It was a small circle. Although Faye Dunn had never personally dealt with either of them, she’d still heard about recent events.

So she knew a bit about the situation between Joanna Sherman and Sophia Shaw.

Faye Dunn pointed to two figures in the distance. "That man is the CEO of our company, George Griffin, and the one with him is Miss Sherman."

"I heard Miss Sherman only got out of prison this morning, but she’s already here this afternoon to talk business. My boss, Mr. Griffin, is blown away by her professionalism."

George Griffin was famous in their circle for his work ethic, so when he met Joanna Sherman, who seemed just as dedicated, he was naturally impressed.

Sophia Shaw watched Joanna Sherman’s back, countless questions clouding her mind.

’How did she get out?’

’How could she have even gotten past Skye Sutton?’

’Did Vincent Grant get out early?’

Sophia Shaw shook her head.

The Grant family rules were strict, and on top of that, Skye Sutton was angry with Joanna Sherman, making the possibility of releasing Vincent Grant early virtually zero.

’So how exactly did Joanna Sherman get out?’

For the moment, Sophia Shaw pushed the question to the back of her mind. She entered the Veloform workshop and began calibrating a key piece of equipment.

Faye Dunn was in the middle of her work when she stepped out to answer a phone call.

Sophia Shaw sat alone before the monitor, her fingers dancing rapidly. At her command, the numbers on the screen changed at lightning speed.

Before long, the calibration was complete!

Sophia Shaw stood up, and as she raised her eyes, she saw Joanna Sherman and George Griffin had entered the workshop as well.

However, they stopped in front of a different machine.

While George Griffin went to operate the machine, Joanna Sherman strode over to Sophia in her high heels.

Having been locked up for a few days, her face had grown considerably thinner. But with a layer of perfect makeup, it gave her a touch of tragic, delicate beauty.

She stopped in front of Sophia Shaw, hands shoved in her pockets and chin held high, as arrogant as ever.

Her gaze was cold as ice as it fixed on Sophia. "You must be very curious how I got out. Cedric soaked in a cold bath all night and gave himself a severe cold. The Grants rushed him home, and he begged them for my release, putting his own life on the line."

"No matter how important a daughter-in-law is, she’ll never be more important than the grandson. The moment he opened his mouth, the Grants immediately agreed to release me."

Joanna Sherman was blatantly flaunting her importance in Cedric Grant’s heart.

Her smile was laced with poison, every word a needle pricking at Sophia’s chest. "Being able to birth a son is no great feat. Having someone else’s son wrapped firmly around your finger—now that’s real power!"

"Come to think of it, I should thank you. Thank you for giving birth to Cedric Grant. He’s just so very useful to me."

Done gloating, Joanna Sherman turned like a victorious bantam rooster, whipping her ponytail as she strutted back in her high heels.

The sharp CLACK of her heels and the wild swing of her ponytail both screamed of her arrogance.

Sophia Shaw clenched her fists tightly.

Undeniably, Joanna Sherman’s taunts had cut deep.

Cedric had soaked in cold water to save her... He had fallen into cold water the time he collapsed and lost consciousness.

As a result, for a long time afterward, the sight of icy water would trigger a conditioned reflex in him: fear, panic, terror.

He wouldn’t be able to breathe, his entire body trembling.

He was afraid of cold water to that extent, yet he still plunged in for Joanna Sherman without a second thought.

He didn’t even care about his own life!

When he had been unconscious, she had stayed up for three days and three nights without closing her eyes.

After that, she’d tended to him day and night for over half a month.

Because she was so exhausted and anxious, it had even triggered a heart condition, and she’d nearly died.

She had gambled her own life to save his.

But he didn’t cherish it.

’And now he throws it away so easily to save a venomous woman!’

’Cedric Grant... just when she thought he’d reached his limit, he always found a new low to sink to.’

’I hope he never regrets the decisions he made today for the rest of his life!’

The moment Sophia Shaw left Windspeed, she got a call from June Evans.

"I heard Joanna Sherman is out of prison? And they’re saying Cedric forced the Grants’ hand by threatening to kill himself?"

June Evans’s voice was seething with anger.

What was wrong with Cedric Grant’s head? Was he really willing to throw his life away for a duplicitous, wicked woman?

Sophia hummed in agreement. "Joanna Sherman is indeed out of prison. We even ran into each other today."

"The part about Cedric threatening the Grants is probably true, but they wouldn’t have listened to him."

