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?"

say it'll be months before I can

back, disbelief colliding violently with the brutal evidence before her

she whispered, desperate

blind or simply delusional?" Jack hissed, bitterness

enough proof? Or Mom's ruined face? The doctor said she might never recover fully-Alzheimer's could

fists clenched, fingernails biting into her palms, drawing

her. The Alex she knew was gentle, caring-could he truly

sensed her hesitation, striking

Clara and got her thrown in jail! Simply because she dared to oppose him. Sophia, wake up!

cold. "Clara... arrested?" she murmured, the last

the Emerald Elixir. Next thing we know, she's locked

wracked with exaggerated pain. "We trusted him once, Sophia. But he's betrayed us all. You must see him

stood motionless, her heart shattered into pieces, replaced by

by an overwhelming

dialed Alex's number, and hissed coldly when he

"Alex, explain yourself. Now."

stood motionless, eyes icy and indifferent.

my mother and Jack!" Sophia's voice trembled, fury barely restrained

truth-that Josephine had landed the blows on Jack, but admitting that

the desk casually, feigning

trouble," he said, his voice

it. I

you admit it! You admit it's your

outrage slicing through the room like a

brow, his voice dipping lower, dangerously

you they provoked the

to nearly kill them?"

of disbelief and rage bleeding

It was just a shove—maybe a punch.

honestly believed it. One hit each, no more. And now

balled at her sides, shaking. "My mother's arms and legs are broken! She has a concussion so severe she barely

a step forward, her voice rising like

Alex? Someone insults you, and your answer is to beat them into a hospital bed? Do

the hell kind

you?"

slowly, suspicion

she described didn't align with what he'd seen when Florence left-she had

really that

seriously questioning me right now?" Sophia's voice thundered

the room.

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