017

DOMINIC

I’m back at the Hayes group, seated in front of my desk with a pile of paperwork. I sorted through the files, leaving only a handful spread across my desk. 

My eyes traced each line as I flipped from one page to the next, searching for anything I might have missed.

A firm knock broke the silence.

I lifted my gaze from the report.

"Come in."

The door opened, and my assistant stepped inside, his expression enough to tell me he hadn't come in without a reason.

There was a click then the door pushed open. My assistant stepped inside his expression enough to tell me he hadn't come in without a reason. 

He brought out an iPad, unlocked it and held it in front of him. He stopped few steps away from my desk then tapped on the screen. “You need to see this”. 

My attention shifted to the iPad. 

The screen was taken up by Sophie with a few journalists. She struggled stepping to one side then to the other. 

They followed her every move and pointed both cameras and microphones at her. 

My lips spread into a smirk. I tipped my head forward. My assistant understood and scrolled to the next video. 

A newscaster sat behind the news desk with a stack of papers resting neatly in front of her. 

Beside her on the large screen was a picture of Sophie, smiling softly in an elegant dress. 

"Lowly Wife Clings Onto Rich CEO Husband," the headline read in large, eye-catching letters.

The newscaster continued, her voice calm but dramatic as she reported on the growing controversy surrounding Sophie and her marriage to billionaire CEO Alexander Hart. 

News outlets, bloggers, and online commentators had all weighed in, each offering their own version of the story.

Some claimed Sophie was an opportunist who had carefully planned her rise into high society, while others defended her, arguing that no one truly knew what happened behind closed doors.

I tipped my head again and my assistant scrolled. 

In another video they talked about how good Hayes was for taking Sophie in. 

My eyebrows furrowed at their words and my fingers clenched. 

I couldn't listen any longer. 

I scoffed and looked away.  

My assistant caught on and paused the video.

I looked back at him.

“Everything on the news, plus the interview Hayes had is making everything really hard for Sophie,” my assistant explained. “Do we block out some of the news channels?”

I shook my head. 

I leaned back and stared at the screen. 

I could use this. 

I unclenched my fists and pointed to the screen. 

“Don’t block them out. Take this”. 

My assistant nodded. 

“Scroll”.

He did.

I tilted my head to the side and wieghed the importance of the video. 

I shook my neck. “Scroll”. 

He did. 

I repeated my actions. “This”. 

He nodded. 

“And Hayes interview. I want them at the top of every major platform. Coordinate with the media team, monitor the engagement, and make sure nothing pushes them out of the spotlight.”

"Sir… can I ask something?" he said carefully.

I didn’t answer immediately.

He took that as permission.

"Sophie is all over the news," he continued, pointing faintly at one of the headlines, "she’s already suffered enough. Do we really need to keep pushing this? Are we not supposed to help her instead?"

A pause settled in the room.

My fingers rested on the edge of the desk.

"I didn’t ask for a moral review," I said quietly.

He didn’t move, but his voice softened anyway.

"I understand that, sir. I just… I don’t see how this helps her."

Silence stretched again, heavier this time.

Then he lowered his hand from the screen, still waiting for an answer that wasn’t coming.

Finally, he gave a small nod, though it looked like it cost him.

"Understood," he said, less certain now. "I’ll proceed."

He still had a bewildered expression on his face.

His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes narrowed. “I’ll take care of that,” he said.

"Hold my calls," I told him without looking up from the stack of medical files on his desk.

The assistant gave a silent nod before slipping out, leaving the room wrapped in an almost unnatural quiet.

Only then did I reach for my phone.

I scrolled to a contact I rarely called and pressed the dial button.

The line rang twice.

"I've just finished examining her."

I leaned back in his chair, my gaze settling on the report lying open at the edge of the table. I still had it and it often distracted me from work. 

Sophie's name stared back at me in bold print, the words beneath it enough to make anyone's stomach turn.

"There's a problem."

A pause.

"This report..." I rubbed a hand over my jaw. "It doesn't match what I'm seeing."

Another silence stretched between us.

"I know what it says." His voice dropped. 

"Terminal."

Hmy eyes drifted to the test results scattered across the desk.

"But after running the examinations myself.." He stopped, choosing his words carefully. "It's something else."

I listened for a moment, my expression becoming harder to read.

"No. I'm not discussing it over the phone."

Another pause.

"I'll have the additional results sent over as soon as they're complete. Until then, don't say anything to anyone."

I ended the call before another question could be asked.

The office fell silent once more.

My fingers rested on the edge of Sophie's file for several seconds before I closed it and slid it into a locked drawer.

A vibration broke the stillness.

I glanced at my phone.

A new message had appeared.

My father had demanded a meeting. He wanted everyone to be present. I scrolled further to see he would not excuse anyone's absence. 

I clenched my jaw.

I was just about to give an excuse.  

I stared at the message for a brief moment before locking my phone.

Whatever awaited me at that meeting, it had just become considerably more complicated.