Chapter 266 The Role of the Pawn
Since they grew up together, Noah and Sophia have always been tight. Plus, Noah's always had a thing for Sophia and cared about her way more than anyone else.
Sophia kinda knew Noah had feelings for her. She used to be into Quentin, so when she was with him, she didn't hang out with Noah much. But now, trying to get back with Quentin and hitting a wall, she figured Noah was her ticket to get closer to Quentin.
Noah and Quentin often hit up this bar, but Sophia didn't expect to bump into Noah tonight.
Quentin was giving her the cold shoulder, so she decided to start with Noah. Sophia played the damsel in distress, crying and whining to Noah, all while pretending to be heartbroken over Quentin.
Sophia was downing drinks and crying, looking at Noah, saying, "Noah, you gotta help Quentin. He's going through a really rough patch."
Noah had seen all kinds of pretty faces, but he couldn't say no to Sophia. Whatever she wanted, no matter how tough, he was down to do it for her.
Noah had no clue about Lauren and Jessica's deal. He thought Quentin was mad at Lauren just 'cause she didn't spend more time with Jessica.
"Yeah, Jessica's death hit him hard, but he's gotta deal with it himself. Anything I say won't help," Noah said, blocking Sophia's drink, feeling torn up and annoyed.
Sophia squinted, a plan brewing in her head. She cried beautifully yet sadly while looking at Noah. She said, "Noah, Quentin's not sad about Jessica's death. He's pissed and resentful about Lauren's betrayal."
Sophia blew up everything that happened at the hospital, making Lauren out to be a backstabbing witch.
Noah was instantly fuming, buying every word Sophia said. He snapped, "What?! Lauren did that to Jessica! How could she?! Cutting off the Robinson Family's ties with Matthew is like ripping out Jessica and Quentin's hearts!"
Sophia added, "Exactly! But even so, Quentin hasn't given up on Lauren. I don't know how to get him to move on and forget about her! It kills me to see Quentin in so much pain."
Sophia cried softly, and Noah clenched his fists in anger. He always knew Lauren was trouble, but he didn't think she was this heartless!
Noah comforted, "Sophia, don't be sad! Let's go find Quentin right now. I want him to see what a snake Lauren is! He shouldn't be this torn up!"
He dragged Sophia out of the bar. Sophia played the weak card and let Noah lead her. She felt super pleased, knowing Noah would now trash-talk Lauren to Quentin, saving her the hassle, and she could enjoy the benefits without lifting a finger.
At the Robinson Villa, Quentin was having dinner with Matthew. After a lot of effort, Matthew finally got Quentin to come down to the dining room and was happily enjoying their father-son time.
Quentin was in a good mood too. Childhood was the best time, and being with a cheerful Matthew made his bad mood slowly fade away.
They were chatting and laughing, having a good time, when the door suddenly swung open. Quentin frowned and looked over, seeing a serious Noah dragging a nervous Sophia in.
Matthew saw Sophia and angrily said to Quentin, "Daddy, why is she here again? Didn't you promise me she wouldn't come?"
Quentin shot Matthew a cold look without saying a word. He figured Matthew's dislike for Sophia was because of Lauren. Whenever Sophia showed up, Matthew would get mad, so he pretended to be sick to keep her away from the Robinson Villa. He didn't expect her to show up with Noah this time.
Noah stormed to the dining table, almost spilling the beans. But he hesitated when he saw Matthew.
Quentin looked at the unusually tense Noah, wondering what had rattled his usually chill friend.
Sophia looked at Quentin with deep, worried eyes, her expression also tinged with sadness.
Quentin calmly kept eating. After a bit, he said, "Matthew, go back to your room."
Matthew hopped off his chair, shot Sophia a wary look, and reluctantly went upstairs.
Quentin then seriously looked at Sophia and Noah, asking, "Why are you two together? Have you eaten? Want to join me and grab a bite?"
Noah urgently stepped forward to speak, but Sophia tugged at his sleeve to stop him, though it was all an act for Quentin.
Quentin suspiciously looked at Noah and then at Sophia, sighing inwardly. 'Noah must have been played by Sophia again.'
He asked calmly, "You two seem in a rush. You didn't come here just to watch me eat, did you? Spill it."
Noah removed Sophia's hand from his sleeve, sat opposite Quentin, and said seriously, "The company's in deep trouble. If you've rested enough, you should come back and handle it."
"Are you talking about that architectural design company? It's fine. Whoever wants it can have it. Losing that company won't hurt the Robinson Conglomerate," Quentin said, smiling faintly at Noah.
Noah was fuming and asked, "What are you talking about? That company is our hard work too. How can you just ignore it? Do you know Ethan and Lauren are secretly sabotaging it? Can you really let it go?"
Quentin's fingers twitched, and he raised an eyebrow. 'I knew Ethan was gunning for the company, but when did Lauren get involved?' He couldn't wrap his head around it.
Noah questioned, "Quentin, you don't believe me, do you?"
Quentin didn't answer, his gaze distant as he mulled things over.
Noah, agitated, got closer to Quentin and shouted, "I called Lauren today and asked her straight up. Her attitude showed she knew about Ethan's moves! Since Lauren is so heartless to you, what are you still considering? Why don't you think about why she's doing this?"
Facing the emotional Noah, Quentin stayed super calm. He quietly watched Noah and checked out Sophia's reaction. Sophia kept her head down, pretending to be sad, but Quentin caught a fleeting smile on her face.
