"Let’s go,"

Levin Sawyer said to Sophia Shaw.

He had done all he could; the rest was up to Elias Underwood to decide.

Samuel Goldman walked over, slung an arm over Elias Underwood’s shoulder, and tried his best to persuade him to stay. "Bro, Sophia Shaw is no simple character. I guarantee you won’t lose out by sticking with her."

"Let me tell you, she’s a hundred times more capable than Joanna Sherman. Don’t be mad. Just try to get to know her. It won’t even take three days..."

"Don’t even think about it!" Elias Underwood threw off Samuel Goldman’s arm. "I can’t live under the same sky as that woman, Shaw!"

Twenty minutes later, Elias Underwood’s resignation letter was slapped onto Levin Sawyer’s desk.

"I’m sorry, Senior."

Sophia Shaw’s heart was heavy as she held the resignation letter in her hand.

Levin Sawyer took the letter from her. "He forced a choice between you and him. Even for the company’s future, I had to choose you."

"Besides, without you, Lead Aerospace wouldn’t even get a foot in the door of rocket technology. If Elias Underwood hadn’t used your framework, he’d never have achieved what he has today!"

"He’s the one who didn’t cherish the opportunity. He can’t blame anyone else."

Afraid she would feel burdened, he made sure to add, "I’m being completely professional about this, with no personal feelings involved!"

Sophia Shaw gave a small laugh. "Still, thank you."

Levin Sawyer had given up on Elias Underwood for professional reasons, but she couldn’t deny her own selfish motives in the matter.

Still, Elias Underwood was a talent. Sophia decided to find him privately and try to convince him to stay.

Sophia got his address from Levin Sawyer and went to find him.

When she arrived at his residential complex, she saw him getting into a white car.

Joanna Sherman’s face was visible through the half-open car window.

Sophia’s heart tightened. She called Elias Underwood.

Elias Underwood didn’t answer.

Sophia gave chase. Just as she caught up to the entrance of the Stellaron rocket base, a call came from Levin Sawyer.

"The Grant Group just released a statement. Elias Underwood has already joined the Stellaron rocket project. Sophia, stop chasing him."

The car screeched to a halt.

Through her car window, Sophia saw Vincent Grant himself coming to greet Elias Underwood.

Elias Underwood turned his head and saw Sophia standing by her car. His brow furrowed tightly. He strode over ostentatiously. "Only thinking to chase after me now? Too late! I’ve already decided to join Stellaron!"

"I tried to talk to you nicely, but you were so arrogant. And now you chase me for hundreds of kilometers? What’s the point?"

Sophia glanced at Joanna Sherman, who was standing behind him with a provocative smirk, and said flatly, "I came after you because of your talent."

"But if joining the Grant Group was a carefully considered decision, I respect it!"

Elias Underwood had thought Sophia Shaw would be filled with regret, that she would get on her knees and beg for his forgiveness. But here she was, still acting so high and mighty!

He kicked hard at a stone on the ground, then turned and walked into the base with Joanna Sherman.

Sophia turned around, ready to head back.

"Sophia."

Vincent Grant walked over, his eyes as dark and still as water.

"When you have time, spend it with Cedric. He’s still a child. He needs his mother."

"No matter what, you should treat them both equally, shouldn’t you?"

The teardrop mole beneath Sophia’s eye seemed to tremble. She suddenly felt like laughing.

’Have you?’ she wanted to ask him.

In the end, she swallowed the words.

Cedric Grant was her son. Before he came of age, as long as he didn’t actively reject her, she had a duty to be with him.

’As for Bun, since he was destined to lose his father’s love anyway, it was better that he never had it in the first place.’

"Fine."

"Also, please inform President Sawyer that Stellaron will cover the breach of contract penalty for Elias Underwood."

"That won’t be necessary. Consider the penalty a one-time buyout for that night."

From now on, they would go their separate ways.

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

Justin Hughes, who had just overheard her, walked over to stand with Vincent Grant, watching her car drive away.

Vincent Grant said nothing, his brow furrowed tightly.

"Sophia Shaw isn’t thinking of divorcing you, is she?"

Jenson Forrest, who had arrived with Justin Hughes, asked.

Justin Hughes scoffed. "Even if the sky were falling, she would never divorce him!"

