Chapter 149 One Hundred And Forty Nine
Austin didn’t remember leaving Antonia’s apartment.
One moment he had been standing there, watching the confusion on her face—the doubt in her eyes—and the next, he was outside, the door shutting behind him with a finality that echoed in his chest.
He had lost control.
Not completely.
But enough.
And worse—
Things were slipping.
Fast.
He walked down the hallway with long, tense strides, his jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. His mind replayed the scene over and over again.
Kennedy’s accusation.
Antonia’s hesitation.
That single moment where she had looked at him and asked—
“Is that true?”
Austin’s hands curled into fists at his sides.
“She believed him,” he muttered under his breath.
Or at least—
She had considered it.
And that was enough to ignite something dangerous inside him.
Because none of this—
None of it—
Would have happened if Sofia had kept her mouth shut.
His steps quickened.
By the time he reached his car, he was already pulling out his phone.
He didn’t call.
Didn’t text.
No.
This wasn’t a conversation.
This was a confrontation.
\---
The drive to Sofia’s apartment felt longer than usual.
Every red light felt like an insult.
Every delay like a test of his already thinning patience.
By the time he pulled into her building’s parking lot, his anger had reached a boiling point.
He slammed the car door harder than necessary and strode toward the entrance.
This time—
He didn’t knock.
He rang the bell once.
Twice.
Three times.
Rapid.
Aggressive.
Inside, Sofia stirred from where she had been lying on the couch.
Her head still felt slightly heavy.
The earlier encounter with Kennedy had drained her more than she cared to admit.
But when the doorbell rang again—
Insistently—
Her brows furrowed.
“Who the hell—”
She stood, adjusting her robe as she walked toward the door.
The moment she opened it—
Austin pushed his way inside.
Forcefully.
Sofia stumbled back a step, startled.
“What the—Austin?”
He didn’t wait.
Didn’t greet.
Didn’t pretend.
His anger filled the room instantly.
“What did you do?” he demanded.
Sofia blinked, then slowly closed the door behind him.
“Well… hello to you too.”
“Don’t play games with me.”
Her lips curved slightly.
“Oh, I think we’re past that.”
Austin stepped closer, his eyes blazing.
“You told him.”
Sofia raised an eyebrow.
“Told who?”
“Kennedy.”
A beat.
Then—
She laughed.
Soft at first.
Then louder.
And that—
That only made it worse.
“You think this is funny?” Austin snapped.
“I think it’s inevitable,” she replied, still smiling.
“You exposed everything.”
“Not everything.”
“Enough.”
Sofia tilted her head slightly.
“And look how quickly everything fell apart.”
Austin’s fists clenched.
“You had no right.”
“No right?” she repeated, amused. “We were partners, remember?”
“Were.”
“Yes,” she agreed smoothly. “Past tense.”
His voice dropped dangerously.
“You ruined it.”
Sofia’s smile didn’t fade.
“No, Austin.”
She stepped closer.
“You were already winning.”
“And that bothered you.”
Something flickered in her eyes.
But she didn’t deny it.
“You got what you wanted,” she said coolly. “Why should I be the only one left with nothing?”
Austin stared at her.
Disbelief.
Anger.
“And that’s your justification?”
She shrugged lightly.
“I don’t like losing.”
“So you decided to drag me down with you?”
“I decided,” she said, her voice sharpening slightly, “that if I couldn’t have what I wanted… neither should you.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Austin shook his head slowly.
“That’s insane.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
Sofia’s expression hardened now.
“You think you’re better than me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you thought it.”
“No,” he said firmly. “I just didn’t think you’d be this reckless.”
She laughed again.
“Oh, please.”
“You had control.”
“And now?”
“Now you’ve lost everything.”
Her smile faded.
For the first time—
Something darker surfaced.
“Don’t act like you care.”
“I don’t,” Austin snapped. “I care that you ruined my plan.”
“Your plan?” she echoed. “You mean our plan.”
“Not anymore.”
Sofia stepped even closer.
“Say it however you want, Austin.”
Her voice dropped.
“You used me.”
He didn’t deny it.
“And now you’re angry I did the same.”
“That’s not the same.”
“It is.”
“No,” he said sharply. “Because I kept my end of the deal.”
“And I didn’t?” she challenged.
“You sabotaged it.”
“I ended it.”
Their eyes locked.
Neither willing to back down.
The tension between them turned volatile.
Unstable.
“You should have stayed out of it,” Austin said quietly.
“And let you ride off into the sunset with her?” Sofia shot back. “While I’m left cleaning up the mess?”
“That’s not my problem.”
“It became your problem the moment you got involved with me.”
Austin ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
“You’ve gone too far.”
Sofia smirked faintly.
“Or maybe… you just didn’t go far enough.”
Something in him snapped.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“And you’re predictable.”
The words hit.
Hard.
Before he could stop himself—
He grabbed her arm.
Roughly.
Sofia gasped.
“Austin—”
“You don’t get to ruin everything and walk away like it’s nothing.”
“Let go of me.”
“Do you even realize what you’ve done?”
“Yes.”
Her answer was cold.
Calm.
And that only fueled his anger further.
“I had everything under control.”
“You had an illusion,” she snapped.
“That was working.”
“Until I decided it wasn’t enough.”
Austin tightened his grip.
Sofia winced.
“Austin, you’re hurting me.”
“Good.”
The word slipped out before he could think.
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Let go.”
But instead—
He shoved her.
It wasn’t planned.
Wasn’t calculated.
Just a burst of anger—
Of frustration—
Of everything boiling over at once.
Sofia stumbled backward.
Her heel caught the edge of the rug.
Her balance faltered.
And then—
She fell.
Hard.
The sound of her body hitting the floor echoed through the apartment.
Followed by silence.
Austin froze.
His breathing heavy.
Eyes locked on her.
“Sofia?”
No response.
She lay still.
Too still.
His heart skipped.
“…Sofia?”
He took a hesitant step forward.
Then another.
Her head had hit the edge of the coffee table.
A thin line of blood traced along her temple.
Austin’s stomach dropped.
“Oh… shit.”
Panic set in instantly.
“Sofia—hey—”
He crouched slightly, reaching out—
But stopped.
His hand hovered in the air.
Fear creeping in.
What if—
What if someone saw him here?
What if—
His breathing quickened.
“No… no, no, no…”
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
This wasn’t part of the plan.
This wasn’t—
He stood abruptly.
Backing away.
“I didn’t mean to—”
His eyes darted toward the door.
Then back at her.
Still unmoving.
Still unconscious.
Panic overpowered everything else.
And in that moment—
He made a choice.
A terrible one.
He turned.
And ran.
The door slammed behind him.
Leaving Sofia alone on the floor.
Unconscious.
And bleeding.