Chapter 5 Sophia

Sophia

A Russo's home.

"Sophia, what the hell just happened?" He boomed once I answered the call. His voice was sharp, controlled rage simmering beneath the surface. "I heard the car I got for you just exploded. Where are you?"

My blood ran cold due to the words he said. How did he know so quickly?

"How do you know so fast?" My voice was barely a whisper. "I haven't even seen it myself. Do you know something I don't, Ricci?" I asked.

"That's a question for another time!" He snapped, and with that, the call beeped to an end. I stared at the phone in my hand in confusion.

*******

"How did you know what happened?" I asked, my voice laced with disbelief, my face reflecting the deep turmoil within me.

Ricci didn't even spare me a glance even though I made sure I raised my voice.

His sharp jaw was set in a firm line, eyes glued to the glowing screen of his laptop as if my words were just background noise to him. The rhythmic tapping of his fingers against the keyboard was the only response I received, making me look useless in his front

I took a step closer to him, my chest tightening with worry and a lot of curiosity. Was he ignoring me on purpose? His silence only deepened my own dear curiosity.

"Ricci..." I called again, my voice softer this time, pleading for an answer to my question. I could go crazy if I was left in the dark like this.

He cut me off, his tone unwavering. "You're stopping that job of yours."

My breath hitched at once. My heart pounded so high in my chest. He was joking, right?

"What?" My voice barely came out; a whisper of shock filled my inner self.

He still didn't look up at me, his fingers moving across the keyboard as if he hadn't just dropped a bombshell.

"You heard me right." His voice was controlled, cold even, like a verdict had already been passed.

Anger flared inside of me at this point. Who did he think he was to stop me from doing what I loved. My job had come to mean so much to me.

"Excuse me?" I snapped, daring to stand in front of his desk now, blocking his view of the screen. "You can't just decide that for me, Ricci! That job..."

"Is over," he interjected, finally looking up at me. His eyes, dark and unreadable, met mine.

I swallowed, suddenly feeling small under his intense gaze that made my skin crawl. "You don't get to control my choices and my life."

He leaned back in his chair, exhaling as if he were dealing with a stubborn child.

"Sophia, do you really think I don't know everything that happens around me?" His voice dropped lower, laced with something that made me uncomfortable. "I know what went down."

A chill crawled up my spine. He knew? But how come?

I clenched my fists with my anger boiling over. "That job is important to me, Ricci."

His expression hardened without anything similar to a smile. "Try working without safety, and you'll be gone in the blink of an eye."

For a second, neither of us spoke to each other. The tension between us thickened, almost suffocating.

This didn't make any sense. He seemed to be so reserved and enigmatic, but my instincts told me he knew more than he was willing to tell. And I would dig it out regardless.

I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all. "Who told you? What exactly do you know?"

He tilted his head slightly, studying me as if deciding how much to reveal. "Enough."

His whole character sent frustration coursing through me. His rudeness and dismissive attitude irked me. I wanted to know how much of my life he had his fingers in.

I crossed my arms. "Well, I don't care what you think you know. I make my own decisions, Ricci."

He stood up suddenly, his towering presence making my breath hitch. "Not on my watch, Sophia," he said, his voice low but firm. A warning hint laced his tone.

I stared at him, my heart pounding hard in my chest. I knew Ricci was powerful, but this... this was different. This wasn't just a concern. This was control.

"I make the rules here. You follow them. Got it?" He stated in a low voice that made my skin crawl. His tone promised trouble if I didn't comply.

I glared at him in defiance. "That had to be the most stupid wedding arrangement I have ever heard in my life. I'm just your paid bride, not even your real wife. This is an arranged marriage, get that through your thick skull!" My voice dripped with fury, each word cutting through the air like a dagger.

At this point, his arrogance was getting to me-even more than the suffocating walls of this golden prison that he called home, the chains of this forced marriage, and then the cold, calculating way he looked at me. I would prove to him that I was more than a pawn in his sick, twisted game.

He leaned towards me, making me lean back unconsciously.

I wanted out of this. I wanted out of his suffocating dominance and the way he moved like the world belonged to him, and he could command anything and anyone, including me.

Ricci remained totally calm, and his expression was unreadable as he leaned back against the sleek marble desk. His dark, piercing eyes watched my every move. The tension between us thickened.

"Are you done?" he started, his voice deep and controlled.

But I didn't let him finish those words of his.

"Look here, Ricci Russo, I don't give a fuck!" I cut him off, stepping closer, my hands clenched into fists. "I don't care what you have to say, Ricci! You can control your business empire, you can control your men, but you don't get to control me!"

A muscle in his jaw twitched as if my words were really harsh to him.

"You think you have a choice?" His voice was dangerously low, sending chills down my spine. "You think this marriage is just some contract you can walk away from?"

I scoffed. "That's exactly what it is. A contract. One that ends the moment I decide I've had enough of this suffocating nightmare."

Ricci exhaled slowly, his gaze darkening. He stood up straight, his presence towering over me.

"You have no clue what you're saying, Sophia." His voice was totally calm but had an undercurrent of something dangerous.

I lifted my chin. "Then make me understand."

A smirk played on his lips, but it wasn't amusement. It was something else. Something that made my skin crawl. Something I strangely wanted to find out.

He placed his hands on the desk on both sides of me, trapping me between the desk and himself. "Leaving is not an option." He leaned closer until there was no space between us. His rich, intoxicating musk invaded my space and tickled my senses. "Your sister ran away, so this is your fate. Deal with it."

My breath got stuck in my throat as I stared at him. His eyes were on my lips as he leaned even closer.

"And if you think I'd let you walk away that easily, wife... then you're the most naive woman I've ever met." He murmured, his breath hot against my ear.