Chapter 10:

Chapter 10:
Chapter 10

SOPHIA

Damn it. I wasn’t expecting to find him here. I’m not ready to face him yet, not after what I found out.

“Hello, sweetheart…” he says, his expression a mix of surprise and confusion.

And that’s when it all hits me.

Fuck! Him and Julia… No, it can’t be. Salvatore really is a sick, disgusting psychopath.

What the hell is wrong with him? Is he following me all the way here? Pretending to be a professor… is he capable of that too?

“I guess you’re as surprised as I am, huh?”

He still doesn’t know I found out everything, which means, right now, I have the advantage. Maybe that gives me a chance to get back at him.

All this time during our arrangement, he went out of his way to hide everything about himself. And I was so stupid for never bothering to dig into anything about my fake husband. But despite my anger, I have to play it carefully.

“I didn’t know you had a thing for married women. Do you like playing with them?” I force a smile, feeling hatred boiling inside me.

How could I have been so blind? How could I let myself fall for someone so twisted?

“What?” he asks, genuinely confused.

“Nothing. Forget it. I just need you to sign this.” I step closer and place the document on the desk.

“Sit down.”

“I only came for your signature.”

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“Stop calling me that. Just sign it, will you?”

Fuck, get a grip, Sophia. Don’t let your anger ruin everything.

“I’ll sign it, but first I want you to tell me why you’re acting like this.”

“For no reason. I have to go now, you can hand that in yourself.” I turn to leave.

“Wait… We can talk after class, I made a reservation at a restaurant—”

“What the hell is wrong with you? Do you get off on messing with women?” I snap through clenched teeth, unable to hold back.

“I don’t understand…”

The confused look on his face might have been convincing if I didn’t know the truth.

“You don’t? Then let me spell it out for you…” I take a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “I am a married woman who loves her husband. So forget I exist and don’t ever come near me again.” I say it with a sarcastic smile.

“Is this some kind of joke?” He gets to his feet.

“Goodbye!” I spin toward the door.

“Sophia…” he calls after me, trying to stop me as I step through, but I slam the door behind me and practically run down the hallway.

I text Chloe, telling her I’m leaving and begging her to cover for me.

I feel so stupid and naïve for being used and deceived for so long. And the worst part is I still don’t know why the bastard is doing this. What the hell does he want from me?

Fuck. Just thinking that I was about to give myself to him like some idiot, that I was actually falling for a fucking psychopath, makes me sick.

My feelings and my head are such a mess I just want to crawl out of my own skin. I’m furious. I hate him. I hate myself.

I need to find some explanation for all of this or I’ll lose my mind. Why did my parents want me to marry a man this twisted? None of this makes sense. And the more I think, the more it all blurs together.

Alone in my car, every emotion crashes into me at once. I can’t hold it back. Tears start running down my face. Tears of anger. Tears of pain.

As much as I hate to admit it, I really was falling for Salvatore. And the pain tearing through me now is proof of it.

It’s hard to process that everything between us was a lie. Especially because after so long, I had finally decided to try opening up to someone again.

And now finding out I was being used, that none of it was real, is breaking me apart.

I just want to forget it all, even if just for a while. I don’t want to believe my life is doomed to nothing but tragedy.

I want to run. I want out of my own head, my own skin, for just a few hours before I have to face this for real.

And I know only one way to do that: alcohol. Wiping the tears from my face, I start the car.

✽

It’s been a long time since I really drank. And tonight, I plan to drink until I forget every single one of my problems.

After stopping home, showering, and slipping into an almost indecent dress, I drive to a bar Chloe recommended a while ago.

The place is upscale, classy, which makes me wonder why I didn’t just walk into the first dive I found on the way.

I’m not here to meet anyone, much less to dance. I just want to drink until I forget my own name. So why the hell did I come here?

Fine. This place will have to do, even if I end up paying a fortune for a few drinks.

