Chapter 54
“What?”
“An illegitimate daughter?”
Emily’s two new friends exchanged awkward glances. Her old circle had all distanced themselves after finding out about her illegitimacy.
“Stop talking nonsense. Emily is the heiress of the Shelton family. How could she possibly be an illegitimate daughter?” one of them snapped, her tone sharp with disbelief.
“You’re just some broke nobody. What do you even know?” the other sneered, her eyes scanning Sophia’s outfit, which clearly cost less than one hundred dollars. Their doubt was written all over their faces.
Pinned down and unable to break free, Emily flailed her arms in frustration. Sophia grabbed her wrist, twisted it behind her back, and delivered a swift kick to the back of her knee.
Sophia let go, and Emily collapsed to her knees. Broth dripped from her face, hair, and dress, leaving her looking utterly humiliated.
“Who… who are you?” Emily stammered, her eyes red, whether from the broth or sheer rage, as she glared at Sophia with unrestrained hatred.
Sophia pulled out a tissue and leisurely wiped her fingers, as if touching Emily had dirtied her. A faint smirk played on her lips as she tossed the used tissue onto Emily’s face.
“I’m Sophia. Got it? Next time, you’d better cross the street when you see me.”
Emily staggered to her feet, her teeth clenched in fury. “Sophia, I’ll remember this.”
Without sparing her companions a glance, she limped away, her steps uneven.
Hearing this, Yvonne frowned, “Sophia, do you think she’ll…”
Sophia’s lips curved into a faint smile as she watched Emily’s retreating figure. “Let her come. I’ll be ready.”
Emily paused mid–step but didn’t look back, continuing her unsteady march forward.
Sophia’s smirk deepened as she turned to find Yvonne staring at her with wide, sparkling eyes, her excitement barely contained.
“Sophia, you were amazing. I thought they’d gang up on you, but they didn’t even dare to move,” said Yvonne.
It wasn’t that they didn’t dare to act. It was the fierce, reckless energy radiating from Sophia that froze them in place.
Yvonne stomped her feet in excitement but quickly reined herself in, remembering they were in public.
Sophia shifted her gaze to a waitress holding a disposable food container nearby and waved her over.
The waitress approached hesitantly, her movements stiff with nervousness.
Sophia gestured for the waitress to hand the container to Yvonne, then followed her to settle the bill.
When they left the restaurant, both Sophia and Yyonne were carrying two bags each.
“Should I drop you off, or…” Sophia asked casually.
Yvonne hesitated before replying, “Sophia, the place I’m heading to is a bit far. Maybe you should just head back.”
The heat outside was unbearable. Sophia/cut her off, her tone firm, “Stop wasting time. Get in the car. We’ll figure it out on the way.”
1/3
13:54 Thu, 29 May
Chapter 54
Yvonne climbed into Sophia’s sleek black luxury car, buckled her seatbelt, and pulled out her phone to start navigating.
Over forty minutes later, the car was heading deeper into a remote area. Tall grass, towering higher than a person, lined both sides of the road.
The deeper they ventured, the rougher the road became. There were muddy ruts, huge potholes, and parts where the path nearly disappeared. Mud splattered all over the car, leaving trails of filth behind.
The place was eerily deserted, with not a soul in sight. Half–built structures loomed like abandoned skeletons, amplifying the unsettling silence.
“Sophia…” Yvonne hesitated, realizing this was Sophia’s new car. Regret flickered across her face.
“Are we there yet?” Sophia asked.
“Yes, yes, it’s just up ahead…” Yvonne replied quickly
Just as Yvonne was about to point out the way, she noticed a group of burly men, clearly thugs, heading toward the building. Her expression tightened with worry. “Why are they here again?” she muttered anxiously.
Sophia raised an eyebrow. “They?”
Yvonne explained, “I don’t know exactly who they are, but they seem to be local troublemakers. They show up every now and then to harass people, sometimes even resorting to violence.”
Sophia drove closer and parked the car. “Let’s check it out.”
Stepping out of the car, Sophia scanned the surroundings, her brows furrowing deeply.
