Chapter 183
"Please convey my gratitude to him for saving my life."
"I'll make sure he gets your message."
As Sophia Laurent finished her meal and followed the woman out of the dining hall, her gaze was drawn to a photograph on the wall.
The boy in the picture had delicate features, his deep peach-blossom eyes gradually overlapping with the face she'd seen before losing consciousness.
Returning to her adoptive parents' home, her father's expression darkened the moment he saw her.
"Who said you could come back?"
The man's roar made Sophia's fingers tremble.
"Dad, I don't want to go back to the countryside."
Her words ignited his fury.
The belt whistled through the air. Sophia instinctively dodged.
But she was too small, too weak. The strikes still found their mark.
Her adoptive mother watched coldly until Sophia collapsed. "Keep this up and we'll have hospital bills to pay. You covering those?"
The fever burned for a full week.
No one visited except for the occasional dry bun her mother tossed her way.
Sophia endured.
From that day forward, the boy took up residence in her heart.
The memory drained the color from Sophia's face.
She never imagined their reunion would happen at Lowell Entertainment.
By then she was chief secretary. Derek Langley had risen to general manager.
During their work handover, Sophia could scarcely believe her eyes.
The school dropout, the former gangster, now sat across from her in a tailored suit.
Her investigation yielded even more shocking results.
It was undeniably the same person.
Derek had already entrenched himself in the company.
Sophia immediately went to William Lowell.
"His division's performance grew by 30%. That's called competence," William said dismissively.
"He's morally bankrupt!"
"You know him so well. Did you two have something going on?"
Sophia trembled with rage.
Personnel decisions were beyond her authority.
She avoided Derek whenever possible.
Years passed without incident.
Until she recruited Scarlett Ashcroft and Melanie Vance. Only then did she uncover the truth behind those performance numbers.
Derek's methods were despicable.
Forcing artists to entertain clients had become routine.
Even male performers weren't spared when securing deals.
This was Lowell Entertainment's "secret to success."