I took a quick stroll around the villa before heading back to my room, figuring I'd catch a short nap.
Maybe it was the lack of sleep lately, or maybe I was just too on edge.
By the time I woke up, the sky outside had already darkened.
I jolted upright, grabbing my phone in a panic.
No missed calls—just one unread message.
It was from Sophie.
"You pig! I told you to wake me up, but you ended up sleeping like a baby instead!"
Sent two hours ago.
I winced and immediately called her.
The moment she picked up, I rushed to apologize.
"Sorry, I overslept."
"Oh, so you do realize that?"
There was a teasing lilt to her voice, but underneath it, I could hear the faintest hint of a pout.
"You pig, I called you so many times!"
I let out an awkward chuckle, scratching my head. "I didn't mess up any work plans, did I?"
"Oh, forget about work! Just get downstairs and eat!"
The more laid-back she sounded, the weirder this whole thing felt.
At this point, I was starting to feel less like I was on a business trip and more like I was Sophie's plus-one on some kind of luxury retreat.
When I got downstairs, I noticed that the colleagues who had left earlier were all seated around the dining table.
And from the way they glanced at me, it almost seemed like... they'd been waiting.
Feeling a little self-conscious, I quickly apologized.
"Sorry for keeping everyone waiting."
A male colleague waved his hand dismissively.
"No, no, not at all! If anything, we should be apologizing for disturbing *Mr. Lucas's* well-deserved rest."
Sophie, clearly unimpressed, rolled her eyes and tapped the table.
"Enough with the formalities—let's eat!"
Then, completely out of nowhere, she picked up a piece of beef and dropped it into my bowl.
"Try this! I just learned how to make it!"
I had barely settled into my seat when her unexpected gesture nearly made me jump right back up.
Around the table, my colleagues suddenly found their plates fascinating, all of them diligently staring down at their food.
Which, honestly, only made things even more awkward.
But when I saw the eager sparkle in Sophie's eyes, I knew there was no way out. Resigned, I picked up the beef and popped it into my mouth.
"Well? Well?!"
"Is it good? Huh? Is it good?"
Sophie leaned in closer, her eyes shining with anticipation, practically begging for praise.
The way she acted so naturally—like we weren't in a room full of people—made me feel like I was sitting on a bed of nails.
I forced a smile. "It's... not bad. Just a little salty."
In reality, that bite had tasted like a mouthful of pure salt.
I started to wonder—do rich people not worry about high sodium intake?
"If it's good, then eat more!"
Before I could react, Sophie happily dropped another few pieces into my bowl.
I stared at my plate in silence.
By the time dinner was over, I was convinced I was suffering from sodium poisoning.