Chapter 487 Birthday
"I don't know either. Anyway, Nicholas told my dad. His team is amazing; they can bring people back to life with just one move," Clayton said, clearly impressed.
Mia felt uneasy. She hadn't expected things to turn out this way. What should she do? She had no way to get involved with Nicholas' team, especially since they were abroad.
Under the table, Daisy squeezed Mia's hand and gave her a look. Mia composed herself and warmly entertained Clayton, making him feel even more at home.
Sophia's birthday was coming up, and the three kids were secretly planning a surprise. Emma quickly suggested, "Let's ask Daddy to do this and that."
The three kids lay on the carpet, their heads close together, having a lively discussion.
In previous years, Sophia's birthday was always spent with Caroline, Vincent, and the kids. Last year, Caroline hadn't returned to the country yet, so only Vincent was with her. This year, Vincent was studying abroad but hadn't forgotten Sophia's birthday. He sent his gift early.
With Vincent's gift as a reminder, Sophia didn't forget her birthday this year, but she didn't plan to celebrate it. Celebrating would only remind her she was another year older!
This year, her birthday fell on a workday. Sophia went to work early, and her morning was packed with meetings and data reports, keeping her busy.
As lunchtime approached, the company suddenly announced: [All employees get a half-day off this afternoon.]
Everyone was stunned for a second before cheering. Many employees in the chat group were discussing the sudden holiday, where to go, and what to do.
In the workplace, any decision by upper management would be speculated upon. Was there a hidden meaning? Was there some change?
So, some people started to investigate the reason for the holiday.
Administration Department: [We don't know; the directive came from the General Office.]
General Office: [We don't know either; Alex conveyed the order.]
Alex was offline. His messages were piling up. He didn't dare say Gabriel gave the whole company a holiday just to celebrate Sophia's birthday because he couldn't find a good excuse to give only Sophia the day off.
Although Gabriel and Sophia's situation was sweet, Alex felt lonely knowing it alone. A few days ago, Harrison had finished some matters and went abroad to be with his girlfriend. Alex had wanted to share this with Harrison but then remembered Harrison had a girlfriend, so he sighed.
Alex sighed, "In the end, I bear it all alone."
Sophia looked at the sudden holiday notice and vaguely thought of something. But then she thought, 'Gabriel is a businessman. The Lancaster Group makes enough money in half a day to keep me comfortable for a lifetime. How could he possibly give the whole company a holiday just for me?'
Sophia dismissed the thought, finished her work, and went to the cafeteria for a quick bite before heading home.
Ruth was surprised to see Sophia back so early. Thinking of Sophia's birthday, Ruth looked at her knowingly.
"Have you been tired lately? How about taking a nap first?" Ruth suggested.
"Yes, Ruth, I'll go to my room first," Sophia replied.
Sophia went to her room and took a nap. When she woke up, Betty mentioned a great new movie. With a free afternoon, Sophia decided to watch it in the home theater. Betty even brought her some snacks.
During her pregnancy, Sophia often watched movies and documentaries alone, so it didn't feel strange to do it now.
Before the movie started, her phone rang. "Hello," she answered.
"We found out Tiffany goes to Bloom Beauty Studio once a month."
Bloom Beauty Studio was owned by Dylan's lover. Sophia's expression turned serious. "She goes there for beauty treatments?"
"It doesn't seem like it. Tiffany gets her beauty treatments at other salons every month."
"Then she... I understand. Keep investigating Tiffany's relationship with Bloom Beauty Studio for me."
"Okay."
The movie started, but Sophia couldn't focus. She kept thinking about Tiffany and her suspicions grew. 'If I tell Gabriel about this, will he believe me?'
Sophia remembered Tiffany saying she had saved Gabriel's life. 'Tiffany is Gabriel's lifesaver and first love. Even though they broke up, Gabriel might still trust her because of their history.'
Sophia's expression changed several times. She realized she still cared a lot about Tiffany's presence and didn't feel secure. She decided to keep investigating and leave Tiffany no room for denial.
The movie lasted two hours, but Sophia didn't watch any of it. When it ended, there was a prompt for behind-the-scenes footage. She decided to watch it.
The funny bloopers made Sophia laugh. Suddenly, the scene changed, and the screen showed three kids! Playful music started playing.
Sophia was stunned. The kids lined up, backs to the camera, wiggling their butts, then jumped and turned around. They wore white T-shirts and casual jeans with words printed on them.
Ethan's said: [We.]
Sam's said: [Really.]
Emma's said: [Love.]
Then Josie wobbled into the frame, almost walking out of the shot before Emma pulled her back. Josie's T-shirt said: [Mom.]
Together, it read: [We really love mom.]
Then the four kids turned around, continuing to wiggle, with words on their backs: [Happy Birthday.]
Sophia was so surprised she didn't know how to react. At that moment, the music stopped, and the speakers played the kids' tender, synchronized voices.
"Mommy, happy birthday! We love you!"
The camera zoomed in on Ethan. He said, "Mommy, thank you for giving birth to us and protecting us. When I grow up, I'll protect you."
Then it cut to Sam, who gestured, "Thank you, Mommy, for coming back to me. I love you more than you love me."
Emma said, "Mommy, if Daddy bullies you, I'll help you bully Daddy. I know Daddy's weak spots."
Josie said, "Sophia, I... I'll play a song for you."
Caroline also appeared on the screen. She said, "Sophie, my best friend, happy birthday! How about it? Surprised? The kids came up with this, and there's a big surprise coming soon."
With that, the screen went black, and the home theater door opened, letting in a beam of light. A tall figure walked in, backlit.
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