I Ctrl+Alt+Deleted My Ex and Ctrl+C'd His Uncle novel Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

“If you can’t do it,” Marcus said, his tone chilling and his eyes narrowing with an intensity that could cut glass, “you know very well what the consequences will be.”

His gaze lingered ominously on her midsection, and Sophie felt a wave of instinctive protectiveness wash over her. She instinctively wrapped her arms around her belly, as if to shield the life growing within her from the harshness of his words.

“I’ll do it. I promise I’ll sever ties with him. I’ll call off the engagement,” she replied, her voice trembling yet resolute.

“Good,” he said, the word dripping with satisfaction.

Without another moment’s hesitation, she nearly fled the office, her heart pounding in her chest like a wild drum.

When the elevator doors slid open, she was met with an unexpected sight: Liam stood there, his presence both familiar and daunting.

“Sophie? What are you doing here?” he asked, a hint of confusion clouding his features.

She froze like a deer caught in headlights, her mind racing to fabricate a believable excuse.

“My dad’s interested in that West River land,” she blurted out, the words tumbling from her lips before she could think them through. “I came to ask about it.”

Liam’s keen eyes scrutinized her face, and she could feel the weight of his suspicion pressing down on her.

Could it be that the results of the paternity test had come back?

But he quickly masked his concern with a charming smile, his demeanor shifting as he leaned closer. “You could’ve just told me if you wanted to see my uncle. Now that we’re engaged, he’s your uncle too.”

Her stomach twisted painfully at the mention of their engagement. With the baby nestled inside her, the words felt like a betrayal she couldn’t utter.

“Don’t you have work to do? I’m heading out,” she said hurriedly, stepping into the elevator before he could probe further.

“Yes,” Liam replied, a lie tasting bitter on his tongue, guilt gnawing at him from the inside.

“Do it over,” Marcus commanded, his voice devoid of any warmth as he tossed the drawings back onto the desk. “Do you honestly think this garbage could pass for Liora’s work?”

Liam’s face hardened as he picked up the papers, his heart sinking.

The designer he had hired had poured their effort into the project, but Marcus had seen through it in mere moments, his discerning eye catching every flaw.

There was only one path left to take: he would have to compel Sophie to create the designs herself.

Upon returning to the Chandler home, Sophie barely crossed the threshold when she was met with the sound of her father’s furious voice echoing through the house, his frustration palpable even from a distance.

“What do you mean it’s all gone?! We lost everything, millions, just like that?!”