Chapter 18: You Say the Tickets Were from You?

"What's the plan?" Mason Campbell inquired, eyebrows raised. "It’s simple, didn't we discuss it last time?" Mason chuckled darkly, "I see. Trust me, if Sophie Mitchell and Henry dare show up at the jewelry show, they'll be the laughing stock of King City." "Relax. Sophie's a huge fan of Ava Evans. She won’t miss her concert," Chloe Foster confidently remarked, leaning into Mason's embrace. ... Elsewhere, after a morning of shopping with Lily Turner, Sophie Mitchell sought refuge in a coffeehouse. Over their coffees, Lily broached a topic. “Sophie, tomorrow is Ava Evans’ concert. Let’s go!” Given recent events, Sophie was less than enthusiastic. “I’ve got a lot on my plate right now, Lily. I don't think I’m up for it. Actually, I have three tickets here; you can have them,” Sophie offered, retrieving the tickets from her bag. Lily’s eyes widened in shock. “Sophie, these tickets… they're priceless!" Sophie frowned, puzzled. "What's the big deal? Aren't they just concert tickets?" Lily leaned in conspiratorially, "You see, these aren't just any tickets. Even with all the money in the world, you can't buy these. They're exclusively gifted to King City's elites by the Wei family. And here you are, casually pulling out three of them! Come on, spill the beans. Which rich guy sent them to you?" Sophie, equally baffled, responded, "I don’t know, they were delivered to my office." Lily snapped her fingers, "I bet it’s Gavin Smith. After the rejection last time, he probably tried to impress you with these exclusive passes. Probably sent them to your office thinking it would be less direct." Sophie shook her head, skeptical, "You think so?" "Let's find out," Lily said, swiftly dialing Gavin. “Gavin, quite the big spender, aren’t you? Sophie wasn’t interested in the front-row tickets, and now you've sent over these exclusive passes? Impressive.” Lily chirped. Gavin, currently at a spa, paused momentarily, but quickly picked up the cue. Laughing, he said, "Oh, Lily, you found out, huh?” Lily smirked, “For Sophie, you managed to snag three of these elite passes. That’s commendable." "Nothing's too good for Sophie. If she wished for the stars, I'd pluck them from the sky for her," Gavin flirted. Eager to play matchmaker, Lily went on, “Gavin, Sophie really appreciates the gesture. We're at a cafe right now. Why don’t you join us?” Hearing this, Sophie lunged to grab the phone from Lily, but the latter dodged her. "Sophie, Gavin is leagues above Henry. Why do you continue to torment yourself? Gavin’s truly devoted to you. In my opinion, you should divorce Henry ASAP and marry Gavin," Lily said with a straight face. Sophie, irritated, retorted, "Lily, you know the situation between Henry and me. Even if I were to divorce, I'd never marry Gavin. I don’t love him." Lily sighed, “Sophie, I'm your best friend. Why would I steer you wrong? Gavin genuinely is a better match for you." Growing increasingly agitated, Sophie decided not to engage further. However, out of respect for her best friend, she decided to stay for a bit. Secretly, she sent a message to Henry. Soon, Gavin Smith entered the cafe and took the seat beside Sophie. "You're quite prompt, aren't you, Mr. Smith?" Lily remarked. "Well, I was eager to see Sophie," Gavin Smith replied, his eyes raking appreciatively over Sophie. Gavin had always dreamed of winning Sophie's heart. When presented with the golden opportunity to take credit for the exclusive Wei family tickets, he wasn't about to let it pass. “Mr. Smith, I'd appreciate it if you'd show a bit of respect. I’m a married woman. If these tickets truly are from you, I’m returning them right now.” Sophie firmly placed the tickets in front of him. Gavin's face displayed a mix of frustration and desire. “Sophie, these tickets were not easy to get. They're beyond price! Can Henry offer you such things? Does he even come close to what I can give you?" "Gavin Smith, don't you dare insult him!" Sophie snapped. Lily, sensing the growing tension, tried to smooth things over. “Sophie, I think you misunderstood Gavin. He simply means that what Henry can offer, Gavin can provide as well; and what Henry can't, Gavin certainly can. Isn’t that the truth?” "Exactly," Gavin chimed in, nodding vigorously in agreement with Lily's statement. To be honest, Sophie did adore Ava Evans. After a moment's hesitation, she agreed, "Fine, I'll go to the concert. But since you're here, Gavin, there’s something else I wanted to discuss." "What is it?" Gavin queried eagerly. Sophie got straight to the point. “My father mentioned an investment deal with you. I need you to return his money. He doesn’t know a thing about investing." "Don’t worry, it’s a sure win. We'll see profits in just a few days," Gavin assured her swiftly. Lily, hearing the talk of investments, couldn’t help but interject excitedly, “Sophie, trust me on this. I've also invested. It's a guaranteed success. We’re going to double our money! Imagine us partnering in our own business later." “And Sophie," Gavin added smoothly, "after the concert tomorrow, let's go to the jewelry exhibit. If you see something you like, I’ll buy it for you." Just then, Henry made his entrance. "When it comes to what my wife wants, I have the final say." "Henry, you're here. Sit down," Sophie greeted, pulling out a chair for him. "I came to accompany Sophie shopping," Henry replied with a smile towards his wife. "Henry, Sophie doesn't need you. She has me and Mr. Smith. Besides, aside from carrying bags for her, what else can you offer? Can you even afford to treat Sophie?" Lily remarked coldly, clearly displeased by Henry's presence. They say brothers encourage reconciliation, but best friends push for separation. To Lily, Sophie being with Henry was like a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung. Gavin laughed, “Henry, to be honest, standing beside Sophie, you’re the frog to her swan. I haven’t settled our last score, and here you are, walking right into my den. But I’m in a good mood today. After I accompany Sophie to the concert tomorrow, we'll address our old scores." "You're out of your league," Henry retorted with a glance. "Indeed, someone here is out of their league. But that’s you, Henry. Gavin went out of his way to get those three exclusive tickets for Sophie. Tickets that you can't buy, no matter how much you're willing to pay,” Lily said, smugly. Henry's gaze shifted to Gavin's arrogant demeanor, and he asked pointedly, "So, you claim those three tickets were from you?"