Chapter 2

Sophia didn't come home that night. I knew she was using it to express her anger and resentment.

The next morning, I took off my leg bandage and went straight to the office. Employees glanced up, surprise flashing in their eyes, then quickly offered polite greetings.

"Mr. Blackwood, aren't you still recovering from your injury? Why are you in today?" a young receptionist asked, her concern clear.

"Some things need my personal attention." With a curt nod, I headed straight for the executive floor.

But the moment the elevator doors opened, I heard laughter spilling from Sophia's office.

Through the half-open door, I saw Owen. He was sitting right next to her. Sophia's eyes were sparkling with laughter, a stark contrast to the icy demeanor she usually reserved for other assistants. Normally, she never allowed anyone but me to linger in her office, let alone see such a tender expression on her face. Yet here she was, practically pressed against Owen, both of them chatting away like old friends.

Owen was wearing a designer suit. The exact style I'd admired months ago, the one Sophia had mentioned getting for me. It wasn't just expensive; it was a limited edition, only five pieces ever made, worldwide.

And now, it was on an intern.

I pushed the door open. Their laughter died an abrupt, unnatural death. Sophia's smile froze on her face.

"What are you doing here?"

Owen scrambled to his feet, pasting on a respectful expression. His voice, syrupy soft, addressed me. "I heard you just had surgery, Mr. Blackwood. Shouldn't you be resting at home? Why the sudden visit?"

I scoffed. "Who gave you permission to meddle in my affairs? And which idiot hired this disrespectful waste of space?!"

Owen's fake smile shattered, his mouth gaping uselessly.

"Take that suit off. Now."

The temperature in the room dropped to absolute zero.

Owen's eyes widened, his lips trembling in disbelief.

He looked at Sophia, his gaze openly pleading.

I turned to Sophia, my eyes like chips of ice. "Explain why my suit is on him."

Sophia's brow furrowed, her voice sharp with impatience. "Owen was being talked about by a lot of colleagues after the office incident yesterday, so I gave him a small compensation." She then looked at me, dismissively, "It's just a suit, Liam. I'll get you a better one later."

"Compensation?" I scoffed. "This suit might not be a fortune to us, but it's still one of only five haute couture pieces in the world. What rank does Owen have to deserve wearing something like this? Besides, yesterday's mess was his own fault for not knowing his place. Sophia, have you forgotten your place? Have you forgotten who I am? Who gave you the right to just hand out my possessions like they're nothing?"

Owen's face went ghost-white at my outburst. He stammered, "I'm... I'm sorry, Mr. Blackwood. I didn't know it was yours..."

"Now you know. Take it off. Right now."

Sophia, seeing me cut Owen off and still relentless, finally snapped. "Liam! That's enough! We have a project to discuss. Don't make a scene here!"

My heart sank. She never, ever raised her voice at me in the office. Yet now, she was breaking that rule for Owen. And Owen? Seeing Sophia stand up for him, he subtly let out a relieved breath.

"Project? What project?"

"The Thompson Group partnership. Owen and I were just about to leave." Sophia tugged at her cuff, her tone even more impatient. "Assistant Miller has been a huge help on this, so I'm bringing him along to the meeting."

I raised an eyebrow, a sardonic smile playing on my lips. "Oh? I didn't realize an intern had so much pull he could influence decisions at a publicly traded company?"

Sophia's face was thunderous. She grabbed her bag and motioned for Owen to follow. "Let's go. Don't waste any more time."

As they brushed past me, Owen shot me a smug, triumphant smirk, his eyes glinting with pure provocation.

Sophia, you asked for this. If you insist on defending Owen, then don't expect me to hold back.

After they left, I pulled out my phone and dialed Mr. Thompson's private number.

"Mr. Thompson, it's Liam Blackwood. Regarding the partnership Sophia Sterling was scheduled to discuss today..."