Free Web NovelChapter 72: Chapter 72: Having a Backer Makes All the Difference
Sophie Shaw slept soundly through the dreamless night.
She didn’t even know she was trending online.
By dawn, the last vestiges of that post’s popularity had been suppressed. The online rumors about Sophie Shaw harassing her stepsister’s fiancé and trying to elope had vanished completely, leaving not a single trace behind.
8:00 AM.
Alaric Blackwood saw her in the dining room.
Perhaps because she was well-rested, Sophie Shaw was in excellent spirits. Her face was fair with a rosy complexion, and her hair was draped over her shoulders. She wore a black turtleneck and a camel-colored skirt that accentuated her tall, elegant figure and gentle demeanor.
She carried a handbag, a black coat draped over her arm, and sat down opposite him in an unhurried manner.
In the open-plan kitchen, Lawson was methodically preparing breakfast.
Sophie Shaw had just draped her coat and bag over the back of the adjacent chair when Lawson brought her a glass of freshly squeezed juice.
"Good morning, Lawson."
"Good morning, Ma’am."
Sophie Shaw nodded and smiled. After greeting Lawson, her gaze subconsciously shifted to the man across from her.
Unlike her, Alaric Blackwood was drinking black coffee. Her sharp eyes noticed that his deep, captivating peach-blossom eyes weren’t as bright as usual. They held a trace of fatigue, and there were faint dark circles beneath them, as if he had pulled an all-nighter. He wasn’t in his usual formal wear, either, but a bathrobe.
"Mr. Blackwood, didn’t you sleep well last night?"
At the sound of her voice, the man lazily lifted his gaze. "I’m not feeling well today. I’m resting at home."
It wasn’t that he hadn’t rested well—it was that he hadn’t slept at all.
"Not feeling well?"
Sophie Shaw was surprised. "Should I call a doctor to take a look?"
Alaric Blackwood did look rather pale.
"No need."
Lawson brought out their breakfast.
After they finished eating, Alaric Blackwood rose and left the dining room, heading upstairs at an unhurried pace.
Watching his tall figure retreat, Sophie Shaw hesitated for a few seconds before hurrying after him. "Are you sure you don’t need a doctor?"
"I’m just tired. I want to sleep."
The man turned back on the staircase, a faint smile playing on his lips. After tossing her four words—"Go handle your business"—he strode upstairs.
Sophie Shaw stood frozen in place, somewhat bewildered.
She only came back to her senses after Alaric Blackwood’s figure disappeared at the top of the stairs.
She put on her coat, grabbed her handbag, and went to the foyer to change her shoes.
Through the window, she saw three people and a black sedan waiting in the courtyard.
She recognized one of them as Alaric Blackwood’s assistant, Preston Chase. The other two were burly men dressed in black—unfamiliar faces she had never seen before.
Her first thought was that Preston Chase was there to pick up Alaric Blackwood.
Remembering that Alaric Blackwood had gone upstairs to rest, she finished putting on her shoes and walked outside. "Alaric Blackwood isn’t feeling well," she said to Preston Chase as she descended the steps. "He said he’s staying home to rest."
Preston Chase nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Ma’am. However, I’m not here for Mr. Blackwood. I’m under his orders to escort you to Heart of the Ocean."
Sophie Shaw was taken aback. "Escort me?"
"Yes."
Preston Chase then introduced the two burly men behind him. "They’re from the security department. They’ll be accompanying you today to ensure your safety, Ma’am."
It took Sophie Shaw a moment to process this, and she stared blankly at the three men in the courtyard. freewebnσvel.cѳm
"This is... Alaric Blackwood’s doing?"
"Yes, Ma’am. Please get in the car."
Preston Chase held open the rear door of the sedan. Though her mind was swimming with questions, Sophie Shaw got in obediently, needing to get to the office on time.
One of the bodyguards drove while the other sat in the front passenger seat. She and Preston Chase were in the back.
Assistant Chase was very professional, sitting closer to his door to maintain a respectful distance from her.
"You’re going to be with me all day?"
Preston Chase nodded.
"Your boss is unwell today. Are you sure you shouldn’t be looking after him first?"
Preston Chase remained stone-faced, his expression all business. "I am only responsible for carrying out Mr. Blackwood’s orders."
Sophie Shaw pressed her lips together. Thinking of the head-on confrontation she was about to have with Damian Morgan, she said no more and allowed the three men to escort her to Heart of the Ocean.
When they arrived at the office building, the three men followed her into the elevator and up to the design department. As she drafted the share transfer agreement, they stood beside her like three unshakeable mountains, giving her an immense sense of security.
After printing the agreement, she stood up, document in hand. The three men immediately fell in step behind her as she walked into Damian Morgan’s office.
The moment Damian Morgan saw her enter with an entourage and a powerful, determined aura, his heart sank. "What is this?"
’She actually brought three thugs to the office. Is she planning to have me beaten up?’
Sophie Shaw was in no mood for pleasantries. She tossed the share transfer agreement onto his desk. "Sign it."
"Why should I?"
"Because I have proof you cheated on me with Yara Valentine."
Damian Morgan’s brow furrowed. "Proof?"
"Unfortunately for you, I did keep a backup."
In case he didn’t believe her, Sophie Shaw took out her phone and, right in front of him, played the video she had recorded from inside the lounge closet the previous night.
As the sounds of their tryst filled the office, he shot up, trying to snatch Sophie Shaw’s phone. The two burly bodyguards behind her were faster. They rushed forward and restrained him, one on each side.
His arms were twisted behind his back. The bodyguards forced his head down, and with a THUD, his face was slammed onto the desk.
Sophie Shaw was stunned by the bodyguards’ speed. Only now did she finally understand why Alaric Blackwood had arranged for Preston Chase and the bodyguards to accompany her to the office.
An unexpected warmth spread through her heart. She was surprised that Alaric Blackwood would protect her like this.
But this wasn’t the time to get emotional. She stopped the video on her phone, slid the share transfer agreement in front of Damian Morgan’s face, and tossed a pen down beside it.
"Sign it. If you don’t, I’ll send this video to the Kane family right now."
Damian Morgan lay pinned to the desk, unable to move.
His eyes, bloodshot with uncontrollable rage, glared at Sophie Shaw. "I never thought you’d resort to such despicable tactics."
"I’m just tailoring my methods to the person I’m dealing with."
"Sophie Shaw—"
"Hurry up and sign."
Damian Morgan gritted his teeth in hatred.
He had actually come up with a plan to deal with Sophie Shaw and had already put it in motion. He’d paid off a top-tier media figure in the entertainment industry to create a public scandal targeting her. What he hadn’t expected was that as soon as the story started gaining traction, a PR team had emerged and furiously worked to kill the buzz.
And this morning, he had finally learned who was behind that PR team.
It was Alaric Blackwood.
That man was actually helping Sophie Shaw...
’The bodyguards Sophie brought must have been arranged by Alaric Blackwood, too.’
"I just want my shares back. Sign this, and I’ll destroy the video. Instead of fighting over these worthless shares in Heart of the Ocean, you should be more concerned with keeping your position as the Kane family’s son-in-law."
Sophie Shaw was giving him an ultimatum.
If he had to choose, of course he would choose the latter.
"And you guarantee you won’t keep any backups?"
"We dated for three years. You should know me well enough by now. I keep my word."
As soon as Sophie Shaw finished speaking, one of the bodyguards released one of Damian’s hands, pressed it down on the agreement, and shoved the pen into his grasp.
He stared at Sophie Shaw in disbelief, a cold sneer forming on his lips. "It really is different when you have a powerful backer. Even your methods have become so thuggish."
