Chapter 2 Family
A second later, Magnus’s polished shoe crashed into the man’s chest.
Once.
Twice.
The sound of the blows echoed through the room. The man curled up, coughing, but Magnus looked ready to kill.
“Take care of this trash,” he barked, his voice vibrating with fury as he shoved the man toward the guards. His eyes didn’t even spare him another glance. Magnus had already turned back to Sophia.
She was struggling to sit up, trembling, trying to pull her dress back over her shoulder with weak, unsteady hands. The torn fabric barely covered her. Her hair was a mess, her breathing uneven, panic still clouding her eyes.
Magnus’s chest tightened violently at the sight.
Without hesitation, he shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around her. His movements were fast but unbelievably careful, like she might break if he touched her too hard. He pulled the coat closed around her shoulders, shielding her from every gaze in the room.
“I’ve got you,” he muttered under his breath.
Sophia slid off the bed, but the moment her feet touched the floor, her knees gave way. She would have fallen if Magnus hadn’t caught her instantly.
She crashed into his chest.
His arms locked around her at once. One hand came up to cup her face, his thumb brushing her cheek as he tilted her head up to look at him.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” he asked.
His voice still carried the echo of his rage, yet beneath it was something raw, something almost desperate. Fear. Concern. A softness that only existed for her.
Sophia sniffled, her lips trembling as she shook her head. “I’m fine… thank you for coming,” she whispered, but the words were fragile, barely holding together.
The moment she finished, she broke.
She buried her face in his chest, her body stiff, shivering uncontrollably. Her fingers twisted into his suit, sliding around his waist as she gripped his shirt like a lifeline.
Magnus tightened his embrace immediately.
One hand pressed firmly against the back of her head, holding her against him, while the other wrapped around her waist, anchoring her there. His jaw clenched as he rested his cheek against her hair, his eyes dark and murderous as they lifted toward the men dragging the attacker away.
His arms tightened around her, pulling the jacket closer around her shoulders, making her lean fully into him. One of his hands moved to her back, rubbing gently, trying to steady her shaking body, while his other lifted her chin so he could see her face clearly.
Outside the room, Arthur stood frozen, confusion written all over his face.
The men who had come with Magnus were beating the driver mercilessly, their kicks landing again and again until the man’s face turned black and blue. His cries filled the corridor.
Joseph and Curtis exchanged panicked looks.
Violet leaned closer to Joseph, her voice trembling as she whispered, “W… Who told him?”
“What is going on?” Arthur demanded, his eyes flicking from Curtis to Joseph, then to Violet, and back inside the room where Magnus held Sophia.
Joseph reacted first.
He and Curtis quickly moved closer to Arthur, almost huddling beside him.
“Look at what your daughter was doing!” Joseph hissed urgently. “We caught her sleeping with our goddamn driver!”
“Yes!” Curtis added, his lips shaking as he rushed to fuel the fire. “It was Violet who called us. She saw everything. Look at her! This is how she repays you for raising her. How can you let someone like her continue living in your house and still call her your daughter?”
He shot another glance inside the room, saw Magnus holding Sophia close, and panic flashed across his face.
Turning back to Arthur, he pressed urgently, “You should cut ties with her. Don’t call her your daughter anymore.
How are you going to face people outside after this? She was sleeping with the driver!”
Arthur’s gaze slowly shifted.
He looked at Sophia, who was clearly shaken, barely able to stand as Magnus held her tightly and shielded her with his coat. Then he looked at the man lying on the floor being beaten.
Finally, he turned back to Joseph and Curtis.
There was no anger in Arthur’s eyes.
Only disbelief.
“What the hell did you just say?” he asked slowly.
“Don’t get angry,” Joseph said quickly.
Violet immediately stepped forward, seizing the chance.
“Yes, Uncle. You need to think about yourself and our family,” she said earnestly.
“If you kick her out, it will be easier to protect our business. If word gets out that you forgave her and kept Sophia in the family even after seeing such a shameful thing, it will damage your reputation.”
She swallowed, then pushed further, greed flashing through her fear.
“Why don’t you transfer the business to me instead? Introduce me as your daughter. This way, you can hold your head high in front of everyone, instead of hiding in shame because of her.”
“It’s good for the business too,” Curtis said, forcing a smile as he stepped closer and placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder.
