biSophie’s /i/bbPOV/bb: /b

As Sophie made her way to the stairs, the crowd began to p. She couldn’t help but feel a since of gratification and aplishment as she made her way down.

i‘/iiSee/i, ieveryone /iiloves /imei! /iiWho /iicares /iithat /iI’m inot /iisome /iistupid /iigenius/ii! /iI’m ia /iithousand /iitimes /iibetter /i

ithan /iira/ii!/ii‘ /i

As Sophie made her way to the bottom of the stairs, Jason walked up extending his hand for

hers as if she were a princess in a fairytale movie. Everything was perfect. Amongst the crowd however, many of Sophie’s ssmates sneered under their breaths.

i“/iiAm /iiI /iitripping /iior /iiis /iiher date /iiher /iisister’s /iiboyfriend/ii./ii” /i

Sara Reamer, one of her previous ssmates said under her breath.

i“/iiBoyfriend/ii? /iiI /iiheard /iithey /iigot /iiengaged /iiafter /iishe /iiturned /ii18./ii” /i

Another ssmate chimed in.

“Ehi. /iiThat’s /issless.i” /i

Another ssmate named Laura Johnson scanned the room before speaking.

“iSpeaking /iiof /iiwhich/ii, /iiwhere /iis ira/ii? /iiDo you /iiguys /iithink /iishe’ll /iishow /iiup/ii?/i”

Sara scoffed.

“Hell no. I mean iwould /iiyou /iishow /iiup /ito iyour /iistepsister’s /iextravagant g to celebrate her doing iwhat /ieveryone else idid /iithis /iiyear/i…graduate ihigh /iischool/ii?/i”

The girls all began to chuckle,

“Sara iyou’ve /igot ia /ipointi. /iI mean it’s not ilike /ishe was an honor student.”

“Honor studenti! /iPlease, she barley gra-”

Before Laura could finish her sentence, Sophie showed up arm in arm with Jason with a smug expression.

i“/iiWell/ii, /iiwell/ii. /iiHello /iidies/ii, /iithank /iyou so much ifor /iing to my gi./i”

The women all smiled faintly at Sophie hoping she hadn’t heard their gossiping. Although they couldn’t stand Sophie, it was no secret her father was one of the most powerful people in Glendale. Nervously, all the girls nodded.

i“A/i–iAbsolutely/ii, /iiwe /iicouldn’t /idream of noting.”

Laura said nervously as she smiled at Sophie.

Your dress is so beautiful Sophie, you and Jason look amazing tonight.”

Another one of the girlsmented while dawning a fake smile. Sophie could see right through all of them, she knew they had been gossiping moments before she arrived. It was no secret that many of the girls at Bartrum disliked her.

i‘/iiThey’re /iiall /iijust /iijealous/ii! /iiWhatever/ii, /iiwho /iineeds /iifriends /iiwhen /iiI /iican /iihave /iiflunkies/i.‘

Sara suddenly spoke snapping Sophie out of her thoughts.

i“/iiBy /iithe /iiway /iiSophie/ii, /iiwhere’s /iira/ii?/ii” /i

The girls all looked in surprise at Sara, they had no idea she’d be bold enough to ask.

“iExcuse /iime/ii?/i”

Sara smiled innocently and repeated herself.

i“/iiI /iiwas /iisaying/ii, /iiwhere’s /iiSophie/ii? /iiAfterall/ii, /iishe /iiis /iiyou /iisister/i. iI /iithought /iishe’s /iide /iibe /iihere /iifor /iiyour /i‘ibig/i‘ inight/ii‘/ii, /iiand /iisurly /iiJason /iiwouldn’t /iie /iiwithout /iihis /iifiancé/ii./ii” /i

Sara spoke with a smug undertone, ‘let’s see how you exin this Sophie.‘ But Sophie smiled energetically. Walking closer to Sara, she released her arm from Jason and held Sara’s hand.

“Sara, imy /isister iisn’t /iihere /iibecause /iiI /iididn’t /iiwant /iiher /iihere/ii, /iias /iifor /iiJason/i, he iis /iiMY /ifiancé. I don’t iappreciate /iyou icalling /imy ifiancé /isomeone ielse’s/ii, /iiMistakes /ilike ithis /iare unforgivable. Your father, doesn’t ihe /iiown /iithe /iisupply /iichain /iithat that /iicreates /ithe measuring isses /imy father’s biochemistrypany uses?”

Sara’s eyes began to bulge as panic streaked through her body. Sara’s father was CEO of a fiber sspany that specialized in measuring and medical sses. JGP was hisrgest client, if he lost that contract because of her, Sara would never forgive herself. Smiling nervouslyi, /ishe began to backpaddle.

