Chapter 21 She deserved a Hug

Remington sneered, "I haven't lost my mind, I won't make such a foolish investment."
"Fine." Charles made up his mind, "If you won't invest, I will. As a chairman, am I unable to make a small investment decision?"
Remington coldly laughed, "But don't forget, when you stepped down and handed over power, you issued a written promise to me and the board of directors, stating that you wouldn't interfere with any of my decisions. It was because you agreed to this condition that I took over our family's business. Without my signature and seal, any decision you make as chairman is invalid."
"You..." Charles's face turned black with anger, "Then I won't use the company's channels, I'll personally use my own money to acquire the property Sophia bought and rebuild it, how about that?"
Remington remained confident, "Sure, these small developers who abscond with money usually flee overseas. If you want to acquire it, you have to find the original developer, go through all the relevant procedures with the relevant departments, and then take over the construction work. This process will take at least a year or two. If you have the energy, go ahead."
"Don't you see how miserable Sophia has been these past few days, unable to eat or sleep? Don't you feel sorry for her?"
Indeed, Sophia hadn't been in a good mood these past few days.
Was it because of this matter?
Remington also didn't want Sophia to be so upset and heartbroken because of such things.
But he remained rational, "Although I don't dislike her and appreciate her qualities, she's not that important to me."
"You're terrifyingly rational."
"As a businessman, shouldn't I be rational? Do you want me to be driven by emotions?"
Remington asked, “Who can I blame? His rationality now, isn't it because of my teachings?”
Charles sighed, realizing that his previous teachings to his son were not entirely correct. Especially after his wife passed away seven years ago, he understood even more that the most important thing in life is to have warmth and a genuine companion. Achievements, power, and wealth are all fake. In the end, everyone becomes a handful of yellow soil and sand. Only true emotions in the world can warm the heart.
But isn't his son's rationality also a result of his teaching? Who can he blame?
"Alright," Charles helplessly replied, "I won't force you, nor can I expect you to have immediate feelings for Sophia."
Taking a deep breath, Charles continued, "Let's wait patiently for the flowers to bloom."
He believed in Sophia. Her charm would definitely attract Remington. It was just a matter of time. With this thought, Charles seemed less worried. "I need to go back and cook soup for my daughter-in-law. You should come home early tonight."
"Dad," Remington called out, stopping Charles as he turned around.
When Charles turned back, Remington added, "Don't you find it cramped living in Sophia's rental house?"
"Not at all," Charles replied, feeling quite pleased. "I actually find it lively, it feels like home. Let me tell you, when I first started my business, the place your mom and I lived in was even smaller than this, but it was incredibly warm. And let me tell you..." Charles went on enthusiastically, and Remington didn't interrupt. Based on Charles' excitement, Remington could already guess that he wouldn't be willing to go back and live in his grand mansion.
Remington dismissed the thought of persuading him to go back.
Charles counter-asked, "Don't you think the grand mansion at home feels empty, without any liveliness? On the other hand, Sophia's rental house is filled with the warmth of a home."
Remington didn't agree, but smiled and said, "As long as you like it."
Thinking of something, Remington asked again, "But living at your daughter-in-law's place with such thick skin, have you asked for her opinion? What if she doesn't like you living there?"
Charles walked back towards Remington and replied, "How am I being thick-skinned? In your eyes, I am, right?"
Remington said, "I believe that a chairman like you should have self-awareness."
Charles frowned. "You're being sarcastic with me here. Even if you think I'm thick-skinned, my daughter-in-law wouldn't feel the same way."
"Not necessarily," Remington said. "Perhaps she allowed you to stay out of politeness."
Charles confidently declared, "You don't understand Sophia. She longs for family affection. If I stay there, she will definitely be very happy."
Remington snorted, "You took a few polite words seriously."
Charles retorted, "It may not be me, but Sophia really longs for family. When she was four years old, her parents divorced, and both her father and mother saw her as a burden and didn't want her."
Remington furrowed his brows, "Is that so?"
"Let me finish my story."
Remington listened quietly.
"When her parents divorced, she clung to her mother's leg, begging her to take her away. Can you guess what happened?"
Remington shook his head. He couldn't guess.
Charles continued, "Her mother heartlessly kicked her away, saying that with such a burden, how could she find a new husband?"
Remington, who never bothered about other people's business, suddenly wanted to know more about Sophia's past.
He hurriedly asked, "And what about her father?"
"He was even worse. He took out all his frustration on her, beating her, scolding her. Later, he went to work in another city and remarried, and stopped caring about her altogether."
It was pitiful to think about it.
Charles wished he had the ability to time travel. Then he could go back to when Sophia was four years old and rescue her from her misery.
The more he thought about it, the more Charles felt aching in his heart, and tears began to flow down his cheeks.
Even the indifferent Remington felt a suffocating atmosphere, as if an invisible hand was clutching his heart, making it hard to breathe. "Her parents simply do not deserve to be called humans."
Such parents only made Remington feel furious.
He asked again, "If her parents didn't care about her, how did she grow up?"
"Her grandmother, whether she cared or not," Charles said angrily, "Sophia said her grandmother fed her like she was feeding a dog. How could they treat such a cute and well-behaved girl like that?"
As he spoke, Charles choked up a bit, "If we hadn't encountered a wild wolf together in Yellowstone Park and almost died, she would never have confided in me about these things. It's a lifelong shadow for her, something she may never mention in front of others."
Charles patted Remington's shoulder and said, "Sophia longs for family. She treats me, your father, as her own father with genuine affection and sincerity. You can doubt it, but please don't show it in front of Sophia. It would hurt her."
Remington fell silent, lost in thought.
Finally, he understood why Sophia woke up crying in her sleep on the second night they moved into the rental house. Her background was so pitiful. In his mind, he saw her waking up with tears, trembling shoulders, a hoarse voice, and a feigned strength.
On that night, he should have given her a comforting hug.
"Remington." Charles noticed the compassion in his eyes and asked him, "You...do you think that Sophia is very pitiful?"
"Yeah," Remington acknowledged.
Charles asked again, "But on ordinary days, when you see Sophia, she seems quite optimistic and strong. You can't see any trace of sadness or negativity in her, can you?"
On this point, Remington also agreed, "Indeed."
Charles continued, "Such a pitiful and beautiful woman, don't you want to show her more compassion?"
"I will fulfill the responsibilities of a husband," Remington stated firmly.
"Besides responsibilities, have you ever thought, after spending these few days together, of having a romantic relationship with Sophia?" Charles asked tentatively.
Without hesitation, Remington replied, "Wise men don't fall in love easily." This response was within Charles' expectations. But he smiled happily. Because Remington's attitude towards Sophia had clearly changed a lot. From initially just getting married and planning to divorce a year later, it had turned into him fulfilling his responsibilities as a husband.
This indicated that Remington no longer resisted this marriage and no longer mentioned the word "divorce."
Not bad, not bad!!
After work, Sophia didn't go home directly. She rode her electric bike and went to the neighboring area of East Mountain.
Many homeowners were outside holding banners, demanding the developer return their houses. In recent days, news about the abandoned construction site at East Mountain had become a hot topic on Opulence. Even so, the relevant departments still couldn't provide an explanation to the buyers. Because the money had been taken by the developer, at most they were guilty of inadequate supervision, but they were not responsible for compensation.