Chapter 169 The Magazine Incident
Sophia showed up at Robinson Conglomerate that day, and Quentin greeted her with a frosty reception.
"Mr. Robinson, you're always so busy! No matter how many times I try to meet, you keep dodging me. Are you avoiding me on purpose?" Sophia asked.
Sophia was always straightforward, especially with Quentin, who knew her well.
Quentin, sitting in his office chair, gestured for Sophia to take a seat and spoke softly.
"I'm swamped. What brings you here today?" Quentin asked.
Sophia stared at Quentin, noticing he still wouldn't meet her eyes. She smiled and pulled a document from her bag.
"This is the Hall Corporation equity transfer agreement. You helped me out financially last time to save Hall Corporation. I can't repay you right now, so I'm offering you shares instead. What do you think?" Sophia asked.
Quentin glanced at the document and replied indifferently, "No need. Don't rush to pay me back. Repay me when Hall Corporation's finances improve."
Sophia looked at Quentin tenderly. She knew he still cared about her. Otherwise, why would he be so willing to help?
"I have to pay you back. I owe you too much, and it almost cost Robinson Conglomerate. These shares may not make up for the past, but I have to offer them to you," Sophia said firmly, handing the document to Quentin.
But Quentin didn't take it. "I refuse. Hall Corporation's shares mean nothing to me."
Quentin's intentions were genuine. He helped Sophia because he wanted to solve her problems, not for the shares.
"I don't care. I have to transfer these shares to you. You can sell them or do whatever you want. Tomorrow, I'll announce this to the company and the media, so be prepared," Sophia insisted.
Quentin shrugged indifferently. He said nothing as Sophia appeared to be determined.
True to her word, Sophia made Quentin a shareholder of Hall Corporation, holding fifteen percent of the shares, which shocked the media in City A.
They were curious why Quentin became a shareholder in his ex-girlfriend Sophia's company. There had to be secrets behind this.
Some reporters speculated about Quentin and Sophia's relationship. To gain attention, some even shamelessly claimed in magazines that Quentin and Sophia had reconciled and that Lauren had wrecked their relationship.
Lauren, holding her child, went to Kimberly's room, only to see her hiding something suspiciously. Lauren felt curious but didn't ask.
"Mom, can you help look after Matthew for a while? Ethan sent me a job application, and I need to fill it out," Lauren said.
Kimberly smiled unnaturally but agreed readily, "Sure, go ahead. I'll take care of Matthew."
When Lauren finished her task and went to find Kimberly, she found Kimberly wasn't in the room.
Lauren turned to leave but suddenly remembered Kimberly's strange behavior earlier. She walked over to the cabinet where Kimberly had hidden something and opened the drawer to find an entertainment magazine.
The magazine's cover was hard to miss, featuring Quentin front and center.
"Who is Quentin's True Love? The End of Third-Party Lauren's Happiness."
Lauren looked at the cover and sighed. A normal life seemed out of reach.
She opened the magazine, curious to see how bad it made her look.
Maybe she shouldn't have been in Quentin's life at all. 'If I hadn't been there, maybe he and Sophia could've been happy together,' Lauren thought.
As she read the story about how she supposedly won Quentin's heart, she couldn't help but admire the journalist's flair for drama. She thought, 'This journalist deserves a name in book industry.'
Just then, Kimberly walked in with the baby stroller and saw Lauren holding the magazine. "Lauren, why are you reading this garbage?"
Kimberly marched over and snatched the magazine away.
Lauren just smiled. "Mom, relax. I was just curious. It doesn't bother me."
Kimberly fumed, "These reporters have nothing better to do than spread lies. If they keep this up, we should sue. I'd love to give that reporter a piece of my mind."
"Mom, maybe they're right. Maybe I am that kind of person," Lauren said, half-joking.
Kimberly didn't think it was funny. "Lauren, what's gotten into you? This isn't like you. What others say is their problem. I won't let you put yourself down. I'm going to confront Quentin right now. Is he so eager to be with Sophia?"
Kimberly was about to storm out, but Lauren stopped her.
"Mom, we're already divorced. He can be with whoever he wants. Besides, you know most of this stuff is fake. Let them write whatever they want," Lauren said.
Kimberly's eyes welled up. "It breaks my heart! I can't stand that so many people misunderstand you. It makes me so sad."
Lauren hugged her. "Mom, don't worry. Your support means everything to me. Don't cry. Be strong, and things will get better."
Kimberly wiped her tears. Would things really get better? She couldn't help but worry about Lauren's future.
Seeing that Lauren wasn't fazed by the magazine, Kimberly became more determined.
She wanted to plan for Lauren's future. Since Quentin couldn't make Lauren happy, she believed Ethan was the best choice.
Quentin had no idea about the magazine until Noah barged into his office with it.
"Quentin, you really are something!" Noah threw the magazine on Quentin's desk, feeling it was unfair for Lauren.
"What are you ranting about now?" Quentin asked, but when he saw the cover, his face darkened.
Quentin angrily flipped through the pages, his expression growing furious.
