19. Was she okay?
Sophia's Pov:
Oliver and I were still standing outside June's apartment when his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen and smiled lightly.
"It's June. She must be worried about you."
Then he picked up.
I couldn't hear what June was saying, but Oliver replied,
"Yeah, yeah, I reached."
Then he looked at me and said with a small smile,
"Yeah, she looks exhausted."
After listening for a few more seconds, he said,
"You tell her."
Then he handed me the phone.
June's voice came from the other side immediately.
"Sophia, I'm so sorry, I'm getting late."
Then she added, half annoyed,
"And how did you even lose the keys?"
I sighed.
"I don't know."
She softened.
"Okay, leave that. Please go with Oliver for now . You sound exhausted. I'll pick you up from his place while returning and he is a nice guy I know him so don't worry . okay??"
I hesitated for a second.
I really had nowhere else to go.
And from the way June sounded, she might be late for hours.
So I finally replied,
"Okay."
I handed the phone back to Oliver and said awkwardly,
"So... okay, let's go."
He stepped aside and gestured with his hand.
"Ladies first."
I smiled faintly and walked ahead.
When we reached the parking lot, he opened the passenger door for me.
For a moment, I froze.
It was such a small gesture.
A basic gentleman thing.
The least anyone could do.
But still-
it felt strangely nice.
Because Adrian had never done that for me.
I had always sat in the back seat of his car.
Something so small made my chest feel warm.
I sat down quietly, and Oliver got into the driver's seat.
The drive was mostly silent, with soft music playing in the background.
But after some time, I realized we had entered the same area where the Whitmore mansion was.
This was one of the poshest areas in the city.
Rows of luxurious mansions lined the roads.
Soon the car stopped in front of another huge mansion.
The nameplate read:
Sinclairs
I looked at him in surprise.
I had seen this place before- it is just behind the lane where the Whitmore mansion stood.
The gates opened, and Oliver drove inside.
When the car stopped, he got out quickly and came around to open my door.
I stepped out and said softly,
"Thank you."
Then I couldn't stop myself from asking,
"You own a mansion?"
He smiled.
"It was passed on to me. But please don't judge me like others do-that everything was served to me on a platter. I worked hard to expand my company and maintain everything."
I shook my head immediately.
"No, no, I wasn't judging."
He smiled again.
"Good. Then let's get inside. You need rest."
And honestly-
I desperately needed rest.
My feet were killing me after walking all the way to June's apartment in heels.
Even now my steps were faltering, but I was trying my best to walk normally.
When I entered the mansion, I looked around.
It was lavish.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Then an elderly woman approached us with a mischievous smile.
She wiggled her eyebrows at Oliver.
"Finally! You brought your girlfriend."
Oliver sighed.
"Mrs. Paula, I've told you many times-I don't have a girlfriend."
Then he pointed toward me.
"And she is just a friend."
Mrs. Paula looked at me curiously.
"Is he telling the truth?"
I nodded quickly.
"Yes."
Oliver smiled helplessly.
"Sophia, this is Mrs. Paula. She takes care of the mansion and is like family to me."
Then he looked at her.
"And Mrs. Paula, this is Sophia-just a friend."
He emphasized the word friend.
"She's here only for some time because of an emergency, so please don't start imagining things."
Mrs. Paula laughed.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I've been waiting for years for him to bring home a partner, so I get excited whenever I see a girl with him."
I smiled politely.
"No, it's okay."
Oliver turned to her.
"I'll show Sophia the guest room. Can you prepare some snacks?"
Mrs. Paula nodded.
Then Oliver looked at me.
"Shall we?"
I nodded and followed him.
Then I saw the huge staircase in front of us.
My heart dropped.
I asked weakly,
"The guest room is upstairs?"
Oliver looked at me.
"Yes. Why?"
The horror on my face must have been obvious because he chuckled and added,
"Don't worry, you don't have to climb those. They're mostly for show. We have an elevator."
I let out a relieved sigh.
"Thank God."
He laughed softly.
"I never understand why girls wear heels if they hurt this much."
I smiled tiredly.
"Because they make us feel beautiful. And taller."
He grinned.
"And they also make you walk like you're fighting for your life."
I laughed despite my exhaustion.
Before I could reply, the elevator doors opened.
He led me to a beautiful guest room and opened the door.
"You can rest here," he said. "Mrs. Paula will send some snacks."
I nodded.
"Thank you."
He turned to leave but paused at the door.
"Do you have your phone charger, or should I arrange one?"
I looked at him, surprised.
He noticed everything.
He remembered everything.
I shook my head.
"No, thank you. I have one."
He smiled.
"Alright. Rest well."
Then he left.
The moment the door closed, I kicked off my heels.
The relief was instant.
"Oh God..."
I lay flat on the bed, exhausted.
For a moment, I didn't want to move at all.
Then suddenly I remembered-
my phone.
I got up quickly, plugged it into the charger, and waited for it to turn on.
As soon as the screen lit up, my breath caught.
There were several missed calls from Lily.
My blood ran cold.
Why had Lily called so many times?
Was she okay?