The sun was dipping low when Sofia finally walked her friends out.
June adjusted her bag, her expression still twisted with rage and scheme from the afternoon disaster.
Elisa's jaw clenched tight as she replayed the humiliation and the social media trolls in her head what felt like millionth time.
Sofia's arms were crossed, her posture screaming that she was still furious, still plotting to slip the crown out of Louis's stubborn head.
Across the lane, the Astor mansion gates opened at the same time. Out stepped Louis with that smug swagger, Sam with his usual unreadable face and stoic demeanour, and Jack trailing behind them, looking as if he wanted no part of the ongoing feud.
For a moment, the street turned into a battlefield.
Three girls on one side. Three boys on the other.
Elisa's glare locked on Sam, who shoved his hands in his pockets and didn't even blink.
June tried burning Jack alive with her eyes, but Jack just shook his head with an exasperated sigh, as if saying, "Grow up, June."
And Sofia? She had her chin high, lips curled in disdain, as she aimed her fiercest glare at Louis Astor.
Louis didn't glare back. He smirked. That insufferable smirk that made Sofia's blood pressure skyrocket.
Neither side said a word. The silence was louder than any shouting match. A neighbor's curtain twitched, a faint gasp cutting through the still air.
Then, with synchronized disdain, the girls turned their backs and marched away, heels clicking like war drums. The boys, just as deliberate, sauntered off with low chuckles.
The air remained tense even after they were gone.
It wasn't just rivalry anymore. It was war.
Later that evening, Sofia carried a silver bowl of food toward the kennels at the back of her mansion. The scent of warm chicken wafted up, and her golden retriever, Luna, wagged her tail happily, barking at the promise of dinner. The kennel gate creaked as she approached, the evening breeze rustling the nearby bushes,"My dear luna ... here is your foo—"
But then… her eyes widened.
Another dog was there. Not just any dog. Astor's dog.
A sleek golden retriever, named Honey (Louis's naming skills would lose to a toddler's). But the name wasn't important.
The dog was sniffing Luna's neck and prancing around like it owned the place.
Luna tilted her head, letting out a confused bark that echoed off the mansion walls.
Sofia's blood boiled.
"How. Dare. You."
The Roosevelt pride inside her roared. She slammed the food bowl down, the clatter ringing out, and grabbed the trespasser by the collar, yanking firmly not hard enough to hurt it.
"You picked the wrong yard to invade, mutt!"
Ignoring Luna's confused barks, Sofia stormed toward the gates, dragging Honey along like it was a piece of criminal evidence.
The guards at the Roosevelt gate exchanged wide-eyed looks, one whispering, "Oh no, not again," as she strode past. She crossed the street straight into the Astor mansion, her heels clicking with purpose.
The Astor guards immediately blocked her way.
"Miss Roosevelt, you can't—"
"Can't what?" she snapped, raising a brow.
"Step into the Astor mansion? Funny, I didn't see you saying 'can't' when this dog trespassed into my house."
The guards exchanged nervous looks. "That's different, miss—"
"Oh really?" she cut him off, tugging the leash. "This dog didn't ask for permission before barging into Roosevelt property. So if your family's pet gets a free pass, so do I."
The butlers, hearing the commotion, rushed in.
"Miss Roosevelt, please, there's no need to—"
"There's every need!" Sofia roared, her voice echoing through the hall. "The Astors think they can throw water, mock us, and now even send their animals to trespass? Not happening on my watch."
The poor Honey whimpered, clearly regretting its adventurous detour. Its tail drooped, brushing the polished floor with a soft thud.
The shouting reached its peak when suddenly… silence fell.
Every guard, every butler froze mid-step.
From the grand staircase, a figure descended with quiet authority.
Elegant, poised, draped in a flowing silk gown that whispered power with every movement.
The faint scent of jasmine perfume filled the air as she moved. Her expression was unreadable, yet her eyes were sharp enough to slice through steel.
Louis's mother.
Sofia's grip tightened on the dog's collar. She straightened her posture, refusing to be cowed, even as the air in the hall grew heavy under the woman's presence.
The butlers stepped back, bowing slightly. The guards lowered their heads. Honey froze, ears flat.
And then, there it was—an unflinching eye-to-eye clash.
The proud Roosevelt heiress vs. the reigning queen of the Astor household.
Neither blinked. Neither moved. The silence stretched until even the ticking clock on the wall felt deafening. A guard shuffled nervously, the sound breaking the stillness like a gunshot.
For the first time in her life, Sofia Roosevelt wasn't facing Louis's smirk or Sam's stoic indifference. She was standing against someone older, sharper, and infinitely more dangerous.
And yet—Sofia didn't lower her gaze.
Louis's mom tilted her head ever so slightly, a faint smirk tugging at her lips as if she'd already won. Sofia's fingers twitched, her mind racing with a plan to turn this standoff into her victory.
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PLEASE SUPPORT,
WITH ANGER,
SOFIA ROOSEVELT 😤
WITH CONFUSION HONEY,
BOW! BOW! BBOOW!