You're Not in a Position to Lecture Me

"Mom, what do we do? We can't let her live with Grandpa!" Sophia asked anxiously.

"What do you mean, 'what do we do'? I should be asking you! If you hadn't stolen that photo and made a scene, how would you have been humiliated? You were supposed to apologize today, not throw punches!" Madeline shot back, visibly angry at her daughter's actions.

"I couldn't stand her arrogance, okay? She's practically walking all over us, and now Grandpa's taking her side. What if he gives her some of the shares? Do you know how much money we'd lose? I didn't mean to, Mom. Can you please not be mad?" Sophia pleaded, her voice tinged with tears.

Seeing her daughter kneeling on the ground, Madeline's heart softened. "Sophia, hang in there a bit longer. I'll call your brother to come back and plead with Grandpa."

"Then go, call him back. I don't want to be kneeling here like some joke," Sophia said, still crying.

Madeline hurried back to the villa and called Maxwell, who was at his office. Seeing his moth