Understanding William’s good intentions, Mark went to make the arrangements.
After arriving in Aspen, Sophia and Billy spent their days visiting famous tourist attractions and indulging in delicious food. Mother and son, faced with the endless expanse of snow, were like rabbits released from their cage–frolicking with unbridled joy.
In fact, Henry had also come to Aspen. Suffering from a severe cold and fever, he hadn’t appeared before the mother–son duo. William had sent doctors and bodyguards to look after him, handling his meals and daily needs. After several days of treatment, Henry’s fever had subsided, though he remained weak and plagued by a persistent cough.
That evening, William instructed the bodyguards to take Billy out to play, while Sophia went to meet a friend on his behalf. Upon reaching the designated location, she saw a handsome man waiting. Sophia couldn’t help but be drawn to the color of his eyes, causing her to look at him for a few extra seconds.
After a moment’s hesitation, she responded to his question: “Hello, I’m Sophia Wilson. Are you Alexander Reynolds?*
Alexander extended his right hand politely, gently shaking hers as he replied, “Yes, that’s me. My father is a friend of Mr. William Harding. Dad sees that I’m thirty and still don’t have a girlfriend, so he’s been asking everyone to introduce me to someone. He says he doesn’t care who it is–even someone with a family would be fine.”
Sophia laughed at his joke and handed him the package William had entrusted to her. “This is from Grandpa William for your father. Would you mind delivering it for me?”
Alexander spoke with wit and humor, exuding a strange but comforting warmth that quickly earned Sophia’s trust. They fell into an e versation.
He was six years older than Sophia and well aware of William’s intentions, but he genuinely admired Sophia. Their views on life aligned remarkably well, and given their similar ages, experiences, and perspectives, they didn’t even need to search for conversation topics. Alexander’s humor helped Sophia relax, quickly erasing her initial nervousness. In fact, everything he said seemed to make her laugh.
As they conversed freely, a tall figure approached their table–it was Henry!
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Chapter 182
After Sophia had pushed him into the fountain that night, he had caught a cold. That night, fio developed a high fever, beinming in deficans he didn’t kope where he was. While he slept, William’s bodyguards had put him on a plane and brought him directly to Aspen without explanation.
That afternoon, Henry had overheard the bodyguards mentioning Sophia’s name and instinctively strained to listen. Only then did he learns that Sephia sot Billy were also in Aspen. The mother and son had been there for several days, enjoying themselves daily, apparently having completely forgraten dunst kir.
After learning Sophia was there, Henry could no longer remain calm. Despite still feeling weak and lacking strength, he mirarally got up and left the hotel, wandering along the streets until he spotted a familiar figure through a café window–Sophia.
Without hesitation, Henry strode into the café directly toward Sophia’s table. Alexander, seeing the sudden appearance of this man, was momentarily stunned before quickly realizing that he must have a significant connection to Sophia.
Sophia, who had been laughing just moments before, instantly darkened upon seeing the uninvited Henry. She stood up immediately and addressed Alexander: “Mr. Reynolds, I’m sorry, but I’ve encountered an unexpected problem. I won’t take up any more of your time. Can we meet again another day?”
Alexander gave Henry a meaningful look before smiling. “It’s no problem. Grandpa William asked me to keep you company for a few days, and I haven’t properly fulfilled my duties as a host yet!”
In truth, Alexander had heard about Henry from his father. This must be the ‘ungrateful grandson‘ that William had mentioned.
Though Sophia avoided looking at Henry, she could feel his intense gaze upon her. At this point, she had lost all interest in continuing her outing and only wanted to leave quickly to escape Henry.
Alexander handed Sophia his business card, which she accepted with both hands and placed in her purse. She put on her coat, said goodbye to him with a smile, and headed for the café door. As soon as she left, Henry’s expression darkened considerably, glaring at Alexander like he was looking at an enemy.
“Stay away from her,” he threatened. “She’s my wife, not someone you can lust after!”
Alexander shrugged nonchalantly, picking up his coat from the sofa and putting it on methodically. As he buttoned it up, he addressed the confrontational Henry: “Whether she’s still your wife remains to be seen! I heard from Grandpa William that she doesn’t love you at all and is determined to divorce you.”
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