Chapter5.Female lead, why are you clinging to me like this?!

Ryan couldn't wait to get out of there. He quickly said his goodbyes and fled the Harrison estate.

As they walked down the path outside the estate, Ryan nervously asked, "What's going on?"

Jack's face was pale, and he glanced around nervously. "Let's talk in the car!"

Ryan knew something serious had happened.

At the same time, Sophia had also received the news. Furious, she chased after Ryan and caught up with him and Jack.

Jack immediately shut his mouth, looking nervously at Sophia.

Ryan, still completely out of the loop, tried to play it cool. "Oh, Sophia, what's the rush? Did you need something?"

Sophia's face was cold as she studied Ryan's expression. This guy is such a good actor! He embezzled funds from the procurement budget, messed up an entire batch of medicine, and now he's acting like he knows nothing about it.

Sophia smiled, but her smile was as sharp as a knife. "Ryan, is everything okay at the pharmaceutical plant lately?"

"Uh…"

Ryan noticed Jack frantically signaling him with his eyes and quickly said, "Everything's fine, don't worry. If there's an issue, I'll handle it."

[Why is she here? Shouldn't she be out having tea and discussing medicine with Leo by now?]

[Why is the female lead chasing after me? Shouldn't she be busy joining Leo's harem?]

[Whatever's happening at the plant must be serious. I need to deal with it ASAP!]

Sophia was taken aback. Does he really not know what's going on at the plant? Did he not embezzle the money after all?

She thought for a moment, then smiled sweetly. "Ryan, it's been over a year since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"

"Huh? Has it? Time flies, huh? The wheels of history keep rolling, crushing our fleeting youth…"

Sophia almost gagged. This guy is getting more disgusting by the minute.

She forced a smile and opened her arms. "Hug!"

Ryan's head was spinning.

He was in deep trouble on all fronts.

He'd already messed up Leo's plans twice in one day, which meant he was probably on Leo's hit list.

Emily, that stubborn girl, had somehow decided to get engaged to him, and he needed to figure out how to get out of that mess without further provoking Leo.

Now Sophia, the female lead, wasn't following the script either—she was acting weird and clingy.

But the most urgent issue was the pharmaceutical plant. Medicine was serious business, and if something went wrong, it could be catastrophic.

And now this little devil was asking for a hug!?

What kind of nonsense was this? Who did she think she was playing with?

Just then, Ryan noticed Claire and Leo walking out of the estate. Leo's eyes immediately locked onto Ryan's.

Ryan's heart sank. This is bad. Really bad.

Leo's eyes narrowed. This guy keeps ruining my plans!

Ryan quickly tried to play it cool. "What's this about a hug?"

He raised his voice. "Oh, Leo! Perfect timing! Sophia here was just a little upset earlier, but she's actually really impressed with your medical skills. Why don't you two grab a coffee and chat? You're both medical enthusiasts—I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about. I've got some urgent business to attend to, so… bye!"

Ryan turned to leave, thinking:

[I've done all I can to help you two. May you have many children together. Just leave me out of it!]

[You're a match made in heaven, and I'm just the scum of the earth, okay?]

[I need to get out of here before Leo finds an excuse to come after me.]

Sophia glanced back at Leo, snorted dismissively, then grabbed Ryan's sleeve.

"Ryan, don't go! Ever since we were kids, you've always hugged me before we part ways, remember?"

Ryan's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the little devil.

Sophia's face was as beautiful as a fairy's, her big eyes as clear and bright as black gemstones.

But behind that innocent face and pure gaze, Ryan saw a hint of smugness, cunning, and even a touch of malice.

She's doing this on purpose!

Of course, Sophia was doing it on purpose.

Ryan had thoroughly pissed her off.

She'd overheard most of his inner thoughts, and he seemed convinced she'd fall for Leo. Why should I?

Sophia was determined to make him pay.

So you're scared of Leo, huh? Well, I'm going to make sure you're never at ease!

Ryan's eyes were filled with hostility and shock.

He slowly pushed Sophia's hand away, thinking bitterly:

[This little devil is trying to screw me over!]

[She seems to know I'm scared of Leo, and she's doing this on purpose! Absolutely on purpose!]

Sophia almost laughed out loud. She continued to play the innocent, pitiful girl, but her eyes seemed to say:

I'm doing this on purpose. Who knew you, Ryan Anderson, would be scared of someone?

This is fun. Today, I'm going to scare you to death!

Oh? Are you sweating?

By now, Leo and Claire had walked over. Leo's lips curled into a cold smile.

"You hug every time you part ways? How charming, Ryan."

Ryan's mouth twitched. Before he could explain, Jack stepped forward and said loudly, "So what if he did? What's it to you, you—"

Ryan yanked Jack back. Stop causing trouble! The two of us together wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Ryan awkwardly said, "Sophia's just joking. It's nothing like that!"

