The Billionaire’s Payback

From Ruin to Revenge

Sophia Pov

The coldness in my dad’s words hit me like a block of ice. I took a step back, my knees feeling all wobbly. “You gotta be kidding me.” My voice shook. “You want me to… flirt with some random dude for you?”

William didn’t budge an inch. He just stood there with his arms crossed, looking like he was in some corporate meeting with an intern. “You’ve been living the good life with this family’s name, Sophia. It’s time you do something for it.”

I couldn’t wrap my head around what he was saying. This was my dad the guy who was always there when I was a kid, the one I thought would always have my back. And now, he was treating me like just a piece on his chessboard. “I’m not some pawn for you to play with,” I shot back, kinda surprised at my own sass.

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk creeping onto his face. “Then stop acting like one.” He jabbed a finger at me, his gaze intense. “You came here all upset, asking for help because your jerk of a husband cheated on you. But now that I’m trying to help you out, you freeze up? This is your shot to take control, Sophia. Go for it.”

I felt stuck, like I couldn't escape this crazy mess my life had turned into. I thought about Ryan’s face, that cold look when he threw those divorce papers at me. And Lily her smug grin, lounging in my bed like she owned the place. I wanted to make them regret it, to show them they hadn’t crushed me. But the idea of selling myself using my body as some kind of deal-maker made me wanna hurl.

“I can’t do that,” I mumbled, shaking my head. “No way.”

My dad’s eyes were like ice, and he closed the gap between us in a couple of strides. “Then you’ll lose it all. The houses, the cash everything your mom left you. Is that what you really want?”

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat getting bigger. “Why are you putting me through this? I’m your kid.”

His face stayed blank. “And I’m just a businessman. Feelings don’t win wars. If you can’t handle this, then you don’t deserve the Carter name.” He turned his back to me like I was just a nuisance.

I stood there, my chest heaving and tears blurring my sight. My whole life, I’d looked up to this guy, trusted him. And now, when I was at my lowest, he was ditching me. Even worse he was asking me to sell out, to give up my dignity for the family’s legacy.

But what other options did I have? If I bailed now, I'd lose it all. My marriage was in pieces; my sister totally backstabbed me. If I ditched my inheritance too, I'd be left with absolutely nothing. I could feel the rage bubbling up inside me, like a fire I just couldn't put out. I thought about Ryan, the smug look he had when he said I wasn't good enough. I thought about Lily, and how she had taken everything from me.

Maybe Dad was onto something. Maybe this was the only way to grab some control back.

“Who’s this guy?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

William turned, a smirk creeping onto his face. “You’ll get the deets when you’re ready. He’s a big-time investor I’ve been sweet-talking for ages. If he sticks around, it locks in our biz deals and keeps Ryan and Lily from snagging what’s yours.”

It was hard to wrap my head around the stuff coming out of my dad's mouth. “And you think this dude will... what, want anything to do with me?”

My dad just shrugged, a nasty grin on his face. “You’re a Carter. Use that to your advantage. You’ve got one thing on your side youth and looks. Make it matter.”

His words hit hard, but I held it together, fighting back the tears that were itching to spill. “And if I go for this… you swear Ryan and Lily won’t get a dime?”

His grin disappeared, replaced by a cold stare. “If you pull it off, I’ll make sure of it. But if you flop don’t count on me to save you.”

I nodded, the anger shifting into a steely resolve. I felt numb, like the person standing there wasn’t even me. Maybe the only way to get through this was to become someone else entirely. Someone who didn’t care about what might happen.

“Fine,” I said, my voice empty. “I’ll do it.”

He nodded once, clearly happy with himself. “Great. He should be at The Beaumont this weekend. You’ll meet him there. I’ll sort everything out.”

I watched him head back to his desk, acting like our chat was just another business deal. I had to be smart now. I had to play the game.

Without saying another word, I turned and walked out of the study, my hands shaking as I moved through the familiar halls. The mansion felt so empty now, like a shell of what it once meant to me. I used to feel safe here. Now, it was just another place filled with deception.

The sun had gone down, and the city lights twinkled in the distance. I stood on the steps, feeling the weight of everything I’d lost crashing down on me. There was no turning back now. I had no one left to lean on.

I jumped into the cab, and as we drove off from the mansion, I almost lost it and started bawling. But I held it in, stuffing it way down. No time for tears now. Just gotta get stuff done.

This is my life now having to stick to other folks' rules just to get by.

But one day, I swear to myself, I’ll be the one making the rules.

And when that day rolls around, you better believe everyone’s gonna pay up.