#13 “He is Going to Bankrupt Them.
“No! This is an emergency. Please,” Sophia pleads. She can’t bear the weight of the situation, knowing how much she needs to fix it for her best friend.
Feeling a twinge of sympathy for Sophia, the receptionist tries to deliver her words as warmly as possible.
“I really am sorry, but Mr. Stone has left for some urgent business issues. He’s meeting with a client later this evening.”
Sophia’s heart sinks, her hope fading away. She turns to Evelyn, the devastation evident on her face, mirroring the consequence of the situation.
“This is entirely my fault, Evelyn. I take complete responsibility for it, and I will fix it,” Sophia declares with determination as they make their way back to the elevator.
Meanwhile, in Alexander’s office, Laura finishes up her paperwork. She couldn’t help but overhear the conversation between Alexander and the receptionist, and her curiosity gets the better of her.
“What’s going on?” Laura asks, curious but also concerned. With an unsympathetic look, Alexander responds, “I have decided to transfer the money from Crimms’ bank to the business of Emily’s branch company, StoneTech Solutions.”
Laura’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, her mind racing to comprehend the implications of Alexander’s decision. She begins to push for further details, but Alexander dismisses her from the office, shutting the door behind her.
As Sophia and Evelyn exit the elevator, the weight of the situation still heavy on their shoulders, an idea suddenly sparks in Sophia’s mind. “Steven!” she exclaims, her voice filled with renewed hope.
“Who?” Evelyn responds. But before Sophia can answer, she swiftly dials a number on her phone, her finger raised to Evelyn as she waits for a response.
“Steven Mhyler, please. Yes, I’ll hold,” Sophia says, her voice determined. While on hold, she turns to Evelyn, a glimmer of excitement in her blue eyes.
“Steven is Alexander’s lawyer. I am going to see if he will meet with me. That way, I can get more information about what is really going on… Yes, I am here. Thank you.”
Evelyn gazes at Sophia, impressed by her quick thinking and feeling a flicker of optimism for the first time that day. Sophia continues her phone conversation, her tone focused and determined.
“Hi Steven, it’s Sophia Johnson. How are you?… Good to hear. Look, I have a few items I need to discuss with you. Is there a time we can meet? The sooner, the better… Yes, it is imperative that we meet today… Tonight at 7:00 at Bistro 45 would be perfect… It’s good to hear from you as well… I will see you then.” Sophia ends the call, a little smile crossing her face as she takes a moment to relish in her progress.
She turns to Evelyn, embracing her in a hug filled with sincerity. “I cannot tell you how sorry I am for all of this, but I promise I will fix it!” Sophia reassures her best friend.
Seeing a glimmer of hope in Sophia’s perseverance, Evelyn eases up and releases from the hug. “But how is talking to Mr. Mhyler going to fix anything?” she asks.
“Just trust me, Evelyn,” Sophia replies with conviction. At precisely 7:00, Sophia steps into the warm ambiance of Bistro 45. Despite her nerves, she maintains a composed exterior. The hostess guides her to a table where Steven is already waiting for her.
“Sophia,” Steven says, rising to greet her with a warm smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you face to face finally.”
“Sophia,” Steven says, rising to greet her with a warm smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you face to face finally.
Sophia smiles back at Steven, “Yes, it’s nice to put a face to the voice. I appreciate all the work you’ve done in helping Alexander and me with our divorce. I must admit that I have grown a great respect for you after all the work you did for us.”
As they both take their seats, Steven can’t help but be overwhelmed by Sophia’s beauty and presence and wonder why Alexander would ever want to divorce a woman such as her.
Quickly gaining his composure, “No need for thanks, I was just doing my job. But I must say, you’re not what I expected.”
“Oh? What did you expect?” A small smile crosses Sophia’s face; she questions with a raised eyebrow. Steven shifts uncomfortably in his seat, embarrassed by what he had thought..
Looking down at his glass of wine, he shyly responds, “Well, there were rumors that Alexander’s ex-wife was… not well off. But clearly, you’re not.”
