She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother

Chapter 435: False Smiles

"I don’t know if it’s true or not... but it seems like Pierce has gone missing."

The moment Danny said those words, Alex’s relaxed expression vanished. He turned his head toward him, his eyes narrowing slightly as his full attention shifted.

"What do you mean by missing?" he asked, confused.

Danny scratched the back of his head and replied,

"Well, I don’t know much since we’re just students... but this morning, the college officially announced Vice President Miranda Whitman as the new President. We thought they finally sacked Pierce. And honestly, both of us were really happy about it."

He paused for a second before continuing.

"But later in the day, we saw Marcus on a call. He looked really troubled. We were passing by and heard him say something like... ’How can he go missing just before the exams...’"

Alex didn’t respond immediately.

He leaned back against the pool wall, his gaze drifting as he fell into deep thought.

’If Pierce is really missing... then someone must have taken him out of the picture.’

’But who would do something like this... and why?’

’Blackwood University was extremely important to James and Catherine. It was one of their major sources of influence and control. Pierce had always been their man... loyal, useful, and deeply involved in their operations within the university.’

Alex’s mind quickly connected the recent events.

’Recently, The Steeles had betrayed James and Catherine and joined Richard’s group. And from what he knew, Pierce had always been close to Marcus. If Marcus was this disturbed from his disappearance, then it was very likely that Pierce had chosen to side with Richard.’

’So that’s why...’

A small, knowing smile appeared on Alex’s face as he muttered under his breath,

’Look like Catherine is really on a roll...’

But then, another thought suddenly appeared in Alex’s mind.

’If it was really Catherine and James who removed Pierce... then why would they make Miranda Whitman the new president?

She was James’s own wife. Putting her in that position didn’t make complete sense if they were the ones behind Pierce’s disappearance. There had to be more to it.’

Alex’s brows furrowed slightly as he thought about it.

From his little interaction with her, he knew Miranda was against Pierce and his recent corruption. She had never hidden her disapproval. But at the same time, Alex also knew that she loved him deeply.

"I hope they have some plan..." he muttered quietly to himself.

Hearing Alex mutter to himself, both Mike and Danny turned to look at him. They had been watching him quietly for a while as he stood there deep in thought.

Danny was the first to speak.

"What are you saying?" he asked.

Alex snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head.

"It’s not our problem whatever happened to him," he said calmly. "You guys shouldn’t worry about it."

Mike and Danny exchanged a quick glance before nodding.

"Yeah... It’s not our concern," Mike replied.

Danny shrugged and added, "You’re right. Let’s not think too much about it."

Then, trying to lighten the mood, Mike looked at Alex and said with a small grin,

"C’mon... Let’s swim. If you’re done relaxing."

***

Blackwood Cafeteria – Lunch Time Today

The group had gathered at their usual table in the college cafe. Marcus sat at the head of the table, with Tyler and Robert on either side of him. Jennifer sat across from them, while Sophia was seated right next to Marcus.

Today, the atmosphere at the table felt strangely different. Sophia seemed unusually lively. She was smiling brightly and talking sweetly, laughing more than usual as she engaged Marcus, Tyler, and Robert in conversation.

Her voice was soft and cheerful as she complimented them and asked about their day. It was as if a switch had suddenly been flipped inside her.

Jennifer watched her quietly from across the table.

’Something’s wrong... really wrong,’ she thought, her eyes narrowing slightly. Sophia’s sudden change in behavior didn’t sit right with her. She had known Sophia long enough to sense when something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

She glanced at Tyler and Robert. Both of them were looking at Sophia with subtle, knowing smiles, as if they were enjoying a private joke that no one else was in on. When they noticed Jennifer staring, they quickly looked away, as if they had been caught.

Sophia then turned her head and looked back at Jennifer, giving her a sweet smile.

’What is this bitch up to...?’ Jennifer wondered, irritation rising in her chest.

She was already feeling empty from not being able to see Alex for the entire week, and now this strange behavior from Sophia was only making her more annoyed.

Trying to shift the conversation, she looked at the group and asked,

"What do you guys think about Pierce?Why do you think he suddenly got sacked? Is it really just because of that case?"

The moment the question left her mouth, the atmosphere at the table changed.

Marcus’s face visibly fell. He leaned back in his chair, his expression darkening as he stared at the table.

He had planned so many things. He had spent days thinking about how he would deal with those bastards. He had even made plans to make sure they wouldn’t be able to appear for the finals.

But now, everything had fallen apart.

He couldn’t contact Pierce anymore.

It was as if the man had vanished into thin air... like he had never existed in the first place.

Seeing that no one was responding, Jennifer turned her gaze toward Sophia and asked,

"What do you think, Sophia? You must know a few things about this, right?"

Sophia slowly turned her head and stared at Jennifer for a few seconds. Her smile remained, but her eyes carried a quiet sharpness. Then, she let out a soft chuckle and replied in a sweet, almost innocent tone,

"Thank you for thinking too highly of me, Jennifer. But I’m really not involved in many of the decisions made by the family."

Sophia responded with a small smirk on her face.

’This bitch...’ Jennifer muttered in her mind. She wasn’t happy with Sophia’s response at all. She stared at her for a moment, clearly annoyed by how calm and composed Sophia looked.

After everything that happened last week, Jennifer had expected a completely different reaction from her.

She thought Sophia would throw a tantrum, ask questions, get emotional, or at least show some kind of distress.

But instead, all she was seeing was silence and calmness.

Suddenly, Marcus’s phone started ringing on the table.

He picked it up and glanced at the screen. The moment he saw the caller’s name, his expression changed slightly.

’Father...?’

’Why is he calling me right now?’ Marcus thought, his brows furrowing. ’He knows I’m in college at this time.’

A strange sense of urgency crept into his chest. Without wasting another second, he stood up from his chair.

"I need to take this," he said quickly to the group.

He didn’t wait for their response. He stepped away from the table and walked toward a quieter corner of the cafe before answering the call.

"Hello?"

His father’s sharp voice came through immediately.

"What was taking so long to pick up?"

Marcus frowned slightly and replied,

"What happened, Dad? You know I’m in college right now."

There was a short pause on the other end before his father spoke again, his tone serious.

"This is something more important than college," he said. "It’s about Pierce."

Marcus let out a small scoff.

"What about Pierce? That bastard got sacked and is now useless. He’s not even picking up my calls anymore."

His father’s next words made Marcus freeze in place.

"He’s gone missing."

Marcus’s eyes widened in shock.

"What?" he said, his voice rising slightly. "What do you mean? How can he go missing?"

Marcus was still trying to process what his father had just said when the older man continued in a firm tone.

"Listen to me carefully. Keep this matter to yourself. Don’t tell anyone... not even your friends. Go about your day normally, but from now on, you should not concern yourself with Pierce anymore."

Marcus frowned, still holding the phone tightly to his ear.

His father’s voice remained steady as he continued,

"From this moment, focus completely on that girl... Sophia."

Marcus’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"What? What do you mean, Dad?" he asked, his voice rising slightly. "She had become important once again? When I told you I loved her, you told me not to get involved. And now you’re telling me to focus on her again?"

There was a short pause on the other end before his father let out a small sigh.

"How can you be so idiot?" his father complained. "Look like the situation has once again changed completely..."

He stopped mid-sentence and let out a small sigh before continuing,

"Okay... Come home after college. Me and your mother will explain everything to you clearly."

Before Marcus could reply, the call was cut.

Marcus slowly lowered the phone from his ear, his brows furrowed in confusion and irritation.

He turned his head and looked back toward the table, only to find Sophia already staring at him with a calm, unreadable expression.