Their Queen's Back - Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Linda couldn't believe how easily Richard trusted Skye.
'If Skye points the finger at me, he won't even hesitate,' she thought, anxiety rising. 'I can't let this go on—I have to deal with Skye.'
Her eyes narrowed. 'Emily... she's my perfect weapon.'
Linda stared intently at Emily, her voice dripping with feigned concern. "Emily, you've met Samuel. How could you possibly think they would hurt your father? Skye is just making baseless accusations—how heartbreaking. Tell me, do you really believe those uncles would harm your dad?"
Emily, still confused, blurted out, "Didn't we just say they're the prime suspects? They left the company but still wanted to come back, and when they couldn't get their way, they resorted to underhanded tricks. That's despicable!"
Linda's face turned livid, her smile vanishing in an instant as she shot Emily a vicious glare.
Startled by that menacing look, Emily instinctively darted behind Skye for protection.
Skye gave Linda an icy glare before turning her gaze to Richard.
"Dad, if you don't believe me, you're welcome to investigate yourself. They specifically chose that spot because they knew there were no cameras. I had to go door-to-door to gather this information. Ms. Collins, perhaps you should focus on collecting some real evidence yourself."
"You—!" Linda protested defiantly, still trying to argue.
Richard snapped, "Shut up, Linda! Are you only going to believe me when I'm dead? If it weren't for you, those shady people would never have gotten into our company!"
Linda felt like she'd swallowed a bitter pill, unable to say a word in her own defense.
"I'm absolutely certain it wasn't those people," she thought, "but I have no proof. Damn that Skye."
"That bitch!"
Emily's eyes widened in shock as Richard actually scolded Linda—something she'd never witnessed before.
Ever since Linda married into the family, Richard had believed her every word, and their relationship always seemed picture-perfect.
'I thought Dad was head over heels for her,' Emily thought, utterly bewildered.
'But now... this?'
"Dad, since you're not feeling well, you should get some proper rest. I've arranged some entertainment for you—performers will come here tonight to put on a show."
Hearing this, Richard beamed, his face lighting up with delight and his spirits instantly lifted. "Skye, that's very thoughtful of you."
Linda watched the retreating figures of Skye and Emily with burning jealousy and hatred. She gritted her teeth, fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. Only the sharp sting finally snapped her back to her senses.
Richard looked at her with even more disdain. "Get out too. The caregivers are here. I don't need you hovering around."
Linda froze as if facing a great threat, panic flooding her. "Darling," she stammered, her voice trembling, "what have I done wrong? I'll do better, I promise. Please, don't make me leave."
Richard, already seething with anger after realizing it was most likely Linda's relatives who had assaulted him, grew even more irritated by her fake, simpering demeanor.
His voice, thick with impatient fury, snapped, "Get out! I don't want to see you. Get the hell out of here—now!"
Linda's heart sank with a terrible premonition. Before she could say anything, the caregivers at the door grabbed her and dragged her out.
"Who are you? What do you think you're doing? Let go of me!" she shrieked, struggling. "Who sent you to lay hands on me? Do you even know who I am?"
Linda stared at the group of young, beautiful girls.
"Caregivers!" she realized with a start.
"Skye hired these caregivers!"
She had rushed to the hospital to take care of Richard, all because of those caregivers.
"That bitch Skye," she seethed, "who knows what she's scheming? Every caregiver she hired is young, slim-waisted, long-legged, and stunning—full of energy." The moment she saw them, she was instantly hit with a sharp sense of threat.
Though middle-aged, Richard's matchless, chiseled features and exceptional handsomeness made it easy for people to overlook his years.
One of the caregivers explained calmly, "We're here to take care of Mr. Hughes, as arranged by Ms. Hughes. Mr. Hughes has made it clear he doesn't want you here. Please leave immediately."
"You! How dare you!" Linda shrieked, her voice trembling with outrage.
Richard didn't even bother to stop them, simply letting the caregivers drag Linda away. He was already thoroughly sick of her constant petty scheming—nothing but that nonsense filled her head all day, and he was long past fed up.
Sophia was invited to the dinner, and William personally raised his glass to toast her, which took her by surprise and made her feel flattered. She quickly stood up.
"Boss, I was just doing my job."
William beamed, "Sophia, the company owes its success to you. You're my good luck charm!"
She shook her head, embarrassed. "Really, it's all thanks to your leadership and everyone's hard work."
Anna sat quietly to the side, seeing through it all but keeping quiet.
"Wasn't it obvious?" she thought. "This small company only caught Synergy International Group's attention because of Sophia. Calling it an overnight success wouldn't be an exaggeration—of course they'd treat her like royalty."
