Six months later, she was gone.
Arthur, who had never run a company on his own, who had always worked under his wife as her helping hand, was suddenly forced to shoulder everything. That was when Curtis and Joseph came back from their cities, stepping into the business—until they slowly became decision-makers.
And Arthur did whatever they said.
Sophia watched it happen.
She watched her father stop coming home.
And when he did, he never remembered what day it was.
After her mother died, Sophia had grown up in her grandmother’s arms.
Not her father’s.
Hearing Sophia’s words now, Arthur’s face darkened completely.
“So what if I already have the business?” he snapped. “I need to expand it. Curtis said this share is necessary to increase production.”
“And you believe him?” Sophia shot back.
Her eyes burned as she clenched her fists. “How much doyouactually know about the business, Dad? You already own almost all the business. Isn’t that enough to run a company?”
Her voice rose, trembling with years of buried resentment.
“Or are you, Uncle Joseph, and Uncle Curtis such bad businessmen that you need the inheritance that grandmother leftmejust to survive?” she demanded. “If that’s the case, maybe you shouldn’t be running a company at all. Maybe you should shut it down.”
“Sophia!” Arthur barked, anger flashing in his eyes. “Is it really that hard for you to be a good daughter? My brothers don’t want anything bad for me—or you! They care about us!”
“If they care so much,” Sophia said coldly, “then let me keep what’s mine.”
She reached out and snatched the file from Arthur’s hand.
“This is what Grandma wanted. And you should respect that.”
“How can you do this?” Arthur snapped.
“Look at her!” Joseph snapped, his face twisted in fury. “So ungrateful!”
Curtis stepped forward, trying to snatch the file from her hands.
Sophia jerked away, pulling it to her chest. Without another word, she turned and stormed off, heels striking sharply against the ground.
Arthur stood frozen.
Curtis and Joseph seethed behind him.
Peter quietly slipped away before any of them noticed—leaving the family war to burn on its own.
Unnoticed by anyone, Magnus stood near his car, watching the entire scene unfold. His eyes followed Sophia as her father and his brothers bickered over the file, the frustration and indignity clear on her face.
“How can her father treat her like this?” he muttered under his breath, frowning. “Is this the kind of life she’s been living all this time?”
His face twisted with distaste and disbelief. For a long moment, he just stood there, silent, before finally walking toward the church to pay his respects to Mila.
***
Later that evening, Sophia stepped out of the house with a suitcase rolling behind her. The wheels clicked softly against the stone path, sharp in the quiet night. She had already changed out of her funeral clothes.
