The next day, Sophia headed to the studio for work.
She'd been running late for a few days, so to make amends, she brought everyone a little something. The team gathered, chatting and laughing away. Unspoken agreements floated in the air, and no one brought up anything about "Jason."
It wasn't until Sophia returned to her office that her assistant, Tina, ventured to ask, "Boss, are you and Mr. Gilder, like, a thing now?"
Sophia, her hands paused on a manuscript, replied, "No, why would you think that?"
Tina chuckled, "Word around the office is that you were at Mr. Gilder's place during that meeting."
Raising an eyebrow, Sophia inquired, "And what else did they say?"
"That's it!" Tina quickly said.
With a nonchalant expression, Sophia explained, "Mr. Gilder's place is just around the corner from mine. Sometimes I'd pop over for work discussions during my break. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"Oh, I see. My bad, Sophia!" Tina said, her eyes curving into smiles.
"Focus on work rather than gossip, will you?"
"Got it!"
Sophia had taken some time off before the holidays and was late returning, leaving her with a backlog of work. She was swamped all day, which was a good distraction from wandering thoughts.
Every now and then, as she passed by Jason's office, she'd slow down, stealing glances inside.
Jason hadn't returned to J City.
Even if he had, it wasn't guaranteed he'd stop by the studio. He had other businesses and ventures. The studio was initially just a casual project for him and Estelle, something to dabble in during their free time. They hadn't anticipated it blossoming into the industry's gold standard.
Her steps lingered only for a moment before she moved on to continue with her tasks.
For the next couple of days, there was no sign of Jason in the studio. No calls, no messages, as if he had vanished.
Sophia suddenly remembered how, once, she had chased after Robin all the way to M Country. Jason was furious and didn't contact her for a week.
Pulling out her designs, Sophia suggested, "Considering it's your Pearl Anniversary, I thought a set centered around pearls would be meaningful."
Delighted, the man agreed, "That sounds perfect; she loves pearls."
Their conversation was interrupted when two people approached their table. The woman, clearly surprised, said, "Sophia?"
Looking up, Sophia froze for a moment. It was Diana, and standing beside her, Robin.
Robin, too, seemed taken aback, his expression complex.
Sophia had nothing to say to them, pretending not to recognize them, and poured Mr. Waldo a glass of lemon water.
Diana leaned closer to Robin, almost clinging to his arm, and said with a faint smile, "Sophia, working hard as always, entertaining clients late into the night?"
Her eyes darted to Robin, capturing every shift in his expressions.
Sophia's expression hardened, and she coldly replied, "I don't know you well enough for you to care. Mind your own business and keep your distance."
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