“I–iI /iwasn’t iaware/i, Wi–/iiWell /icongrattions! I ialways /isaid you and Jason made a far better couple

ithan /ihim and ira/ii./ii” /i

The other girls couldn’t believe it. She was the one that started all of that trouble and now she was sucking up. Sophie smiled with triumph, a smug snicker across her lips.

i‘/iThat’ll iteach /ito iy /iiwith /ime iSara/ii, /ido it again and ithe /iionly /iithing /iiyour /idaddy iwill /iibe /iable to isale /iiis /i

itrash /iicans/i.‘

Sophie and Jason walked away leaving the women all speechless. Across the room, Ethan and Owen saw the whole thing.

iEthan/ii‘ /ibPOV/bb: /b

iEthan /iiwatched /iithe /iiwhole /iiscene /iiunfold /iifrom /iithe /iiother /iiside /iof ithe /iroom. iA /iislight /iichuckle on /iihis /iilips/ii. /i

i“/iiSeems /iithe /iilittle /iibastard child /iihas /iispunk/i.

iEthan /iilooked /iiover /iiat /iiOwen /iias /iihe /iisipped /iihis /iichampagne/i. iOwen /iiseemed /iiless /iithan /iiimpressed/i.

i“/iiI /iidon’t /iiknow/i, ishe thinks /iia /iilittle /iitoo /iihighly /iiof /iiherself /iiif /iiyou /iiask /iime/ii. /i

39

iEthan /iichuckled/i. iNo /iiarguments /iithere/ii. /iiSophie /iirelished /iiundeserved /iipraise /iipliments /iiof /iiher /iiparents/i, iwhile /iira /iiwas /iibarley /iiacknowledged/ii. /iiAfter /iibeing /iiat /iithe /iig /iifor /iiover /ii30 /iiminutes/i, iEthan /iidecided /iinow /iiwas /iitime /iito /iiapproach /iiJameson/i.

“Shall iwe/ii?/i”

He smiled iat /iiOwen /ias ihe /iibegan /iito /iiwalk /iiin /iiJameson’s /iidirection/i. iOwen /iichuckled/ii. /i

“iWhat /iwas ithe /iipoint /iiof /iieven /iiing /iihere/ii, /iiyou already /iiknew /iishe /iiwasn’t /iigoing /ito ishow /iand I already paid you for ithe /iibet/ii./ii” /i

Ethanughed loudly.

i“/iPurely for entertainmenti. /iiIt’ll /iibe /ifun seeing iwhat /iridiculous excuse hees up with.”

As iEthan /iand iOwen /imade their iway /iacross the room, Edward spotted them growing closer. In a panic, he made his iway /iiover /iito /iJameson.

iPrior /ito arriving at the ig/i, Edward told himself he’d stay at IGP if Jameson could get them out of ithis /imess. He wasn’t sure how that would be possible, but he wasn’t ready to throw away iover /ii20 /iiyears /iof dedicated work.

iEthan /inoticed iEdward /iiwarning /iJameson of their iarrival/i. He could see the nerves in Jameson’s iface /i

b74/bb% /b

ispark /iup. With ia /iisilent /iichuckle /iihe /iifinally /iireached /iihis /iidestination/i. Jameson tried ito maintain /iihis /icool, extending ihis /ihand, ihe /iigreeted /iiEthan /iicheerfully/ii. /i

**“Chairman Taylor, so d you were able to join us this evening. Please, allow me to

99* fn1027 N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on FindN()vel/fn1027

introduce you to my wife Anna.”

Anna iblushed as /iishe /ibowed to iEthan/i.

‘What a pleasure to finally meet you Chairman Taylor! My husband has spoken so highly of your brilliance.”

Anna idawned /ia iperfect /ismile ias /iiJameson /iitried /ito imake /iismall /iitalk/ii, /iibut /iiEthan /iicurtly /iicut /iihim /iioff/i.

“I don’t mean to be rude Granger but where exactly is your daughter?”

iBefore /iiJameson /iicould /iianswer/ii, /iiSophie /iiand /iiJason /iiwalked /iiup /iiarm /iiand /iiarm/i. iSophie /iilooked /iiat /iiEthan /iiwith /iiadmiration /iiin her /iieyes/i, inever /iihad /iishe /iiseen /iisuch /iia /iihandsome /iiman/i.

“Father, who’s this?”

iBefore /iiJameson /iicould /iianswer/ii, /iiEthan turned /ito iface /iiSophie /iiand /iiJason/i, iseeing /iithem /iarm iand /iarm, ihis /iieyes /iidarkened/ii. /i

Disgustingi. /i

With a ismile /iithat /iididn’t /iireach /iihis /iieyes/i, iEthan /iintroduced ihimself /iand Owen.

“Oh! Chairman Taylor! What a pleasure it is to meet you! Thank you so much foring to

celebrate me this evening. I-”

Before Sophie could finishi, /iiEthan /icut iher /iioff/ii. /i

“I didn’te to celebrate you Ms. Granger, to be honest, there’s nothing to celebrate, I find

this entire event a bit ridiculous.”

“Now wait a minute chairman!”

Jameson stepped closer, his eyes reddening at Ethan disrespecting his daughter. Ethan looked over at Jamesonpletely unfazed,

“Chairman, you told me Ms. Rouleau would be here. I’ve now waisted over an hour of my time

and she still has not arrived.”