CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: HE’S NOT SO BAD

Dinner at eight, booked in a private room atop a downtown restaurant.

When she arrived, Tim Sawyer was already in the room. The dishes were already ordered, and only when everyone had sat down did they have the food brought in.

Sophia Lowell noticed that all the dishes on the table were Zane Sterling’s usual favorites, all mildly spicy.

He had a bland palate but liked a touch of spice. Every time she dined with him, the servants at home would always prepare a mildly spicy dish for him; the rest remained plain.

As they sat down, Zane added a vegetarian dish and ordered a plate of cilantro salad...

Well damn, here comes the tit for tat. When men get petty, women don’t stand a chance.

Tim sat beside him. Sophia didn’t want to sit near him, but Ethan Sinclair nudged her into the seat next to Zane, deliberately or otherwise.

"I thought you weren’t coming this time, and even if you did, you’d at least tell me." Tim turned sideways, facing Zane.

"I had to come. These kids don’t know any better—I’m afraid they’ll make a mess." Zane swept his eyes over the others, then let his gaze fall on Sophia, who happened to be looking at Tim.

Sophia quickly looked away, just wishing she could finish eating and leave.

Two deities fighting—she, a mere woodland spirit, is bound to get hurt. She really shouldn’t have poked the bear. Now, look who’s mad.

"Let’s eat first, shall we?" Tim saw that most of the dishes had arrived and raised the glass of red wine in front of her. "Let me introduce myself. Mr. Sterling and I are classmates, and close friends too. My name’s Tim Sawyer, but everyone can call me Sawyer."

"Ms. Sawyer, that’s a lovely name!" Wyatt Nash was the first to raise his glass. Bianca White and Ethan soon followed, exchanging the usual pleasantries.

Zane, in no hurry, poured the wine out of Sophia’s glass into his own, rinsed her glass with tea, then filled it with tea instead.

Sophia nearly jumped out of her skin at his gesture, moving her lips and doing her best to muster a smile.

"Ms. Sawyer’s a fairly well-known designer in our fashion circle—there’s a lot we can learn from her. Being able to meet her is an honor for us all!"

Ethan smoothed things over, buying time for Zane’s little stunt.

It wasn’t until Zane raised his own half-full wine glass that Sophia timidly picked up her tea-filled goblet.

"Honored to meet you, Ms. Sawyer." said Sophia.

"Mr. Sterling really does take excellent care of his employees, doesn’t he!" Tim flashed a smile, glanced at Zane, then let her gaze, heavy with unspoken meaning, settle on Sophia before taking a delicate sip.

The others followed suit, toasting, and the meal quietly began.

"Don’t worry about her, everyone—when she’s drunk, she gets into the wrong car, and she can’t hold her liquor,"

Zane smirked, casting a quick look at Sophia, whose face was burning bright red.

"There’s just a handful of designers in our department—Wyatt’s versatile, I’m not worried about him, but this girl... It’s out of my hands—her family keeps reminding me, she needs to be well looked after while abroad."

Zane rested his hand on the back of her chair, tilting his head. "Isn’t that right, Ms. Lowell?"

"Yeah. My family’s strict, so it’s better I don’t drink." Sophia nodded lamely, slightly awkward.

Ethan, chatting with Wyatt, ate and chuckled at the amusing drama unfolding tonight.

Tim seemed to catch Zane’s drift in his glance. "No worries, it’s just a regular dinner, not an official event—nobody has to drink if they don’t want to. Relax."

"How wise, Ms. Sawyer." Sophia took a sip of tea.

"Zane, you and Ms. Lowell are..." Tim probed obliquely.

"Mr. Sterling’s mother and mine are close friends," Sophia quickly explained,

Zane stayed silent, swigging down a hefty gulp of red wine before picking up his fork and tucking into the cilantro salad.

Wyatt glanced up at them. "No wonder I always felt Mr. Sterling sort of favors Ms. Lowell—that explains it!"

Bianca and Ethan nodded, continuing their meal.

After dinner, at Tim’s insistence, she added everyone on WhatsApp, including Sophia.

When they went back, Bianca arranged cars—except for Zane and Tim, everyone else headed straight to the hotel.

Out of the car, Bianca and Wyatt headed in first.

"Girl, she’s his ex, you’re really just handing Mr. Sterling to her like that?" Ethan frowned, apparently more anxious than either of them.

The wind had painted Sophia’s cheeks a rosy red.

"Will he... be mad?" she asked cautiously.

"Of course he will! Zane’s totally over Tim—wants a clean break, but look at you."

"He doesn’t have feelings for me either..."

"Oh yeah? Then why is he always scheming to keep you by his side?"

"Scheming?" Sophia seemed to catch a hint of something deeper.

Ethan sighed. "Think about it yourself. We have an early start tomorrow—get some rest, I’m going up."

Ethan walked off, leaving Sophia standing lost at the hotel entrance.

Light snow had begun to fall, tiny flakes visible in the hotel’s warm glow, tinged pale gold as if sweet osmanthus petals were drifting down.

She stretched out a hand. A flake with crisp edges melted instantly in her palm.

Sophia looked at the road leading to the hotel, feeling a sudden tightening in her chest.

No idea how long she stood like that, until a familiar figure appeared in her clear gaze.

He wore a black coat, a sharp suit underneath, arms crossed as he approached with steady steps.

As he drew closer, Sophia was still rooted to the spot.

Snow dusted his brows, and his shoulders bore a thin layer of fresh snow. In the warm yellow light he seemed gilded, the glow refracting from his glasses.

"Waiting for me?" Zane regarded Sophia’s flushed face, tears in the corners of her eyes.

"No, just watching the snow," Sophia snapped back to herself and brushed the snow from his shoulder.

"Were you crying?" he probed.

"Maybe it’s just the wind."

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t.

She kept turning it over in her mind—maybe he was like Henry Quinn after all.

Love is always so fleeting. Especially when there isn’t any.

"Mm." He smiled. "Come on, let’s go back."

——

"Come here." After changing shoes, Zane walked to the desk and set down whatever he’d been hugging under his coat.

Sophia followed, realizing only then that he was hiding something in his overcoat.

"Wow, that smells great!"

"Eat it while it’s hot." Zane opened the takeout box, pulled up a chair in front of her, and unwrapped the chopsticks for her.

"You bought this for me?" Sophia glanced at the sauerkraut fish and vermicelli dish.

The familiar logo gave it away—her favorite old-school sauerkraut fish shop, not far from the hotel they’d just left. He’d probably grabbed a cab, picked it up, and hurried back.

"For the ungrateful wretch," Zane deadpanned, shoving the chopsticks into her hand.

She really hadn’t eaten much tonight—the spread was mostly spicy, and with her period she’d had to avoid too much, or else trouble would follow.

She hadn’t expected Zane to notice everything and then go out of his way to bring her food.

He’s... not bad, actually.

"Where’s Tim?" Sophia asked tentatively.

Zane shrugged off his overcoat and tossed it onto the couch.

Back to her, all she could see was his broad back, the even lines of his jacket, radiating his particular presence.

She heard him let out a faint sigh, tired, maybe exasperated, but his mood unreadable.

Sophia suddenly felt asking was a mistake. Ethan was right—he probably was mad.

"Sophia Lowell." His voice was icy.

"Yeah?" She suddenly felt nervous.

"Remember your place."

He was angry. She could sense it—he was already restraining himself, but that calm tone cut deeper than yelling ever could.

Tim was his ex. He’d made that clear the very first day. And in his eyes, there wasn’t a trace of feeling for her.

How on earth was she supposed to coax him back?