Chapter 81 Debt Dispute

Chapter 81 Debt Dispute

Leroy waved him over with an easy smile. "Joseph, come meet Mr. Caldwell and Miss Bennett."

Joseph strolled up, giving Sophia a quick, conspiratorial wink. "Official introduction," Leroy said. "Joseph, heir to the Mellon Group."

"Miss Bennett, I never got the chance to apologize last time we met."

Sophia arched a brow. "Or maybe you just hid it too well."

"I was only trying to avoid looking like I was trading on connections." Joseph chuckled, leaning in just enough for his voice to drop. "Word is, the Caldwell Corporation has a serious problem. Some sort of tech leak. The Virensia Chamber of Commerce is buzzing with it. I even heard your name come up. Just gossip, of course. Don't let it get to you."

He hesitated, then added, "My father's company database was hacked last year. I helped deal with it, and the method felt a lot like what I've heard about this Caldwell leak. If you ever want to compare notes, I might be able to help..."

Before he could finish, Henry shifted closer to Sophia, casually positioning himself between them.

"Hey, Joseph," Henry said, his tone light but edged. "Let's take the business talk upstairs."

Joseph caught the message in Henry's stance, gave a small, knowing smile, and backed off. "Give me a minute. I'll say hello to my father first."

When he was gone, Sophia turned to Henry. "You always seem to have a problem with him."

Henry's gaze was steady. "Don't you think he looks at you the way a hunter sizes up prey?"

"He looks at everyone like that." She tilted her head, a trace of exasperation in her eyes.

Henry's gaze flicked to her lips, his throat tightening before he looked away. 

Inwardly, the thought was sharp and possessive, 'You can only be mine.'

Afternoon sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Caldwell Mansion's sitting room, laying a golden mesh across the polished floor.

Sophia curled into a single armchair, laptop balanced on her knees. Her fingers moved over the touchpad, but her eyes kept drifting to the clock on the wall.

At the dining table, Megan had already touched up her makeup three times, each time avoiding Sophia's gaze. That kind of deliberate avoidance usually meant trouble.

Right on cue, the doorbell rang at exactly three fifteen — sharp, urgent.

Lila headed for the foyer, but Megan intercepted her. "I'll get it. My florist appointment."

Sophia's fingers stilled on the keyboard. Megan's grip on her designer handbag was so tight it had lost its shape.

The door swung open. A wave of heavy cologne mixed with cigarette smoke rolled in.

A young man with dyed teal hair leaned against the frame, silver chain clinking at his wrist. 

He whistled low, eyes raking over Megan. "Megan, you've gotten younger since I last saw you."

Her face flushed dark. "I told you to wait outside. Who said you could come in?"

"Debt's debt. I'm here to collect."

Terry stepped inside, his polished shoes screeching against the floor. "Last week you promised me three million dollars. I brought the IOU." 

He waved his phone, Megan's signature glaring from the screen.

Sophia's hand slid into her pocket, thumb pressing the record button.

Terry wandered into the center of the room, brushing his shoulder against an antique vase with deliberate carelessness. "The Caldwell family must be doing well. One of these could fund my gambling for half a year."

"Shut your mouth!" Megan lunged, but he shoved her off. 

She stumbled into the coffee table, sending a crystal fruit bowl crashing to the floor. Beads rolled in every direction.

Terry's gaze shifted to Sophia, his eyes lighting up like he'd spotted an easy mark. "And who's this? Your eldest son's future wife? Perfect. You can clear her debt for her."

"You're out of your mind!" Megan's voice shook. 

She snatched a water glass, ready to throw it, but Sophia's calm voice cut in, "Not the best way to treat a guest."

Terry grinned. "Exactly. I'm your guest."

"Get out!" Megan shoved him toward the door. "You'll get your money tomorrow. Now leave."

But Terry stood his ground, pulling a photo from his pocket and slapping it onto the table. "Tomorrow? I don't trust you. This was taken at that inn last week. What would Mr. Henry Caldwell think if he saw it?"

The image was grainy but clear enough to show Megan in a bathrobe.

Sophia's fingers tapped lightly against her knee. The recording was still running. 

This was no simple debt dispute.

Outside, tires crunched over gravel. Arthur's voice carried from the driveway, "Mr. Henry Caldwell has returned!"

Megan's face went bloodless. "Go! Back door, now!"

"You know if your son catches me here, it won't end well," Terry murmured, brushing a hand over her waist as he moved. "Fine. But if the money isn't in my hand by tomorrow, these photos will be staring down from every wall in the Caldwell Corporation."

They disappeared into the kitchen.

Sophia stopped the recording, encrypted the file, and sent it to her private cloud.

Henry stepped into the room and found her crouched on the floor, a lone crystal bead caught between her fingers. 

The sunlight tangled in her hair, gilding it as if with a dusting of gold.

"What happened?" His voice was flat, but his eyes checked her first, then the wreckage.

"A stranger came to collect a debt," she said, tossing the bead into the trash. "Your mother took him away."

Henry's brow tightened. "How much?"

"Three million dollars, supposedly." Her tone was casual for the benefit of the staff nearby.

When they reached the stairs, Sophia lowered her voice, "Terry's name showed up in Rosalia's account records. Three transfers to the Royal Avenue Casino."

Henry didn't break stride, but the corner of his mouth twisted. 

His mother's mess was bigger than he thought.

Her phone buzzed late that night. The name "Victoria" lit up the screen.

Sophia pushed back from her code, rubbing her eyes before stepping onto the balcony to answer.

"Sophia! If you hadn't picked up, I was about to call Henry to make sure you were safe!" Victoria's voice came through loud and urgent. "Where on earth have you been? No replies, no calls. If I didn't know you were at the Caldwell Mansion, I would have gone straight to the police!"

"Busy," Sophia said simply, her gaze drifting to the garden lights glowing in the dark.

She had just finished digging into Megan and Terry's recent dealings, calmed a restless Henry, and worked straight through until nightfall.

"You can't just disappear on me like that!" Victoria said, her tone a mix of relief and exasperation.

A well-known producer in their circle, she was never one to sugarcoat her words.

Before Sophia could answer, Victoria added with a hint of excitement, "I'm putting together a new show. The lead is a high-IQ hacker who looks exactly like you. Want to make a cameo? Just show your face and back me up for a bit."