Behind Magnus, Sophia stopped walking. Her eyes moved from Isabel’s hands wrapped around his arm to Magnus’s face and then back to Isabel.
There was familiarity there. Comfort. Something more than superficial.
Isabel, still smiling, finally noticed Sophia standing behind him.
Her smile froze and her expression darkened instantly.
Her gaze sharpened as it traveled from Sophia’s face down to her posture, her outfit, the way she stood beside Magnus.
‘What is she doing here?’ The jealousy was immediate. ‘This woman has already slept with countless men to get where she is. And now she’s trying to cling to Magnus too?’
Her grip around Magnus’s arm tightened unconsciously.
‘I won’t let that happen.’
Her face hardened as she looked at Magnus.
“What is she doing here?” Isabel asked sharply.
Magnus calmly pulled his arm free from Isabel’s grip and took a small step away, creating space between them.
“She’s our auctioneer for today,” he answered evenly.
The moment the words left his mouth, Isabel’s expression changed completely.
Her eyes widened in disbelief before aggression flashed openly across her face.
“What?” she snapped, her voice rising. “How can you hire this woman for the Empire Group’s auction?”
She pointed toward Sophia without even looking at her properly.
“Don’t you know what kind of woman she is? She only knows how to sleep around! Why would you hire someone like her?”
Magnus’s expression darkened instantly when he heard Isabel’s words. His jaw tightened, and a dangerous calm settled over his face.
“Isabel! Watch your mouth,” he said in a controlled but clearly angry voice. “Do not cross the line.”
Isabel blinked at him, shocked — but her pride flared instantly.
“Why are you asking me to stay in line?” she shot back, her voice rising. Her eyes flickered between Sophia and Magnus, jealousy burning openly now. “Didn’t you hear what I said?”
She stepped closer to him again, her voice rising.
“I’m telling you she’s not useful. She won’t be useful to you. Why would you hire her?” Her finger pointed toward Sophia again. “It’s a waste of your time and money.”
Her gaze slid toward Sophia, sharp and insulting.
“She’s in her twenties. How could she possibly have become such a big auctioneer if she really knew anything? Obviously she climbed up by using men.” Her voice dripped with disdain. “And you’re standing here scolding me instead of listening to me? You can’t ignore me when I’m trying to warn you that hiring her is a bad idea!”
Sophia had been standing quietly behind Magnus, hearing every word. Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides, but her face remained calm.
When Isabel finally finished, Sophia stepped forward with a small, polite smile on her lips.
“Mr. Graves,” she said in a confident yet casual voice, her posture straight and composed, “it’s fine if you don’t want me to host today’s auction. I can leave.”
She gave a slight nod, as if the matter did not concern her at all.
“Good luck.”
