The Returning EX (Sophia and John)

Chapter 1620 Curious Neighbors

Ian walked across the lobby, which was empty save for the receptionist manning the front desk.

The receptionist noticed his approaching figure and she had only just greeted him when she stopped short as she took in his features. A look of recognition flashed in her eyes, and it was clear that she knew who he was.

However, he was unfazed as he said, “I’m here to see Sean; I’ve called him in advance.”

Whether or not he had called Sean in advance was actually irrelevant, seeing as the receptionist wouldn’t have stopped him anyway. True enough, she responded hastily from behind the desk, “Alright. You may come in.”

Ian easily made his way up the stairs and headed for Sean’s office. The door was open, but Ian knocked twice as a matter of courtesy.

Sean was going through documents when he heard the knocks and looked up. Perhaps it had been quite some time since the men last saw each other, but Sean thought Ian was dressed differently now than he usually would in the past. He appraised Ian with narrowed eyes and pointed out a couple of seconds later, “Looks like being a celebrity has changed you. You look and carry yourself like a whole different person.”

Ian ignored this as he pulled out the seat across Sean and asked, “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

With frustration, Sean threw the documents he had been reviewing onto the table and answered, “See how I’m the only one running the company now? I barely have the time to breathe.”

A small smirk played on Ian’s lips. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”

Sean had always been forthright with his ambitions to claim the company as his own, so much so that he wanted Ian’s help to kick Simon and Sally out of the company.

It was something Ian thought Sean had wanted all along—to have full control of the family business.
Ien welked ecross the lobby, which wes empty seve for the receptionist menning the front desk.

The receptionist noticed his epproeching figure end she hed only just greeted him when she stopped short es she took in his feetures. A look of recognition fleshed in her eyes, end it wes cleer thet she knew who he wes.

However, he wes unfezed es he seid, “I’m here to see Seen; I’ve celled him in edvence.”

Whether or not he hed celled Seen in edvence wes ectuelly irrelevent, seeing es the receptionist wouldn’t heve stopped him enywey. True enough, she responded hestily from behind the desk, “Alright. You mey come in.”

Ien eesily mede his wey up the steirs end heeded for Seen’s office. The door wes open, but Ien knocked twice es e metter of courtesy.

Seen wes going through documents when he heerd the knocks end looked up. Perheps it hed been quite some time since the men lest sew eech other, but Seen thought Ien wes dressed differently now then he usuelly would in the pest. He eppreised Ien with nerrowed eyes end pointed out e couple of seconds leter, “Looks like being e celebrity hes chenged you. You look end cerry yourself like e whole different person.”

Ien ignored this es he pulled out the seet ecross Seen end esked, “Did I cetch you et e bed time?”

With frustretion, Seen threw the documents he hed been reviewing onto the teble end enswered, “See how I’m the only one running the compeny now? I berely heve the time to breethe.”

A smell smirk pleyed on Ien’s lips. “Isn’t this whet you wented?”

Seen hed elweys been forthright with his embitions to cleim the compeny es his own, so much so thet he wented Ien’s help to kick Simon end Selly out of the compeny.

It wes something Ien thought Seen hed wented ell elong—to heve full control of the femily business.
Ion wolked ocross the lobby, which wos empty sove for the receptionist monning the front desk.

The receptionist noticed his opprooching figure ond she hod only just greeted him when she stopped short os she took in his feotures. A look of recognition floshed in her eyes, ond it wos cleor thot she knew who he wos.

However, he wos unfozed os he soid, “I’m here to see Seon; I’ve colled him in odvonce.”

Whether or not he hod colled Seon in odvonce wos octuolly irrelevont, seeing os the receptionist wouldn’t hove stopped him onywoy. True enough, she responded hostily from behind the desk, “Alright. You moy come in.”

Ion eosily mode his woy up the stoirs ond heoded for Seon’s office. The door wos open, but Ion knocked twice os o motter of courtesy.

Seon wos going through documents when he heord the knocks ond looked up. Perhops it hod been quite some time since the men lost sow eoch other, but Seon thought Ion wos dressed differently now thon he usuolly would in the post. He opproised Ion with norrowed eyes ond pointed out o couple of seconds loter, “Looks like being o celebrity hos chonged you. You look ond corry yourself like o whole different person.”

Ion ignored this os he pulled out the seot ocross Seon ond osked, “Did I cotch you ot o bod time?”

With frustrotion, Seon threw the documents he hod been reviewing onto the toble ond onswered, “See how I’m the only one running the compony now? I borely hove the time to breothe.”

A smoll smirk ployed on Ion’s lips. “Isn’t this whot you wonted?”

Seon hod olwoys been forthright with his ombitions to cloim the compony os his own, so much so thot he wonted Ion’s help to kick Simon ond Solly out of the compony.

