SWNOVELS Chapter 235 An Unusual Gift
'Huh?' Dorothy was bewildered. She couldn't believe that Sophia was smiling at her and proposing a private talk. Moreover, she could not think of anything she'd like to talk to her about. So she arrogantly replied, "I don't think that's necessary. I have nothing to say to you." She then took Colin's arm with the intention of going away. "Come on, Colin, let's go."
Before Colin and Dorothy could leave, Sophia said, "I am sorry I've done things that offended you before, Miss Lien. I owe you an apology. Today I just want to talk things out with you, privately. Just the two of us."
The rest of the group was shocked.
Leila didn't know all the stories between Dorothy and Sophia, but she knew enough to know that they were not friends to each other. Why would Sophia suddenly want to apologize to Dorothy? What was going on?
Dorothy, on the other hand, was satisfied as well as shocked at Sophia's words. Hardly trying to veil her smug satisfaction, she raised her head a little higher, unaware of Colin's darkened face.
Colin was indeed angry with Sophia. He'd already promised Sophia that he would always stand by her side no matter what she did. Now her offer of an apology to Dorothy was a total betrayal of his trust. Dorothy loosened her arm from Colin's and turned to face Sophia with a condescending look. "Well, if you insist, I guess I can spare a few minutes to hear you out." Sophia nodded and then followed Dorothy out of the living room. Before she was gone, she looked back and gave Colin a glance. A glance with a spark of... wickedness.
Colin caught the glance and realized that it wasn't truly a call for truce. Instantly, his mood lightened and a smile appeared on his face. Leila picked up a glass of champagne from a tray near her and approached Colin. "Hi, Colin. Long time no see. How are you these days?"
It had been a long time since they last met. She had stopped contacting him ever since she knew that he was in love with her cousin Sophia.
Colin took a sip of the red wine before looking away from the direction where Sophia had just went. "Now that Sophia's back, I've never been better." His tone was affectionate and tender, showing no attempt to hide his feelings for Sophia. Colin felt happy to have Sophia around. Even quarreling with her made him feel alive.
However, the more he talked about his love for Sophia, the more painful it became for Leila to hear about it. A moment of silence passed before Leila could regain her composure and ask, "If you love Sophia s much, why are you still with Dorothy?"
"Dorothy," Colin paused, his eyes fixed on the red wine as the smile on his face slowly disappeared. "I want nothing left for her in the end."
Leila was a smart woman. She immediately understood that there was more to that seemingly flourishing relationship between Colin and Dorothy.
She also knew that it was time to get this man out of her head and move on. So she raised her glass to propose a toast, "Good luck, Colin. I am looking forward to the day when I become your sister-in-law." Seeing that she was letting go of the past, Colin felt reassured and cast a teasing glance at her, "Hey, I happen to have quite a few hot single friends, do you want me to set you up? Huh, big star?" "I'd love to. But only after you and Sophia get back together." Colin knew she was leaving out the part that
She wouldn't settle down with another man until she saw that he was happily married, unsaid.
"You are a good girl, and you deserve someone much better than me," Colin said.
Leila grinned, "Are you saying that you are not a good man? Or that Sophia is not as good as me? I wonder what Sophia would think about that. You should be careful, Colin. I may tell on you!" Certainly, Colin would laugh at the joke and let it pass, she thought. To her surprise, Colin seemed to have taken it seriously. He looked her in the eye and said, "Please don't say anything about this to Sophia. am still trying to win her back, so I wouldn't want anything to mess it up for me."
Though her heart ached from hearing the confession, Leila was amused by the way Colin fell for her joke. She couldn't help but smile, "All right, I won't say anything to her. By the way, do you need any help from your big cousin Leila?"
"No, that won't be necessary. You are already too busy yourself. I don't want you to spend time on this. I want you to take good care of yourself."
"Okay... Look, your fiancee is back!" Leila saw Sophia and Dorothy reentering the living room.
While they were waiting for Sophia and Dorothy to come nearer, Colin put his left hand into his pocket and talked to Leila in a low voice, "Next time you see Sophia, you can refer to her as my wife. Though she is my ex-wife, I wouldn't mind you leaving out the 'ex'. I prefer 'wife'."
