Chapter 13
For weeks, tension simmered between Victoria and Sophia. Victoria's sharp words hurt the little girl.
Her comments on Sophia's "messy" drawings cut deep. Sophia, once open, began to hide. Her steps softened when Victoria came near.
I saw her clutching her rabbit. Whispering to it. As if it was her only friend. Against the cold woman.
That afternoon, the storm broke.
I chopped vegetables in the kitchen. The knife's thud was a small anchor. Then Victoria's voice cut through the air. "Sophia! Clean up this mess. It is disgusting."
I put the knife down. My pulse quickened. I peeked into the living room.
Sophia sat cross-legged. On the soft cream rug. Surrounded by scattered toys. Plastic knights. A toy castle. A glittery tiara on her head. She looked up at Victoria. Her hazel eyes were wide. "But I am not done playing yet," she said. Her voice was small. But defiant.
Victoria stood over her. Arms crossed. Her heels clicked on the floor. She sneered. "I do not care. This is not a daycare. It is a penthouse. Worth more than you know. Clean it up. Or I will throw it all away." Her lips twisted. Poison dripped from every word.
Sophia's lower lip trembled. Her hands clutched a knight. But she held her ground. "You are not my mom," she whispered. Her voice shook with fear and anger.
Victoria's eyes narrowed. She leaned closer. Her perfume was sweet and mean. Filling the room. "No, I am not. And thank God for that. Your mother clearly did not teach you manners."
Sophia's face crumpled. A sob burst from her. Rough and broken. I dropped the dish towel. I stormed into the room. My voice cut through her tears. "What is going on here?" I demanded. I stood between Sophia and Victoria. My tone was sharp.
Victoria turned to me. Her face was cold. "Your little child needs discipline," she snapped. Her manicured nails flashed. She pointed at Sophia. "Maybe if you did your job. Instead of playing house. She would not be such a brat."
Before I could speak, the air changed. Heavy.
Electric. Alexander walked in. His presence filled the room.
Like thunder. He had been in his office.
All day. On calls about his company. But now his sharp gray eyes scanned the scene.
Sophia's tear-streaked face. My clenched fists. Victoria's defiant stance.
"What is going on here?" he asked. His voice was low. Filled with danger. It made my neck hairs stand up.
Victoria tilted her chin. Unflinching. "Your daughter was rude. I was just correcting her. Someone has to."
Alexander looked at Sophia. She hiccupped through her sobs. Then at me. Anger blazing in my eyes. "Is that true?" he asked. His calm tone hid the steel beneath. Like a hunter.
I shook my head. I stepped forward. "No. Sophia played quietly. Happily. Until Victoria stormed in. And yelled at her for no reason. She told her to clean up. Or she would throw everything away. Then she insulted her mother."
Alexander's jaw tightened. A muscle twitched under his stubble. He turned to Victoria. His face darkened. Becoming deadly. "Get out."
She blinked. Her calm broke. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," he said. His voice dropped to a cold whisper. It could have frozen the room. "Get out of my house. And do not come back."
Victoria's mouth opened. Shock showed on her face. Then her defiance came back. "You cannot be serious, Alexander. Over this? She is a child. She will get over it."
His eyes stared into hers. Firm. "You do not get to decide what my daughter gets over. You crossed a line. I will not forgive it. Leave. Now."
For a moment, she looked ready to argue. Her lips parted. Her shoulders squared. But then she saw the storm in his eyes. The firm will of a man. Who built an empire. And would not bend for her.
She snatched her Louis Vuitton purse. Her heels hit the floor. As she hissed, "Fine. But do not think this is the last you will hear from me." The door slammed. The sound echoed. Like a gunshot.
Silence fell. Thick and fragile. Sophia's sobs became sniffles. I knelt beside her. I pulled her into my arms. Her small body trembled. Her tiara slipped to the floor. With a soft sound.
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Later that evening, Sophia had her favorite macaroni and cheese. She giggled as she told me about her "princess battle" against Victoria. I tucked her into bed.
Her star-shaped nightlight glowed softly. Her stuffed rabbit was under her chin. She looked up at me. Her eyes were still puffy and red. But a spark of her usual fire gleamed.
"Elena," she murmured. Her voice was barely a whisper. "I did not mean to make Daddy mad."
I brushed a dark curl from her forehead. My heart twisted. "You did not make him mad, sweetheart. Victoria did. She was cruel. And your dad stood up for you. Because he loves you more than anything."
She nodded. Her brow wrinkled. As she thought about my words. "I did not like her. She always yelled at me. Saying mean things. About my drawings and my toys. And..." She paused. A sly smile pulled at her lips. "I kind of wanted Daddy to break up with her."
I raised an eyebrow. Caught off guard. "Oh, really? Did you... do something to help that along?"
Sophia shrugged. Her grin widened with mischief. "Maybe. I might have spilled juice on her fancy shoes once. And left my glitter glue where she would step in it. But only because she was so mean!"
A laugh bubbled out of me. Warm and unexpected. "You little smarty. You are cleverer than you seem, you know that?"
She beamed. Her earlier sadness disappeared. "I love you, Elena."
My chest tightened. With a rush of feeling. I pulled her into a hug. Her small arms wrapped around my neck. "I love you too, Sophia. Always."
As I left her room, I turned off the light. I found Alexander in the hallway. Leaning against the wall. His suit jacket was off. His sleeves rolled up. Showing tense forearms. His face was thoughtful. Shadows played across his sharp features. In the dim light.
"Is she okay?" he asked. His voice was hushed. Carrying a weight I had not heard before.
I nodded. I stepped closer. "She is fine. Tougher than she looks. Strong, like you said once."
He sighed. He ran a hand through his hair.
Making it messier. "I should have ended things with Victoria months ago.
I kept her around because... I do not know.
Habit? Pride? Did not want to admit I had judged her so badly.
But seeing her go after Sophia like that-" He shook his head. Disgust flickered in his eyes.
"You did the right thing," I said softly. Meeting his gaze. "Sophia needs to know you will protect her. No matter what."
He studied me. His eyes softened. Searching. "And you?" His voice dropped. Low and close. "Do you think I would protect you too?"
My breath caught. The air between us thickened.
With something unsaid. For a moment, I was lost. In his intense stare.
The man who ruled companies. And guarded secrets.
Now looking at me. Like I was a part of his world.
He could not lose. I managed a small, hopeful smile. "I think you already have."
His lips twitched. Into a faint, rare smile. The kind that softened his guarded self. "Good," he murmured. "Because I am not going anywhere."
A wave of warmth flooded me. Threatening to make me cry. But I held it back. "Thank you, Alexander," I whispered. My voice trembled. With everything I could not yet say.
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