Chapter 145
As Sophia's words hung in the air, a sharp slap echoed through the room.
Sophia gasped, her hand flying to her check. "You actually dared to hit me? Do you have any idea who I am?"
Victoria seized a fistful of Sophia's hair, holding her in place with a cold, steely gaze.
"You're spewing nonsense, and I think a slap is the least you deserve.
First off, your being replaced has nothing to do with me.
You should really take a look in the mirror.
Second, not only do I want to hit you, but I'm also going to expose everything you've done online.
Just wait until your loyal fans see your true colors–let's see how many stick around then. "
"Let go of me! Let go!" Sophia screamed, thrashing against Victoria's grip.
The receptionist and Sophia's assistant, Agnes, rushed forward, trying to pull Victoria away.
Victoria shot Agnes a glare that could freeze fire. "Don't get in my way; I'll deal with you soon enough."
Releasing Sophia's hair, Victoria warned, "You better keep your cool, or I'll use my status as Mrs. Harrison to make your life a living hell."
All of Sophia's fury seemed to evaporate, her face pale with rage and humiliation. The imprint of Victoria's fingers was stark against her cheek, and her eyes sparked with fury.
Agnes quickly instructed the receptionist to grab an ice pack, then turned her venomous glare on Victoria. "You'll pay for this, mark my words!"
Victoria let out a derisive laugh, pulling out a document and tossing it at Agnes' face.
"First, take a look at this. Let's see who's really in trouble here."
Agnes' expression soured as she picked up the paper, her eyes widening in shock.
"What is this?"
Noticing Agnes' reaction, Sophia snatched the document from her hands.
"You... what is this?"
Her disbelief was palpable as she scanned the pages, gripping the document so tightly that it crumpled under her fingers.
The files clearly detailed Agnes' communications with obsessive fans, along with their personal information.
Victoria's icy gaze bore into Sophia. "So, was this your idea, or did she take it upon herself? I'm guessing it's the latter, considering she used your image to lure those fans into doing illegal things. Your choice in assistants really leaves something to be desired."
Sophia would never admit that this was her doing.
In a fit of rage, she slapped Agnes across the face. "How could you do this? I've treated you well, and you stab me in the back like this?"
Agnes held her face in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Sophia, I..."
"You've been by my side for years, and I trusted you! But this? You've let me down. Get out. I won't work with you anymore!" Sophia interrupted.
Sophia shot her a venomous glare, forbidding her to say another word. Agnes covered her face, feeling incredibly wronged. After all, this was something Sophia had instructed her to do!
Agnes, hurt and confused, knew she had no proof to defend herself. She could only turn and leave, feeling the weight of betrayal heavy on her shoulders.
"Stop right there."
Victoria's cold voice cut through the tension, and Sophia turned to her, desperation in her eyes.
"This has nothing to do with me! It was all her ideal for aliveady fired her. What more do you want?"
Victoria smiled, but it was anything but warm. She said. "After actions have harmed me, and I've decided to report this to the authorities."
Agnes cried out, panic flooding her voice." You can't do that! If you call the cops, I'm finished! Sophia, please help me! I can't end up in jail!"
Sophia's face darkened as realization hit her–she had underestimated Victoria.
1She thought she could teach Victoria a lesson, but instead, she had shot herself in the foot. No matter how furious Sophia felt, she had no choice but to swallow her pride and apologize to Victoria.
Taking a deep breath, Sophia said, "I'll have her apologize to you. Just tell me what you want, and I can make it happen. Can we avoid involving the police?"
Victoria lounged on the sofa, amusement dancing in her eyes as she watched the once domineering Sophia squirm. She pretended to ponder the request, letting the seconds tick by in silence.
Impatience crept into Sophia's voice. "Hey, I'm talking to you. Are you even listening?"
"Call the cops," Victoria replied, pulling out her phone.
"You..." Sophia's words caught in her throat, a wave of frustration washing over her.
She softened her tone, pleading, "Please don't call the police. Just think it over. I won't rush you."
Victoria raised an eyebrow, enjoying the sight of Sophia's panic. "Here's the deal, you need to tweet an apology, saying it was all Agnes' doing and that I didn't cause your arm injury."
"Absolutely not!"
Sophia shot back, horrified at the thought of publicly humiliating herself.
Apologizing would ruin her reputation! She lifted her chin defiantly. "I can pay you off. Name your price."
Victoria laughed, a sound dripping with disdain. "Do you really think I need your money?"
Sophia was momentarily at a loss.
She was dealing with Henry's wife, the heiress of the Hardwick family. Offering cash was laughable.
"Besides, did I actually hurt your arm?" Victoria's eyes glinted with cold amusement. "Why should I take the blame for something I didn't do?"
Sophia clenched her jaw, glaring at Victoria, but she was at a standstill.
Victoria held all the cards. If she leaked the evidence online and rallied her followers, Sophia's carefully crafted image would crumble.
She'd be buried under a wave of backlash, and the fallout from Cordell's casting change would leave her reputation in latters.
That wasn't an option she could accept.
Taking another deep breath, Sophia finally relented. "Fine, I'll do it."
Victoria smirked, tilting her chin up. "Let's draft that tweet now. I need to approve it before you hit send."
Sophia shot her a venomous look. "Don't push your luck, Victoria."
Victoria replied with a mocking smile, her eyes sparkling with challenge, "Too late for that. What are you going to do about it?"
She thought, "Sophia can forget about that favor from seven years ago–whatever.
But from the moment we started working together, she's been pulling stunts, throwing her weight around, and making it personal.
Well, guess what? I'm not playing nice anymore.
If she's got a problem with that, she can bring it on! "
Sophia's anger flared. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug smile off Victoria's face, but she was powerless at this moment.
Turning to Agnes, Sophia shot her a fierce glare. "You're going to post an apology, too, saying it was all your idea."
Agnes' lips trembled as she caught the warning in Sophia's eyes. With no choice, she nodded, swallowing her pride.
Within moments, Sophia crafted a tweet, tagging Victoria's account.
She wrote about being overwhelmed with work and not keeping up with online drama.
She claimed her arm injury was from her cat and insisted the photos were just throwaways, not final cuts.
She even threw in a playful note for her fans, telling them to look forward to the upcoming promotional material.