Chapter 34
Sofia Bliss
“What the hell does that asshole think he’s doing?”
That was the only thought running through my head as I walked next to Letícia, trying to fake control, trying to pretend I wasn’t two seconds away from marching over to that spoiled rich prick and slapping the smug off his face.
Letícia was fuming beside me.
“He’s going to do everything he can to screw things up, Sofia... I swear to God, men like him think the whole damn world revolves around their dicks.”
“I know,” I muttered, trying to keep my tone even, “but I won't let him get in my way.”
No. He really wasn’t. He couldn’t.
I had promises to keep. Bills to pay. A father to save. And no one — not even that arrogant son of a bitch — was going to stand in my way.
I sat at the bar, back straight, doing everything I could to ignore the tension crawling up my spine. Letícia raised her hand and gave a sharp wave to the bartender.
“Two drinks. Strong,” she snapped. “Before I lose my shit and stab someone with my heel.”
The bartender poured without a word. He probably knew her temper well enough by now.
“Rich people are all the same,” she muttered, twirling her drink between her fingers. “They love showing off how much control they have. Like they can bend the world — bend people—just because they have money.”
“I’m not anyone’s fucking toy,” I said, eyes locked on the crimson swirl at the bottom of my glass.
And I wasn’t.
I knew I’d made some strange choices lately. Reckless, even. But right or wrong, they were mine.
I’d promised myself — and my aunt — that I would handle it. That I’d take care of my dad. That I’d get the damn money.
And I would. One way or another.
I took a deep breath and brought the glass to my lips, ready to down it in one go—
But I couldn’t.
The liquid never even touched my throat.
I froze.
The sound of the door opening echoed through the bar in a different way, in a kind of...scary way. And, for a second, I could have sworn that even the music stopped.
I was facing the other way, so I couldn’t see who had just walked in.
But Letícia’s reaction…
Her face went pale in an instant. Eyes wide like she’d seen a ghost.
Or worse.
The devil himself.
It was a look I’d never seen on her before. A twisted blend of panic, dread… and fury.
Yes — pure, burning rage.
The kind that seemed to come from somewhere far away. Maybe from the past.
I felt my stomach freeze.
I turned my head slowly.
And I had no idea what — or who — I was about to see.
But Letícia stopped me.
She grabbed my arm, suddenly — hard. So hard I actually wondered where the hell that strength came from.
I was about to ask what was wrong with her, but the look on her face shut me up.
She was afraid.
“What’s going on?” I asked in a low voice, leaning in closer to her.
But she pulled me in tighter, like I was still that twelve-year-old girl she used to drag through the village market by the hand.
Her arm wrapped around me in a protective hold, and in that moment...
I really did feel small again.
“Don’t speak,” she whispered, barely moving her lips.
“Don’t say anything. No matter what they say. No matter what they ask... stay quiet, Sofia. Keep your mouth shut.”
My heart started pounding.
“They?”
I just nodded, swallowing hard. Forced myself to stay still.
Not to turn. Not to flinch.
I took a deep breath.
Once.
Twice.
Then raised my glass to my lips, trying to act casual.
Like I was just another barfly with a shitty drink and a worse life to forget.
But the tension in the air...
My God.
It was like I was in a fucking horror movie.
Letícia drank too.
We sat there, side by side, pretending to be normal—two bad actresses, trying not to piss ourselves from fear.
And then…
We heard it.
Footsteps. Slow, coming closer.
Every muscle in my body locked up.
“Shit…” Letícia muttered under her breath, half-laughing without humor, her grip tightening like she could somehow shield me behind her body.
“Shit, shit, shit…”
And then—
The shadow stopped.
Right beside us.
It was massive.
Like a storm cloud hanging over our heads.
I couldn’t help it — I turned my head, slowly.
It was impossible to ignore that kind of presence. That feeling.
And then I saw him.
High. Wide. His shoulders were tense, as if he was ready to do something.
I didn’t even know what to focus on first… but one thing snapped my attention instantly.
Fuck.
That huge, gleaming POLICE BADGE on his chest.
Now, I understood why the atmosphere was so tense.