Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
SOPHIA
“I think we should take it slow,” I finally say.
“Why?”
“I don’t know… it’s just intuition.”
✽
The next morning, Salvatore knocks on my door. I can’t help but wonder if his night was as restless as mine after our little incident on the floor. It was nearly impossible to sleep when all I wanted was to feel his hands on me.
“Good morning, docinho,” he says when I open the door, his face carrying a serious expression.
“Good morning! Is everything okay?”
“No. It’s not. Unfortunately, I have to go back to New York sooner than expected.”
“What happened?”
“Something urgent at work.”
Another vague answer. I nod.
“What time are we leaving?”
The clothes he’s wearing tell me he’s already ready to go.
“No. You should stay, enjoy the rest of the day with Chloe.”
“I’d rather go back with you.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“It sounds like you don’t want my company. Be honest, does this have anything to do with what happened yesterday?”
“How could you think that? Do you really believe I’d pass up the chance to spend even a single second with you?”
“You’re not upset?”
“You’ve got it all wrong, docinho. The harder the challenge, the sweeter the taste of victory.”
“And that means…?”
“I’m not giving up that easily.”
He steps forward, closing the distance between us. His hands cup my face as he leans in to kiss me, reigniting my desire.
His confident tongue dominates mine, leading the kiss—hot and deep—leaving me breathless. His hands slide down to my hips.
“I’m already missing you,” he murmurs, pressing me against his body.
“I’m not staying. Give me five minutes, and I’ll be ready.”
“You stubborn girl.”
“You should be happy. You’ll get to enjoy my company a little longer.”
He smiles, shaking his head.
“You’re right. Do you need help?”
“Thanks, but I think I can manage.”
✽
Chloe and Stephan decide to stay and enjoy the rest of the weekend in Hawaii.
So Salvatore and I return alone, which gives us the chance to savor the trip back.
It’s almost impossible to keep my clothes on when all I want is to let him tear them off while we kiss and touch each other.
Salvatore insists on taking me all the way to my apartment when we land in New York. I say goodbye with a kiss before stepping inside.
A kiss that leaves me aching to be with him again.
Alone in my apartment, I realize my attempt to take things slow only made me even more drawn to him, turning my desire urgent.
Even though I’m still intrigued by the mysteries surrounding him, I’m willing to try.
Even if he seems like a man full of secrets, I want to get closer to him and uncover every single one. Whatever it is I’m starting to feel for Salvatore, it won’t let me walk away now. I want to explore it.
And I think the first step is to free myself from my fake marriage. I need to talk to Dario and settle this once and for all.
Since Joseph and his grandson haven’t given me any answers, I’ll contact the attorney directly.
✽
The next day, I get an email back from Andrea, Dario’s lawyer.
I’m surprised not only by how quickly he responded but also by the fact that the email already comes with the divorce agreement ready to be signed.
I can barely believe I’ll finally be free of Dario.
When I finish reading, I notice a link in the body of the email—probably sent by mistake. I click it out of pure curiosity.
The link opens an external file and, on the first page, are all my personal details and a photo of me. Nothing unusual so far.
I scroll to the second page and when I see what’s there, my blood runs cold.
This can’t be real.
I blink, making sure I’m not imagining things.
There’s a photo of Salvatore, and right below it, the name reads Dario.
All the other fields are blank, unlike the previous page that contained all my information. My hands tremble as I try to make sense of what I’m seeing. It has to be some mistake.
Salvatore can’t be the man I’m married to. He can’t be Dario. Can he?
No. No. This can’t be happening. It has to be some kind of sick joke.
But if it’s true… it means Salvatore has been deceiving me all along.
But why? None of this makes sense. It has to be a mistake.
I need to be sure. I start typing a new email to Andrea, asking if that photo is really Dario and if he knows who I am, if he has access to this information about me.
It’s nearly impossible to work for the rest of the day while I wait for his response. A thousand theories spin through my head, but the worst of them all is that Salvatore—or Dario, whatever his real name is—planned everything.
That he knew exactly who I was and devised a plan to get close to me.
It’s the only explanation, and yet it still doesn’t make sense. There’s no motive that could justify this.
Andrea’s reply comes late in the afternoon.
He confirms everything: the photo is Dario’s and he has access to all my information, including images. He also informs me that Dario himself investigated me before closing the agreement.
It’s all true. Salvatore orchestrated everything to get close to me.
But why? What are his intentions? What does he want from me? Money? That seems like the only explanation.
I can’t believe he pretended to care about me all this time.
It’s terrifying.
He was capable of faking being hunted just to approach me?
My intuition was right from the start. He’s nothing but a psychopath.
I knew something was wrong with him. The vague answers. The secrets. Now everything falls into place.
✽
A few years ago, after Chloe and I graduated, we volunteered to join the university’s program as assistants to the professors.
At first, the idea attracted me because I couldn’t work in the field I had studied since I had to be at the company.
But now I’m not sure if it’s worth continuing to do this. Even though it’s only for a few days, my mind is in chaos, and running through the corridors, helping professors, and working on lesson plans and records is leaving me irritated and exhausted. I already have too much to deal with.
At the moment, I need to find the new substitute professor to get his signature since the regular professor is sick.
What an irony, serving as an assistant when I have my own company to manage.
I stop in front of the door to the office the substitute professors usually use and am just about to knock when a sound makes me freeze. It sounds like a moan.
No way. A few seconds pass, and I hear the sound again. God! It’s definitely a moan, and it sounds like it’s coming from a woman. I press my ear closer to the door. The sound becomes clearer.
Shit… It’s the sound of sex. I step back, shocked.
As absurd as it is, it’s none of my business. I just need to do my job. I can come back later, a little before class. But I know someone who’s going to love this piece of gossip.
An hour later, I decide to come back to get the signature from the new substitute professor, who is apparently a complete pervert.
I’m approaching the door when Mrs. Parker walks out of the room, making me stop in the hallway.
Julia Parker is one of the youngest professors at the university. She’s beautiful, with shiny blonde hair, probably just over thirty—and married.
Fuck. Could it be…? But she’s married. I guess that doesn’t matter to her.
Julia doesn’t notice me watching, which gives me a perfect view of the satisfied smile on her face—a smile that confirms my suspicions. I never imagined she was capable of something like this. The realization makes my stomach turn.
When she finally disappears down the hallway, I step closer to the door and knock before entering. Closing the door behind me, I turn around—and freeze in complete shock.
Salvatore is sitting right in front of me, behind the desk.