“Daniel, it’s barely morning—why are you already fussing with your plants again?”
Yawning and rubbing her sleepy eyes, Sophia stared at her eldest brother, amazed by his energy. Not only had he finished his morning run, but he was also pruning the flowers.
Daniel immediately set down his watering can and pulled out a chair for her.
“Take the day off,” he said. “Oh, and Dad mentioned a contract yesterday. You’re meeting a client about it today.”
Work again. Even with the luxurious breakfast before her, Sophia lost her appetite.
After breakfast, her new personal assistant arrived.
“This is your assistant,” Daniel said. “You can ask him about anything work-related. He’ll take good care of you.”
The young man adjusted his glasses and extended a polite hand.
“Good morning, Ms. Reed. I’ll be managing your business collaborations from now on. Here’s your schedule for today, and this is the contract you’ll need to review in advance.”
Seeing the thick stack of papers, Sophia nearly cried.
A few hours later, she arrived at the meeting location.
“Has he left yet? Call Nathan Torres and tell him I’m almost at the restaurant,” she said.
Back at the Reed Estate, Mr. Reed dropped his teacup upon hearing that Sophia had left. “Hurry and call Ethan—tell him to remind Nathan she’s on her way!”
Nathan was already drowning in work, but when the call came, his tone remained calm. “Got it. I’m on my way. Meet me at the restaurant.”
His assistant glanced over. “Strange that Mr. Reed chose a restaurant for a business meeting. That’s not like him.”
Nathan shot him a sharp look, and the assistant quickly turned forward again, silent.
When Nathan arrived, he immediately understood.
Sophia was standing there awkwardly, clutching the contract like a shield.
He stepped closer and, with one finger, lowered the papers from her face.
“Why are you hiding? Weren’t you supposed to be meeting your father’s business partner today? What are you doing here?”
Sophia glanced around, confused. “Dad said the client was an older gentleman. I didn’t expect it to be you.”
But they were already here, and the deal was crucial to both families.
She put on a professional smile. “Doesn’t matter who it is—let’s just talk about the contract.”
Before they could enter the restaurant, however, an unwelcome voice interrupted.
“Well, if it isn’t my dear sister. Haven’t seen you since your little disappearance. I thought you’d starved to death by now.”
Sophia froze. That sharp, mocking tone could belong to no one but Clara Kane.
And beside her stood Alexander Kane, his arm around Vanessa Cole.
Sophia’s irritation spiked. Before she could reply, Vanessa sneered, “So that’s why you divorced so quickly. You’d already found yourself a new man.”
Alexander’s eyes flicked to Nathan. The man’s presence was commanding—but Alexander was convinced his own wealth far outmatched him.
He pulled out a black card, tossing it at Nathan’s feet with a smirk.
“The dinner here isn’t cheap. If your boytoy wants to impress you, he can earn it. Have him kneel down and kiss my shoes, and this card’s his.”
Sophia and Nathan exchanged a glance—utterly unimpressed.
Vanessa’s voice turned shrill. “What’s taking so long? Kneel already!”
Nathan stepped forward. They thought he’d submit, and anticipation twisted their faces into grotesque grins.
But instead, Nathan’s foot shot out, catching Alexander squarely in the chest.
At the same time, Sophia slipped behind Vanessa and pressed a pressure point at the base of her neck.
“Ah! Sophia—what did you do? I can’t see! Alexander, help me, I can’t see anything!”
Alexander, winded and speechless from the kick, could only gasp in pain.
Sophia’s voice turned icy. “You two came here to humiliate us, but you’re not even good at that. Keep running your mouths, and next time I’ll make sure you can’t speak at all.”
She bent down, picked up the contract from the floor, and nodded toward the restaurant. “Let’s go, Nathan. We’ve got business to discuss.”
