100

100
Chapter 100

The evening atmosphere inside Alex’ house felt unusually quiet.

He had just ended a phone call and dropped his phone onto the table before loosening his tie slightly. His expression looked thoughtful but there was something else hidden underneath it.

Across the room, Charlotte sat comfortably on the bed scrolling through something online. She barely looked at him.

Alex watched her for a moment before speaking.

“I’ll be traveling tomorrow.”

Charlotte finally lifted her eyes from her screen.

“For what?”

Alex walked towards the minibar and poured himself a drink casually.

“Important business.”

Charlotte stared at him for a few seconds, then she asked calmly.

“How long?”

Alex took a sip before answering.

“A few weeks.”

Charlotte slowly placed her phone aside. For the first time in days, she looked interested in whatever he had to say.

“A few weeks?” she repeated.

Alex nodded.

When he turned back towards her, his eyes carried something cold.

“But when I come back…” he said slowly, “I’m certain I’ll finally take Damien down.”

Charlotte watched him carefully. For a moment, she said nothing. Then she crossed her legs.

“You really think so?” She asked, trying to make him more aware of what he was saying.

Alex smiled faintly. This time it didn’t look warm at all.

“I do.”

Charlotte tilted her head slightly.

“Because so far…” she said calmly, “nothing has worked.”

Her words made Alex’ expression tighten for a second but he recovered quickly.

He walked closer and sat down nearby.

“In order to hit hard,” Alex said quietly, “sometimes you need to take steps back first.”

Charlotte looked at him for a few moments. Then slowly, a small smirk appeared on her face.

“So that’s your plan?”

Alex leaned back comfortably.

“Damien thinks everything is under control.”

His eyes darkened slightly.

“That’s exactly why this is the best time.”

Charlotte smiled.

“Well…” she said while picking up her phone again.

“I hope you’ll actually succeed this time.”

Alex looked away quietly. His fingers tapped once against his knee.

He wasn’t planning to fail at all. Not this time. Not after watching Damien continue winning again and again.

His jaw tightened slightly.

When he returned, things would be different. At least that was what he told himself.

~

The next morning, back at the Sterling mansion, Sophia stood in front of the mirror fixing her appearance carefully.

Today was her first day back at work after taking time off. Thankfully, she felt much better now.

The mountain incident already felt slightly distant and she was trying not to think too much about Damien being away.

After getting dressed properly, she picked up her phone.

A small smile appeared on her lips as she opened Damien’s chat.

“Good morning. How’s everything going?”

She stared at the screen for a moment before typing again.

“Also… are you up for dinner tonight?”

She sent the text and a few minutes later, her phone vibrated.

Sophia immediately opened it.

“Good morning, my love. Things are fine. And yes, I don’t mind dinner tonight.”

Sophia’s face instantly brightened. She smiled at her phone. For some reason, that simple reply made her feel excited already. So, she quickly typed her response back.

“Okay. Don’t disappoint me.”

A few seconds later, another reply appeared.

“I’ll try not to.”

Sophia laughed softly. Her mood instantly improved. Then she grabbed her bag afterwards and headed downstairs feeling unexpectedly happy. At least tonight, she had something to look forward to.

The moment Sophia stepped into the office building that morning, she immediately realized she had underestimated how strange it would feel returning after being away. A few people looked up from their desks and smiled the second they noticed her.

“Sophia!”

“Welcome back!”

“How was your leave?”

Sophia smiled politely as she walked further inside.

“Thank you.”

“It was good.”

Someone joked, “You disappeared and forgot us.”

She laughed lightly. “Not true.”

A few more people greeted her warmly as she reached her department floor, and honestly, it made her feel unexpectedly appreciated. When she entered the department properly, even her H.O.D noticed her almost immediately.

She looked up from her office door and smiled.

“Well, look who decided to come back.”

Sophia smiled politely.“ Good morning, ma’am.”

She nodded. “Welcome back. I hope you’re fully rested because there’s plenty waiting for you.”

She laughed softly.

“I expected that.”

His expression softened briefly.

“Good. It’s nice having you back.”

That simple response made her feel more comfortable, but not everyone looked happy.

Her eyes briefly drifted towards Naomi, but Naomi barely looked at her before turning back to her computer.

There was no smile or acknowledgement and Sophia quietly looked away.

She wasn’t interested in forcing interactions with someone like her, anyways. Instead, she settled at her desk and began easing back into work.

Surprisingly, things went smoothly. She spent most of the morning catching up on emails and updates she missed.

Around noon, someone suddenly appeared beside her desk and Sophia looked up.

“Hi.” A young woman said as she smiled warmly.

Sophia smiled politely. “Hi.”

Then the lady extended her hand. “I’m Jessica.”

“Sophia.” She said as she shook her hand too.

Jessica smiled. “I know.”

Sophia blinked. “You do?”

Jessica laughed. “You were away during your honeymoon.”

Sophia immediately looked embarrassed.

“Oh…”

Jessica smiled. “I’m the new intern. I joined while you were away.”

Sophia nodded. “That explains why I don’t recognize you.”

Jessica pulled a chair slightly closer.

“I’ve heard people say good things about you.”

Sophia looked surprised. “Hopefully not lies.”

Jessica laughed.

Strangely, the conversation became easy after that. During break, they ended up sitting together in the staff lounge talking casually.

Jessica seemed easygoing and comfortable to talk to.

She asked about work while Sophia asked about how she was settling in. Then eventually, Jessica smiled, intending to ask a question.

“So… would you want to have dinner tonight?”

Sophia blinked while Jessica continued casually.

“We could get to know each other better.”

Sophia smiled apologetically. “Oh… I actually already have plans tonight.”

Jessica nodded immediately. “Oh.”

Sophia smiled. “I’m sorry.”

Jessica waved her hand, just to show that there was no problem with it.

“No worries. Another day.”

“Definitely.” Sophia responded with a smile.

The rest of work passed quietly, and thankfully; the day wasn’t bad.

By the time work ended, Sophia packed her things while smiling faintly to herself.

It was the time she and Damien were meant to have dinner. She reached for her phone and was about to call Damien and ask where they were meeting but her screen lit up.

It was Damien who texted her. Her face brightened immediately and then she opened the message.

But as she did, her smile faded slowly.

“I’m sorry. I won’t be able to make dinner tonight. I’ll explain properly tomorrow morning.”

Sophia stared at the text as her shoulders dropped slightly.

She typed and deleted several replies before finally putting her phone away.

Disappointment settled quietly in her chest. She had actually been looking forward to tonight, but there was nothing she could do about it.

When she got back home, she changed clothes and sat on the couch, then sat there. After a while she sighed. She was already getting bored. It wasn’t like she was super stressed at work today, so she still had energy reserved.

Her eyes drifted towards her phone.

Then suddenly, she thought about Jessica’s offer. 

“I think it’ll be best if I accept hers then. No waste tonight.”