“Rumors can be misleading,” Sophia responds with a light chuckle, immediately lightening the mood.Looking back up into Sophia’s crystal blue eyes, Steven takes a breath of relief, happy he had not offended her.
“I apologize, but I’ll have to make this brief,” Steven says, “I have a client coming in to meet me later.”
“Of course,” Sophia responds, her blue eyes sparkling in the intimate candlelight of the restaurant. “I’ll make this quick.” She reaches into her vintage Louis Vuitton bag and pulls out the contract that Alexander had signed, placing it before Steven.
“I am having an issue with Mr. Stone.” Steven takes the contract, his eyes scanning the document. “And I assume he has breached this contract?” he remarks.
As Steven flips through the contract, he immediately notices it is a contract between Stone Enterprise and Johnson and Associates Law Firm, not one from the divorce arrangement as he had expected. Confused, he asks, “Where did you get this contract? Are you a lawyer? From Johnson and Associates?”
Sophia nods, waiting patiently for Steven to connect the dots. Steven looks down at the contract again and then back up at Sophia. His eyes widen, shocked he replies, “Wait a minute… You’re Sophia Johnson? Alexander’s legal advisor?”
Sophia nods again and takes a sip of water, “Yes, I am.”
Momentarily speechless, Steven takes a gulp of his wine. The reality of the situation beginning to settle on him, “I had no idea… You’re even more… impressive in person.” The words stumble from Steven.
With a gracious smile, Sophia replies, Thank you, Steven. It’s always nice to exceed expectations.”
After the initial shock weans away from Steven, a different emotion take hold of him. He begins to worry about what such a formidable lawyer is intending to do with Alexander.
Sophia motions back to the contract. Yes, Mr. Stone has breached that contract,” Sophia confirms, irritation creeping into her reply.
“He has decided to withdraw all of his capital from Crimms’ bank, which happens to be my best friend Evelyn’s father’s company. And as you can see there, he has signed, agreeing not to cause any financial harm to any of my clients. He is going to bankrupt them.”
Steven finishes reading the contract, handing it back to Sophia. “I’m sorry, Ms. Johnson, but my hands are tied in this situation.”
“What do you mean? There is nothing you can do?” she implores, no longer attempting to hide her frustration. Exasperation washes over Sophia.
“Alexander’s actions are considered a normal business activity, and at this point, the decision to withdraw the deposits cannot be changed.” Steven gazes at Sophia, a sense of regret in his eyes.
Sophia lets out a weary sigh, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down. on her. She looks at Steven, her eyes pleading for a trace of hope.
“But,” Steven continues, his voice slightly softer, “I can tell you something. I do know that the decision to withdraw the money has nothing to do with Evelyn.”
Before Sophia can respond, Steven’s phone buzzes, interrupting their conversation. “Excuse me,” he states politely, stepping away from the table to answer the call. Sophia watches as he engages in a brief conversation.
Returning to the table, Steven addresses Sophia. “I apologize, Ms. Johnson, but that was actually your ex- husband on the phone. He is bringing a client to meet with me, and he is just a few minutes away from arriving.”
Sophia nods, understanding the situation and accepting that Alexander’s decision to withdraw the money cannot be changed. She rises from her seat, a mix of gratitude and disappointment evident on her face.
She extends her hand to Steven, shaking it firmly. “Thank you for your time and input. I genuinely appreciate it,” she says sincerely.
“As you can imagine, I have no desire to be here when Mr. Stone arrives, so I am going to leave.”
Steven reciprocates the handshake; his gaze filled with sympathy. “I understand. Take care, Ms. Johnson. If there’s anything else I can do to assist you, please don’t hesitate to reach out.’
Sophia offers a faint smile, grateful for his support. “I will keep that in mind. Goodbye, Mr. Mhyler.”
With that, Sophia swiftly makes her exit from the restaurant, her mind already racing with thoughts of what she can do next to protect Evelyn.