"What do you mean, nothing? It started when I was eight. Remember that family banquet? You tricked me into a corner and tried to kiss me. You even asked me to take off my clothes so you could 'examine' me, saying you wanted to be a doctor someday… I was so scared back then, I almost believed you…"

Leo's fists clenched tighter, his gaze growing sharper as he stared at Ryan.

Ryan, however, narrowed his eyes at Sophia. He finally understood—this little devil seemed to know his weakness!

The problem was, she had the face of an innocent, pure-hearted doll. No one would believe that this sweet-looking girl had such a dark, manipulative side.

[I finally got another chance to change my fate against the heavens,, and now I might lose it all because of this little brat?]

[Are Leo and his harem the obstacles I'll never overcome?]

Sophia was also calculating in her mind:

He seems to know a lot about Leo, and there's some bad blood between them.

Well, good. Let the villains fight each other. Neither of you is any good. One's a bully who does whatever he wants, and the other tried to sabotage my treatment of Grandpa Harrison.

Whoever kills whom, it's a win for me. I love watching bad guys destroy each other.

Ryan wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a smile. "I don't remember any of that from when we were kids."

"Then how about a hug today?"

Sophia leaned in closer and whispered, "If you don't hug me, you're not going anywhere."

Ryan narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with resentment. "You're something else," he muttered under his breath.

With great effort, Ryan forced an awkward smile and gave Sophia a light hug.

But Sophia wrapped her arms tightly around him and exclaimed, "Oh, Ryan, you're so naughty! Always taking advantage of me!"

Ryan pushed her away, barely containing his anger.

Leo steadied Sophia and glared at Ryan. "Ryan, what's your problem?"

Ryan's mind went blank.

[Oh no!]

He quickly forced a smile. "Nothing, nothing! I just had a cramp. Anyway, I've got an emergency at the pharmaceutical plant. I need to go deal with it…"

Ryan practically ran away. Jack hesitated for a moment, then pointed at Leo. "You better watch your back!"

He turned and chased after Ryan.

Leo didn't bother chasing Ryan. With Sophia by his side, he had more important things to focus on.

"Sophia, are you okay? Did he hurt you? Don't worry, I'll make sure Ryan pays for this."

"Oh? Really?" Sophia's face instantly turned cold, and she stepped away from Leo. "He's the young master of the Anderson family. Not just anyone can mess with him. What can you do?"

Leo laughed. "The four major families? In my eyes, they're nothing but ants."

Sophia's eyes flashed with a cold light. "Just ants, huh?"

Leo realized he'd said too much and quickly tried to backtrack. "No, I mean—"

"Goodbye."

Sophia strode to her car, yanked off her uniform jacket, and her assistant team quickly draped a black trench coat over her shoulders.

In an instant, Sophia transformed from a sweet, innocent girl into a cold, domineering queen—a smaller version of Emily.

Once in the car, Ryan was still shaking, slamming his fist against the armrest in frustration.

"Damn it, I almost died back there!"

Jack quickly raised the partition between the passenger compartment and the driver's seat, isolating them from the driver.

"Don't worry, Ryan! I'll find someone to take care of Leo and get revenge for you!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Ryan gritted his teeth. "The real problem is Sophia. That little devil…"

Jack grinned. "Ryan, it looks like she's really into you! She even threw herself at you! Don't worry, I'll help you win over the Wilson family's little genius. Once she's on our side, the Wilson family's resources will be ours to—"

"Shut your mouth!" Ryan was on the verge of losing it. "Remember, don't mess with Leo, and don't even think about Sophia! That girl is trying to ruin me!"

"Oh, isn't that perfect?" Jack smirked. "You two can play your little games. Who cares who's playing whom?"

Ryan glared at Jack, about to explode, but then he remembered that Jack had no idea about the bigger picture. Getting angry at him was pointless.

He sighed. "What's going on at the pharmaceutical plant?"

What Ryan didn't know was that Sophia, sitting in her own car, was listening to their conversation through a bug she'd planted during their hug.

Her face was icy, her eyes sharp. Her assistant team watched her nervously, not daring to speak.

Jack explained, "That damn director from the pharmaceutical regulatory department is a real piece of work! To cut costs, the young master reduced some of the expensive ingredients in the latest batch of medicine. It's just herbal medicine—it's not like it's going to kill anyone."

"But that director wrote a resignation letter and threatened to expose the whole thing. Can you believe it? The old fool is just after money. Let's just ship the medicine as is. It's not like it'll hurt anyone. If he doesn't shut up, we'll make him disappear. Once he's gone, the problem will—"

"Enough." Ryan lowered the partition and said to the driver, "Step on it. Get me to the plant."

Sophia removed her earpiece, her expression growing colder.

Ryan, if you dare to do something so despicable, don't blame me for what happens next.

Others might fear the Anderson family, but I, Sophia Wilson, don't!

And besides…

A sly smile crept across Sophia's lips