Chapter 6 Opportunities
At Centurion Hall, Sophia sat in her office, focused on preparing for the next high-profile auction. The room was quiet except for the soft tapping of her keyboard.
Suddenly—
The door slammed open.
Startled, her head snapped up.
Emma rushed inside, her heels striking the floor sharply, tension written all over her face. She was holding her tablet up in the air.
“Sophia, look!” she said urgently, hurrying to her desk. “Have you seen the news?”
Sophia frowned slightly at her frantic state and looked down at the screen.
What she saw made her freeze.
It was news about Violet’s affairs, spreading wildly across the internet. Along with it came fresh reports stating that Joseph and Curtis had been exposed for several kidnappings. At the same time, they were accused of repeated contract violations, and large-scale financial fraud.
Another article stated they had scammed multiple businesses—taking advance payments without delivering products or services.
Sophia stared at the screen, her eyes widening slightly as she scrolled. Her gaze stayed glued to the screen as more and more headlines appeared.
The situation was worse than she imagined.
Emma looked at her, lowering her voice.
“They’re facing decades in prison. They’ve already been formally charged with fraud, tax evasion, and several other crimes. And… there’s more.”
Sophia slowly looked up.
“They were also involved in prostitution rings,” Emma continued, her voice tight with disgust. “Private clubs. Kidnapped girls. They paid huge amounts for illegal ‘entertainment.’ It’s all coming out now.”
Sophia slowly set the tablet down, her expression shifting from shock to deep concern.
“I knew they were siphoning money from our business,” she said quietly. “I knew they were betraying my father. But I didn’t know it went this far…”
Emma crossed her arms, frowning. “But weren’t you always searching for proof? You wanted to expose them in front of your dad. You just couldn’t find anything because they controlled everything.”
“Yeah,” Sophia replied.
She stood up and faced Emma.
“I knew something was going on, but I couldn’t find any evidence. They had too much influence.” She stood up slowly, her mind racing. “I just… I could never find anything concrete.”
She turned toward the window, staring out at the city skyline.
“But now all of this evidence suddenly appears? Enough to get them arrested and convicted so quickly?”
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Maybe it’s God’s will,” Emma laughed. She leaned back against the desk and crossed her arms loosely. “Maybe they did so many terrible things that someone finally got fed up and decided to take matters into their own hands.”
“I wonder…” Sophia murmured.
She looked into Emma’s eyes, thinking carefully. “Could it be Magnus? Because of what happened at the party?”
She hesitated, her voice turning softer. “He said he would take care of me. Did he mean… like this? Taking care of everything in my life?”
“Oh my God,” Emma burst into laughter, the teasing sound filling the office.
Sophia’s cheeks turned red instantly. Heat rushed to her face. She lowered her head, embarrassed, her hair falling forward to hide her expression.
“Stop it…” she muttered, flicking Emma a warning look, but it lacked force.
Emma only snickered, clearly entertained.
Before she could continue, the door suddenly opened. Both of them turned toward it.
Elias walked in.
Sophia straightened.
“What are you doing here in the middle of the day?” Emma’s teasing expression faded. She placed a hand on her waist, one hip jutting out as she stared at him. “Don’t tell me you came to drag me home. I’m not leaving early. I’m going to a party tonight.”
Elias didn’t respond.
He simply lifted his hand in front of her face, palm outward, telling her silently to stop.
Then he walked past her as if she were a minor inconvenience.
He pulled the chair back from Sophia’s desk and settled down. One leg crossed over the other. His wrist rested loosely on the arm of the chair.
Only then did he look at Emma.
Two fingers lifted.
A subtle flick toward the door.
“Out.”
Emma blinked in disbelief. “Stop doing that to me! This is my building.”
Elias tilted his head slightly and raised one brow, staring straight into her eyes.
Emma stiffened, the confidence draining from her face.
“Fine,” she grumbled under her breath. “I’m going.”
She shot him one last glare before stepping out and closing the door — a little harder than necessary.
Silence settled.
Elias’s gaze shifted back to Sophia.
“Did you see the news about your uncles?”
Sophia nodded slowly. Her fingers curled together on the desk.
“Yes.”
Elias leaned forward, resting his elbow on the desk. “I started looking into things after you told me Violet couldn’t have acted alone. She’s reckless but she’s not bold enough to drug you without backup.”
