《The Billionaire鈥檚 Pretend Fianc茅e》


 Unexpected suitor

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I sighed as I rubbed my mmy hands on the apron that was firmly looped around my waist.


    The day had gone quite tiring for me.


    I wanted to do nothing more than go home, flop myself on my bed and sleep till the next day, afternoon even though I knew that was impossible.


    I was about to sit down on a stool behind the counter to rest my aching legs briefly, when I felt a shadow loom over me.


    Regardless, I sat down but I scoffed inwardly on seeing who it was.


    ¡°Take that order to table fifteen and be fast with it. Stop being a sloth,¡± Daphne Humphreys, a co-worker who was also the restaurant owner¡¯s girlfriend spat condescendingly at me.


    ¡°I have been working since the day began, Daphne. How exactly am I a sloth? And if you cared to know about the affairs of the restaurant, you would know that we are on a break at the moment.¡± I responded coolly, but with a warning note to my voice.


    I was exhausted, and I didn¡¯t want to take my anger out on anyone.


    Especially not on Daphne who could easily get me fired by the boss.


    I often wondered whether Daphne or the boss ran the restaurant.


    ¡°Are you talking back at me? The fucking nerve you have, you dirty brat! Don¡¯t worry, I will report you to Richard. How dare you speak to me in such a rude tone?¡± Daphne barked like someone who had just gotten bitten by a dog.


    I squeezed my eyes shut to repress the biting insult that was threatening to tear out of my mouth before I fluttered my eyes open once more.


    I got up from the stool, and looked Daphne in the eye. ¡°I never spoke rudely to you. I was just enlightening you on what you may have forgotten.¡±


    I paused to nce down at her wristwatch. ¡°I have to go now, break is over. Excuse me.¡± And with that, I trekked back to the kitchen before Daphne could respond.


    I had lied.


    I wasn¡¯t on a break. My break had long passed.


    But since Daphne was dumb as fuck, I easily fooled her.


    I inwardly praised myself as I carried the tray of piping hot food to the main area of the restaurant.


    I made sure to avoid Daphne¡¯s piercing re as much as I could.


    And before I knew it, I was done with work for the day.


    I peeled off my work clothes and ced them into my assigned locker before pulling on my t-shirt and denim pants.


    Afterward, I grabbed my bag and left the restaurant.


    The thought of heading home caused my heart to throb with trepidation and a heavy feeling of foreboding.


    I lived with my abusive parents in a small house situated a few blocks away from the restaurant, and I hated it.


    I hated going back home to my parents, and desperately hoped for the day that I would move out of their ce.


    They were chronic drunkards, and thieves that always stole my money to fund their disgraceful alcoholic lifestyles, and whenever I confronted them about it, they would re up at me and sometimes, they would even beat the living hell out of me.


    Lately, I had started saving some money to get my own apartment but I was yet to save a quarter of the money that I needed.


    With a sigh, I pushed the wobbly gate to the house open while inwardly hoping my parents were out of the house.


    The sight that met my eyes when I turned around made me gasp in fright.


    Four muscr men with clean-shaven heads were standing in front of the main entrance to the house.


    They were all dressed in ck suits with dark sun shades to match which made them look even scarier.


    My voice failed me for a brief moment as I tentatively walked toward them.


    Had my parents borrowed money from a loan shark again? Had theye to take the house as coteral?


    ¡°Wee home, Madam.¡± They all bowed to me in unison which made me frown and step back.


    Madam? What was going on?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Who are you people and what do you want?¡± I asked, ignoring their greetings.


    They didn¡¯t respond anymore and instead, they just stood stiffly.


    That made my heart hammer violently against my chest.


    It seemed my parents were around because I could hear low murmurings from inside the house.


    Were my parents being tortured? Who else was inside the house with them?


    Taking a deep breath to calm my anxiety, I hurriedly brushed past one of the scary-looking men into the house.


    ¡°Mum. Dad. I told you to st-¡± The rest of my statement got hitched in my throat as I took in the scenery of the sitting room.


    My parents werefortably seated on a sofa beside a strange, old man and they were chatting animatedly with him as if they were long-time friends.


    The man couldn¡¯t be their friend. He looked too wealthy to even be associated with them.