Sophia landed a deal today, so they threw a celebratory dinner.
"You guys go ahead and enjoy your drinks," Sophia said. "I'll be right back—I need to use the restroom."
William would never allow anyone to bully Sophia, which made Anna feel much more at ease.
"Mr. Brown! Long time no see—fancy running into you here for dinner. Come on, let's have a drink!"
A portly man strode over, glass in hand, slapped Ms. Brown on the back, and burst out laughing.
"Mr. Smith, it's been a while. Let's toast to our reunion!"
Peter immediately spotted Sophia. What luck—he'd been thinking about her for days, and here she was, right in front of him.
Fueled by alcohol, Peter swaggered over and his beefy hand landed heavily on her shoulder.
"You're Sophia, right? Looks like we meet again. I'm—ow!" he slurred.
Before he could finish, her hand shot up and smacked his off with a sharp crack.
Peter winced, pulling his hand back. "Spitfire. I like that," he muttered.
"Mr. Smith, please keep your distance," Sophia said icily.
"Come on, Miss Hughes, we're in the same circle. More friends, more connections, right? I'm Peter. How about a handshake?"
Sophia's gentle face turned frosty as she was about to refuse.
William stepped in, quickly grasping Peter's outstretched hand.
"Mr. Smith, if you have anything to discuss, talk to me. We're old friends—no need for formalities."
"This old lecher dares to covet my golden goose," William thought darkly."He really doesn't know who he's messing with."
Peter's face darkened. He cursed inwardly, "Can't William take a hint? She's just a junior employee—does he really think he can shield her from me?"
His predatory gaze stayed locked on Sophia. "You're right, Mr. Brown—we're 'old friends.' This must be one of your staff, right? She looks exceptionally talented. Which division is she in?"
William smiled politely. "She's truly an outstanding employee, Mr. Smith. But don't even think about poaching her—she's the backbone of our company."
Peter was surprised that William was so stubborn, completely unreceptive to any persuasion.
Pulling William aside, Peter cast a few lecherous glances at Sophia and lowered his voice: "Mr. William, haven't you always wanted to work with our company? I can offer you a very attractive profit margin—but only if your assistant brings the contract to my hotel room tonight. What do you say?"
William narrowed his eyes dangerously and brushed the man's hand away in disgust. "You never learn, do you?" he scoffed.
Old enough to be her father, yet still entertaining such disgusting ideas. In my company, nothing is more detestable than leaders who abuse their power and exploit employees, letting them be humiliated.
First, I'm not someone who would sacrifice principles for profit. Second, does he really think he can mess with Sophia?
"Mr. Smith, if there's nothing else, you can leave now. This is a staff dinner. See yourself out."
Peter's face flushed with rage at William's ungrateful response, his breath coming in angry huffs. He hissed through gritted teeth, "William, I'm giving you one more chance. Did you even listen to what I just said? A 7% profit margin—do you have any idea how huge that is? Has your pathetic little company ever landed a deal this big?"
He jabbed William's shoulder for emphasis. "Partnering with me means partnering with Hughes Corporation. We've had a multi-year partnership with them—are you even aware of that? Ever since the company changed hands, Hughes has skyrocketed. They even acquired Quinn Holdings, which used to be a pretty big name."
William suddenly remembered Sophia's true identity. "Isn't she the younger heiress of Hughes Corporation?" he thought.
He wiped away non-existent sweat, feeling a chill run down his spine.
"Oh my god, she's a real heavyweight," William realized.
Hughes Corporation was the fastest-growing company these days, backed by the giant Synergy International Group.
And the CEO of Synergy was her sister—no less!!!
William kept swallowing hard, his heart pounding so violently he feared it might give out.
Seeing William's nervousness, Peter assumed his words had intimidated him. He let out a loud, triumphant laugh and slapped him hard on the shoulder.
Beaming with smug satisfaction, he winked flirtatiously at Sophia, then swaggered off, beer belly leading the way, drink in hand.
As he reached the door, he called out loudly, "Ms. Brown, I'll give you time to think it over. Don't forget—Room 608 at the hotel tonight. I'll be waiting!"
Everyone stared at William, who looked completely dazed and confused.
He was lost in his thoughts and only snapped out of it when he heard the voice, finally grasping the implication.
Turning quickly to Sophia, he stammered, "It's... it's just something between him and me, just something. Please, everyone, keep eating, keep eating."
Everyone suddenly realized—the boss and Mr. Smith apparently shared some kind of private secret.
Wisely, no one asked any further questions.