The ground was uneven, and the trash bins by the roadside were overflowing, left uncleaned. The sweltering heat amplified the stench of decay, making the air almost unbearable. Flies buzzed around, one even daring to land near Sophia.
Without hesitation, Sophia swatted the fly dead with a sharp motion. The environment was beyond terrible. It was downright appalling.
Seeing this, Yvonne quickly suggested, “Sophia, maybe you should wait in the car. I’ll be back in a moment.” She grabbed the food container and dashed
toward the dilapidated building.
Sophia, not keen on enduring the misery of the place, decided to stay in the car. She crossed her arms and lowered her gaze, lost in thought.
Five minutes later, a desperate cry for help echoed from the building. “Help. They’re hitting people.” Yvonne’s voice rang out, frantic and terrified.
Sophia’s eyes snapped open. Her first instinct was to reach for her dagger, but she paused. Instead, she stepped out of the car, opened the trunk, and grabbed a black baseball bat before heading toward the building.
From a distance, she spotted a thug pulling at Yvonne. Without a word, she hurled the bat with precision, striking the guy squarely on the back. He collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.
“Sophia!” Yvonne’s eyes brightened when she saw Sophia, but then she got worried. There were still four more guys coming. “This is way too risky. Get out of here now,” she said, grabbing a baseball bat and holding it tight, ready to defend herself.
“Where did this nosy brat come from? You two must be tired of living,” one of the thugs snarled, furious at seeing his companion injured. He cursed and
prepared to teach Sophia a lesson.
Sophia wasted no time. She charged forward, her kick sending the thug flying a few feet away.
Yvonne’s jaw dropped in shock. She didn’t even notice when Sophia snatched the bat from her hands.
With both hands gripping the bat, Sophia moved swiftly and decisively. The bat cut through the air with a sharp whistle, each strike landing with a bone- jarring thud. One by one, the thugs fell to the ground, writhing in pain and screaming in agony.
2/3
Chapter 54
Wade Chapman had been making lifestyle content for over a year, but his followers barely hit a thousand. His agency, tired of his stagnant growth, told him to try something new. If he couldn’t improve, he’d be benched.
Wade said to the camera, “Hey, everyone. No grocery shopping or cooking today. I’m at Fortune Town, about a forty minute drive west of the city.
“Doesn’t the name sound nice? So, why am I here? Well, it’s because …”
Wade was looking at the online viewers in the livestream room whose number didn’t exceed one hundred. Just as he was about to answer a viewer’s question, suddenly he heard someone shouting for help.
Wade froze, staring at his screen as his chat exploded with comments. Viewers spammed messages urging him to check it out, with some even sending gifts to encourage him.
At first, he didn’t want to go. A cry for help sounded like trouble. But as the gifts kept rolling in, he sighed and mustered up his courage.
There was a girl in a simple white T–shirt and black tracksuit pants, her long hair streaming behind her. She wielded a baseball bat with her slender hands, taking on a group of burly men.
Wade couldn’t believe his eyes.
His jaw dropped, his hands trembling as he clutched his selfie stick. He swallowed nervously.
Wade said, “Folks, everything’s fine now. A young lady just stepped in and handled those guys…”
Before he could finish, his chat erupted in excitement.
[She’s amazing. Her bat swing looks like it’s straight out of a movie.]
[She’s definitely trained. How can someone appearing so fragile take down five guys? I can’t believe this.]
[Wade, stop standing there. Go talk to her. A girl this cool doesn’t come around every day.]
[I need to see her face. Hurry up, Wade.]
As the gifts kept pouring in, Wade forced a shaky smile. He really didn’t want to approach her. She looked terrifying.
But with his viewers relentlessly pushing him, he had no choice. “Hi there, Miss. I’m a streamer with Banana Network. I just wanted to say…”
His voice wavered, and his awkwardness had the chat in stitches.
Then, Sophia turned around, and it was like a scene straight out of a drama. Wade’s eyes widened as recognition hit him like a truck. “Wait… you’re Sophia? The science prodigy? Howard’s sister?”
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