Chapter 3: Shattered Doubts Sophia’s POV

My chest was still pounding from the sleepless night when I woke up to the dim light coming in through the blinds. The words of the letter kept repeating in my head, preventing me from finding calm. When I looked over, I saw Liam lying on the opposite side of the bed, his chest rising and falling in time with his sleep.

"Liam," I muttered, giving him a gentle nudge. "Come on, get up."

With a moan, he covered his head with the blanket. “Sophia, it’s barely morning. Go back to sleep.”

I sat up and muttered, "I can't. I have to prepare for work. There’s something I have to do today.”

With his eyes heavy with sleep and his hair messy, he peered out from behind the blanket. “Is this about that letter again?”

After a moment of hesitation, I nodded. "I need to speak with Victor. Liam, I need answers. This can’t just be some prank.”

Liam rubbed his face and moaned. "You're overanalyzing this, Soph. It’s probably nothing.”

"Perhaps," I answered as I got up and moved toward the closet. "But unless I ask, I won't know."

I left him there as I began preparing. I was afraid of the impending encounter, but I was determined to face it head-on. I whispered to myself, "Wish I could be that relaxed," as I turned to face Liam, who was quickly falling back asleep.

The drive to the office was full of rehearsals on how to approach the matter.

I was finally at the office in front of Victors giant door with the clear label 'CEO' which looked like a farce thanks to the letter. As I lifted my hand to knock, my heart pounded. I pushed the door open before I had a chance to doubt myself.

I said, "Victor," in a firm but tremulous voice. He was initially surprised when he looked up from his desk, but his expression soon changed to one of annoyance.

“What is it, Sophia?” He spoke in a contemptuous, clipped tone.

With the letter firmly grasped in my palm, I moved forward. “I need to ask you something.”

With a slight smirk on his lips, he reclined in his chair. "You? Need to ask me something? This should to be fascinating."

I took a deep breath and held the letter out to him. "This... This was slipped into my bag yesterday. It claims that I am the legitimate successor to the Sinclair company. What does it mean?"

Victor's face immediately darkened. After swiftly reviewing the letter, he grabbed it out of my hand, crumpled it into a tight ball, and tossed it aside.

“It means someone is playing games with you, Sophia. Don’t let it get into that thick head of yours.”

"But..."

His voice rose and he interrupted me. “Do you hear yourself? Are you aware of how ridiculous you sound? Do you really believe that a single letter may win over years of dedication and leadership?"

Even though his look was making my knees buckle, I stood my ground. “It’s not random. The language, the details It doesn’t feel like a joke.”

I jumped when Victor slammed his palm on the desk. "Enough! It's stupid of you to put up with this bullshit. You’re nothing but an ungrateful brat who I allowed under my roof, benefiting from my generosity. And now you have the audacity to accuse me?”

I said, hardly raising my voice above a whisper, "I'm not accusing you. I just… I need to know the truth.”

Victor jumped up and stood over me. “The truth is, you’re a nobody. I took up a charity case out of sympathy. Sophia, don't take my generosity for weakness. This conversation is over.”

"But..."

He yelled, "Out!" and gestured toward the door.

His words echoed in my ears as I retreated, my hands shaking. “You are nothing.”

My eyes stung from the weeping as I staggered out of the office. I had a strong feeling that this was more complicated than Victor made it seem. His voice was filled with fear rather than fury.

I resumed my shadowing of Vanessa by midmorning, and she was already in exceptional shape.

“Honestly, Sophia, could you move any slower?” As I followed her into, holding a stack of files.

I muttered, "Sorry," and placed the files on her table.

Vanessa narrowed her cold blue gaze. “Don’t apologize. Just don't make a mistake. As it is, you're already on thin ice."

I forced myself to remain composed as I clasped my fists at my sides. "What do you mean?"

She folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Don’t play dumb. I know about the letter.”

My blood froze. “How...how do you know?”

Vanessa tilted her head and smiled. "Oh, please. You think anything happens in this office without me knowing? Sophia, you're so predictable. Always sniffing around where you don’t belong.”

"I wasn't..."

She interjected, saying, "Save it. Dear cousin, allow me to offer you some advice. Keep your mouth shut. Don’t go poking at things that don’t concern you, or you’ll regret it.”

Her statements were laced with hate, but what really chilled me was the mocking, patronizing way she used the word "cousin."

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I raised my voice and demanded.

Vanessa took a step forward, her smile piercing. “It means you’re out of your league. Sophia, you don't belong here, and if you continue to stir things up, you'll discover how quickly you can be replaced."

My thoughts were racing as I gazed at her. “Why are you so threatened by me?”

Vanessa's laugh was hollow and cold. “Threatened? Don't brag about yourself. You are an inconvenience, not a threat. A loose end I’d rather not deal with. So do us both a favor and disappear.”

I stood motionless as she swept past me. As I repeated what she had said, my heart raced. loose end. Disappear.

I felt certain that something was happening, and I was going to find out what it was.

I returned home earlier that evening, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the letter I’d retrieved from Victor’s trash. The phrases were burnt into my head. The rightful heir to the Sinclair enterprise.

There had been a lot of unsolved questions in my life, but now the parts were beginning to come together to create a picture. Vanessa's threats, Victor's animosity, and the letter's vague assertions all suggested the same thing.

Something was being hidden.

I gently folded the letter and placed it in my journal. I wasn't going to ignore this, whatever it was.

They urged me to keep quiet and to keep to myself. But I wasn’t going to back down.

Not now.