The Almighty Dominance

Sophia raced through the city streets, her heart hammering painfully against her ribs as she rushed back to the Lancaster mansion.

A phone call had plunged her world into chaos-Jack and her mother, Florence, had been viciously attacked.

Panic gnawed at her as she burst through the front door, desperation etched across her face.

The butler, visibly shaken, met her immediately, his usually composed demeanor shattered.

"Miss Sophia! Thank God you're back! Have you heard? Your mother and Jack- they've been brutally assaulted!"

"What? Assaulted?" Sophia gasped, her voice tight with shock. "What happened? Tell me now!"

"There's no time to explain! Go upstairs-quickly. Your mother needs you!" he urged, practically shoving her toward the staircase.

Sophia bounded up the stairs, dread clawing at her throat.

Her thoughts tangled into knots—how could something like this happen?

She flung open the door to Florence's room and froze, horrified.

Florence lay pale as death, eyes glazed with pain, head swathed in heavy bandages. Beside her, Jack appeared broken and battered, limbs encased in plaster, bruises darkening ominously beneath his own bandages.

Bloodied towels littered the bedside table, stark reminders of violence.

"Mom! Jack! My God, what happened?" Sophia's voice trembled, horror twisting her features.

Florence's gaze flickered weakly toward her daughter, her voice frail but dripping with bitter theatrics.

"Sophia, my dear girl... You made it just in time. If you'd come any later, you'd only see me in a coffin." She broke into a theatrical cough, eyes darting sideways to gauge Sophia's reaction.

"Who did this?" Sophia's voice iced over with fury. "Tell me right now!"

Florence's eyes narrowed, a venomous spark igniting as she spat the name.

"It was Alex-that animal! We went to him innocently, just to buy back a bit of the root he stole from Clara. Instead of cooperating, he spewed insults, calling us beggars and worse."

"When I confronted him, he flew into a rage and hit us! That monster nearly killed us!"

"Impossible," Sophia said.

"What's impossible? Look at us-look at your brother!"

Jack stirred weakly, his voice strained and filled with righteous indignation.

"Sophia, open your eyes! Look at the damage he's done. Is this the man you defend, the one you believed in?"

it'll be months before I can even stand! He's

colliding violently with the brutal evidence

couldn't..." she whispered, desperate for some

blind or simply delusional?" Jack hissed, bitterness soaking every

broken body not enough proof? Or Mom's ruined face? The doctor said she might never recover fully-Alzheimer's could set in from the trauma! Still

biting

within her. The Alex

sensed her hesitation,

jail! Simply because she dared to oppose him. Sophia, wake up!

ran cold. "Clara... arrested?" she murmured, the last glimmer of hope

viciously, relishing Sophia's pain. "That's right. Clara went to confront him about the Emerald Elixir. Next thing

him once, Sophia. But he's

heart shattered into pieces, replaced by an

evaporated, replaced by an overwhelming need for

another word, she snatched up her phone, dialed

"Alex, explain yourself. Now."

eyes icy and indifferent.

Jack!" Sophia's voice trembled, fury barely restrained beneath her

Josephine had landed the blows on Jack, but admitting that felt

leaned against the

trouble," he

I just

admit it! You admit it's your fault

through

raised a brow, his

you they

that gives you the right to nearly kill them?" Sophia's voice cracked,

disbelief and rage bleeding

hand. “Come on. Don't exaggerate. It was just a

believed it. One hit each, no more. And now she was turning it into a

"My mother's arms and legs are broken! She has a concussion so severe she barely even knows who

a step forward, her voice rising like a

beat them into a hospital bed? Do they have to die for you to feel even

hell kind of

you?"

suspicion narrowing his

align with what

it really

questioning me right now?" Sophia's voice thundered

the room.

and confused. I've seen her with my own eyes. And you dare suggest I'm