Chapter 254: Sam Receives Threats
"Yes," replied Alex.
"Turn it on for me to see."
Alex opened the live stream for Gabriel to watch. After a while, Gabriel finally spotted Sophia in the corner. She was too far away to be seen clearly, but he recognized her instantly.
"The vice president from Fusion Dynamics Corporation is here to judge and select a couple of students; they've been wanting to expand their business back here. Tell Margaret about this so she can talk to Sophia about it," he suggested.
That woman, knowing such a great opportunity, would surely compete for it.
Interning at Fusion Dynamics Corporation would be beneficial to her.
"Yes."
"And remember, don't say I told you."
Alex thought to himself, the boss clearly hasn't forgotten his ex-wife, always looking out for her interests.
Miss Foster really stands no chance.
Meanwhile, Tiffany, who had lost her memory, was learning new things and meeting new people every day.
After she decided to pursue Gabriel again, she started taking action. Initially, she invited Gabriel for meals, but he always claimed he was too busy.
So, she learned to cook and got up early to make a dish and a soup.
Carrying a thermal lunch box, she knocked on the door and placed it on his desk.
"Gabriel, I made this meal myself. Remember to eat at noon and don't go hungry," she said, without hiding her care for him.
Gabriel glanced at it.
"I have a lunch meeting," he said.
"Oh? Then have it for dinner."
"I'm dining with a client at night."
"Then I'll make you something tomorrow."
"No need to go to the trouble; I'm really busy lately." Gabriel's deep eyes fixed on Tiffany for a few seconds.
Tiffany indeed had changed from how she used to be, with hints of the person she had been during their time together in the hospital.
However, he had decided to let go of the fondness he had for her back then.
Tiffany showed a fleeting look of disappointment, but it vanished quickly as her cheerful smile returned.
"It's okay, I can wait for you to get through this busy period."
...
The contest went on for a full four hours, and everyone's stomachs were growling, but no one complained of hunger.
When time was up, those who hadn't finished their garments were eliminated, while the completed outfits were displayed on dummies for the judges to score.
Arya Stark led the way, meticulously inspecting each piece and giving her scores.
Another hour passed.
"Alright, you've all worked hard. To show our appreciation, Mrs. Arya has offered to treat everyone to dinner."
So many people! Mrs. Arya is picking up the tab?
The ones who had been eliminated for not finishing their clothes on time suddenly felt a surge of excitement.
Arya had already arranged a banquet upstairs; once the scoring was done, everyone headed straight up to eat.
Dining with Mrs. Arya was not an opportunity that came by often, and everyone eagerly attempted to cozy up to Arya Stark. She seemed stern but was quite approachable, answering every question put to her.
Sophia also wanted to make an impression, but she couldn't find a way into the circle.
"Sophia, long time no see," said Randall as he approached her.
Sophia quickly moved to the side, creating distance between them.
"Haven't seen you for a bit, and you're already treating me like a stranger?" Randall said with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I don't know you that well," Sophia said indifferently.
Randall's face darkened suddenly.
"That's okay, you'll get to know me soon enough."
He stepped forward, then turned back and added, "Forgot to tell you, it will be tough for you to advance this time—your overall score is too low."
Sophia felt a sinking feeling in her heart, but she ignored Randall.
Halfway through the meal,
"Your name is Sophia, right?"
A pleasant voice suddenly called out, making Sophia quickly swallow her food and stand up in surprise.
"Mrs. Arya, hello, my name is Sophia."
Now Arya got a clear view of Sophia, and she paused for a moment, seemingly in thought.
Like!
"Arya Stark?" Sophia, seeing her distraction, called out uncertainly.
Arya snapped out of her reverie and smiled warmly, "Sorry, something crossed my mind."
"It's no problem at all."
"Your design is very unique. Keep up the good work," Arya gave her an approving look.
Sophia's spirits soared.
She had just received praise from Mrs. Arya!
Several others also received Arya's commendations, and those who didn't could only look on with envy.
Stark Arya excused herself in the middle of their meal due to a phone call, while Sophia had about finished eating and wiped the corners of her mouth before taking off. There was no need for her to wait around, as the results for advancement wouldn’t be published for another three days.
In the parking lot, Stark Arya climbed into a Bentley.
“How did you end up back home?” Stark Arya asked her son with a gentle gaze as he drove.
“I’ve got a patient to attend to, and I happened to have some time to come and check in.”
“Seeing patients is just an excuse, isn’t it?”
She knew her son well – if he was up to something, she could tell by the slightest hint.
A trace of embarrassment crossed Colin’s face.
“Now that you know, let’s just leave it at that,” he replied.
After dropping his mother off at the hotel, Colin called Sophia.
Sophia, just back home, was thrilled.
“Mr. Colin, why don’t you come over for dinner tonight?”
“Sure, tonight I’ll run a test on Sam.”
“Okay.”
Sophia immediately turned to head out shopping for groceries.
Colin had wanted to visit when Gabriel reported that something was off with Sam. But Irene Holmes had gotten into trouble, and he had to clean up her mess first.
Arriving with presents for the three children, Colin was greeted warmly.
“Mr. Colin, you shouldn’t have,” Sophia said, touched by his thoughtfulness.
“No need for formalities,” Colin said, his sullen mood lifting at the sight of Sophia. He couldn't help but ponder how much easier things would be if Sophia were his sister, unlike Irene Holmes who was always causing trouble.
As dinner was almost ready, Jake Hughes showed up, mostly to snag a free meal. The moment he stepped in and saw another man there, his guard went up.
Colin too was observing him, offering a slight smile.
Each man was sizing up the other, both feeling somewhat cautious and inscrutable.
“Hello, I’m Jake Hughes.”
“Just call me Colin.”
They shook hands while Emma looked back and forth between them.
Wow, it was like watching a scene from a TV show, two handsome men in a standoff. Emma wondered who her mother would choose.
The three kids kept the meal from becoming too awkward, but after dinner, Colin finished the psychological test for Sam and came out of the room with a serious look.
“It seems like Sam has been frequently threatened in the past.”
Sophia’s heart tightened at the thought, a hint of pain surfacing.
Ethan immediately realized it must have been the bad woman who threatened Sam; she even locked Sam in a dark room at the amusement park once.
Could Sam’s issues be connected to that woman?
“I need to further investigate the specific nature of these threats,” Colin stated gravely.
"I guess his withdrawal could be related to those threatening messages," Colin said, each word adding weight to Sophia's already heavy heart.
She had always thought it was because of her that Sam had become withdrawn.
Was Gabriel dead?
Had he not noticed anything at all?
Or worse, was he involved?
That would make him unworthy of being a father!
Sophia was angry and heartbroken. She felt a tightness in her chest as she gasped for air, her tears falling uncontrollably as she crouched down.
Why did her Sam have to endure all this? He was so young.
"Mommy."
Emma hugged her mommy and Ethan came over to join in the embrace.
Both children had red-rimmed eyes.
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