Chapter 58

Sofia wished she could remain in bed the next day, but she had responsibilities she couldn't ignore. She walked into her office a little groggy. Alexander had suggested she stay at home, but she thought better of it. Miss Amores' words echoed in her head as she settled into her routine.

“Coffee,” she mumbled while massaging her temples. She really did not feel well, but she preferred hiding in her office than staying with him in his room, in his bed. She could not fathom how she survived the night after that encounter. All she knew was that he seemed to enjoy teasing her-adoringly.

She hated how her heart raced or how she blushed despite feeling unwell. He easily made her feel like a teenager, and she liked it. Miss Amores placed the coffee in front of her.

“We have a photoshoot this afternoon, right?” Sofia asked.

“Everything has been prepared. The location has been decorated well. I sent images of the decorations done by our team last night to your tablet,” Miss Amores said, handing her a tablet.

“Right,” Sofia examined the images and nodded. “Good.” Then, she took a sip of her hot coffee, hoping it would make her feel better or at least more awake.

“Miss, Mr. Lockhart called this morning. He said he would drop by and talk to you. Shall I let him in?”

“Let him in,” Sofia said. Her grandmother assured her she would take care of Lawrence, but it was not yet the time. Her grandmother told her that someone might be supporting Lawrence from behind the scenes, and she wanted those people to come out before making her move. Miss Amores nodded.

“Here’s the thing you asked me to find the other day,” Miss Amores handed her a folder. Sofia’s expression froze.

“You found something?” she asked. Due to her current situation, she had to limit her contact with Karma. However, there were various ways for them to exchange information and one of them was through her secretary.

Her secretary checked her email and scheduled her day, having access to most of Sofia’s things. Moreover, Alexander told her that she could trust Miss Amores. So, she had asked Karma to contact Miss Amores directly, and the latter would take care of it. One of their codes was to inform her about the thing she asked Miss Amores to find.

She quickly opened the folder and soon saw a lot of details. The more she read, the tougher her expression became. It seemed Lawrence had been busy for quite a long time now. Sofia had already fired her driver, but she could not find any logical reason to fire the Production Manager Mrs. Phelps, as she could not find anything against the woman. She had asked Miss Amores to look into the woman’s financial records, reports, and previous projects, but she could not find proof that the woman was working for Lawrence.

The leak she found earlier could not be used against Mrs. Phelps. The woman was working under LH Design, a subsidiary of LH Group. Mrs. Phelps could simply use this fact to her advantage, claiming she provided vital information to the COO of LH Group.

Because of this, Sofia had been doing her best to find something else—something that could finally nail this woman down. “Call Mrs. Phelps and have security on standby,” Sofia said, her voice serious.

Finally, Karma found something! It turned out that Mrs. Phelps had been secretly colluding with a rival company to steal LH Design’s innovative product designs. Instead of being committed to her company’s success, she had been funneling confidential information about upcoming products, manufacturing processes, and technological advancements to a competitor.

To cover her tracks, Mrs. Phelps had set up a network of middlemen who acted as intermediaries between her and the rival company. These middlemen discreetly provided the stolen information in exchange for hefty sums of money. The rival company, in turn, started producing counterfeit versions of LH Design’s products, flooding the market and eroding LH Design’s market share.

Just like other companies, LH Design had problems with counterfeiting. They had been working with authorities to try and reduce the fake products made abroad. However, Sofia did not see this problem going away as the market for fake products had become larger over the years.

Who would have thought that someone was directly giving the design technology to counterfeiters?

Not long after, Mrs. Phelps walked into her office, a gentle smile on her face. That’s right. The woman had been working here for more than ten years. She was one of the first employees of LH Design and was considered an expert in her field.

Before Sofia knew about Lawrence, Charlotte, and Daniel, she actually thought of giving the woman a promotion. Sofia knew that she would soon take over LH Design as the heir of LH Group. Her mother wanted her to gain experience, and that was what she had been doing since she started working under LH Design.

However, it seems that there are things that she must experience as the upcoming head of LH Group, and this is one of them. Sofia gestured for Mrs. Phelps to sit on the couch as she got up and walked towards the single-seater. “Something serious happened with the production,” Mrs. Phelps said, smiling.

“Do you want coffee?” Sofia held her cup to her lips as she observed the woman’s reaction. Right now, Mrs. Phelps looked really calm—too calm. The woman was already in her late forties. If she was right, she would turn fifty soon.

“Tea would be fine, thank you,” Mrs. Phelps said. Miss Amores left the room to get her tea.

“So far, production has been fine. This was all thanks to your hard work,” Sofia smiled.

“Thank you for your praises, but this was not just because of me. I have a team of hardworking people behind me,” Mrs. Phelps said humbly. On the outside, this woman was the perfect team leader. She’s warm, she’s comforting, yet she would not hesitate to delegate tasks to her team or reprimand them if they made a mistake.

To put it simply, the woman was a really good leader.

When the position of creative director opened, many expected her to apply for the position.

“What do you think of the company so far, Mrs. Phelps?” Sofia asked.

“The company is doing well. However, we need to make some adjustments when it comes to our goods. I believe it is time that we add some luxurious items, something that would cater to a more upscale market,” Mrs. Phelps continued, sipping her tea as Miss Amores returned with it.

Sofia nodded, taking in Mrs. Phelps's suggestion. “Luxurious items, you say? That’s an interesting perspective. What kind of products are you thinking about?”

Mrs. Phelps leaned back in her chair, considering the question. “Well, I was thinking of introducing a line of premium accessories—high-quality materials, elegant designs. It could elevate our brand and attract a different set of customers, ones willing to pay a bit more for something exclusive.”

Sofia thought about it for a moment. “That's an intriguing idea. It could diversify our offerings and open up new opportunities. I appreciate your forward-thinking approach.”

Mrs. Phelps smiled, seemingly pleased with Sofia’s response. “Thank you, Sofia, I believe in adapting to market trends and staying ahead. It’s essential for the company’s growth.”