Atrophy of Love: Mr. Harris, Stop Fooling Around! novel Chapter 84

Blood suddenly drained from Sophia's face. "I wouldn’t dare."

She held the ground for support to heave herself up. As her legs were numb from kneeling for too long, she staggered a little but quickly regained her footing when Charles supported her by the waist.

The faint smell of men's perfume enveloped Sophia’s entire being. She hastily took a few steps forward to step away from the scalding yet firm chest. "Thank you, Mr. Harris."

"Mm." Charles lowered his gaze and retracted his hand.

Sterling was still kneeling on the ground at this moment.

After hesitating over and over again, Sophia eventually went to help him up as she was worried about his body. "Get up… Sterling."

"If Charles does not agree to spare you, then I will remain kneeling!" Sterling flung her hands away and knelt stubbornly on the ground.

Sophia bent down with much difficulty and whispered, "He doesn’t care whether you live or die. Even if you kneel here your whole life, he still won’t let me go. On the contrary, if you end up provoking him, he may take revenge on me using even more severe punishments instead."

Upon hearing her words, Sterling's eyes widened abruptly, making him look especially comical when set against his face that was full of blood. He then grabbed her hand for support and stood up.

Sophia tugged at her lips and gave him a very bitter smile.

She was not afraid of death anymore. She was just afraid that Charles would use Sterling to threaten her.

Sterling was not afraid of anything, but he was afraid that Charles would torture her... Both she and Sterling had become each other's restraints.

The four of them did not speak another word. The atmosphere in the ward was uncanny and stifling.

After a long time, Yvette rubbed the spot between her eyebrows. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were more noticeable than usual. "Get a doctor to bandage Sterling’s head. Soph, you should also have a good rest. Charles and I will get going now.”

Sophia lowered her head and walked the two to the elevator. It was only until the elevator door was fully shut did she ease up her stiff body. Her limbs were already sore.

"Is your leg hurting?" Sterling hurried over to support her after seeing her like that.

Sophia shook him away and walked toward the ward with a deadpan look on her face. Sterling wiped the blood from his head, then rubbed it on his clothes casually before treading on her heels dejectedly.

"What are you doing?!" Sterling was just about to enter the ward when Sophia shut the door from the inside. He pushed the door hastily to prevent her from locking it.

Sophia stood in the doorway. She licked her dry lips and said, "Go back. Don't come to me anymore."

"Go back? Back to where?" Sterling wiped his head that was still bleeding. "Dad drove me out of the house too. I will spend my life with you from now on."

Sophia glanced at the wound on his forehead and frowned. "You don't know how to do anything. My earnings aren’t enough to sustain you. Go get that wound wrapped up and go home."

"I don’t need you to sustain me. I brought my wallet with me when I came out. There are tens of millions in the card. It will be enough to last us a period of time. I’m sure Mom and Dad won’t have the heart to cancel my card." Sterling tried to go in as he talked.

Sophia still stood in the doorway, refusing to budge. "Sterling—"

"Are you angry because of what I said earlier about not having a sister like you?" Sterling let out a sheepish smile and rubbed his head. Indulgence and pampering filled his eyes. There was also cautious ingratiation within. "I apologize. They’re just words I said in a fit of pique. Don’t take it to heart."

His demeanor had Sophia feeling as though she was being suffocated, like a fish in the swamp. Her breathing had become laborious.

She evaded his ingratiating gaze and said cruelly, "Go back and don't come to me anymore. Go and spend your life with Nicole."

The gift box fell to the ground and a few erotic undergarments scattered on the ground.

Sophia tried to pick it up but it was too late. Everything was clear as day.

"Is this what you’ll use... when you go to Charles after this?" Sterling was usually uninhibited and often made a lot of dirty jokes with his friends. At this moment, however, he could not even bring himself to utter words like ‘seduction’ or ‘temptation’.

Sophia hummed a response and bent down to pick up the erotic undergarments before putting them back in the gift box.

After closing the lid, she placed it back on the bed.

Sterling did not make another sound after that and dragged his feet to the door of the ward. After opening the door, he paused for a moment before turning around to look at her. He said earnestly, “Give me some time, Soph. I will try my best to protect you."

"Go home." Sophia walked to the door and pushed him out. She then shut the door, leaned against it, and slumped to the ground.

She brought her legs together and placed them closely in front of her before covering her face tightly with her hands. The translucent liquid flowed out between her fingers. Even so, she did not make a sound from start to finish.

A Bentley was traveling on the road. It might be a luxury car, but it had no choice but to maintain a slow crawling speed amidst other cars at this moment.

"Soph's birthday will fall on 28th September. It will be another four to five days," Yvette said, fixing her gaze at the rear of the car in front of them.

There was a traffic jam and the Bentley had no choice but to stop. With one hand on the steering wheel, Charles hummed a reply.

"Since she can't go back to the White’s residence, I’d like to take her in for a period of time after she’s discharged. She can leave after her birthday. What do you think?" Yvette asked.