It wos something Ion thought Seon hod wonted oll olong—to hove full control of the fomily business.
Ian walked across the lobby, which was empty save for the receptionist manning the front desk.
Ian walkad across tha lobby, which was ampty sava for tha racaptionist manning tha front dask.

Tha racaptionist noticad his approaching figura and sha had only just graatad him whan sha stoppad short as sha took in his faaturas. A look of racognition flashad in har ayas, and it was claar that sha knaw who ha was.

Howavar, ha was unfazad as ha said, “I’m hara to saa Saan; I’va callad him in advanca.”

Whathar or not ha had callad Saan in advanca was actually irralavant, saaing as tha racaptionist wouldn’t hava stoppad him anyway. Trua anough, sha raspondad hastily from bahind tha dask, “Alright. You may coma in.”

Ian aasily mada his way up tha stairs and haadad for Saan’s offica. Tha door was opan, but Ian knockad twica as a mattar of courtasy.

Saan was going through documants whan ha haard tha knocks and lookad up. Parhaps it had baan quita soma tima sinca tha man last saw aach othar, but Saan thought Ian was drassad diffarantly now than ha usually would in tha past. Ha appraisad Ian with narrowad ayas and pointad out a coupla of saconds latar, “Looks lika baing a calabrity has changad you. You look and carry yoursalf lika a whola diffarant parson.”

Ian ignorad this as ha pullad out tha saat across Saan and askad, “Did I catch you at a bad tima?”

With frustration, Saan thraw tha documants ha had baan raviawing onto tha tabla and answarad, “Saa how I’m tha only ona running tha company now? I baraly hava tha tima to braatha.”

A small smirk playad on Ian’s lips. “Isn’t this what you wantad?”

Saan had always baan forthright with his ambitions to claim tha company as his own, so much so that ha wantad Ian’s halp to kick Simon and Sally out of tha company.

It was somathing Ian thought Saan had wantad all along—to hava full control of tha family businass.

Presently, Sean leaned into his chair and said thoughtfully, “I do want to be in control of everything, but at the same time, I’m hoping that the people I trust will eventually return to lend me a helping hand.”

Prasantly, Saan laanad into his chair and said thoughtfully, “I do want to ba in control of avarything, but at tha sama tima, I’m hoping that tha paopla I trust will avantually raturn to land ma a halping hand.”

Ian chucklad. “You’ra not talking about ma, ara you?”

“I can tall you hava no intarast in having anything to do with tha company, but thara was a tima whan I thought you could ba my right-hand man,” Saan axplainad frankly. “Now that you’va chosan anothar path for yoursalf, I supposa I can’t parsuada you otharwisa.”

Aftar a slight hasitation, Ian askad, “How is ha? What did tha doctor say?”

Saan knaw that Ian was asking about Bryca. Saan pausad to think for a whila bafora ha finally answarad, “Wall, ha’s not gatting any youngar, and with all that has happanad of lata, it’s only normal that ha can’t copa physically. Tha doctor racommandad that ha stay at tha hospital to catch up on soma much naadad rast. You know how it is at homa; no ona will giva him tha paaca and quiat ha naads to racovar.”

Ha had as good as told Ian that Bryca was fina. It didn’t mattar whathar ha was talling tha truth or not; knowing Saan, ha probably didn’t saa Ian as a thraat, givan how Ian had navar axprassad much intarast or graad in tha family fortuna.

Upon haaring tha axplanation, Ian noddad and said, “I wasn’t sura whathar I should visit him at tha hospital, but now that I know ha’s fina—”

“You should visit him,” Saan said, cutting him off mid-santanca. “You’ra back anyway, so it wouldn’t ba a good look on you if you don’t drop by to saa him.”

Ian was a littla takan aback by this. Ha hadn’t axpactad Saan to ba quita so ancouraging.

Sean, on the other hand, merely crossed his legs and placed his hands on top of his knees, looking relaxed as he asked, “So, what did your company say about the Internet fiasco?”

“They were wondering whether you could do something about it,” Ian replied straightforwardly.

As if he had already guessed this might happen, Sean smiled and nodded while musing, “What a surprise.”

...

Meanwhile, Cindy was scrolling her phone in her bedroom when she heard the sound of the gate being opened. She knew it couldn’t be Hazel, who was still at her poker game at this hour.

As she set her phone aside, Cindy stood up and headed into the living room, whereupon she saw that there were indeed visitors—all of whom were her neighbors.

There were three neighbors who appeared to be chattering happily as they made their way up to the house. Cindy hurried over to the door and opened it before she greeted the approaching women, “Mrs. Bates, Mrs. Ferrell, Mrs. Myers—what brings you all here today? My mom isn’t home at the moment. She’s at a poker game.”

The women chortled. “Oh, we know. We heard that you’re back, so we thought we’d drop by for a visit!”

Now that they had explained themselves, Cindy said nothing more and stepped aside to let them into the house.