"After all the scheming she did to latch onto Vincent, you think she’d be willing to let go?"

"Besides, now that Joanna is back, wouldn’t she fight to the death to hold onto this marriage just to make Joanna’s life miserable?"

"Joanna adopts a child, so she adopts a child. She’ll stop at nothing!"

When it came to Sophia Shaw, Justin Hughes had a bellyful of complaints.

He didn’t quiet down until he received a warning glare from Vincent Grant.

Only after Vincent had walked some distance away did he dare to speak again. "Vincent keeps dragging his feet on the divorce. I really don’t know what he’s thinking!"

"With her shoddy little tricks, he could get rid of her with any random method!"

"If you ask me, he should go after her uncle. I refuse to believe she wouldn’t yield then!"

"Don’t you think Vincent might not be completely devoid of feelings for Sophia?" Jenson Forrest asked, staring deeply at Vincent’s retreating back.

"Maybe he got over what happened back then a long time ago. Maybe now he’s just angry that Sophia colluded with the Grants and used the rocket project to threaten him into having a second child."

When Sophia returned to Lead Aerospace, Levin Sawyer was waiting for her at the entrance.

After a round trip of several hundred kilometers, Sophia’s face showed faint signs of exhaustion.

Seeing Levin Sawyer, she called out, "Senior."

Levin Sawyer held his phone out to her. "Half an hour ago, Elias Underwood announced he’s going to build the database for Grant Interstellar!"

"At his speed, the database will be done within a week."

Sophia looked down at the news page.

In the center of the photo, Elias Underwood looked triumphant. Flanking him, Joanna Sherman and Vincent Grant were smiling, not forgetting to gaze affectionately at each other even at a time like this.

Levin Sawyer also noticed them making eyes at each other. "Has Vincent Grant finalized the divorce with you?"

"No."

"Heh. He’s practically glued to Joanna Sherman over here, but he won’t finalize the divorce with you over there. What’s that supposed to mean?"

Sophia also couldn’t quite figure out what Vincent Grant was trying to do.

"He’s probably just been too busy lately," she said noncommittally.

’Vincent should be the one in a hurry to divorce.’

’The only thing that would make him drag his feet on the paperwork now is Joanna Sherman’s rocket project.’

Levin Sawyer didn’t want to upset Sophia by talking more about Vincent Grant and Joanna Sherman, but the matter with Elias Underwood was thorny.

"Once he builds that database, Stellaron’s rocket and the J Family’s project will move forward."

"Should we put some pressure on Elias Underwood?"

The contract Elias Underwood had signed with them included a non-compete clause. If they brought up the contract, he would have to stop.

"No need."

She didn’t want to use the non-compete clause to trap Elias Underwood.

"The database is just one part of the rocket project. Stellaron will face countless other challenges in the future." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"If they’re truly capable, they’ll find a way even if we restrict Elias. If they’re not, even with him, Stellaron will struggle to achieve anything great."

Sophia wasn’t afraid of Stellaron surpassing Lead Aerospace in the slightest.

Competition breeds progress.

Levin Sawyer deeply admired Sophia for her magnanimity.

"I can finish the professor’s assignment tonight. Come with me to see him tomorrow,"

Sophia said.

She ultimately didn’t have enough confidence to go alone.

Levin Sawyer had been busy with other things these past few days. He never imagined that Sophia could complete the professor’s assignment so quickly without neglecting her work at the company. His jaw nearly dropped in shock.

...

Leah Evans lived up to expectations, smoothly passing the two additional assessments.

Sophia Shaw treated her to a special celebration breakfast.

Seeing the table laden with delicacies, Leah Evans’s eyes lit up. "Faye, you’re the best!"

"I thought it was just a simple breakfast, I didn’t expect all this!"

Leah didn’t have many hobbies, but she loved to eat.

Sophia laughingly slapped away the hand reaching for a plate and handed her a pair of chopsticks. "Go on, eat up. When you’re done, remember to contact your sister and brother-in-law."

Sophia still hadn’t told her aunt and uncle that Leah had come here secretly.

"I know."

Leah happily dug into her meal.

Halfway through her meal, she suddenly leaned in conspiratorially. "Faye, is the Grant Group going bankrupt soon?"

"Why do you ask?"