After finishing her meal, Sophia leaned back in her seat, idly scrolling through her phone as she waited for William to call an end to the dinner.
"Don't forget about tomorrow night's class reunion, everyone—especially you, Sophia! You've skipped it for years, always making excuses. No more backing out this time—you must come!"
She was specifically tagged in the group chat.
This time, Sophia didn't bother explaining or making excuses—she simply ignored them. "Why should I go? I'm not close with any of them," she thought dismissively.
Without hesitation, she exited the group chat. The woman who had just tagged her was left momentarily stunned.
Instantly, the group chat erupted in chaos. Everyone started asking what had happened, with some accusing Sophia of being childish and not caring about her old classmates.
Others sneered, "She must be doing pretty poorly these days, otherwise she wouldn't be too embarrassed to show up at the reunion."
Honestly, Sophia had no idea what they said afterward—and she couldn't care less.
"Why should I live my life for others?" she thought. "I have my own path to follow."
Looking back, she realized how pathetic she used to be—always insecure, constantly seeking approval, walking on eggshells around everyone, especially Matthew's family.
"It's laughable, really. Instead of wasting time overthinking, I should focus on becoming a better version of myself," she mused.
Ever since Skye returned, Sophia had undergone a complete transformation.
Sophia stepped into the brightly lit home, a soft smile touched her lips as warmth blossomed in her chest.
Just as she reached the doorway, she ran into Jessica.
Jessica's face immediately contorted with loathing as she shot Sophia a disdainful glance.
"Are you feeling pretty smug these days, Sophia? Or should I remind you of what happened to you?" Jessica sneered.
Sophia knew exactly what Jessica was getting at. She'd always suspected Jessica had something to do with what happened to her, but there was never any proof.
"Those guys were nothing but scum," she thought. "Someone must have tipped them off about my whereabouts—that's how I ended up getting kidnapped."
Sophia wore a pale blue dress, radiating grace and elegance. Her innocent, flower-like demeanor easily stirred sympathy in others. But to Jessica, that very image was the most detestable thing.
"Why does she get to live so well?" Jessica seethed inwardly.
"Jessica, do you know what you look like right now?" Sophia leaned in, a manic glint in her eyes as she hissed with biting sarcasm.
"Like a mutt begging for scraps."
"You!" Jessica's eyes widened in shock, her fingers clenching so tightly they turned white as she glared at Sophia.
"Don't tell me you've really moved past this, Sophia. How could you possibly let go of everything that happened? If I were you, I'd have ended it all by now. How can someone with such a tainted body even dare to keep living?"
Jessica knew every sordid detail of what had happened to Sophia. She'd seen all those videos and photos—and, of course, kept a copy for herself as insurance.
"Just in case," Jessica thought with a smirk. "If Sophia ever needs a little reminder of her so-called 'wonderful' memories, I could always be 'merciful' enough to help her relive them."
"Jessica, you'll never measure up to me. But if you want to die, no one's stopping you—die however you want. My only demand is that you do it far away; don't stain my sight with your corpse."
Jessica's face flushed purple, then turned deathly pale in quick succession. Her neck strained with anger as she struggled to catch her breath, stomping her foot furiously.
"Sophia, you bitch! You fucking bitch!" Jessica screamed.
"When did Sophia become so sharp-tongued? This is outright rebellion!" she fumed.
"The Hughes, since you've shown me no mercy, don't blame me for returning the favor," she vowed coldly.
Sophia strode into Skye's room and threw herself into her arms, nuzzling her head against Skye like an affectionate kitten. "Sis, I missed you so much," she murmured softly.
Skye set her documents aside and gently stroked Sophia's head. "What's wrong? Tired? I had Wendy prepare some nourishing soup. I'll have her bring it up for you."
Sophia beamed, her almond eyes crinkling with joy. "Thanks, sis!" she said brightly.
Emily saw Sophia enter Skye's room. Unable to resist her curiosity, she slowed her steps as she passed by and glanced inside—the door was ajar.
She caught sight of Sophia clinging to Skye, acting all cute and coquettish. Emily bit her lip, rolling her eyes in disgust.
"How shameless can she be? Still pretending to be pitiful at her age? Ugh," Emily thought.
"Sis, I want to sleep with you tonight," Sophia said.
Emily nearly ground her teeth to dust when she heard that.
"How shameless—still wants someone to sleep with her?"
"She's not three years old; even toddlers don't need company at night."
"Sophia is twenty-five, for God's sake. Who is she trying to fool with this act?"
"Isn't she afraid of making a laughing stock of herself?"