DAMIEN'S CONTRACT WIFE

Sophia's POV I knew something was wrong when I saw the crowd, employees were gathered outside the conference room in small groups whispering among themselves. The moment I stepped off the elevator, conversations stopped, heads turned, just few people quickly looked away, others exchanged uneasy glances. My pace slowed as I began to wonder what was going on. I tighten my grip on my handbag as I slowly scanned the floor. Bennett accounting has always been a busy place but it has never been like this before, the atmosphere felt heavy like a storm waiting to break. Normally, by nine o'clock, people would be rushing between offices, carrying files, answering calls, complaining about deadlines and so on. But today, everyone looked nervous and fearful, as if they were waiting for something terrible to happen.When I stopped beside the receptionist desk, she looked up “good morning ma” her voice sounding strained, the face and the tune she use to greet me was no where to be found. “Mornin

Sophia I barely slept. Everytime I closed my eyes, I pictured the image of my father collapsing. Everytime I drifted, the crushing weigh of impending disaster happening around jerked me awake. I gave up on sleep entirely, the hospital room was quiet, dad was still asleep.For the first time in a long time, he looked peaceful.I wished I could say the same for myself, but the email from the office sat heavily in my mind. Several clients wanted answers. Rumors were spreading. And Dad wasn't in any condition to deal with any of it.Bennett Accounting fell entirely on my shoulders. I wasn't an executive, I wasn't a partner, I wasn't even involved in the management side of the company. I worked there, yes. But there was a huge difference between working for a company and carrying it's weight on your shoulders. Yet life rarely asked whether you were ready. It simply pushed you forward.Ethan arrived carrying breakfast. The moment he saw my face, he frowned."You didn't sleep?""I did."

Sophia’s POV By the time I left the office, the evening sky had turned a deep shade of grey. Traffic crawled through the streets.People hurried along the pavements, eager to get home before the rain started.Normally, I would have paid attention to the city around me. But today, my mind was elsewhere. Damien’s warning lingered at the back of my thoughts. ‘Be careful who you trust.’ The words were cryptically annoying, and yet I couldn't completely get them off my mind. Something about the way he'd said them felt deliberate, as though he knew something I didn't.Unfortunately, I had bigger problems to worry about.My father was still in a hospital bed, and Bennett Accounting was hanging by a thread.By the time I arrived at the hospital, the familiar smell of antiseptic greeted me the moment I stepped out of the lift.I made my way down the corridor and pushed open the door to Dad's room.Immediately i saw him, relief washed through me. He looked much better. The colour had retur

Sophia's POV I stared at the page for a long time, until I was convinced my mind was playing tricks on me. Because the name printed neatly across the bottom of the document had no business being there. The room seemed unnaturally quiet. Even the ticking of the antique clock on the wall faded into the background as I continued staring at those letters. Derek Lawson? A sharp, sudden laugh escaped me, sounding more like a gasp. "This isn't funny." Damien remained silent. I looked up from the file, expecting to find some hint that this was a joke or a misunderstanding. His face gave me no satisfaction, no sympathy. Just the same unreadable expression he had worn since I walked into the office. I pushed the file back across the table. “You've made a mistake” “I haven't” Damien replied “It's not possible” I said, giving him a faint look. He focused his gaze on me “why” I frowned “what do you mean, why” “You said it's impossible. I'm asking you why” I let

Sophia's POV The photograph slipped from my fingers and landed on my lap. I couldn't stop staring at it. The grainy security footage wasn't clear enough to identify the man's face, but the silver walking cane stood out unmistakably.I knew that cane, I have seen it countless times leaning against the wall of my father's office during late-night meetings. It became such a familiar sight that I even stopped noticing it years ago.“Derek…” I whispered, the name barely left my lips.Damien's eyes shifted from the photograph to me. “You know him?”I nodded slowly. “He belongs to my father's business partner.”“Belongs to?” he asked evenly.“The cane. Derek never goes anywhere without it.”The car fell silent as rain drummed steadily against the windows, but my thoughts were racing too fast to notice the traffic.No, this didn't make sense.Derek has been with my family for as long as I could remember. He attended my university graduation. He stood beside my father at every company anni