Chapter 6
At that moment, inside the top–floor executive office of the Voss Group, Sofia was perched on Matthew’s lap, her voice sugary sweet as
she cooed in his ear.
“You’re amazing, Matthew. Teaming up with Julian and taking over the Voss Group without lifting a finger? Genius.”
Matthew smirked, arms wrapped possessively around her waist.
“I told you, babe–anyone who hurts you will pay. I don’t let anything slide.”
Sofia traced delicate circles on his chest with her fingertip, her tone dripping with pretend concern.
“But…what about Shirley? You’ve got her locked up in that abandoned factory. What if something happens to her?”
Matthew’s expression darkened.
“That bitch? She’ll be fine. If it weren’t for the fact that we still need her as leverage against Amara, I would’ve ended her days ago.”
“Her mother still controls 51% of the company. But it’s just a matter of time. The longer Amara can’t find her, the sooner she’ll come crawling to us.”
“And when she does–I’ll make sure you get everything you deserve, sweetheart.”
Sofia couldn’t hold back anymore.
She pulled Matthew close, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist.
They tangled together–kissing, biting, gasping–moving from the couch to the desk in a frenzy of lust and greed.
“You’re bad,” she giggled breathlessly beneath him.
Downstairs, I stormed into the company and made my way straight to the executive office.
No appointments. No hesitation.
When I entered, Matthew was lounging in my chair.
Sofia sat beside him, slicing fruit and feeding him piece by piece.
He looked up as if he’d been expecting me.
“Amara. Fancy seeing you again.”
“How’s the recovery? Feeling better?”
I ignored the smugness in his voice. I ignored the mock politeness, the sarcasm in his tone.
“Where’s my daughter?”
“No rush,” he said, grinning. “You did bankroll me once–at least share a cup of coffee with me first.”
He nodded at Sofia, signaling her to pour it.
I reached for the mug, but she let it “slip” from her hands, and scalding coffee splashed across my skin.
Feigning regret, she cooed, “Oh, my hand slipped. I’m sure someone as gracious as you can overlook it, Amara.”
I’d had enough of their little performance.
“I know what you want. Let my daughter go, and you can have anything you ask for.”
Matthew leaned back in the chair, watching me squirm, then laughed.
Chapter 6
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“Well, well, Amara. Never thought I’d see you like this. Want your daughter back? Get down and polish Sofia’s shoes. Then maybe I’ll think about it.”
I sucked in a breath.
I knew walking in here that Matthew wouldn’t make this easy. He was petty, vindictive, and power–drunk. I had expected humiliation.
And for my daughter–I would take it.
Slowly, I knelt.
I picked up the edge of my sleeve and gently wiped the coffee stains off Sofia’s designer heels.
Matthew pulled out his phone, recording the whole thing.
“And here we have the almighty Amara Voss…reduced to polishing shoes. What a fall from grace.”
“Don’t waste your breath on her, Matthew. She’s just a woman–what would she know about real business? Everyone knows the only
reason she got anywhere was by sleeping her way up. She’s been passed around more times than I can count.”
Sofia’s lips curled into a sweet, poisonous smile as she admired the sight of me crouched at her feet.
‘Alright, Amara. You’ve taken care of me all these years, so I’ll be generous. Consider what you just did as settling my debt. Now–sign over your shares, and I’ll tell you where your daughter is.”
Matthew slid a transfer agreement across the desk toward me. I didn’t move to sign.
“How do I know you’ll actually let her go once you get what you want?”
Sofia yanked my hair back, forcing my head up.
Matthew stepped closer and held out a phone, the screen playing a grainy video.
My daughter–dangling from a rope in some derelict warehouse–hung limp, utterly motionless. No rise or fall of breath.
The ache in my chest turned sharp, but Matthew’s voice cut in like a blade.
“One second late, Amara, and another strand holding her up will snap. Your call.”
The way they stood there, utterly certain of the outcome, made the room feel colder.
Every move–they’d calqulated it all.
Shirley was locked in a basement.
So why hadn’t they taken her phone?
Why was she still able to send me a text for help?
Even my return to the country–they’d predicted it.
Julian, who hadn’t set foot in our home for two years, somehow managed to appear at the hospital right on time.
The four of them had been working together from the start, every move aimed at gutting the Voss Group.
Under the eyes of two predators, I signed away my legacy–line by line.
With that final signature, the Voss Group…no longer belonged to me.
Chapter 6
