CHAPTER 191: CHAPTER 191 THE FALL OF THE HART SISTERS

Sophie’s POV

I sat there fuming, watching my phone screen as my carefully constructed plan collapsed in real time.

"What the hell? All those paid accounts got suspended? I don’t care how it happened—you owe me compensation!" I hissed into the phone, feeling my face grow hot with anger.

The social media manager on the other end sounded panicked. "What did you expect? How else would the news get buried so quickly? Do you have any idea how long it took me to cultivate those accounts?"

"I want out of this deal, and I expect compensation," he continued, his tone hardening. "Now."

I couldn’t believe this nobody was threatening ME—Sophie Hart! The audacity!

"If you don’t pay up," he pressed, "I’ll leak all our chat records online. You’ve already pissed off both Blackwood Industries and Dreamland Jewelry. Want to see how that plays out?"

My stomach dropped. He’d found my weak spot. I had no choice but to pay him off—I couldn’t afford another scandal.

"Fine," I snarled, gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. "Send me your account details. But keep your mouth shut!"

I leaned forward, injecting as much venom into my voice as possible. "Cross me, and I’ll make sure we both go down together. Understand?"

There was a pause on the other end before he reluctantly agreed. People in his line of work were always afraid of reputation damage. If we had a public fight, his career would be over too.

As soon as I hung up, I transferred the hush money and threw my phone across the couch. What a disaster! Not only had my plan failed, but I was now being extorted by my own hired gun.

Ivy walked over, her face clouded with worry. "Sis, all my old scandals are trending again online! What are we going to do?"

"Shut up! Let me think!" I snapped, massaging my temples. This was supposed to be simple: make Serena look like a bully, resurrect Ivy’s reputation, and strengthen our position with Lucian West. Instead, we’d lit ourselves on fire.

"Has Lucian contacted you yet?" I asked, suddenly realizing we might lose our most important ally.

Ivy shook her head. "Not yet."

I bit my lip, grabbing my phone again. Whatever happened, Lucian had tacitly approved this scheme. Ivy was now Celestial Gems’ designer—her reputation in tatters didn’t benefit him either. He needed to help fix this mess.

The phone rang several times before he finally answered.

"What is it?" Lucian’s voice sounded tired, irritated.

I immediately switched to my sweetest tone. "Mr. West, have you seen what’s happening online?"

He gave a cold, humorless laugh. "You brought your sister to work at Celestial Gems just to cause trouble?"

My heart skipped a beat. His anger was palpable even through the phone. "We were trying to create an opportunity for you," I explained quickly. "Ivy and Serena have history. If we could damage Dreamland’s reputation, Celestial would benefit."

I tried to elevate our petty revenge into a strategic business move. "You’re expanding into the domestic market—Dreamland can’t remain the dominant force forever, right?"

Lucian wasn’t buying it. I could practically feel his contempt through the phone.

"Celestial doesn’t resort to such amateur tactics," he said flatly before hanging up.

The dial tone buzzed in my ear as I collapsed back onto the sofa. This couldn’t be happening.

Ivy stared at me wide-eyed. "Sophie? Won’t Lucian help us? What do we do now?"

I waved my hand dismissively, redirecting my frustration at her. "You idiot! You can’t do anything right!"

Ivy’s lips quivered, hurt filling her eyes. I knew it wasn’t fair—I’d orchestrated this whole plan myself—but I needed someone to blame.

The room fell silent, tension thick between us. We sat there, marinating in our resentment and failure, with no clear path forward.

Sophie’s POV

I walked through my office door, finally finished with all the prep work for the jewelry season launch. My body ached from sitting too long, but the satisfaction of completing everything on time made it worth it.

"Working late again?" Ryan stood leaning against the doorframe, car keys dangling from his fingers. His eyes scanned me with that intensity that always made my skin warm.

"Someone has to make sure we’re ready," I said, gathering my things. "Didn’t expect you to be my chauffeur tonight."

Ryan stepped closer, concern etching his features. "You look tired. Have you eaten anything today?"

I waved dismissively. "I had... something." Truth was, I couldn’t even remember when I’d last eaten.

"That’s what I thought," he said, his hand finding the small of my back as he guided me toward the elevator.

In the car, after checking if I was comfortable, Ryan’s expression darkened. "Sophie really crossed a line going after you like that. I should have dealt with her permanently when I had the chance."

I could see the muscle in his jaw twitching—his tell when he was truly angry.

"It’s already handled," I said, deliberately keeping my voice light. "She’s just a desperate has-been. Besides, she’s Lucian’s problem now as their designer. We don’t need to make this messier than it already is."

I knew the history between Ryan and Lucian ran deep. The last thing I needed was their corporate rivalry flaring up because of petty drama.

Ryan’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. "That’s exactly the problem. Lucian hired her deliberately to provoke us. He’s clearly sanctioning her behavior."

"Hey," I placed my hand over his on the gear shift, surprised by my own boldness. "I’m not even thinking about it anymore. Let’s go home—I’m exhausted."

His gaze dropped to where our hands touched before meeting my eyes again. Something shifted in the air between us, a current of electricity I wasn’t prepared for.

After several long moments, he nodded. "Fine. For you."

Only when we were cruising down the highway did I finally ask about what had been on my mind all day.

"Any progress on Lucian? Found out what’s driving his vendetta?"

Ryan gave a curt nod. "Looks like he’s Andrew An’s son—the family from the city suburb development project. His parents committed suicide after the bankruptcy."

My eyes widened. "So that’s why he hates you so much? A blood feud?"

"Essentially."

I hesitated before asking the question that really mattered. "Was it... was it your family’s fault? What happened to them?"

If Ryan or his parents were responsible, this would be a much more complicated situation to navigate.

"It was Kane," Ryan said flatly, naming his uncle. "He orchestrated the whole thing."

Relief washed over me. "Thank goodness."

Ryan glanced at me, a hint of amusement breaking through his stern expression. "You seem awfully relieved."

I shrugged, embarrassed by my transparency. "I just... it’s better when it’s not directly your doing, that’s all."

"Does it matter? You’d still stand by me if it were me?" His question hung in the air, testing waters we’d both been careful not to disturb.

My heart fluttered traitorously in my chest. "I just meant... does Lucian know the truth? Should I talk to him? Clear things up?"

Ryan’s expression immediately hardened. "Absolutely not. I don’t want you anywhere near him, Serena."

The way he said my name—soft yet commanding—sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.

"Lucian isn’t stupid," Ryan continued, his voice lower. "If he’s letting Kane manipulate him, no amount of explanation from us will help. He’ll discover the truth eventually—it’s just a matter of time."

"Fine," I conceded, leaning back in my seat.

As we pulled into our driveway, a comfortable silence fell between us. The house lights came on automatically as we approached, bathing the entrance in a warm glow.

Once inside, I kicked off my heels with a sigh of relief. "God, my feet are killing me. I think I need a hot bath."

Ryan watched me from across the foyer, his eyes darkening in a way that sent shivers down my spine. "Need company?"

I raised an eyebrow, feeling heat bloom in my chest. "Are you offering your services, Mr. Blackwood?"

He moved toward me slowly, deliberately, like a predator who knew his prey wouldn’t run. "Always at your disposal, Mrs. Blackwood."