Chapter 13
#13 “He is Going to Bankrupt Them.
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“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 takeplete responsibility for it, and I will fix it,” Sophia deres
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 toprehend 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 exims, 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’swyer. 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 aposed 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 hisposure, “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 ufortably in his seat, embarrassed by what he had thought..
Looking down at his ss 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 clienting in to meet meter.”
“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, cing 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 awyer? 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 formidablewyer 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’spany. 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 epting 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.