Chapter 9

Maybe it was the sweet nothings Fraser whispered to her that morning, but Bellamy felt like she was walking on sunshine. She strolled into the office humming a cheery tune. Her assistant picked up on her good mood, handed her a cup of coffee, and whispered, "Madam, Sophia is here. She's been waiting in the lounge for quite a while now. Should I let her in?" Sophia Hawkins, her so-called "cousin," was a nightmare to deal with. Bellamy kept her smile, nodded without hesitation. Sophia stormed in like always, not even bothering to knock. She shoved the door open and went off immediately. "Bellamy! Why didn't you take me with you to Fraser's welcome banquet last night? Fine, you didn't take me-but then you ignored my calls? I had to wait outside without an invite for half an hour and still couldn't get in!" Leaning back lazily in her chair, Bellamy propped her feet on the desk and looked at her with a smirk. "I'm not your babysitter. Why would I drag you everywhere I go? And do you even realize how many women were dying just to get a glimpse of Fraser last night? You couldn't even handle a half-hour wait? Please." Since they were kids, Sophia always tried to stir trouble for Bellamy, only to end up humiliated every time. Years of bickering later, Sophia hadn't changed a bit-still throwing tantrums like a brat. A couple of words from Bellamy was all it took to drive her up the wall. "Don't go thinking just because you slept with Fraser, you've won the jackpot! You and your low-status self will never make it into the Branwell family! One day, Fraser's gonna get tired of you and toss you aside! But me? I'm a proper lady from the Hawkins family. Grandpa's always said I'd be the one to marry him. We'll see who's laughing then!" Bellamy couldn't hold back a laugh. "If your grandpa's so powerful, why didn't he get you into that party last night? And what exactly do you mean by ‘low status'? I'm the chairwoman of Hawkins Corp. Your whole family lives off the money I make! And you..." She glanced at Sophia with thinly-veiled disdain. "Just some washed-up third-rate heiress. Even if I couldn't marry into the Branwell family, you think you've got a shot? Keep dreaming. Now run along and finish your homework." "You shameless little illegitimate-" Sophia's face went white with rage, still trying to throw a tantrum. Bellamy pressed the intercom. "Security? Yeah, come get Sophia. Seems like her condition's acting up again. Better take her home before it gets worse." The security guards-men with real muscle-escorted a flailing Sophia right out. Thanks to her little visit, Bellamy got a bit of morning exercise and felt even more energized tackling her workload. Hawkins Corp had just won the bid for a huge property on the west side of the city. For the first time, Bellamy had scored a win without riding on Fraser's coattails-so she was going all in on this one. If it paid off, Hawkins Corp would finally make its big comeback, and she could walk away from her "deal" with Fraser with her head held high. While Bellamy was burning with fighting spirit, ready to throw herself into the project, Fraser was back at the Branwell family estate, quietly listening to Marianne's lecture. "Fraser, I really think you should stop seeing Bellamy. You've done more than enough for her. Now that you're officially the CEO of Branwell Group, keeping ties with her would only hurt your reputation-and drag our whole family down with it."