“Please, Sophia,” Hague said, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he stood at the entrance of Arthur Palace.
Reno was beside him, looking anything but proud. “We need you to come back to the family.”
Sophia crossed her arms, her expression cold.
“And why should I believe either of you? After the way you treated me, you expect me to just walk back in?” she scoffed.
Reno glanced away, his jaw clenched in frustration, but he said nothing. He knew that arrogance wouldn’t help them now.
The tides had turned, and they were at Sophia’s mercy.
“Sophia, you brought back 15% of the company shares?” her brother exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief.His hand trembled on the door handle, and he immediately stepped aside.“Come in, come in! I didn’t realize… I didn’t know you’d be able to do that.”Sophia hesitated for a moment, feeling the sudden shift in her brother’s attitude. Moments ago, he had practically slammed the door in her face, but now, his tone dripped with fake warmth.He led them inside, a grin plastered on his face.“I knew you’d come through for the family, Sophia,” he said, his voice oily.“This changes everything. We’ll be able to afford that new car I’ve been eyeing for months.” He rubbed his hands together, already lost in thoughts of luxury.Sophia bit her lip, uncomfortable with the sudden attention. Just moments before, she had been on the brink of being kicked out, and now, her brother couldn’t hide his greed. She looked over at Elijah, who gave her a nod, silently encouraging her to remain steady.As
"You dare lay a hand on me?!" Kate's voice echoed through the restaurant, her cheek flushed red from the slap Elijah had delivered.The entire room fell silent, all eyes on the unfolding confrontation. Elijah stood tall, his face cold and unreadable, while Sophia, still sitting, clenched her hands in her lap, her eyes filled with shame and pain.She could feel the stares on her scarred face, the murmurs of disgust spreading through the room like wildfire. "You’ve disgraced my family in front of the entire city!" Kate hissed, her eyes burning with fury.She stepped back, nursing her wounded pride as if it had been shattered beyond repair.Elijah’s gaze didn’t waver."You should think twice before attacking someone defenseless, Kate," he said, his voice low but sharp enough to slice through the tension in the air.Kate’s expression twisted into a sneer."Defenseless? That scarred face of hers deserves it!" she spat. "And mark my words, Elijah, this isn’t over. My family won’t forget t
Doug stepped closer before he continued, his expression dark."They’re trying to take over what’s left of the Shaw family's assets—particularly the Lava Heart. The Winters have already started absorbing the Shaw family's business connections, and William Winter got his sights set on the Nortons’ heirloom."Elijah’s eyes flashed with anger at the mention of the Lava Heart. "That belongs to the Norton family," he muttered, his hands tightening into fists. "The Shaws stole it. I was going to take it back."Doug nodded. "And now the Winters are moving in. Kate’s been going around bragging that soon, the Lava Heart will belong to the Winters."Elijah’s jaw clenched, his thoughts racing. "Additionally, Sophia isn't safe either. Kate won’t stop until she gets what she wants," he muttered. "And William Winter won’t let this slide. He won’t let anyone get away with slapping his daughter in public."Doug’s eyes flickered with unease. "You made a powerful enemy today, Marshal. William Winter isn
Elijah walked beside Olivia, scanning the quiet, desolate street as they moved forward. The night was still, the only sound being the occasional rustle of leaves and their footsteps. Olivia kept glancing around nervously, clearly uneasy."It's strange, isn't it?" she muttered, looking up and down the road. "Not a single cab in sight. And my car...""It's okay," Elijah tried to be polite with his tone. "Don't worry. We'll find one soon."Just then, Elijah's phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen—Sophia’s name flashed on it. He quickly cut the call, shoving the phone back in his pocket.Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Maybe it's important. You should answer."Elijah waved it off with a casual shrug. "It can wait. Right now, I’m making sure you’re safe."As if on cue, a cab finally appeared, slowing down beside them. Olivia sighed in relief as the cab came to a stop. She turned to Elijah, her eyes filled with gratitude."Thank you, James," she said softly. "You’ve been a real li
Elijah ran a hand through his hair, trying to come up with an excuse for the grayish strands that Sophia had noticed."Maybe I brushed up against something, or it’s just some color that got in my hair," he said casually.Sophia raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile on her face."Or maybe you’re just aging, Elijah. Going gray already?"Elijah, for the first time in years, sulked and pouted slightly. He wasn’t used to being teased, especially not about something as simple as his hair. Sophia let out a soft giggle."Aww," she cooed, "look at you. Who would’ve thought that the mighty soldier could be this cute?"Elijah shot her a mock glare, though the corners of his lips turned up in a small smile."Cute, huh? That’s a first."Sophia leaned in and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. "Even tough soldiers can have their moments."They shared a quick but sweet cuddle, holding each other under the warm light of their bedroom.Sophia, content and at peace, soon drifted off to sleep i
Elijah stared at his phone screen, the message burning in his mind. It was from an anonymous source, but the content was clear. The Winters were making moves—faster than expected. Not just William, but even those loyal to him were plotting to claim everything that once belonged to the Shaws."But who can message me?" He thought in mind but it was a later concern.He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.~'They really think they can get ahead of me, huh?'He wasn’t just up against William Winter now. He was up against an entire network of people who would stop at nothing to rise to power. But that didn’t bother him. In fact, it excited him.As he continued to process the information, his phone buzzed again. This time, it was a reminder of the lunch invitation from Olivia Winter. A smirk crossed his lips when he dropped a message to her about joining a lunch with her."She’s going to play right into my hands."He rose from his chair, stepping toward the windo
Duke West stood by the large window of his study, overlooking the vast estate that spread out below. His cold gaze took in the sight of his guards patrolling the grounds, but his mind was far from focused on his security. His thoughts were consumed by one man—Elijah Norton.The rumors swirling about Elijah’s involvement in the downfall of the Shaw family had reached his ears. Duke West didn’t have all the details, but he had enough to suspect that Elijah wasn’t just interested in the Nortons’ reputation. No, it was clear that Elijah was after something far bigger. "Marshal Elijah Norton," Duke muttered, his lips curling into a bitter sneer.Standing beside him was Marcus, his most trusted advisor. A former soldier who had served under Duke for years, Marcus had always been reliable. Now, he stood silently, waiting for orders."Sir, do you truly believe Elijah Norton is behind the collapse of the Shaw family?" Marcus asked cautiously, his voice low.Duke turned his sharp gaze to Marcu
Kate paced angrily in front of her father’s desk, her hands balled into fists."I can’t believe you’re just sitting here and doing nothing!" she snapped, her voice tight with frustration."Sophia and her idiot husband embarrassed me in front of everyone, and you’re planning to collaborate with them?"William Winter sat behind his desk, calm and composed. He glanced at his daughter’s outburst but remained unfazed."Kate, you need to understand the bigger picture," he said coolly."Lando Yale is backing Sophia. His influence stretches far beyond ours, and if we want to maintain our standing, we need to play smart. Going after Sophia directly will only backfire."Kate scoffed, crossing her arms. "So, what’s your grand plan, Father? Let them walk all over us?"A small smile played on William’s lips. "No. My plan is simple: we make sure Sophia loses Lando’s favor. Once we do that, she’ll be worthless to him, and we’ll replace her." Kate’s eyes gleamed with a dark excitement."So, we kick