Leila knew Colin had only Sophia in his heart now, but she wasn't ready for him to talk about it so openly with her. After a while she managed to reply, "You really have the heart to show off your happy relationship in front of me, a poor girl who doesn't even have a boyfriend?"
Leila sighed. She was right about Colin. He was a devoted lover and a reliable man. Unfortunately, she was not the one for him.
Colin noticed Leila's reaction to his words. Though he didn't want to hurt her feelings, he decided to be candid with her. This might be hurtful for her at the moment, but would be good for her in the long run. "Face it, Leila. I love Sophia and I will marry her again someday. If you can't handle my calling her my wife, how are you going to deal with our wedding, and our visits to you as a couple after we get married?"
Leila knew that what Colin was saying was right. "All right, you win!" Leila felt a surge of mixed feelings. She was sad that she had to let go of this man she had loved for so long. Meanwhile, she also felt happy that Colin could still treat her like a real friend no matter what their past had been.
After Sophia and Dorothy had left the living room, they had gone to one of the guest rooms on the first floor. As soon as they had closed the door and sat down, Sophia took out the lipstick from her purse. "Miss Lien, I admit that I've done things in the past that have offended you. I am really sorry for that. Now I just want to get things right. Here is a lipstick bought by one of my friends in Milan. This brand is becoming a real hit there. I hope you will accept it as a gift and let bygones be bygones," Sophia said, offering the pretty package to Dorothy.
Though overjoyed, Dorothy was still suspicious of Sophia's sincerity. She scrutinized the guilty look on Sophia's face and sniffed, "Do you really think a lipstick can make things right between us?"
"Right, you are soon to become Mrs. Li. Of course this small million-yuan lipstick means nothing to you. My mistake. I should have thought of a more appropriate gift!" In reality, the lipstick wasn't worth a million yuan. Sophia had just spent a few hundred yuan for it.
However, as soon as Dorothy heard that the lipstick cost a million yuan, her eyes lit up. Trying to suppress her eagerness, she exhibited deliberate reluctance while holding out her hand to take the lipstick. "Well, I am glad that you have realized your mistakes. I am not that kind of person who likes to hold grudges, so I'll accept your apology."
Sophia smiled and took out a wipe from her purse. Handing it to Dorothy, she said, "I remember that Mr. Li especially likes women to wear rose lipsticks. You should try this on immediately."
Dorothy wasn't planning to try the new lipstick right now. But when she heard that Colin liked rose, she took the wipe and removed the true red lipstick she was wearing.
Stepping up to a mirror, she opened the lipstick - it was indeed rose - and painted her lips.
Sophia changed her expressions to show envy and said, "You look so beautiful, Miss Lien! No wonder both Mr. Li and Payne were swept off their feet." Sophia struggled to suppress her real feelings while she paid the compliment.
Dorothy put away the lipstick with a self-satisfied smile. "Oh, really? I didn't know that! Come on, let's get out of here. I want my dear Colin to see me with my new lip color!" She was expecting Colin to kiss her on those rose lips, or maybe even spend the night with her...
Unable to wait another minute, Dorothy opened the door and walked out. Seeing that she was gone, Sophia hurriedly covered her nose and mouth with her hands to stop inhaling any more of the smell of the lipstick. She wanted to wash her face with cold water, but she didn't want to miss the show she had planned for Dorothy. So she tagged along out of the room.
When they entered the living room, Dorothy saw that Colin and Leila were having a good time laughing and talking. Feeling jealous, she quickened her pace. As she slipped her arms into Colin's, she said, "Hi, Colin! What were you two talking about?"
Colin noticed that Dorothy was wearing a new lipstick. He figured that Sophia might have something to do with it.
Standing right next to him, Dorothy was thrilled to see that the new lipstick did work. Colin seemed unable to take his eyes off her lips.
Flushing with pleasure, she raised her chin a little higher. "I am wearing a new lipstick. Do you like it, Colin?" she asked.
Behind Dorothy, Sophia was nodding her head wildly to give Colin a signal. Colin understood. He placed a hand under Dorothy's chin to have a better look at her lips, "Yes, I do." As he said this, he leaned forward and whispered in Dorothy's ear, "I like it so much I want to kiss you right now!"
Dorothy's face turned red. She whispered back, "Wait until later, Colin! My mom has prepared a room for us, we should stay there tonight, okay?"
"Okay, as long as it makes you happy." Colin released her chin with a smile.