Chapter 32

Sophia's POV

I was furious. No, that wasn’t even the right word. Fury was too simple, too tame. What I felt was something darker, more visceral.

The kind of rage that settled deep in your chest and burned through your veins until all you could see was red. It wasn’t just anger anymore—it was a need to destroy, to make them all pay for daring to humiliate me.

It started with Owen. I saw the smug look on his face when the words that were supposed to be perfect flashed across the screen, mocking me.

But as much as I wanted to tear into him, I had to take a step back. There were bigger fish to fry. I needed to deal with the root of the problem. And that root was Lauren.

Lauren. That woman. She was the reason Owen did it, I was certain of it. Where else would that boy come up with such an idea?

She’d always been a thorn in my side, always trying to undermine me in subtle ways. She had that sweetness about her, the kind that made people trust her, but I saw through it, I always have. I saw her for what she truly was—manipulative, conniving, and willing to do anything to get what she wanted. And she had Owen wrapped around her finger. I didn’t need proof. I knew.

So, I went to Alexander. I had to make him understand. I had to make him see reason.

When I walked into his office, I could feel the weight of the tension in the air. Alexander was sitting behind his desk, as usual, with that cold, calculating look on his face. He didn’t even look up when I entered, which only made my blood boil further. He had this way of dismissing me lately, of acting like I wasn’t important enough to warrant his attention.

I slammed the door shut behind me, making sure the sound echoed through the room. That got his attention. Finally.

“Sophia,” he said, his voice cold, detached. “What brings you here? How was the–”

I didn’t bother with pleasantries. There was no time for that. “You need to fire L—Dr. Ava,” I demanded, my voice low but firm.

He raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair as if I were asking him to do something as simple as changing a lightbulb. He looked damn good doing it too. “What? Why?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Alexander,” I snapped, pacing in front of his desk. “You know exactly why. She’s the one who manipulated Owen into embarrassing me at that event. She’s the one who made him hack the teleprompter.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t seem surprised. “Hack, huh? He’s getting better with that computer…” He paused a moment, like he was calculating his thoughts. “Sophia, I know you’re upset, but Dr. Ava had nothing to do with this. You’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment.”

I froze, the words hitting me like a slap to the face. “What?” I asked, my voice shaking with barely contained fury. “You’re actually defending her? Still?”

“I’m not defending anyone,” he replied, his tone still calm. Too calm. “I’m just telling you that you’re wrong about Lauren. She had no part in this.”

The nerve of him. The audacity to sit there and tell me I was wrong. I felt the pressure in my chest build, a storm brewing inside me. I had never felt so disrespected in my life. Alexander was supposed to be on my side. He was supposed to understand. But instead, he was siding with her, with Lauren—the woman who was trying to tear us apart. I had no choice. I had to make him see things my way.

“You’re making a mistake, Alexander,” I said, my voice now dripping with venom. “If you don’t fire her, if you don’t fix this, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

He leaned forward, finally looking me in the eyes, his expression unreadable. “Sophia, I’m not firing her. You need to let this go. It’s between you and our…son.”

My hands clenched into fists at my sides. “You’re really not going to do anything?” I asked, my voice a dangerous whisper. “You’re just going to let her get away with this?”

“I’m not going to fire her,” he repeated, his tone final. “And I’m not going to be threatened by you. You forget you’re place.”

I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to scream. My heart pounded in my chest, but I held it together, barely. “Fine,” I said, my voice barely audible. “But you’ll regret this. You’ll see.”

I turned and walked out of his office, slamming the door behind me once again. My mind was racing. I needed to do something. I needed to make him understand just how serious this was.

Alexander didn’t seem to get it, but I could fix that. I could make him see the consequences of his refusal. And I would start with Owen.

I found him in the hallway, his face watching me wearily as if he could pass by unnoticed.

“Owen,” I said, my voice low and cold. He froze when he saw me, and I could see the flicker of fear in his eyes. Good. He should be scared.

“Yes, ma,” he stammered, his hands fidgeting nervously.

I stepped closer, keeping my voice quiet but full of malice. “You know what you did, Owen. You hacked the teleprompter just like Lauren said. You humiliated me. And now, you’re going to make up for it. A do over, you could say.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. “No more excuses.”

He swallowed hard, his eyes lowering to the floor.

“You’re going to do exactly what I say,” I continued, my voice growing low. “And if you don’t, I’ll make sure Abigail—your precious little friend—disappears. Just like that.”

His face drained of color, and I could see the terror in his eyes.

A smirk peeled between my red lips.

I wasn’t playing around anymore. This was bigger than his stupid prank. This was about sending a message. If he didn’t do what I wanted, I could make sure Abigail was never seen again. No one would know what happened to her. Not even Alexander, or her ‘sweet little mom.’

“Please, Soph—Mom,” he begged, his voice shaking. “Don’t hurt her. I’ll do whatever you want. Just please don’t hurt Abigail. It was all my idea, I was—”

I smiled, the satisfaction of his fear flooding through me. “Good boy. You’re going to attend another public event with me. You’re going to smile and pretend everything’s fine. And you’re going to make sure nothing goes wrong. Understand?”

He nodded frantically, his hands trembling. “I understand. I’ll do it. Just… please don’t hurt her.”

I leaned in close, my lips brushing his ear as I whispered, “Remember, Owen. I can make her disappear. And if you ever think of crossing me again, I won’t hesitate to do it.”

I pulled back, my smile widening as I watched him crumble under the weight of my words. “Now go,” I said, flicking my hand dismissively. “We’ll have more then enough work to do in the coming days.”

He scurried away, and I watched him go, a cool breeze of a satisfied chill blew through me. This was just the beginning. I had the power now. I had them all right where I wanted them. And if Alexander thought he could stand in my way, if he thought he could protect Lauren, then he was in for a rude awakening.