Chapter 22: The Little Trickster

"My father said that my grandfather was once good friends with an elder from Leo's family, and this elder is still alive. My father managed to contact this elder through connections, and he convinced CEO Leo to have Dr. John help treat my brother," Sophia explained.

This was a strategy her father had considered before but ultimately failed to execute. Now, Sophia used it to alleviate Aaron's doubts.

Aaron wasn't fooled easily: "But...I've never heard you mention this before."

"You know, my grandfather passed away a long time ago. I'm not clear about the relationship between him and that elder from Leo's family; I only heard about it from my father... Besides, we didn't have much hope for this method, but unexpectedly..." Sophia sounded somewhat guilty, but she had no choice.

To ease Aaron's mind and allow him to live a carefree life from now on, Sophia could only do this.

"Is that so?" Although Aaron voiced his question, he believed her story to some extent. Sophia, always reluctant to burden him, consulted him on matters related to Jack without acting rashly.

However, he was still puzzled. He remembered Sophia's father not being fond of Jack. When Jack became comatose, he didn't seem too upset, and he never visited Jack in the hospital. Would he really set aside his pride, relying on a slight connection between Sophia's grandfather and Leo's family, to plead for Dr. John's help?

Aaron decided in his heart to find Sophia's father and ask him personally.

Seeing Aaron lost in thought, Sophia felt uneasy and quickly changed the subject: "How is Dr. John's medical skill? Does my brother look healthier? Why do I see him thinner?"

The mention made Aaron uncontrollably melancholic. Why hadn't he been the one to discover this new treatment method for comatose patients? Then, Sophia wouldn't have had to endure so much.

"It's effective, Jack's vital signs and other data have improved a lot."

"Really?" Sophia's voice rose in excitement, the best news she had heard in a while.

Sodden later, Sophia received a notification on her phone; someone had started the car she arrived in, likely Leo's bodyguards. She had installed a bug in the car linked to her phone before getting out.

Sophia excused herself and left.

Aaron initially wanted to invite her to his house for a meal to nourish her, noticing she had grown thinner, her once plump chin now sharp.

But as always, she refused to give him a chance to treat her well.

Arriving at the parking garage, Sophia found four bodyguards standing in front of her car, seemingly waiting for her.

Seeing her approach, they posed defensively, ready for a confrontation.

Sophia casually said, "I'll go back with you," and headed straight to the passenger seat.

The bodyguards escorted her back to Leo's mansion, making her feel rather important, she mused in her heart.

Perhaps due to her brother's improved condition, the pressure Sophia had been feeling lifted somewhat.

But, upon reaching Leo's mansion, her ease disappeared. How would Leo, unpredictable as ever, punish her for fleeing? However, the likelihood seemed small; he was probably too busy caring for Jamie, considering the medicine she had administered required at least five days to counteract.

Entering the main living room and seeing Leo leisurely enjoying Da Hong Pao and watching financial news, she nearly jumped with fright.

Leo smirked coldly at her reaction, "Surprised you know to come back."

Sophia replied calmly, "We have our needs, and I am a person who keeps her promises."

Leo interrupted her without thinking, "You said before that whatever I ask you to do, you'd do. In other words, if I don't ask you to do something, you shouldn't do anything, including running away."

Sophia looked down guiltily.

Leo softly scolded, "Little trickster, you call yourself someone who keeps promises?"

The words "little trickist" hit Sophia hard, making her feel deeply embarrassed.

Sophia thought, after getting used to Leo's icy demeanor, his sudden teasing was quite overwhelming.

Leo enjoyed her discomfort, and as she regained composure, he beckoned her over. Thinking he had instructions, Sophia approached, only for Leo to pull her onto his lap.

"Your injury hasn't healed, why are you running around? Don't do this again."

His deep voice, gentle tone, and undeniable concern made Sophia momentarily think he had fallen for her.

"You..."

Before she could ask, Leo adopted a cold and domineering facade, "You must fulfill your promises to receive rewards; failure results in double punishment."

He lifted her in a bridal carry, effortlessly heading upstairs.

Sophia panicked, fearing what might come next.

Wasn't Jamie enough for him? Why did he need her too?

"My injury hasn't healed, can you not..."

Realizing the gravity of this man's threat, Sophia softened her tone, no longer as boldly confrontational as before.

Noticing her subdued spirit, Leo smiled satisfactorily. "I didn't say I'd touch you. What are you falsely accusing me of?"

Sophia's cheek flushed, annoyed at his sudden teasing.

Also, the thought of him possibly holding Jamie the same way made her nauseous.

Leo laid her on the bed, noticing her disgusted expression, anger flashed, "What's that look for?" He gazed into her eyes, intending to unearth any remaining defiance.

Sophia, frightened, quickly responded, "Nothing, I swear!"

Leo scoffed, understanding her fear.

To fully subdue her, he had his work cut out.

That night, Leo didn't touch Sophia nor asked her to bathe him. Instead, he had her continuously kiss him, ostensibly to hone her kissing skills.

Sophia's lips became numb, yet he seemed unsatisfied.

Exhausted, she lightly pecked his lips until he suddenly let her go.

"You did well. As a reward, you can freely come and go, but you must return by nine each night."

Leo noticed she hadn't moved for a while; looking down, he found she had fallen asleep on him like a kitten.

Her flushed face, puckered lips, and long eyelashes covering her eyes finally showed her feminine side to him.

So, he didn't move her but held her close, falling asleep to her pure scent.

The next morning, Sophia received a call from her senior, Ben, about dealing with a major smuggling case. Without hesitation, she snuck into the car set for departure, smoothly leaving Leo's mansion.

Sophia found her smooth escape odd but felt excited about the mission.

Upon seeing Sophia, Ben paused, "Sophia is getting prettier."

"Oh, where?"

Ben pondered, "You're starting to have a feminine charm, more seductive in your gaze."

Sophia was confused, "Wasn't I seductive before?" She remembered captivating Lincoln during undercover work.

"That's different. That was deliberate seduction, somewhat forced, but now... it's a natural charm from within," said Ben.

His praise made Sophia's face harden.

She understood who had caused this change.

She should hate Leo immensely, yet why...

"Sophia, it's time to get ready," Ben interrupted her thoughts. Sophia immediately focused, preparing for action.

"This time, we're targeting a man named Abner," Ben briefed his team, pointing at a picture, "Abner is the biggest smuggler in Southeast Asia, with massive influence over numerous underground casinos and money laundering operations. Moreover, he's cunning. Before us, Interpol sent many teams to capture him, all failed, losing many agents in the process."

"No matter how cunning that fox is, he'll have a tail. I refuse to believe we can't catch him," Sophia confidently stated.

Ben affectionately ruffled her hair, his eyes full of adoration.

Sophia dodged, "Be serious!"

The team had become accustomed to their "flirting," patiently waiting for Ben to continue.

"I've learned that Abner will arrive at the Zui Sheng Meng Si Bar around eight tonight to meet his two liaisons in Country Z, Scar Three and Red Spider, to discuss entering the inland market. I will pose as Scar Three, and Sophia as Red Spider to deal with Abner. Sophia is proficient in various drugs and poisons. We'll drug him when the opportunity arises; with my strength, capturing him won't be difficult. Lu Zhe, lead the rest in scouting the bar for suitable ambush spots. Chen Qi, handle counter-surveillance, preventing them from detecting us while ascertaining their numbers and positions," Ben instructed.

With commands given, the team dispersed to execute their tasks, leaving Sophia and Ben to change disguise in the car.