Chapter 9

Dominic’s pov ; “Come with me,” I placed the empty glass back on the table. I took Sophie’s wrist without a second thought, guiding her out of the room. “I'll take you shopping.” Normally, I have a serious phobia of physical contact, especially with people who get too close, but oddly enough, holding her hand didn’t irritate me. Maybe it was because she wasn’t wearing heavy perfume, just a faint scent of flowers and milk. It was…almost tolerable. "Sir, why are you taking me shopping in person?" Sophie asked out of curiosity. Her question caught me off guard, and I felt a twinge of irritation. "Don’t ask so many questions," I said sharply, making her flinch. In reality, I had been pulled away from a meeting, unable to ignore my grandmother's incessant phone calls about Sophie. "She’s your wife, if you don’t take care of her, who will?” That’s what she told me. Sophie’s face fell after my abrupt response, and she dropped her head, clearly disappointed. I clenched my jaw, feeling that familiar, uncomfortable frustration rise. But I wasn’t exactly known for being good at consoling people, especially emotional girls like her. Women were nothing but trouble in my world. Seeing her sulking face in the car, I averted my gaze away. As we passed a street vendor selling cotton candy, something clicked in my mind. I wasn’t sure why, but I stopped. "Would you like some cotton candy?" I asked, more to break the awkwardness than anything else. Her head shot up, eyes wide with surprise as she stammered shyly and excitedly. “Y-Yes.” I signaled for my assistant to buy one. Her eyes were particularly glued as she watched my assistant coming back with a cotton candy. She was almost about to pounce on him. She took it with a quick thank you. So, she's a foodie as well. It was absurd how something so simple made her look so happy so quickly. "A simple cotton candy makes you this happy?" I found myself smirking. Her pale cheeks turned red as she answered softly, "I’ve never had it before. My mother only ever bought it for my brother. Once, I was so greedy I picked up the stick my brother had finished eating and licked it in secret. It was…sweet…” I felt a strange tightness in my chest. Her life, it seemed, had been a lot harder than I’d realized. Inside the supermarket, I walked ahead, grabbing items off the shelves. "What color do you want for your toothbrush and cup?" I asked as we reached the personal care section. "Pink," she answered, her voice was soft and sweet. I tossed a pink toothbrush and cup into the cart. "And the towel?" I asked. "Pink, too," she replied. I paused for a moment in front of the bath towels, a brief, unexplainable irritation flaring up. This is fucking ridiculous and I'm sure I was looking ridiculous as well from the looks I was getting. Walking besides I looked like her uncle or something, that's how skinny and small she appeared. Who could have thought that I would see a day like this. Shopping with a girl against my freaking will. With a slight scowl, I grabbed the pink towel and threw it into the cart. As we moved through the aisles, I noticed she slowing down, lagging behind me. I didn’t think much of it at first, distracted by the mundane task of picking up groceries. But after a few minutes, I glanced back and realized she had fallen quite a distance behind. The supermarket was busy, people moving in every direction, and Sophie, with her head lowered, looked completely lost. Her small figure was huddled near the shelves, uncertain and hesitant. I heard her faintly call out, "Sir, Sir?" but I was too far away to respond right away. She suddenly crouched down, hugging her knees like a scared child. I rushed over, irritation filling me. I told her to stay close. "Why are you squatting here?" When she heard my voice, her whole body seemed to relax. She stood up quickly and threw herself into my arms, her small frame shaking as she clung to me. "Sir, I finally found you," she cried. “I couldn't see you and I thought you forgot me here!” I could feel the coldness in her hands. Something inside me changed at that moment. I couldn’t bring myself to scold her. She was like a child lost in a world that was too big for her. "How long are you going to hold me?" I asked, trying to regain some composure. She immediately pulled back, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She had been so scared, and now she looked even more flustered. Her innocent face…it had an effect on me I didn’t quite understand. We continued shopping, but this time, I kept a close eye on her. On the way back, I noticed her squirming uncomfortably in the seat next to me. She kept holding her stomach, a small grimace appearing on her face. When we got out of the car, I saw it—the bright red stain on the back of her skirt. My body tensed. "Wait," I let out, my voice firmer than intended. She looked at me, confused. "Sir, what’s wrong?" I hesitated, unsure how to explain without making her more embarrassed. I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice steady. "Wait for me in the car for a moment." "Oh, okay," Sophie said obediently, retreating to the car without asking any more questions. I watched her fumble her way into the seat. I wasn’t used to dealing with these kinds of situations, and the thought of what I had to do next made my discomfort grow. I headed to the nearest convenience store, making a beeline for the aisle I never thought I’d set foot in. The women’s products were lined up neatly, but none of it made sense to me. I stared at the labels, scanning through them without a clue. After a few seconds of irritation, I grabbed the most expensive ones. That should be good enough, right? As I approached the cashier, I could feel her eyes on me. She was probably wondering what someone like me was doing buying these things. Her expression was a mixture of curiosity and amusement, but I didn’t have time for her silent judgments. I glared forward, paid for the items, and left as quickly as I could. Back on the street, I noticed a few girls casting lingering looks my way, but one look at my face and the bag I was carrying kept them at bay. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone right now. When I got back to the car, I handed her sanitary pads. Her eyes widened and I could see her soul leaving her body. She lowered her head with a shy thank you. Once inside the house, she disappeared into the bathroom. My phone buzzed just as she closed the door. Glancing at the screen, I saw it was my secretary. “Sir, we found out," he said. "The car that hit the old lady was driven by the Carpenter family's adopted daughter." My eyes narrowed, a flash of cold fury rushing through me. "Got it," I replied curtly, ending the call. I’m not the type to forgive easily—especially not when someone crosses me. This woman had the audacity to touch my reverse scale, and I couldn't let her get away with that. She had signed her own death warrant. The Carpenter family’s adopted daughter…I'd heard about her before. The Carpenter family had lost their real daughter years ago. They pulled every string, searched everywhere, even asked my family for help, but they never found her. In the end, they adopted a girl—just any girl—and pretended she was their biological child. To the outside world, they played the part well, but those who knew the truth were aware she had no real blood ties to them. She was nothing but an outsider in their world. The bathroom door creaked open, and Sophie emerged, her quiet voice pulling me from my thoughts. "Sir, are you going to sleep here tonight?" she asked softly. "No!" I snapped, glaring at Sophie even thought it wasnt her fault that I'm angry. The confusion and hurt that flashed across her face didn’t slow me down. I turned and left the room without a second glance. •••• Standing by the French window on the top floor, I took a moment to compose myself. My head was filled with the woman who thought she could get away with harming my family. I dialed the shareholders, my voice cold and measured when they answered. "Withdraw our investment in Carpenter’s." There was hesitation on the other end. "But Mr. Williams, this is a critical period for their cooperation. If we withdraw our investment now, Carpenter's capital chain may break. It could cause significant damage—" "Retreat," I cut them off, my tone brooking no argument. I didn’t care if their capital chain broke. Let it break. Let them face ruin. If someone dared to harm my grandma, the only person I care about in this world, there was no such thing as ‘too much’ retaliation. Even if it led to the Carpenter family going bankrupt, that wouldn’t be enough to satisfy my rage. The voice on the other end quickly complied, "Yes, Mr. Williams!" I ended the call, staring out into the night. The storm was just beginning.