Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Miss Paine slammed her office door shut with a resounding bang, the force of it rattling the picture frames adorning the wall. Her normally composed demeanor had evaporated, replaced by a simmering rage.

“That little…” she muttered, her voice laced with venom as she stalked toward her mahogany desk. Sofia Lockhart, the woman who had just outsmarted her in the boardroom, was the target of her ire. Miss Paine had spent the week carefully laying the groundwork, subtly maneuvering to position herself as the ideal candidate for a chairman role. But Sofia, with her unexpected call for transparency, had snatched the rug right out from under her.

With Eulanda and Lawrence gone, Miss Paine was confident that she was the next qualified chairman not just because of her family’s share but because of her capabilities. Instead, Sofia really had to get the approval of the shareholders who did not waste their time and immediately agreed on Sofia’s proposal.

Clearly, Mr. Lee and Mr. Anderson had been aware of her intentions. She had separately met them since Lawrence’s demise. Who would have thought that the two of them would not even hesitate to support Sofia? “Those bitches…” she hissed as she sat on her chair.

What irked her the most was the fact that Sofia now had the trust of a few shareholders simply because of how magnanimous and trustworthy she sounded. The fact that she was humble enough to accept that she was not yet capable of ruling a conglomerate made her look mature and concerned about her employees!

A low growl escaped Miss Paine’s lips. She wouldn’t deny feeling a grudging admiration for Sofia’s audacity. The woman had played a risky game, publicly advocating for a transparent process while holding the very power to simply claim the chairmanship herself. But Miss Paine wasn’t about to give up so easily. There had to be a way to turn this situation to her advantage.

Her sharp eyes darted around the room, landing on the sleek phone sitting on the corner of her desk. A slow, predatory smile spread across her face. This game was far from over, Miss Lockhart. You may have won the first round, but the battle for LH Group had just begun.

“To think that you would openly decline the position…” William Clarence smiled before he took a sip of his tea. “I never saw you as someone that wise.”

“I am going to take that as a compliment,” Sofia responded. Then she slowly placed the box on the rectangular coffee table between them. “Here’s the thing that you want.”

“You didn’t have to bring that here–personally.” William gestured to the man standing behind him to get

the box.

“Are you not going to check if this was the same music box that you wanted?” Sofia asked.

“Should I?”

“No. There is no need.” Sofia smiled.

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Chapter 93

“So, I take it that you personally came here because you need something?” he asked, a curious glint apparent in his eyes. For a while, all she could see was the steaming tea in front of her.

“I simply came here to thank you for your help,” Sofia said. “I heard from the FBI agent that you lost millions because of that shipment. I was not aware.”

“Consider it some business risk…” William said. “It is a part of having a business.”

Sofia nodded at that. Actually, she came here to wrap things up. She does not want to owe something to people so…..

She took her bag and placed it on top of the table. Seeing this, William arched an eyebrow yet he waited for her to say a word.

“Compensation…” Sofia said.

“The ballerina is enough.”

“I dislike owing things to people.” With this, her relationship with William will end. She then got up. “I appreciate your help.”

With that, she left the restaurant without looking back. The moment Sofia left, her cold expression slowly changed. She got into the car waiting for her and immediately looked at Alexander. “Pretending to be cold is a little hard…” she immediately mumbled. “Do you think I will get used to it?” she asked the man who already started driving the car.

“You will…” Alexander said.

Sofia said nothing. She actually agreed with him. “Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“Charlotte is pregnant with Daniel’s child…” Alexander said. “I thought we should celebrate.”

Her gaze snapped back at him. Surprisingly, the pain that she expected to feel did not come. There was simply indifference.

“Celebrate?” she asked, confused.

“Your sister and ex are going to end up with each other… isn’t that something that you should celebrate?” he asked, smirking.

“You- “Sofia didn’t know what to say. Was it possible that Alexander had a hand in this pregnancy? But isn’t that too impossible? “You wanted them to end up together?” she asked.

“Do you not want that?” he asked.

Sofia shrugged. “I didn’t think I cared enough…” she was busy with everything else! The poison, her grandmother, Lawrence, the company. The distraction worked wonders. Now, she was thinking about Daniel and Charlotte without breaking her heart.

“Isn’t that the best punishment for the two?” he chuckled.

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Sofia pursed her lips. Well, she thought about these things. She wanted them to grow closer and maybe end up together but at the end of the day, Sofia was not that cruel. Being successful and happy was the best revenge that she could give them. Perhaps, it was weakness or maybe even stupidity.

However, all she wanted was for them to live a life wondering what would have happened if they succeeded. She wanted them to lay in their beds at night and think about the possibilities. She wanted them to reach heights while they stayed the same in their bitter world.

Isn’t that the greatest punishment that she could give them?

Still, a pregnancy?

That is completely unexpected of Charlotte!

She has dreams of becoming an actress and as far as Sofia could recall, Charlotte seemed to claim that she is going to become childfree because of her dreams.

“There is no need to overthink things…” he said, his eyes still on the road.

She looked at him wondering what he did. Did he do it himself to keep her conscience clear? If so… then a part of her was really thankful. He did a lot of things to help her and get her back up and now, he was doing something to the people that hurt her. She was indeed very lucky.

“Hey…”

“Hm?”

“What do you think will happen if – “Sofia was not able to finish her words as the car suddenly swerved to the left.

The screech of tires tore through the bustling city street, shattering Sofia’s train of thought. Alexander, his face contorted in sudden panic, yanked the steering wheel left. The car lurched violently, the world outside blurring into a sickening smear of color.

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Sofia, thrown against the door by the force of the turn, cried out as her shoulder slammed into the hard panel. A searing pain shot through her arm, momentarily stealing her breath. Through the ringing in her ears, she heard the unmistakable crunch of metal as the car slammed into something.

The momentum of the impact sent the car spinning. Sofia felt herself rolling, tumbling against the leather

3 seats, her purse spilling its contents onto

the floor. Her head slammed against the window, a sharp crack echoing before a wave of dizziness washed

over her.

The car finally came to a jarring halt, tilted precariously at an angle. Smoke started to curl from the crumpled hood, a metallic tang filling the air. Silence descended, thick and heavy, broken only by the rapid drumming of Sofia’s heart.

Disoriented and dazed, Sofia tried to right herself. Her vision swam, spots dancing in front of her eyes. A

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trickle of warmth spread down her forehead, sticky and wet. Panic clawed at her throat. She fumbled for the seatbelt release, her fingers trembling, finally managing to click it open.

“Alexander?” she croaked, her voice hoarse. There was no answer. Fear, cold and sharp, stabbed at her. She twisted in her seat, her gaze falling on the driver’s side. Alexander was slumped against the window, his head lolling at an unnatural angle. Blood stained the fabric of his shirt, spreading like a crimson stain.

Terror choked her. She reached out, her hand shaking, but didn’t dare touch him. However, before she could do anything, her gaze started to turn blurry. All Sofia could see was Alexander’s face before her consciousness left her.

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