Chapter 306
“He kept mistaking you for Alice, and I didn’t correct him. I went along with it until I got the plate number, then I walked away,” he said.
Choosing not to reveal what he already knew, he kept the conversation flowing. “The guy seemed a bit unhinged. Did something happen?”
With a weary sigh, Sophie responded, “I thought I’d never run into them again, so I didn’t bother telling you.”
Piece by piece, Sophie recounted the story—meeting Alice and David at the jewelry show, David’s memory loss causing him to confuse her with Alice, and the agreement she had made with Alice in secret.
“So that’s the whole picture.” Adrian laughed under his breath. “You mean you actually stood there and let David call Alice by your name?”
He already knew the story, yet Sophie saying it aloud only made the situation sound more ridiculous.
With a look of helpless surrender, Sophie said, “What can I do? I gave Alice my word that I’d keep her secret, and I couldn’t go back on it.”
She tried to convince herself as much as Adrian. “It’s still better for him to despise me than to keep running after me.”
Adrian gave her cheek a playful pinch, torn between pity and affection at the sight of her lowered face.
Before either of them could say more, the loudspeakers buzzed overhead. “Attention, please. The venue is now open. Kindly present your invitations and proceed inside in an orderly manner.”
Adrian made a move toward the entrance, but Sophie quickly tugged at his arm to stop him. “Let’s hold off for a while. I’d rather not run into those two again.”
Left with little choice, Adrian stayed by her side, letting the crowd thin out before leading her toward the security checkpoint.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You two again?!” Alice latched onto David’s arm, anger flashing in her eyes.
She had carefully planned their timing, slipping in when most guests had already gone inside, determined to prevent Sophie from stealing a word with David. Despite all her efforts, fate seemed determined to throw them together once more.
Pushing through the crowd earlier would have spared them the unbearable embarrassment. Now only the four of them stood at the checkpoint, and the air felt heavy enough to choke on.
Equally annoyed, Sophie muttered, “Funny, I was just about to tell you the same thing.”
Could her luck sink any lower? Why did Alice and David keep reappearing like a curse she couldn’t shake?
David let out a smug laugh. “I knew it.”
He carried himself as though he had figured it all out. “You’re obviously just pretending to play hard to get, staging this run-in with me on purpose.”
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