I take a seat at the bar, and the bartender comes over almost immediately.

He’s dark-haired, neatly trimmed beard, warm brown eyes.

“Good evening. What can I get you?” he asks with a wide smile.

“The strongest drink you’ve got,” I say, not even bothering to smile back.

“Rough day?”

“Rough life.”

“I get it.”

“I doubt that.”

“All right, a whiskey then?”

“Yes. Bring the bottle.”

As I drink, every memory of Salvatore comes rushing back to torment me, fueling my rage.

I drink until that rage turns into a heavy pressure in my chest, one so sharp it’s almost suffocating.

At some point, I think I’m about to break down and cry in front of everyone. So I force myself to focus on planning revenge instead, on piecing together the puzzle.

But the alcohol finally hits, making it impossible to hold onto any plan at all.

All I can think now is how much I want to tell that man the ugliest things I can. For using me. For playing with my feelings.

I want to demand to know what he wants from me, why he did this. Once again, I’m on the verge of falling apart.

Shit. I can’t cry in front of all these people. I stand, a little unsteady. I need to find the bathroom.

My vision is already starting to blur, but I manage to make it there, fighting back the tears.

Inside, I lock myself in one of the stalls and finally let them fall, praying all of this is just a nightmare.

DARIO

After making sure everyone involved in the incident with Sophia is dead and that she won’t be hunted anymore, I told Velan to pull any surveillance off her. But right now, I regret that decision.

Because now I don’t know if she’s safe or where she is. And despite the mountain of work and business waiting for me, I can’t focus on a damn thing after the way she left me earlier.

She has me completely thrown off. I really thought we were doing well. The Sophia who walked into my office earlier didn’t seem like the same woman I left in her apartment when we got back from the trip.

I tried calling her after she left the university, but apparently, she’s decided to ignore my calls too. So when her name flashes on the screen late at night, it catches me off guard.

“Sophia?” The silence on the other end has me on edge. “Tell me what happened, sweetheart. Why are you acting like this?”

“You really are a bastard.”

She’s crying? Fuck.

“Sophia, tell me where you are right now.”

“A bastard… a sick, disgusting psychopath.”

Shit. She’s drunk too.

“Just tell me where you are.”

“Why are you doing this?”

Hearing her cry sends a strange ache through my chest.

“Sweetheart, I don’t know what you think you found out, but I need you to tell me where you are.”

“I already know the whole truth.”

The truth? Fuck. What the hell is she talking about?

“And the worst part… is that besides being a lying piece of shit, you also fuck married professors.”

What the fuck? None of this makes any sense. Why the hell is she saying that? It doesn’t matter right now. I need to focus on finding her.

“I was so stupid…”

“Sophia, please. Tell me where you are. Now.”

“No! I never want to see you again, you son of a bitch!” she screams before hanging up.

Fuck!

“Velan!” I roar, knowing the whole damn house hears me.

Velan steps into my office a second later.

“Yes, sir?”

“I want to know where Sophia is. Now!”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get a car and a security team ready to leave in five minutes.”

“As you wish, sir.” She nods and bolts.

Minutes later, my team tracks Sophia down to a bar. On the way, I make sure the local security keeps her safe and that no one lays a hand on her until I get there.

With every passing second, my irritation builds. Even though I’m worried about Sophia, she doesn’t seem to be in danger, and I still have no idea why she’s this furious with me. I need to find out what the hell is going on.

When I get there, it’s not hard to spot her. She’s sitting at the bar, alone. I move in quickly, my men at my back. But as I get closer, I signal them to hang back. I don’t want to spook her.

“Sophia?” I call, stopping just behind her.

Her shoulders tense before she slowly turns and gets to her feet, a little unsteady.

Her makeup is smudged around her eyes, but she’s still fucking beautiful. She’s in a tight red dress hugging every curve, and my cock reacts instantly.

Before I can get another word out, her hand cracks across my face with a slap so hard it stings.

Fuck.