    Sitting at the center of the sitting room in his expensive suit and a cigar in between his fingers, he looked like a misfit in the midst of the shabby furniture.


    ¡°Darling, you have arrived. We have been waiting for you for quite some time now,¡± Mum spoke with a false cheerfulness to her voice as she darted a fake smile toward me.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    I couldn¡¯t even remember thest time I was called ¡°Sofie¡± by my parents talk less of a pet name.


    They always called me a slut or a whore.


    ¡°You were right, Alphonso. She is such a dazzling beauty.¡± The man nodded as hesciviously stared at me.


    I had to bite on my lips to prevent myself from rudely telling the man off.


    ¡°Of course, she takes after her mother. She is Veronica¡¯s splitting image.¡± Dad said and they allughed heartily, the man¡¯s lustful gaze still not leaving my body.


    ¡°Have you greeted our visitor yet?¡± Dad asked, in his usual demeaning tone as he darted a re at me.


    ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s alright, Alphonso. She¡¯s probably shocked to see me. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± The man waved him off, and instantly, the fake smile was back on his face.


    ¡°Sweetie,e sit next to your mother.¡± Mum said and somehow, my legs led me to sit beside her.


    Mum wrapped a firm arm around me, almost crushing my shoulder in the process, ¡°Alexander, this is Sofie, our daughter, and Sofie, this is Sir Alexander Guilon, my former boss and your soon-to-be husband.¡± She grinned and I saw red.


    I yanked myself up from the chair and red from Dad and Mum to Alexander who still had that shit-eating grin stered to his wrinkled face.


    ¡°What the fuck do you mean by that? Who is whose soon-to-be husband?¡± I barked.


    ¡°Honey, calm down. We discussed this earlier and you were okay with it, what is with the sudden rage?¡± Dad lied smoothly and I scoffed.


    *You discussed what with me? Even if you did so, why the fuck would I have agreed with you? When it¡¯s not as if I¡¯m insane or something.¡± I hollered, enraged.


    Turning to Alexander, I mustered the sweetest smile I could offer. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they may have told you but I never agreed to this bullshit of an engagement. I¡¯m not getting married to you. You should look for your bride elsewhere, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Pearl, we can work this out like responsible adults, can¡¯t we? I will take good care of you, my darling. I will treat you right.¡± Alexander said, to which I snorted maliciously.


    ¡°I am not your pearl. I am Sofie and I would rather eat mud than get married to you. Excuse me.¡± I retorted and darted one final re at my parents and Alexander before I picked up my bag and trudged out of the house.


    I ignored the confused stares that I got from the bodyguards as I stepped past them and out of the gate with angry tears welling up in my eyes, and blurring my vision.


    I had no idea where I was even going at that time of the night but one question sizzled in my mind as I walked.


    What the hell had just happened?

 His faceless fianc茅e

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I reclined against the swivel chair with an exasperated sigh as I pped my eyes closed.


    It was not easy being the president of GV group ofpanies.


    At the rate I was going, I knew I was likely to end up with a face full of wrinkles and stress lines before I clocked thirty.


    I groaned inwardly when I heard a knock on the door but nevertheless, I said, ¡°Come in.¡±


    My secretary/assistant, Nathan Gonzalez walked in with an iPad clutched to his chest, he bowed slightly before saying, ¡°You sent for me, sir.¡±


    I frowned as I rubbed at my temple, ¡°I did?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Great. So, I was now going through memory loss too.


    Could life get any better?


    Don¡¯t misquote me, I really loved my job but sometimes, the pressure got too heavy on me that I ended up missing out on other stuff that I should be doing at my age.


    Myst rtionship had even ended because of my hectic schedule but strangely after it ended, I felt immense relief instead of despair.


    I shrugged the thought off as I sat upright, ¡°Do I have any more appointments for the day?¡±


    Nathan scrolled through the iPad and shook his head in negation, ¡°No, sir. You are done for the day.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°That¡¯s great. By the way, I¡¯m heading to Nana¡¯s ce after work, so you are free to leave. I will drive myself.¡± I said, rising to take my coat from the coat rack and put it on.


