Chapter 70 70
Corinne returned in the evening carrying clothes and a few essentials. Once she left, Sofía locked herself inside the restroom and showered quickly, scrubbing her skin as if she could wash away everything that had happened. She dressed in the clothes Corinne had brought a beautiful, shoulderless sundress that fell just below her knees.
She stood frozen in front of the mirror.
The purplish-blue bite mark on her neck glared back at her, vivid and unmistakable. A brand. A reminder. A scream of betrayal she couldn’t silence no matter how hard she tried.
Stepping out of the restroom, she moved toward the window.
The room faced the front of the estate. From where she stood, she could see people everywhere small houses scattered across the land, men patrolling the grounds, guards stationed near the distant main gate. Children ran across the gardens, laughing, while a few women watered plants as if this were any ordinary day.
All the houses were modest bungalows.
Except this one.
This place was massive a three-story mansion and she was locked on the top floor.
Escape through the window was impossible. Even if she tried, she’d be seen instantly.
And the worst part?
They were all like him.
Like the man who had murdered her parents.
The thought alone made her chest tighten painfully. And then another fear crept in slow, suffocating, merciless.
What if Fernando was connected to him?
What if all of this every step, every promise had been to bring her straight into the hands of that monster?
Her eyes burned as tears gathered, her gaze darting desperately around the room in search of a way out.
There was none.
That night, Corinne returned and placed food on the bedside table.
“C-Corinne,” Sofía whispered hesitantly.
Corinne turned instantly, eyes lighting up with hope. She must have thought Sofía was finally warming up to them.
“He’s keeping me here against my will,” Sofía said softly, voice trembling. “Please… help me escape.”
Corinne gasped, horror flashing across her face as she rushed forward and gently held Sofía’s arms.
“Has he hurt you?” she asked, shaken.
Sofía froze.
She saw it then real concern. Genuine fear for her.
If she lied… Corinne might help her.
But something inside her refused. Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to stain herself with a lie that heavy.
She wasn’t that person.
“No,” she said quietly, lowering her gaze.
Corinne exhaled slowly, then pulled her into a hug.
It felt… safe.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Sofía let herself cry. Corinne soothed her, urged her to eat, then eventually left her alone again.
Sofía lay on the bed for hours. The food remained untouched.
She wasn’t hungry.
Grief sat too heavy in her chest. Her tears refused to stop.
The room smelled like him his scent everywhere which told her everything she needed to know.
This was his room.
The dark décor. The luxury. The massive king-sized bed.
It all screamed ownership.
She didn’t sleep that night.
Fear kept her awake, convinced that at any moment he would walk through the door and do something terrible.
Morning came, but she was still staring at the ceiling.
Exhausted.
Broken.
Betrayed.
She stayed in bed for hours, unmoving, like a doll with its strings cut.
Corinne arrived with breakfast and immediately noticed the untouched dinner. She tried gently, patiently to get Sofía to eat something.
Sofía refused.
By afternoon, Corinne returned again this time with lunch and two other girls carrying bags and boxes.
They shut the door behind them and began unpacking.
Sofía watched, confused, until Corinne spoke.
“You need to get ready for the ceremony.”
Her brows knit together. “What ceremony?”
The two girls stared at her in disbelief, their eyes roaming over her with open admiration.
The black-haired one introduced herself as Jeanne. The blonde smiled brightly and said her name was Claire.
Before Sofía could ask a single question, Corinne grabbed her hand and practically dragged her into the restroom, ordering her to take a long, relaxing shower.
What followed felt unreal.
Waxing painful and relentless. When they asked about waxing intimate areas, she refused immediately. She kept herself clean, and besides, it was mortifying.
Then came manicures, pedicures, things she didn’t even recognize. Light makeup. Finally, they handed her a garment bag.
The dress inside was a long, elegant maxi flowing, modest, covering her completely except for her shoulders and neck.
They didn’t conceal the mark on her neck.
They curled her hair into soft waves.
When they finished, the three of them stepped back to admire their work.
Corinne let out a low whistle, like some shameless flirt.
“Alpha’s going to be whipped tonight,” she teased.
Sofía gasped, horrified.
All this time, she’d assumed hoped this meant he was taking her somewhere public, somewhere she might escape. As the girls worked, she’d been mentally mapping exits, searching for any chance to run.
“You have a gorgeous body,” Jeanne remarked casually.
“Please don’t lie,” Sofía murmured, eyes dropping. “I know I’m fat.”
All three girls gasped in unison.
“Darling, that’s not fat,” Claire said bluntly. “That’s thick.”
Sofía blinked. “What’s the difference?”
Claire grinned shamelessly. “Those big tits and that round ass? That’s thick. A perfect, voluptuous body people would kill for.”
Sofía shifted uncomfortably under her stare.
Jeanne smacked Claire upside the head. “Claire’s into women,” Corinne explained.
“Oh,” Sofía said faintly, still rattled.
They escorted her out of the mansion.
Nothing—nothing prepared her for what awaited.
Over a hundred people stood gathered before a stage. Her heart plummeted when her arrival was announced and loud cheers erupted.
Her breath stuttered.
Then her eyes met his.
Forest green.
Dark.
Hungry.
And in that instant, she knew whatever this ceremony was, there was no escaping it now.