Piss Off, Alpha! You Lost Me Forever novel Chapter 264

Chapter 264: Chapter 265 A Special Place

THIRD PERSON POV

The atmosphere inside the ballroom had completely changed.

Earlier, Sophia had been the subject of judgment and curious whispers. Now, people looked at her with entirely different eyes.

Doctors who had ignored her before were approaching her table. Researchers were introducing themselves. Several guests even asked for her contact information after hearing Professor Archer’s announcement.

Sophia still felt a bit overwhelmed.

She wasn’t used to being the center of attention. For years, she’d lived in Damien’s shadow. People knew her as Mrs. Stone, Ashley’s mother, or Damien’s wife. Tonight was one of the first times people were seeing her as Sophia.

Lance seemed to notice how uncomfortable and overwhelmed she was getting.

While several guests continued speaking to them, he quietly reached for the pitcher of water sitting nearby. Without interrupting the conversation, he poured a fresh glass and placed it beside her.

"You should drink more water," he said softly.

Sophia looked up. The concern in his eyes was genuine.

She smiled "Thank you."

Lance smiled back "You’re still recovering. Don’t push yourself too hard."

One of Lance’s friend laughed "There he goes again."

Lance raised an eyebrow "What?"

The man pointed directly at Sophia "You’ve spent the entire evening taking care of her."

Several people chuckled.

Another doctor joined the conversation "First the alcohol situation."

A third person nodded and said "Then making sure she’s comfortable, and now you’re monitoring her water intake."

Sophia felt embarrassed. Her cheeks warmed.

"Lance doesn’t need to babysit me," she said.

"Oh, he absolutely does," one of the doctors replied.

Everyone laughed.

Even Lance looked amused.

The teasing continued.

"You don’t do this for anyone else."

"Not even close."

"I’ve known you for years."

One doctor pointed dramatically "I’ve never seen you pay this much attention to anybody."

The laughter grew louder.

Sophia lowered her eyes toward her glass. She suddenly found the water fascinating.

Beside her, Lance simply shook his head.

"You people have too much free time." Lance muttered.

"No," one of them replied "We just have eyes."

The atmosphere around the table became warmer and more relaxed.

For the first time all evening, Sophia found herself genuinely enjoying the dinner.

Unfortunately, someone else wasn’t enjoying it at all. Across the ballroom, Tiffany watched everything. She watched every bit of attention Sophia received.

Jealousy burned inside her chest.

It felt unbearable.

Just a few hours ago, she had been confident that she would be the most admired woman at the event. She had chosen her best dress. She’d prepared for conversations. She’d expected people to focus on her.

Instead, Sophia had somehow become the star of the evening.

Tiffany tightened her grip around her wine glass.

Nobody noticed her. Everyone was too busy paying attention to Sophia. The realization made her even angrier.

Meanwhile, the teasing at Sophia’s table continued.

One of Lance’s older colleagues leaned forward.

"So tell us the truth."

Lance sighed "I don’t like that look."

The man grinned "Too bad."

Several people laughed.

The colleague pointed toward Sophia "Is she special to you?"

Sophia nearly choked on her water.

The entire table suddenly became interested. Even people sitting nearby turned their heads.

Lance remained calm, far too calm. Sophia wished she possessed that level of composure.

The older doctor continued smiling as he asked "Well?"

Lance looked at him, then he glanced toward Sophia.

"She’s a remarkable person." He said genuinely.

Sophia’s heart skipped unexpectedly.

Lance continued speaking "She’s intelligent. She’s hardworking."

His eyes remained on Sophia as he spoke "She’s kind. She’s stronger than most people realize."

Sophia felt warmth spread through her chest.

Everyone listened. Nobody said anything.

Lance smiled "And yes. She holds a special place in my heart."

Everywhere was silent.

Several doctors nearly dropped their forks.

Sophia froze. The words echoed inside her head.

A special place in my heart.

For a moment, she didn’t know how to react.

The expression in Lance’s eyes wasn’t playful. It wasn’t teasing. It was sincere.

One of the doctors suddenly slapped the table and said "I knew it!"

Several people began teasing Lance.

Sophia’s face turned pink. She couldn’t even look at him.

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