Chapter 482 William and Hayden （83）
"No need," Hayden interrupted before the "waitress" could finish.
If she installed an anti-spyware app, Sophia would know everything.
"Thank you," Hayden said while pulling out a generous reward from her bag for the waitress. She added a piece of advice, "Don't leave right away. Rest here at the hotel for a while. You can go after we leave."
"Sure thing, thanks!" Taking the money, the "waitress" thanked Hayden and then left.
"Hayden, Sophia, she's just too..." Azalea began, her words laden with anger.
"It's fine. At least now I know what she wants, and I'll find a way to deal with it," Hayden cut her off, dismissing Azalea's indignation.
"Just tell me what I should do; I'll help you take down that wretch, Sophia," Azalea said through clenched teeth, her hatred for Sophia surpassing even Hayden's.
Seeing her reaction, Hayden suddenly smiled, lifting Azalea's chin, and softly said, "Don't worry. I will! What you need to do now is to calm down and act as if you know nothing."
"That vile Sophia, I just want her gone," said Azalea, her eyes showing a zero-tolerance for betrayal.
"Okay, okay, let's not get angry," Hayden responded swiftly, reassuringly grabbing Azalea's arm and changing the subject. "I'm starved. Let's get changed and grab something to eat."
Azalea, grinding her molars and shooting Hayden a stern look, was eventually pulled away by her.
...
After lunch at the hotel, Hayden and Azalea went their separate ways, heading straight back to the Smith family estate.
On the way, they encountered a traffic accident, causing a massive jam, so Hayden decided to take a detour.
The GPS took her onto a small road in an upscale private villa area for some reason. Seeing someone pushing a baby stroller ahead, Hayden quickly stepped on the brakes, bringing the car to a halt.
As she pulled her car to a stop and glanced up inadvertently, she discovered two incredibly familiar silhouettes in the distance in front of a mansion's gate.
They were Sophia and Daniel.
Besides the mother and son, there was another towering and robust man who, despite appearing to be middle-aged, still had an irresistibly handsome charm.
It was Pierre, Nikolai's father.
How could she have forgotten – the Johnson family lived right here.
At that moment, Pierre held Daniel's hand while standing in front of a vehicle, watching Sophia intently. The two were talking about something.
It appeared that Sophia had brought Daniel back to the Johnson home, and they were preparing to leave.
Typically, Pierre sending Sophia and Daniel to their car would be a completely ordinary act, but the way Pierre looked at Sophia seemed off. It wasn't like how a brother looks at his sister, but more like...
Like lovers!
Yes, that gaze was like that of lovers reluctantly parting ways!
Back in the South, many times when she was about to leave William's apartment to return to her mansion, William had that same look in his eyes.
Full of longing, reluctance, and tender affection.
She couldn't be mistaken. She would never forget all the ways William looked at her in this life.
But how could this be? Weren't Pierre and Sophia siblings? Why would Pierre look at Sophia that way?
While Hayden was pondering, Sophia surprisingly reached out and adjusted the collar of Pierre's coat. They seemed to exchange a few more words, after which a gentle and sweet smile spread across Pierre's face.
Hayden frowned.
Straightening someone's collar wasn't necessarily an intimate gesture, but Sophia and Pierre's interaction and eye contact were indeed unusual, brimming with subtlety and suggestive warmth.
After about thirty seconds, during which they apparently exchanged words, Pierre lovingly ruffled Daniel's hair before helping them into the car.
Wary of being discovered by Pierre, Hayden quickly looked away and donned her sunglasses.
Then, by the time she looked back, Sophia and her son's car were already pulling away while Pierre stood still, silently watching as they left.
The Johnson family lived in the Imperial Capital, less than an hour's drive from the Smith family estate. Sophia's desire to return to the Johnsons was a casual affair. Pierre had made such a fuss about personally escorting Sophia and her son, even lingering long after their car had driven away. Couldn't he bear to part with them?
Was his unusual behavior simply because Sophia was now the favored lady of the Smith family, and to ensure the prosperity of the Johnsons, he had to cozy up to Sophia?
However, she remembered that when Pierre visited the Smiths, his interactions with Sophia were formal and distant, even more so than those between ordinary siblings.
What kind of game were they playing?
Pierre stood there until Sophia's car vanished around the bend, and then he turned and headed inside the house.
As he returned, he glanced in Hayden's direction, startling her so much that she almost instinctively tried to duck below the steering wheel.
Fortunately for her, Pierre's glance was brief, and he entered the house without pause.
Watching him disappear into the villa, Hayden sighed in relief. The heart that had leaped into her throat now settled back into place.
She had made sure no one was following her when she turned onto the side road, but mindful of her phone's GPS, she didn't dare linger and quickly pressed the accelerator to leave.
...
When Hayden got home, Sophia and Daniel had already returned.
