Chapter 256
Chapter 256
Sophia looked down at the thermal container and blinked.
A small sticky note was pressed to the lid. Two words: 'Eat warm.'
She took the container and set it on her lap. The irritation in her eyes finally eased, and the corner of her mouth curved just slightly.
"Thanks, Caspian."
"Don't mention it." Caspian smiled and turned the wheel, merging into the main road.
Sophia opened the container and took a bite of the sandwich. Warm, toasted grain flavors spread across her tongue.
As she chewed, the last jagged edges of tension behind her eyes slowly smoothed out.
The car glided steadily toward the office.
---
They pulled into the company's underground garage. Sophia closed the container, unbuckled her seatbelt.
Caspian glanced at her. "You look a lot better than earlier."
"That's what your breakfast does." Sophia's lips curved as she pushed the door open.
She took the elevator up with her bag, settled into her desk, and opened her laptop. She pulled up the script outline she hadn't finished revising last night and flipped through two pages before her phone screen lit up.
Caller ID: Austin.
She picked up. His voice was unmistakably upbeat. "Sophia, you up?"
"Just got to the office. What's going on? The drugs wear off?"
"Long gone." Austin's tone carried a sharp edge of satisfaction. "That woman confessed. Everything."
Sophia's hand stilled on the phone. "That fast?"
"Lucas's people went after her first thing this morning." Austin's voice was crisp and clear.
"She's only twenty-three. Never dealt with anything like that before. Broke in under twenty minutes. She said someone from Claire's mother's side contacted her directly—three hundred thousand in cash to play the part of a 'job applicant who accidentally wandered in.' Location, timing, all prearranged."
Sophia leaned back in her chair, listening.
"She said the person who contacted her was a middle-aged woman claiming to be the head housekeeper at the Douglas family estate. Hazel never showed her face directly, but the money came from a Douglas family account. Lucas's people already locked down the transfer records."
"What did Lucas say?"
"Lucas already took everything to Griffin." Austin paused. "He said to let the Douglas family handle it internally. If Griffin's response satisfies him, they'll let it go. If not, he'll take the legal route."
Sophia narrowed her eyes when he finished. "Griffin... how did he react?"
"Lucas just texted me. Said he met with him." A note of surprise crept into Austin's voice. "Griffin owned it immediately. No deflecting. He took responsibility on the spot and said he'd give the Stewart family a proper resolution."
Something complicated flickered through Sophia's eyes.
She knew Griffin. Steady, calculating—a ruthless player in the business world. But when it came to his mother and sister, he'd always swallowed what he could. This time, though, Hazel had crossed the Stewart family's line.
And Griffin had promised the Stewart family a resolution.
Austin followed up with two document screenshots.
She tapped them open, read through them twice, and raised an eyebrow.
The message was concise: [Griffin surrendered a key project currently under negotiation to the Stewart family.]
It was the development rights to a prime commercial parcel in Amber District—conservatively valued at over a hundred million dollars. Griffin had signed a letter of intent, essentially handing the prize directly to the Stewart family.
Sophia studied Griffin's signature at the bottom of the document. Clean, decisive strokes.
The second screenshot was a scanned raw materials supply agreement.
The contracting party was Vaughn's tech materials company.
The terms were explicit: the Douglas family's largest supply chain would open a long-term partnership channel to Vaughn's company, with an estimated annual supply value of one hundred fifty million dollars. The terms were almost entirely concessions.
Sophia stared at the figures for several seconds, then slowly leaned back.
Vaughn's company had been hitting walls everywhere trying to secure raw material channels. Now someone had just delivered Shadow City's best resources straight to his door.
Austin added: [He says this makes them even. If you're not satisfied, I'll have Lucas push harder.]
Sophia typed back: [It's enough. Leave it.]
She set her phone down and looked at the documents on her desk. The corner of her mouth curved despite herself.
Griffin knew how to read a situation. She'd give him that.
Having Hazel for a mother—the man had drawn a bad hand.
Sophia shook her head, clearing the thoughts from her mind, and turned her attention back to the computer screen.
Other people's family drama wasn't her concern.
But that hundred-fifty-million-dollar supply agreement was exactly what Vaughn needed right now.
---
Gerald watched Sophia leave. His eyes were dark and still.
After a long moment, he got back in the car, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number.
Griffin's voice came through rough with sleep. "Who is this?"
"Come have a drink." Gerald's voice was lower than usual.
Two seconds of silence. Then Griffin let out a short, cryptic laugh. "It's barely morning. Who pissed you off? Sun's not even fully up and you're calling me out for drinks."
"Save the commentary. Bluebay Bar."
He tossed the phone aside and drove south, pulling up outside Bluebay Bar.
The bar was his own property—open twenty-four hours, but virtually empty at this hour.
He pushed through the door. The bartender behind the counter recognized him, gave a nod without a word, and reached for his usual whiskey.
Gerald dropped into a corner booth and draped his jacket over the armrest.
Griffin arrived soon after.
He walked in wearing a charcoal crewneck sweater, his hair still damp—clearly he'd barely bothered getting ready before heading out.
He sat across from Gerald, eyed the bottle already half-empty on the table, and raised an eyebrow.
"What's got you going like this?" Griffin poured himself a glass. "Hitting it this hard before noon."
Gerald's thumb traced the rim of his glass. "Milo's glued to her now. Wants his mom the second he wakes up. Wants her before he falls asleep."
Griffin's hand paused mid-lift.
"That kid only has eyes for her." Gerald's voice was flat, barely inflected. "Yesterday he made me buy a necklace for her. Threw a fit when I wouldn't. This morning I went to bring her breakfast. She called the cops."
Griffin had just taken a sip. He nearly choked.
He stared at the man across from him in disbelief. "Called the... she called the cops on you?"
Gerald's mouth twitched—a curve edged with something dangerously close to self-mockery.
Griffin let out a long, incredulous laugh.
"Gerald. Even you have days like this."
Gerald lifted his eyes and pinned him with a look.
Griffin raised both hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I'm not laughing."