As much as the Grants doted on Cedric, their family discipline was ironclad. The Grant elders and Julian Grant were all extremely strict and would never do anything to break the rules.

June Evans was confused. "If not the Grants, then who has that kind of power?"

’Yeah, who has that kind of power?’

’And who would be so blind as to release a woman like Joanna Sherman?’

That evening, some bad news came from the desert.

The project there had run into a problem.

Sophia Shaw contacted Levin Sawyer immediately.

"The problem isn’t huge, but my return will definitely be delayed."

Even though Levin Sawyer said that, Sophia still asked for the details.

Levin Sawyer knew he couldn’t hide it from her and told her the truth. "The J Family added some last-minute requirements, so we have no choice but to extend the schedule."

"Doesn’t the J Family have a reputation for never changing project requirements midway?"

Sophia Shaw had dealt with Caleb Croft before; she knew his character.

Levin Sawyer chuckled lightly. "I heard Caleb Croft’s elderly mother is gravely ill, so he went home to take care of her himself. He left his son in charge of his work."

Caleb Croft was a famously devoted son. His mother was nearly a hundred years old, and it was said he personally cared for her every time she had a major illness.

Although she knew Caleb Croft was a devoted son, Sophia was still puzzled. "Caleb Croft knows perfectly well that Young Master Croft is unreliable. Why would he still...?"

’It’s not as if the J Family has no one else.’

A conflicted expression flickered across Levin Sawyer’s wind-chafed brow, but he still chose to tell her the truth. "As far as I know, Caleb Croft intends to have you for a daughter-in-law. He gave Young Master Croft this opportunity on the condition that he pursue you."

"What? Hasn’t he made a move?"

Sophia Shaw: "..."

Levin Sawyer’s sudden revelation made her choke and cough.

’What in the world?’

’How could Caleb Croft have such an outrageous idea?’

With Levin Sawyer’s reminder, an image suddenly flashed through Sophia Shaw’s mind—Young Master Croft standing at the company entrance holding a bouquet of flowers.

But he had never actually approached her.

Levin Sawyer knew Young Master Croft would never catch Sophia Shaw’s eye, so he didn’t say anything more on the matter.

Instead, he said, "I probably won’t be back in time for the launch of this rideshare mission."

"Faye, I’ve decided to have you take full charge of the project."

"Is that a good idea?" Sophia was used to working behind the scenes and wasn’t comfortable stepping into the spotlight.

Levin Sawyer said, "There’s nothing wrong with it. You’ve been leading the project from the start. Even if I came back, I’d just be a figurehead."

"Faye, it’s time everyone knew who you are!" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Young Master Croft’s troublemaking had, paradoxically, sparked a bold idea in him.

He would use this opportunity to unveil Lead Aerospace’s true ace.

And restore to Sophia Shaw the fame and status she deserved.

He had planned to reveal her identity last time, but those so-called experts had stood in the way.

Levin Sawyer felt that this was, in fact, an even better opportunity.

While Sophia Shaw wasn’t eager for public exposure, she knew she couldn’t hide in the shadows forever.

She had bigger plans for the future, and she couldn’t have her abilities questioned every step of the way.

She didn’t care much for fame, but constant doubt would seriously hinder her progress and all manner of future collaborations.

"Alright."

Leah Evans finished her work and finally rushed back from the desert.

After debriefing Sophia Shaw, Sophia decided to treat her to a meal to welcome her back.

Leah Evans didn’t hold back, picking a ridiculously expensive restaurant.

The restaurant was absurdly expensive, yet they still had to wait in line to be seated.

Leah Evans and Sophia Shaw sat in the waiting area, wiping their hands with the hot towels handed to them by the staff. They nibbled on the restaurant’s complimentary snacks, continuing to chat idly about work.

As they were chatting, they saw Joanna Sherman entering a restaurant across from them, accompanied by a man.

The man was the very picture of a gentleman. He held the door for Joanna Sherman, waiting for her to enter before going in himself.

Upon reaching their table, he first pulled out a chair for Joanna Sherman before sitting down himself.

"Oh, look at that. Found her next meal ticket already?" Leah Evans sneered, unable to hide her disdain. She just could not stand Joanna Sherman.

The man was dressed very formally. From the back, he appeared tall and well-built; his looks probably weren’t half bad either.

Leah Evans deliberately tilted her head to get a better look, and when she saw the man’s face clearly, she let out a curse.