Chapter 4 The Leader Of The Phillips Family

Inside his apartment downtown, Dominic unsent the message he had just sent. "I'm back."

He had witnessed Kaitlin's betrayal firsthand, leaving no room for denial.

The message no longer held any meaning, so he let it vanish into nothing.

Dwelling on things had never been his way.

Carrying that resolve, he rose and walked away from the apartment he had set aside for their future together.

...

By the following morning, when Kaitlin arrived at her office, a stylish middle-aged woman was already raising her hand against Khloe.

Instinct pushed her forward, and she threw herself in front of Khloe.

The crack of the blow rang through the room.

Instead of Khloe, Kaitlin took the sting of the slap across her cheek.

From a short distance away, Dominic hadn't imagined Kaitlin would shield his sister, and a flicker of softness crossed his eyes.

Without hesitation, he moved ahead to position himself in front of Kaitlin, his sharp gaze locking onto the middle-aged woman standing across from them.

"Looking for trouble, are you?" Tatiana Murphy, Cathryn's mother, regarded him with open disdain, clearly not taking him seriously.

To her, Khloe's brother was nothing more than a man with some money, hardly someone who could stir up real problems.

Dragging Cathryn toward the sofa, she took her seat and let her eyes slide past Dominic, settling squarely on Kaitlin.

She let out a sharp click of her tongue and shot a mocking smirk at the woman across from her. "You are Ms. Watson, aren't you? I expected someone remarkable, but it turns out you're just a naive little girl who looks like she hasn't even grown up yet."

Next, she addressed the principal, making her warning unmistakable. "Sort this out, or my husband will make sure your funding dries up. I expect this to be handled properly."

The principal's nerves were shot.

His entire career had led to this school, so the thought of everything collapsing over one incident terrified him.

He had to think fast. Clearing his throat, he spoke up. "Ms. Watson, maybe this school just isn't right for you. Have you thought about stepping down? And you, Miss Phillips, you're such a talented student. You could succeed anywhere. Maybe you should consider transferring..."

A cold stare from Dominic cut him off immediately.

For the first time, the principal actually took a good look at Dominic. Something about the young man seemed strangely familiar.

It finally clicked.

He had spotted the head of the Phillips family in financial magazines, and now he realized the resemblance.

The realization sent a chill down his spine.

He was in way over his head.

He had accidentally crossed the Phillips family's leader.

Wildly gesturing to Tatiana, he hoped she'd pick up on his panic. Instead, she kept going, rattling on about how important the Murphy family was.

"I'm not trying to be difficult," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "How about this? If the siblings and Ms. Watson get down on their knees and apologize to my daughter, we'll drop the matter."

That set Khloe off, and she was ready to snap back when Dominic calmly stopped her.

Without another word, Dominic pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

A chill crept into his tone as he spoke. "End all business relations with the Murphy Group immediately. Notify every company in the industry that anyone who decides to collaborate with them will face identical consequences."

Tatiana stared at him in disbelief, then let out a booming laugh. "Seriously? Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? The Murphy family has been influential in Qaumond for years. A small-time businessman like you can't threaten us."

She was still chuckling when her phone vibrated with an urgent call.

As she picked up, an enraged voice burst through the line. "Do you realize what you've done? Why has the Phillips Group suddenly pushed for an industry-wide blockade against us?"

The news left Tatiana speechless.

Nothing made sense.

The Phillips Group's involvement was impossible.

Suddenly, she remembered her daughter had said the girl she had gotten into a fight with was named Phillips.

Was it possible that this man was Dominic Phillips-the notorious and powerful leader of the Phillips family the entire city whispered about?