CHAPTER 4 Ready for Battle

　　The woman was no one but was Vanessa who almost died in the car accident a year ago.

　　After the second car accident, she was lucky enough to retrieve her memory. Her true identity was Sophia Blake, the legal heiress of Blake family.

　　And now she was ready to take over the multi billion-dollar corporation that had been built and maintained by her family from generation to generation.

　　Sophia Blake strutted out of the airport, flipping her hair and turning up her nose at the hot weather.

　　The sun shone down mercilessly as she tapped her heeled foot, waiting impatiently for the car that was supposed to pick her – the car that should have arrived fifteen minutes prior to her landing. She huffed again.

　　Just then, a black bulletproof Benz pulled up in front of her. a young man dressed in a designer suit stepped out, wearing a wide grin and a pair of wire-framed glasses behind which mischievous blue eyes shone.

　　"Sister," he began, opening his arms wide for a hug, "I am so sorry for the delay." She swatted his arms away, but he was not deterred. Instead, he grinned wider.

　　Eagerly, he opened the back door of the car for her to step in. Gracefully, she sat down on the plush leather seat and swung her feet in before slamming the door shut. She let out a sigh.

　　Her bodyguard, who stood stoically silent behind her all along entered into the front passenger seat, and the car revved, tearing out of the airport premises.

　　Sophia glanced back through the windshield, satisfied to see that her other security escorts were not far behind.

　　She finally allowed herself to relax, and scold the still grinning young man, her cousin, Gerald.

　　Gerald met her ice-blue eyes through the rear-view mirror and his bright smile waned before stabilising again, "I am very sorry for delaying you, sister. I truly am,"

　　Navigating a curve, he continued, "But you know how the city is, traffic every day, and business calls to attend to. After all, I was preparing for your arrival and takeover."

　　Sophia's eyes still stared daggers at him from the back seat. Sighing, she chose to study him instead.

　　He never failed to marvel her. High cheekbones, square jaw, full lips and bright blue eyes gave him a handsome, charming look. His slender fingers curled around the steering wheels looked neat, manicured and capable. She tutted.

　　"So much looks, charm and training wasted on someone who won't take his life as seriously as he should," she muttered. Gerald pouted, meeting her eyes once again through the mirror.

　　"Come on, Sis, I already said I was sorry. What else did I do?"

　　"Indeed. If I were telling a lie, why was I called down here to take control of the company?"

　　"We're having some… challenges and Grandma, stubborn yet insightful old woman that she is, thinks that you can have a better grasp of the situation and handle it better. I have no objections. After all, what a man can do, a woman can do better," he finished with a cheeky grin.

　　That didn't fail to bring a smile to her lips, "Really? You don't say."

　　Gerald smiled wider at seeing her small smile. At least she was smiling now, he thought.

　　When he finally found Sophia six months ago, she almost died in the horrible car accident.

　　She hadn’t smiled since the day she woke up in the Emergency section of a hospital. And she kept silent about the events during her disappearance.

　　Another train of thought, vastly different from Gerald's, ran through Sophia's mind, and everything boiled down to one word: Revenge.

　　Revenge against the man whom she thought she loved, but took advantage of her love and sold her cheaply to another man so he could marry his first love. Joe Warren.

　　She clenched her fist, her French manicured-nails digging into her palm. Soon, she vowed, very soon.

　　A question from Gerald brought her out of her reverie. She unclenched her fist and looked down at her palms. There were half crescent moons on them, dug by her nails.

　　"café?"

　　She shook her head, confused, "Sorry? Repeat the question please, I didn't quite get that."

　　"I said, would you like me to make a detour to the café? You didn't have anything on the plane, but coffee should hold you up until after the meeting."

　　Sophia wrinkled her nose, "Italian Espresso, please,"

　　"As you wish." her cousin answered.

　　As she sipped her coffee, her mind went back to that night. When it all happened. She knew she was a little dizzy and out of it when it happened, but Sophia could never forget the feel of the mystery man's lips on hers.

　　The ways that those lips and his expert fingers skimmed her body, playing it like a fiddle, her moans and breathes the song.

　　The way his strong, muscular body slid over hers, taking, using and pleasuring her like no one has ever done. And the way he breathed endearments into her ear when he was done, stroking her hair and her damp body slick with sweat.

　　Her heart clenched painfully, and she rubbed her hand against her chest, trying to soothe the ache. She did not even know his name.

　　Tears burned hot behind her eyes, but she blinked them away, steeling herself for what is to come. Her car finally pulled up in front of a large glass building, emblazoned with the words, ‘Blake-Peterson Group of Companies'.

　　Her bodyguard stepped out of the car and opened the door for her. She stepped out elegantly, putting on her pair of designer sunglasses again. First, she thought, I have to rescue my company.

　　Sophia Blake walked through the front doors, ready for battle.