Chapter 133: Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Three

A cold shiver ran through me.

I didn't know who was more ruthless between the two of them.

Theo, with his sharp mind, deadly precision, and the kind of power that made people bow without him having to ask?

Or Thomas, with his twisted obsession, his ability to turn love into possession, and the way he wielded the past like a weapon?

God.

Mrs. Rodriguez really got unlucky.

Satan must have been doing a buy one, get one free deal the day they entered her womb.

I forced my voice to stay steady, despite the terror thrumming beneath my skin. "None."

Thomas stilled. His fingers, still tangled in my hair, tightened-just enough for me to feel the warning in his grip.

"None?" he echoed, his voice eerily calm.

I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes locked on his. "Neither of you win." My voice wavered, but I pushed through. "Because I'm not some prize to be fought over."

His jaw clenched. His eyes, dark and unreadable, studied me like I was an equation he couldn't quite solve. Then, suddenly, his grip in my hair loosened, and he let out a quiet chuckle.

"You're feisty," he murmured, leaning back slightly. "I always loved that about you." His fingers traced along my jaw, slow and deliberate. "It makes the game more fun."

I jerked my head away from his touch, my heart pounding. "This isn't a game."

His smile didn't falter. "Oh, but it is, my love." He tilted his head, amusement flickering in his gaze. "And the best part? You don't even know all the players yet."

Thomas's fingers tapped lazily against my jaw, his touch light, almost absentminded. But there was nothing absent about the way he was watching me.

Like a predator waiting to see how long its prey would struggle before it finally gave in.

"She gave birth to me," he murmured, his tone almost thoughtful. "But she never wanted me."

A lump formed in my throat. "What do you mean?"

His gaze darkened. "I was two when they abandoned me."

My breath hitched.

"My father," he continued, voice void of emotion, "decided I wasn't right-not good enough to carry his name. My mother agreed." His lips curled, but there was no humor in it. "They thought I had autism. Thought I'd be a stain on their perfect empire. And you know what people like them do with things they see as stains?"

He leaned in, his breath brushing against my cheek.

"They get rid of them."

I stared at him, unable to breathe.

"They left me with nothing," he whispered. "Dumped me like I was trash." His fingers trailed down my arm, slow, deliberate. "But someone found me. Someone raised me. Someone made me into something better than the boy they threw away."

A flicker of memory hit me.

High school.

The stolen moments. The way he clung to me, the way he looked at me like I was the only real thing in his world.

He had nothing back then. No name, no family. Just… me.

My stomach twisted.

He remembered, too. I could see it in the way his eyes softened, just for a second. But then it was gone, replaced with something darker.

"You were mine before, Sofia," he said, his voice like silk over steel. "And now, I've come back to take back what's rightfully mine."

I shook my head. "You-"

"The Rodriguez Empire," he cut in smoothly. "Theo thinks it's his." A low chuckle slipped past his lips. "Poor bastard doesn't even realize he's been living a lie his whole life." His eyes gleamed. "I am the true heir."

My heart pounded against my ribs.

He wasn't just here for revenge.

He was here to take everything.

Everything Theo owned.

His family. His empire. Me.

I yanked at my restraints, my breath coming in sharp gasps. "You're insane-"

Thomas grabbed my chin, tilting my head up until our eyes met. "Don't worry about the child," he murmured, his voice deceptively gentle. "I'll raise it like my own." His thumb brushed against my cheek. "After all, Theo never even wanted it, did he?"

My chest tightened. My breathing turned shallow as I forced myself to meet his gaze.

"Theo doesn't know," I whispered.

Thomas stilled. His fingers remained against my skin, but his expression shifted-just slightly. A flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes before he let out a quiet hum.

"Doesn't know?" he repeated, his voice eerily calm.

I swallowed hard. "He doesn't know about the baby."

A beat of silence.

Then, Thomas let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Of course, he doesn't." His thumb trailed lazily over my cheekbone. "That bastard never pays attention to what he has… until it's already gone."

I clenched my jaw. "You're wrong about him."

Thomas arched a brow, amusement dancing in his gaze. "Am I?" He tilted his head slightly, studying me like I was an equation he couldn't quite solve. "Tell me, Sofia. If he truly cared, why didn't you tell him?"

I sucked in a sharp breath.

His smile widened. "You didn't trust him enough, did you?"

My stomach twisted.

It wasn't like that. It wasn't.

But the words stuck in my throat.

Thomas leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You and I both know the truth, sweetheart." His breath was warm against my skin. "He doesn't deserve you. He never did."

I jerked my head away, my wrists straining against the restraints. "And you do?" My voice shook, but I didn't care.

His eyes darkened. "I always have."

I let out a harsh laugh. "By kidnapping me? By forcing me to stay?"

Thomas sighed, shaking his head like I was being unreasonable. "Tell me, Sofia," he murmured, his fingers tracing a slow line down my jaw, "what's the difference between what I'm doing now and what Theo did to you?"

A sharp chill ran through me.

I glared at him. "Theo never kidnapped me."

His lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "No? Then what do you call it when a man traps a woman in a life she never wanted?"

I sucked in a breath.

"He put a ring on your finger," Thomas continued, his voice like silk, smooth and unyielding. "Called you his wife. Made sure you could never leave." His fingers tightened, not enough to hurt, but enough to make sure I was listening. "The only difference is that he did it with a contract and a ceremony. I just cut out the unnecessary parts."