章 9: Chapter 9 Signing the Contract_1
Sophia Cloud's face was stiff; she had never imagined that one day, it would be the man she loved most who would personally push her into an abyss without end.
It was just accompanying someone for drinks, right? Fine, she would do it!
As long as she could gather enough money for the medical fees, she was willing to do anything.
She followed the boss's hand, her red lips lightly pursed, and downed the entire glass of alcohol.
Her action greatly pleased the boss, who smiled even more and directly wrapped his arm around her waist to lead her to the table—it seemed he had taken a fancy to her.
Sophia Cloud couldn't speak easily; she just curled her lips into a smile that masked her true feelings, leaving others to wonder whether she was truly willing or was being forced.
Leo Harrell's eyes darkened as he let out a cold laugh and gave her another push deeper into the abyss.
"Then let her accompany everyone; I beg your pardon, but I have matters to attend to and cannot stay," he said.
With a beauty in his arms, Boss Martin paid no attention to anything else and waved his hand, signaling Leo to do as he wished.
Leo Harrell cast a meaningful glance at her before he left.
As the door locked, Sophia Cloud's smile completely disappeared, and she looked on with cool eyes.
The reason Leo Harrell had brought her here was not only to accompany drinks but also to sign a contract.
Based on the current situation, there was no benefit to her, and she held no advantage.
Like a fish on a chopping board, she had to do whatever the clients wanted.
The boss next to her, surnamed Zhang, wrapped his arm around her waist and leered at her with a sly grin, his eyes greedily scanning her body.
Unable to watch anymore, someone teased, "Boss Martin, you should go first; how can you keep your hands to yourself with such a beauty in your arms?"
Boss Martin's expression sobered up and he pretended to act modest, taking out a contract from his assistant: "How could I? We are here for this contract; everything else is immaterial."
Another person interjected, "Immaterial? Then why not graciously hand it over to me?"
"All right, let's sign the contract first."
Sophia's face grew extremely ugly; for the first time, she felt like a ball being kicked around, rolling from one drinking party to the next.
She lowered her eyes and personally poured another drink, bringing it to Boss Martin. She didn't speak, but just looked at him with pitiful, almond-shaped eyes.
Seeing this, someone couldn't help but jest, "See, Boss Martin? The lady doesn't want to leave you, she's trying to please you."
Sophia Cloud didn't want to be like this either, but she had to lower herself and sacrifice her own dignity for her sake.
Pleased with what he heard, Boss Martin tightened his grip around her arm even more and boldly signed the contract, pushing it to others.
"With a beauty in my arms, I must give face!" he declared.
"Good, Boss Martin is forthright!"
Soon, the other party also signed the contract, and everyone raised their glasses in celebration.
Sophia maximized her role, incessantly pouring drinks for Boss Martin, constantly giving him pitiful glances that would tug at anyone's heartstrings.
Finally, the drinking session ended.
When nearly everyone had left, Boss Martin still clung to Sophia Cloud, refusing to let go. Drunk to the point of losing consciousness, he mumbled, "Little beauty, if you follow me, I won't treat you poorly."
Sophia did not respond verbally, but when Teacher Martin was about to vomit, she quickly pushed the contract lying aside a little further away and looked at the assistant with pleading eyes.
The assistant got the message and helped Boss Martin towards the restroom.
As their footsteps grew distant, Sophia's gaze sharpened. She quickly snatched the contract and stuffed it into her chest, then ran out as fast as the wind.
In the time that followed, she was constantly on edge, terrified that Boss Martin's people would come looking for her.
After work, without even changing her clothes, she rushed directly to Leo Harrell's company.
Dawn broke, and Sophia Cloud stood at the foot of the Harrell company building, tightly clutching the contract in her arms.
Leo Harrell came out of the company with a cold look on his face as he gazed at her.
She squinted her eyes with a smile, holding the contract before him, her eyes sparkling with light.
Seeing the contract, Leo Harrell's face suddenly changed color. With a sweep of his hand, he knocked it from her grasp, and it fell to the ground, rustling in the wind.
He grabbed her wrist, turned around, and ducked behind a row of trees. He advanced on her, pressing her against a tree, as their gazes locked.
Sophia Cloud did not understand why, her body trembling uncontrollably.
He spoke in an icy tone, "You're really brave enough to sleep your way through? For money, you'd do anything!"
Sophia's heart instantly turned cold as if it had fallen into an ice cave. She looked at him in disbelief, her eyes full of hurt.
A few seconds later, she found it utterly ridiculous.
It was he who had pushed her into the abyss, and he who left her there. Now what? What did this mean?
Sophia's lips tightened as she suppressed all emotion, her hands gesturing, about to explain.
"Enough!" Leo Harrell interrupted harshly. He took out a check and flung it at her, "Sophia Cloud, you truly disgust me!"
The check, light as a feather, didn't hurt when it hit her, but if it struck her heart, it could riddle her with holes.
She never knew that one day, she would also have a day so painful she could barely breathe.
His words ruthlessly stabbed at her heart, grinding the already battered organ even further.
Is this how he saw her?
Sophia's eyelashes trembled slightly. She looked down at the check that had fallen to the ground, smiling faintly and without a trace.
Then she bent down and picked it up, holding it in the palm of her hand.
No matter what, at least he had kept his word and given her the money.
Her action, however, reignited the fire in Leo Harrell's chest. He loosened his tie, "Take the money and get lost!"
Sophia was so frightened that she trembled again and again. At last, she clenched her lips, bowed deeply to him, and then hurried away.
She went to the hospital and paid the medical expenses in full.
Still wearing her work clothes, she attracted a crowd of onlookers. Back in the hospital room, Arthur was still asleep, while Tiana Cooper sat beside him, looking at her mobile phone.
Hearing the noise, Tiana Cooper looked up and was startled to see Sophia's clothes.
Hotel uniforms tended to be quite revealing, but Sophia's was relatively modest—a white shirt and a fitted skirt, though the clothing was dirty and disheveled.
Tiana's brow furrowed as she quickly took off her own jacket and draped it over Sophia's back, "What happened?"
Sophia shook her head, bypassing her to check on Arthur. The little guy was sleeping soundly, his curled eyelashes innocent of the world's malevolence.
Her heart couldn't help but melt. She took some of the money and handed it to Tiana.
Tiana looked at the stack of red bills, suddenly filled with a foreboding feeling, "Where did you get so much money?"
Sophia smiled and gestured with her hands.
—Given by Leo Harrell.
She told Tiana every event that had transpired the night before.
Tiana slapped her thigh in anger, "This Leo Harrell, he's not a man at all!"
Sophia shook her head, holding her hand and smiling to indicate she was okay, then typed on her phone.
"I need to make a trip to Lewis's family, to find Christopher Lewis."
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