“Yeah, I know her,” Sophia replied. Her lips tightened, anger flashing across her face. “She’s a bitch, but she’s a coward.”
She looked at him anxiously.
“What did you find?”
Elias held her gaze for a moment before speaking.
“Do you know someone named Celia Thompson?”
Sophia’s breath caught.
Her body went still, surprise flickering in her eyes, but she quickly forced herself to stay calm.
“Yes,” she answered, nodding. “I know her.”
Elias watched every shift in her expression.
“She transferred several million into Violet’s account,” he continued, his voice turning cool and controlled. “I checked her financial records. The transfer happened the day before the incident at the party.”
His jaw tightened.
“I think that woman is involved in Violet’s plan.”
Sophia leaned back against the desk, her fingers loosely resting on the table.
She had never interacted with Celia directly before. There had been no connection, no conflict, no reason for hostility.
They had never even spoken, so what kind of grudge could Celia possibly have against her?
The answer felt obvious.
With all the rumors linking her and Magnus, it had to be about him. It had nothing to do with Sophia personally.
Her brows furrowed in confusion, anger slowly building in her chest. After a moment, she looked back at Elias. Her expression was steady, but there was a faint chill in her eyes.
“Thank you for letting me know,” she said evenly. “I’ll handle this matter.”
Elias studied her for a second, then unlocked his phone. The soft click of the screen lighting up broke the silence. He slid it across the polished table toward her.
“There’s something else.”
The phone stopped just inches from her hand.
Sophia glanced at him, puzzled, then reached out and picked up the phone. On the screen was a formal document.
It looked like a proposal.
Her brows drew together.
“What is this?” she asked, lifting her eyes to him.
Elias leaned back in his chair, his broad shoulders settling as he clasped his hands together.
“I have an opportunity for you,” he said, his voice deep and firm. “A once-in-a-lifetime chance. I suggest you don’t waste it.”
The room seemed to grow quieter.
“There’s an auction house in London. They’re looking for someone to develop and elevate their brand globally. The current boss is getting old and can’t manage everything anymore. He’s looking for a capable partner — someone who could eventually take over.”
Sophia’s grip on the phone tightened.
“They heard about you,” he added. “They contacted me. Asked me to speak with you.”
He held her gaze steadily.
“A lot of people want this position. What do you think? Do you want to go?”
Sophia’s heart gave a faint, unexpected thud.
He paused, then added more seriously, “If you accept, you’ll have to stay there.
You can’t come back until everything is finalized and you’re properly settled.
It’s a highly confidential deal. They’ll require you to stay off cameras until they’re satisfied.
No public appearances. No media. And no one knows how long settling in will take. ”
The words hung heavily between them.
“What do you think?” Elias pressed gently. “Do you want to join?”
Sophia lowered her gaze to the proposal again.
The numbers written in the contract were enormous. The benefits and working conditions were incredibly generous.
Her thumb slowly scrolled through the terms, line by line. The working conditions were favorable. The authority they were offering her… was significant.
It was tempting.
But it was also sudden.
London.
A fresh start.
Distance.
Her lashes lowered, hiding the flicker of emotion in her eyes.
“I need time to think about it,” she said at last.
Elias studied her carefully, his sharp eyes softening just a fraction. “Sure. But don’t take too long. It’s important, and it can’t wait forever.”
“I won’t,” Sophia replied with a small smile.
The tension on his face eased a little.
Just then, the office door swung open with a soft creak. Emma popped her head inside, her hair bouncing lightly as she looked around.
“Sophia! I have a party tonight,” she said quickly. “I need your help getting ready. Are you coming with me? I booked a room at a hotel so I can change there.”
“Sure,” Sophia answered, already rising to her feet.
She rose from her seat, smoothing down her skirt, slipping the phone back across the table toward Elias. She gave him a brief look.
“I’ll think it over,” she said. “Give me some time. I’ll let you know.”
Elias nodded and stood as well. As he approached the door, Emma was still half inside the doorway, blocking the exit.
Without breaking stride, Elias lifted a finger and pushed it against her forehead, moving her aside.
“Hey!” Emma whined, stumbling back a step, rubbing her forehead as she shot him an annoyed glare.
He walked past her calmly, as if nothing had happened.
Sophia couldn’t help the faint curve of amusement that tugged at her lips.