Chapter 2 The Disappearance of the Computer
1026 Words
Clara caught Sophia's gaze and hastily tugged at her sleeve, her eyes flitting nervously around. Before she could hide it, Sophia grabbed her hand, exposing the gemstone bracelet.
"Clara, did you go into my room?" The smile vanished from Sophia's starry eyes as she fixed her with a cold glare.
"Who...who would want to go into your cursed room?" Clara stammered, her eyes flitting nervously as she yanked her hand away. "Sophia, let go of me."
A chill ran down her spine, making her afraid.
Sophia gave a cold glance and quickly walked upstairs to her room.
When she reached her room, the door was wide open, and the lock hung precariously, barely holding on.
Sophia suppressed her anger; inside, clothes lay scattered and books were strewn across the floor.
The lock on the drawer had been forcibly pried open as well.
She frantically rummaged through the drawer until a photograph emerged.
In the photo, a beautiful woman sat in a chair with a gentle smile, her eyes fixed tenderly on the crying child in her arms.
Warm, happy.
Sophia picked up the photograph, sighed with relief, and held it to her chest.
Thankfully, the only photo of her mother was still there.
She scanned the chaotic room and realized her computer was missing from the desk.
She quickly searched but to no avail. "Clara!"
She couldn't understand why Clara would take the computer.
Sophia rushed downstairs to find the downstairs deserted. Clara had probably run away out of guilt and fear.
The computer contained critical clues and her financial research report—information that absolutely could not be exposed.
Fortunately, the computer was locked, making it inaccessible to most people.
Without wasting another thought, she jumped into her car and headed straight to the Bennett Group.
Clara would definitely run to her mother for protection.
Sophia sped to the company and made her way directly to the top floor, the CEO's office.
"Ma'am, you're not authorized to enter this area."
As she approached the office door, a woman in a business suit stepped forward to block her way.
"Are you Mr. Bennett's secretary?"
The secretary nodded calmly and smiled, "Mr. Bennett is in a meeting discussing a contract. Please wait for a moment."
"A contract? Isn't the Bennett family already facing severe financial losses? Why are they still signing contracts?"
Sophia felt irritated.
After her uncle's car accident, her aunt had taken over managing the company. But recently, due to signing a loss-making contract, the Bennett family's finances had fallen into crisis. Now her aunt was negotiating contracts again. Was she intentionally trying to run the company into the ground?
"I'm the eldest daughter of the Bennett family! I need to see Clara."
Her commanding tone left no room for argument, and the secretary didn’t dare to stop her.
Sophia pushed the door open and was greeted by a face so swollen it resembled a pig's head. She was stunned for a moment, only recognizing it was Clara by her clothes.
"Mom, you're here." Clara turned her head, sniffling. The moment she realized it was Sophia, she sprang to her feet, swallowing hard with a nervous expression.
"You... why are you here?"
Clara's face was swollen on both sides, making her speech unclear and her features barely recognizable.
She stared intently at Sophia, her cheeks trembling slightly in pain, her eyes burning with anger.
"You!"
"You stole my computer. It seems a swollen face isn’t enough for you. Do you want a few broken bones too?" Sophia cracked her knuckles as she stepped closer to Clara.
Clara instinctively stepped back, her expression panicked but quickly recovering, "Sophia, are you trying to get yourself kicked out of the Bennett family?"
"Go ahead and try me!" Sophia snapped.
Clara fell back onto the sofa, immediately shaking her head, "I don't have the computer."
Her voice rose, likely out of fear.
"The computer is with me." Suddenly, a voice laced with contempt drifted in from outside the door.
Sophia turned her head and saw a middle-aged woman in luxurious, high-end clothing enter with a disdainful expression.
Clara, as if finding a savior, suddenly whimpered, "Mom, Sophia hit me. Look at my face."
She pointed at her face, tears glistening in her eyes.
Evelyn was startled when she saw Clara's face.
Tears flowed down Clara's swollen cheeks.
Evelyn's face clouded over instantly. "Sophia, how dare you lay a hand on Clara!"
Sophia let out a cold laugh and said, "Clara barges into other people’s rooms and rummages through their belongings as she pleases. If you won’t deal with her, I will."
"That junk of yours—what does it matter if she went through it?" Evelyn said impatiently, slumping onto the sofa, her mind clearly elsewhere.
She didn't even seem to care much that Clara had been beaten to such a state.
Sophia glanced at the document in Evelyn’s hand labeled "Contract" and noticed her evident irritation.
Sophia understood and said sarcastically, "Mrs. Bennett, given the Bennett family's current financial difficulties, I'm afraid it won't be easy to sign a contract with the other party."
Evelyn looked up at her coldly, "A cast-off daughter the Bennett family doesn't want, what do you know? Who are you to meddle in Bennett family affairs?"
"Oh? Is that so? Didn’t the Bennett family’s financial crisis stem from a loss-making contract you signed earlier?"
Evelyn suddenly stood up, her face contorted with anger. "What loss-making contract? You outsider, what nonsense are you spouting!"
"Whether I'm talking nonsense or you're guilty, Mrs. Bennett, you know it yourself. Only a fool would sign a contract with a money-losing company."
Clara immediately objected after hearing this, "What nonsense are you talking?"
She looked at Evelyn in confusion, seemingly completely unaware of this matter.
Evelyn's lips curved into a sinister smile, "Since you’re so eager to meddle, as a Bennett family daughter, why don’t you take responsibility for this contract? If you succeed, I’ll return your computer."
Sophia scoffed internally upon hearing this. Given the Bennett family's financial losses, no one was willing to cooperate with them. They were trying to dump this hot potato on her.
- Writer
