Gwen Grayson couldn't help but roll her eyes. This was no way to ask for a favor. Just because he was handsome and rich didn't give him the right to be so arrogant.
But she tried to keep her tone polite. "Mr. Lawrence, since Sophie doesn't want to talk to you, you'd better stop bothering her."
"Gwen, put her on the phone immediately."
This wasn't just arrogance anymore; it was outright domineering. Gwen stifled her anger and said, "I'm out of town. I'm not with Sophie."
The other end went silent for two seconds before he spoke again. "Call her. Tell her not to go downstairs. If Eileen Harper comes looking for her, tell her not to see her."
He spoke rapidly, as if racing against time.
"Your fiancée? Why is she looking for Sophie? Sophie broke up with you a long time ago. What does she want? She wants to make trouble for Sophie? With that delicate little act of hers..."
"Gwen." Luke Lawrence sharply cut off her rambling, anxiously repeating, "Call Sophie. Tell her not to meet with Eileen."
Gwen was about to ask more when she heard a gentle female voice in the background: "Sir, we are about to take off. Please turn off your phone."
"Call her right now. I'm on a plane, heading there now."
Luke's grave tone made Gwen realize the situation was more serious than she thought. "What exactly happened?"
The flight attendant reminded Luke again.
"Please," Luke urged desperately. "Call her right now. I have to turn off my phone."
Gwen agreed, and he finally hung up.
Sophie Sullivan was just as confused when she received Gwen's call. She couldn't figure out why Eileen would want to see her.
She had never told Eileen about her past with Luke, and Luke certainly wouldn't have brought it up himself.
"Are you really not in touch with Mr. Lawrence?" Gwen asked cautiously over the phone.
"No contact at all. The last time was when Mr. Baxter made me drive them to the airport. After that, I blocked his number everywhere."
Sophie answered with absolute certainty.
"Well, whatever the case, just be careful. He sounded really anxious," Gwen warned.
Hanging up the phone, Sophie felt an inexplicable wave of annoyance. It wasn't fear, just sheer exhaustion with this endless drama. They were supposed to be a closed chapter, yet trouble kept finding its way back to her.
It had been a year. A whole year since she broke up with Luke. Why did her life keep getting disrupted by him?
Frustrated, Sophie's productivity plummeted. By lunchtime, she still hadn't finished the sales proposal for her department.
Colleagues headed down in twos and threes to grab food. She ordered a sandwich, planning to just make do.
Hearing the receptionist call out that she had a phone call, Sophie walked over. When she heard Eileen's voice through the receiver, her brow furrowed involuntarily.


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