In the cozy study of the Aldridge Estate, sunlight poured through the windows, wrapping the room in a warm embrace. Gordon satfortably in his office chair, his crisp white shirt perfectly pressed and not a hair out of ce. He was lost in the pages of a book until the


    door flew open, and Sophie stormed in, demanding his attention.


    "Brother! Where were youst night?" she blurted out, her cheeks flushed with annoyance. She flopped onto the sofa next to him, letting her frustration spill out. "You wouldn''t believe how obnoxious that Colby is! How could Uncle Sean and Aunt Gwen have such a difficult son? If you''d been there, you would''ve had my back!"


    Gordon stayed silent, which only made Sophie more impatient. She turned to him, her voice tinged with exasperation. "I''ve been bullied, and you''re just sitting there? No reaction?"


    "I''m listening," Gordon said with a calm smile, closing his book. "Seems like you''ve taken quite a dislike to him."


    "Exactly! Colby is officially my least favorite person on the!" Sophie dered, crossing her arms. "Even Mom and Dad wouldn''t treat me like that. Who does he think he is?"


    Gordon chuckled softly. "Our little princess is developing quite the temper," he teased, giving the bell on his desk a tap to summon Rick for some tea.


    Rick soon arrived, cing a cup of tea in front of Sophie.


    "Thanks, Rick," Sophie said, offering a small smile.


    "Anytime," Rick replied, slipping back out of the room.


    Gordon''s smile widened. "If Colby really bothers you that much, I''ll have a word with him," he assured her.


    Sophie grinned mischievously. "You should toss him in the fountain and make him shout ''I apologize, mydy!'' a hundred times!" Just thinking of Colby''s smug face made her grit her teeth.  en


    "He''s the Costello heir, so we have to handle this carefully," Gordon reminded her gently, setting his teacup-down. "By the way, Harold mentioned you lost that bracelet I gave you."


    The mention of the bracelet made Sophie''s heart skip. She bit her lip, feeling guilty as she moved closer to Gordon.


    "Brother, I didn''t mean to lose it... Please forgive me," she pleaded, tugging on his sleeve.


    Still, Gordon said nothing, so Sophie crouched beside him and leaned in closer. "Listen, yesterday felt like I was possessed, doing things that made no sense. That bracelet was swapped by Nichole, remember her? I know I shouldn''t have ignored your advice or trusted outsiders, but..."


    She rambled until she noticed Gordon holding a sparkling diamond bracelet. Her eyes widened in surprise.


    "The bracelet? You had it all along?" she eximed, quickly taking it from him. The sunlight caught the ''M'' engraved on its end, confirming it was hers.


    Slipping it onto her wrist with a relieved smile, she said, "I thought it was really gone."


    "It was sold," Gordon replied with a hint of mystery.