Chapter 490

The rainy season arrived.

The weather turned abruptly.

It was sunny yesterday.

Today, it rained.

Alexander Laurent didn't have an umbrella.

He was drenched by the time he got home.

He took a hot shower.

Changed into his loungewear.

While drying his hair, he saw the bare mattress.

His movements paused briefly.

The bedding he'd thrown away that day.

He never replaced it.

He silently took out clean sheets and made the bed.

He remembered Sophia Sullivan mentioning it.

David Sullivan had sent pickles and beef.

He was supposed to go get them.

Alexander quickly dried his hair.

Changed out of his loungewear.

Went to knock on the door across the hall.

"Sophia, are you home?"

"...Sophia?"

No response.

He checked the time.

9 PM.

She should have been back from the lab by now.

For the next two hours.

Alexander was physically at home.

But his mind was out in the hallway.

He jumped up to check the peephole at every sound.

None of them were her.

1 AM.

Sophia still wasn't back.

She probably wasn't coming home tonight.

Alexander turned off the light and lay down.

He felt an empty hollowness inside.

He hadn't yet realized the severity of the situation.

The next day, he got up early as usual and went to the lab.

Came home in the evening to change for his night run.

From 8 to 10 PM.

He ran back and forth in the alley downstairs.

Never saw Sophia.

He waited another hour.

Ran into a few neighbors.

"Running again, Alex?"

"Such great health! You'll definitely win the marathon this year!"

"You and Sophia are the only runners in our building. I should get my son to learn from you! Speaking of, haven't seen Sophia today?"

Alexander's expression shifted slightly.

"She hasn't come back yet."

"Right, she's been really busy lately. She had time last week, but you weren't around…"

"Me?" Alexander was surprised.

"Yeah, Sophia looked for you a few times. Had a big bag with her too."

His heart clenched.

He turned and went upstairs.

Pulled out his phone and opened WhatsApp as he walked.

[Sophia, are you home?]

Ten minutes passed.

Then half an hour.

An hour later, a reply finally came.

[Is there something you need, Professor?]

Alexander: [Going for a run. Do you have time?]

Sophia: [Staying at the lab recently. Not coming home.]

Familiar words.

Last time, he had said them to her.

Now she was returning them verbatim.

The boomerang hit him right between the eyes.

A long time passed.

Before Alexander typed a response.

[Okay. Get some rest. Good night.]

Sophia didn't reply again.

That night, Alexander tossed and turned.

He didn't fall asleep until 2 AM.

…

Early morning.

Hannah Morse yawned as she got up.

Washed up, got ready, ate breakfast.

An hour later, she appeared in the lab area.

"Sophia—why are you still at the bench?"

Hannah froze in place.

Eyes wide.

Sophia smiled at her.

"Morning."

"Don't tell me you pulled an all-nighter." Hannah's voice was flat.

Good heavens!

She thought she was hardworking enough.

She went into the break room at 10 PM last night.

Got up at 8 AM when her alarm went off.

Didn't laze in bed at all!

And yet someone was even more diligent!

Wait.

Sophia had always been this diligent!

Ugh!

"What are you thinking about?" Sophia laughed.

"I'm not made of iron. Why would I pull an all-nighter if the task isn't urgent? For fun?"

"Right, right! Then how did you…"

"Just got up a little bit earlier than you."

Hannah breathed a sigh of relief.

Giggled.

Asked casually.

"How much is a little bit?"

"Well…" Sophia checked her watch.

"Two hours."

Hannah: "…" Stupid mouth! Why did you have to ask!

Marcus Lawrence walked out from the testing lab across the hall.

Holding samples and a report.

"You… you…" Hannah was speechless.

"When did you get up?"

Marcus told the truth.

"6 AM. Why?"

Hannah: "…"

Fine.

She was the only one who slept until 8.

Ugh…

The entire morning.

She channeled her guilt into productivity.

Her efficiency was remarkably high.

Lunchtime.

She finally exhaled deeply and stepped away from the bench.

They were all working in seclusion.

The lab had pots, pans, and utensils.

The fridge had ready-to-cook ingredients.

But no one was cooking.

Sophia had pre-ordered meals.

Three meals a day were delivered.

Hannah only took one bite.

And knew it was from "Le Goût Authentique."

Not cheap.

Caleb Watson didn't know "Le Goût Authentique."

He just thought the food was especially fragrant.

The rice was a long-grain variety.

He finished three bowls in one go.

Put down his chopsticks, drank a glass of water.

And went back into the lab area.

Hannah, who had just gotten into her groove: "??"

Why is everyone grinding so hard?

She's fat.

She doesn't want to move.

She wants to die!

Afternoon.

Sophia completed her second model test.

Changed clothes and prepared to go out.

"Sophia, where are you going?"

"Meeting with the domestic agent for the new equipment. Discussing pricing."

Hannah's eyes lit up.

"Our lab is getting new equipment again?"

Sophia nodded.

"If the discussion goes well."

"Great, great, go ahead. Remember an umbrella, the weather's been bad lately, always raining."

Sophia nodded in agreement.

Went to the storage room but couldn't find an umbrella.

Glanced outside.

It wasn't raining.

She left just like that.

Met the agent at a nearby coffee shop.

Not far.

Sophia didn't drive.

The other party was already waiting in the shop when she arrived.

Upon seeing her, they immediately stood up with a smile and came forward.

"Miss Sullivan, hello."

Sophia looked at the short-haired, efficient, well-spoken woman before her.

Reached out and shook her hand.

"Hello, Manager Wang."

"I'm Wang Jingjing, you can call me Jingjing if you like."

"Okay, Jingjing. Then please don't call me Miss Sullivan. Sophia Sullivan, my name."

"I know, Mr. Evans introduced your name when he recommended your contact. Come, Sophia, let's sit and talk…"

Wang Jingjing was very talkative.

Every sentence hit the key points.

Not a single wasted word.

It didn't feel noisy.

Sophia spoke little.

Mostly listened to the other party.

Wang Jingjing: "…You see, this price is really the bottom line I can offer."

Sophia smiled.

Met the woman's sincere gaze.

She spoke unhurriedly.

"Usually, when a sentence ends with an emphatic word, it means there's still room for negotiation in what was said before. Don't you think so, Jingjing?"