Chapter 2 - The Lion’s Awakening
Alexander didn't yell. He didn't swear.
Instead, a terrifying, absolute silence settled over him as he gently touched the edge of Sofia’s swollen cheek. His hands, which usually signed billion-dollar energy contracts, were trembling with a mixture of profound grief and lethally cold rage.
"Who did this to you, Sofia?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Carmen," Sofia sobbed, pressing her face into her father's chest. "And Javier... he stood outside the door, Dad. He told her not to hit me in the face so people wouldn't notice."
Alexander closed his eyes for three seconds. When he opened them, the sorrow was gone. In its place was the cold, calculating gaze of a man who had built a Texas oil and real estate empire by systematically dismantling anyone who stood in his way.
He stood up, looking at me for the first time in a decade. "Elena, call Dr. Sterling. Have him bring a private mobile forensic unit here immediately. I want every scratch, every bruise, and every fingerprint on our daughter documented, cataloged, and legally certified."
"What are you going to do, Alexander?" I asked, my heart pounding.
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"I'm going to remind the Robles family why people pray they never cross an international developer," Alexander said smoothly. He pulled out his phone and speed-dialed a number. "Marcus? Wake up the entire legal division. I want an immediate freeze on the Uptown Dallas condo deed. Then, contact the state bar association. I want a formal character and fitness investigation launched against Javier Robles. By sunrise, I want him unable to practice law in the state of Texas."
He looked back down at Sofia, his expression softening just a fraction. "Nobody hurts my daughter and gets to keep their lifestyle. Nobody."