Arthur didn’t react.
He simply stared at them, his brows slowly drawing together, disbelief and confusion clouding his face. But Joseph and Curtis mistook his silence for approval and rushed to fill it.
“You have to understand, Arthur,” Curtis continued, leaning in, his voice low but urgent.
“This is a situation you have to take seriously. She was in bed with a fucking driver. Even if nothing happened, it looks terrible. You know how people talk. The moment she steps outside this room, they’ll drag your name through the mud with hers. ”
Joseph nodded quickly, his fingers tightening at his sides. “It’s better to end things now. What does she even have to do with our family anymore? Her mother is dead. You don’t need to stay tied to her forever.”
Curtis swallowed and pressed on, greed flashing behind his fear. “You can remarry. Have a new family. Why live alone like this? Keeping Sophia is only ruining your life. You’re already in your fifties. Shouldn’t you think about the years you have left?”
“Let her go,” Joseph urged. “You save the company, and we remain a respectable, reputable family.”
Arthur’s eyes slowly slid back to meet Joseph’s, his gaze dark with something Joseph couldn’t read.
“…Let her go?”
The very next second, Arthur’s hand shot out. He grabbed the hand Curtis had placed on his shoulder and roughly threw it away. Curtis stumbled half a step back, nearly losing his balance.
“Are you out of your damn mind?!” Arthur roared.
The veins in his neck stood out. His chest heaved violently, all the suppressed emotion breaking through in an instant. His eyes, usually gentle and hesitant, were now blazing with a fury none of them had ever seen.
“You’re asking me to cut off my daughter?” His voice cracked with disbelief. “She is my daughter!”
His hand slammed against his own chest.
“Everything I have belongs to her! This is her mother’s company. It is Sophia’s business. How dare you even bring this into the conversation?!”
Joseph and Curtis looked at each other, shock spreading across their faces. Their mouths opened slightly, but no words came out.
Arthur had never spoken to them like this.
All these years, he had listened to them, trusted them, accepted their advice without hesitation.
But now, the man in front of them looked like a furious animal whose territory had been invaded.
Seeing him lose control so suddenly made their hearts pound.
They stared at him, stunned.
“That’s not what I meant—” Joseph quickly stepped forward, panic flashing across his face.
“I heard everything you meant,” Arthur interrupted angrily, his voice sharp.
Sophia froze.
Magnus also went still, his eyes dark as they landed on Arthur, watching the older man tremble with uncontrollable rage.
“How dare you even think of separating me from my Sophia?!”
Arthur’s voice broke with emotion. His finger shot up, pointing straight at them, his arm shaking.
“You’re trying to remove my daughter from my life?!” he shouted. “How dare you—both of you—all of you!”
His finger moved from Joseph to Curtis and then to Violet, stabbing the air with every word.
“You are no longer part of my company,” Arthur declared, his voice echoing through the room. “There is no relationship between you and me anymore!”
His breathing grew rough, almost ragged, but the fury inside him only burned hotter.
“Only my daughter is my family,” he continued, his eyes red. “I will give everything to her. I do everything for her!”
His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
“Even if she slept with somebody, how the fuck is it any of your business?!” he thundered. “She can do whatever she wants.”
He took a threatening step forward. Joseph and Curtis instinctively stiffened.
“I’m going to stand with her!”
Arthur’s voice shook the walls.
“I let you take care of my company matters because you are my brothers,” he growled, jabbing a finger toward them again. “You don’t own the company!”
His lips trembled with anger.
“How dare you even think of kicking Sophia out of my life?" he demanded. “Everything is hers!”
Joseph’s eyes widened as if the ground had disappeared beneath his feet. The blood drained from his face, leaving him ghostly pale. Violet’s legs nearly gave out the moment Arthur said they were no longer part of the company.
They all knew what that meant.
Every car, every house, every luxury, every bit of comfort, power, respect they received from others—
came from Arthur.
Without him, they were nothing. If he cut them off, their lives would collapse.
“Arthur… Arthur, Sophia is like my daughter too… don’t do this…” Joseph rushed out, sweat already forming on his forehead. His fingers trembled as he tried to smile. “You know all of us love you. But Sophia committed such a crime. We are doing this for you—”
“Fuck off!” Arthur thundered.
His roar was so loud it felt like it shook the walls.