The Almighty Dominance

Chapter 374

Josephine stretched with a lazy yawn, arms high over her head.

"Good morning, Miss Sophia."

When she noticed Alex was awake, her face lit up. "And good morning to you, Alex."

"Morning, Josephine," Alex replied, unsure what else to say under Sophia's sharp, burning stare.

Josephine swung her legs off the bed, cracking her neck like nothing unusual had happened.

"I'll make breakfast for the three of us, okay?" She started toward the door as if it were any other day.

Sophia stepped in her path, eyes narrowing. "How can you two be sleeping together?"

Josephine met her gaze without a flicker of guilt. Growing up in the cramped orphanage, sharing a bed had never been a scandal.

"Oh, Alex fainted in front of the clinic, so I brought him to his bed," she said through another yawn.

"But then he got all teary and didn't want to let go. Maybe he needed a friend, so I stayed. I was tired too, so I fell asleep there. That's all."

With that, Josephine turned and headed off to make breakfast, leaving them alone in the room.

Sophia's eyes flicked between them-both fully clothed, nothing looking out of place.

She wanted to scold Alex, but Josephine's words pulled her up short.

Alex... fainted? And teary-eyed?

Could that have been because she had shot a bullet to his forehead yesterday?

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked from the bed.

Sophia moved to his side, her warm fingers brushing his forehead before she could think better of it.

"Did that little stunt I pulled yesterday-shooting the bullet to you-make you faint? Did it hurt so bad you almost died?"

Alex's eyes sharpened. This wasn't the Sophia he knew the one who lashed out first and thought later.

was softer. Concerned. It

he said. “It's just... lately, there's been too much

her lip. "You're right.

them before Sophia drew

do you think

searched her face-beautiful, but hesitant, almost

hands together tightly, panic flickering in

know I'm a widow now... and

headed. In the past, he might have answered without hesitation-yes, let's

way into his

couldn't give her

speak, Sophia's phone shrilled. She glanced at

turned away. "Mother?

"Our

"What?"

fire engines roared in front of the blazing

side by side, watching orange flames devour the sprawling

and Jack pulled up in a taxi, still wearing their hospital patient clothes, eyes wide at the sight of

twisted in panic as she lurched toward the burning mansion.

Sophia yanked her back hard, her voice sharp

money and jewelry are still inside! I have to

fire's out of control! The money's probably

flames are out! If you go in now,

her mother, holding her

our home-our property! How can it be burning

tears streaming down her face as she stared at the inferno

unreadable, had already given the order-forty guards to deal with Henny and Clarissa, then burn the place to the

it looked like they'd done

swallowed by flames, its walls groaning before collapsing into the

take Henny and Clarissa down with

deafening explosion tore through the air, the ground shuddering beneath their

reducing it to a heap of smoking rubble, while a

gas-or something just as

was raw and furious. "My mansion! Oh my