Chapter 14
My mother stepped into the room, her eyes landing on me. A sharp gasp escaped her throat.
"Claire...?" my mother breathed, her hand flying to her throat. "You... you came back?"
I turned to face the two women who had helped destroy my life seven years ago.
"Hello, Mother," I said, my tone dripping with icy contempt. "Hello, Sophia."
Sophia turned her head, her eyes flashing with a dangerous, venomous hate. "You think you can just show up after seven years and ruin everything I've built? Lucas is the heir to the Moretti empire! Vincent signed the trust agreements five years ago! That little bastard girl of yours has no right—"
*SLAP.*
The sound echoed like a gunshot in the silent office.
Sophia’s head snapped to the side, her hand flying to her glowing red cheek. I stood right in front of her, my hand still raised, my body trembling with absolute, lethal rage.
"Speak about my daughter like that again, Sophia," I whispered, stepping so close I could smell her expensive perfume, "and I will tear down every single thing you think you own."
"Vincent!" Sophia wailed, spinning toward him with tears streaming down her face. "Are you going to let her strike me in your own office?! Do something!"
Vincent slowly stood up from his chair. But he didn't look at Sophia with comfort. He didn't offer her a handkerchief or step in front of her.
He looked at Sophia with a cold, terrifying detachment that made the air in the room drop ten degrees.
"Did you know?" Vincent asked, his voice low, vibrating with a dark, dangerous resonance that made even my mother flinch.
"K-know what?" Sophia stammered, backing away slightly.
**“Did you know Claire showed me Emily in the hospital?”** Vincent demanded, stepping around his desk, his massive frame towering over her. **“Did you call my phone on purpose that night to pull me away from my daughter?”**
Sophia’s eyes darted frantically toward my mother, looking for support, but my mother remained silent, terrified by the dark aura emanating from the syndicate boss.
"Vincent, she's trying to manipulate you!" Sophia cried out desperately. "She abandoned you! She took your inheritance money and vanished!"
"She didn't take a single dime of my money!" Vincent roared, slamming his fist down onto the mahogany desk with such force the glass water pitcher shattered into pieces.
Sophia jumped, letting out a terrified squeal.