    ¡°Okay, sir. I will see you tomorrow then.¡± Nathan said then bowed to me before he left.


    I retrieved my car keys from the drawer, and grabbed my phone and my briefcase.


    I darted one final nce at my reflection in the ss walls that epassed my office and raked my fingers through my rapidly growing jet-ck tresses.


    I was due for a haircut. I thought as I headed out to the parking lot.


    I thumbed my Ferrari Monza open and with a sharp exhale, I plopped behind the steering wheel and inhaled deeply before I revved up the engine and set out for Nana¡¯s ce.


    Nana was a fond term that I called my grandmother.


    I was a man who couldn¡¯t be easily shaken but if there was someone or something I feared most in the world, it was Nana and her constant nagging for me to find a wife and give her a great grandchild.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t think that was ever going to happen because I just couldn¡¯t find it in myself to fall in love with anyone after my ex-girlfriend, who I didn¡¯t think I ever loved either.


    Frankly speaking, I didn¡¯t think I could ever fall in love and I wanted things to remain that way.


    I couldn¡¯t handle the pressure of dating anyone at the moment.


    I had my neverending workload to think of.


    Barely thirty minutester, I arrived at my grandparents¡¯ mansion and I got out of my car.


    My eyes scanned around the surroundings of the sprawling three-storey mansion as I trekked into the humongous building.


    As usual, Nana¡¯s butler of many decades, Daniel Perez was at the door to wee me as well as the household staff, ¡°You are wee back, young master. It¡¯s been a while, The elder man said as he sidled closely beside me.


    I nodded, patting the man¡¯s back, ¡°I came here two weeks ago, Daniel. It hasn¡¯t been that long.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°The chairwoman doesn¡¯t seem to think so. She ims you haven¡¯t been picking up her calls.¡±


    I just huffed and shook my head, ¡°She¡¯s not asleep, is she?¡±


    ¡°She just woke up from her evening nap, sir.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± I gave the man a final back pat before I strolled down the hallway to Nana¡¯s bedroom.


    I knocked lightly on the door and waited calmly for her to answer.


    ¡°Romano, is that you, Mio caro?¡± Her soft voice came from the inside which made my lips curve up in a smile.


    I had missed Nana but not her constant nagging.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Yes, ma. Can Ie in or are you busy with something?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Come in, my darling.¡± She said.


    I gently pushed the door open and was greeted with the sight of Nanaying on the bed with a book pressed to her chest, her expression soft and her cheeks sunken.


    She had lost some weight.


    ¡°You remembered me today.¡± She scoffed as she put the book away but with a doting smile imprinted on her face.


    I sat down on the empty space beside her on the bed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nana. I was busy with work. What happened to you? You look pale and lean. Is everything alright? Do you need to go to the hospital? Should I take you there right now?¡±


    ¡°Calm down with your questions, Romano. I¡¯m fine, nothing is wrong with me. At my age, it¡¯s normal to gain and lose weight in short periods.¡± She said, cing a warm, wrinkled hand over mine.


    ¡°Are you sure, Nana?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯m Benedicta.¡± She said, stifling augh which made me chuckle.


    Grandma was such a case at times.


    After losing both of my parents in a car crash when I was just three years old, Nana had affectionately nurtured me to adulthood and had made sure I never felt the loss of my parents.


    Having lost her own husband after giving birth to my dad, she strove hard to build the GV corporation and made it into the billion dorpany it was worth today.


    She had retired five years ago after her doctor advised her to cut down on any stressful activity, and so, I became the president of thepany when I was just twenty four.


    I couldn¡¯t be prouder of her.


    ¡°How about that matter?¡± Nana started after a moment had passed which drew me out of my everie.


    ¡°What matter?¡± I asked, feigning ignorance even though he very well knew what she was talking about.


    ¡°When will you get a wife, Romano? I¡¯m worried about you honestly. I know you must think of me as a nagging grandmother but honestly, I just want the best for you.¡± She said in a broken voice, with tears pooling in her eyes.


    I sighed, exasperated.


    I really didn¡¯t want to do this today.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m just taking my time, Nana.¡± I lied.


    ¡°Nonsense, figlio. That is what you have been saying for the past three years. I¡¯m getting older and I want to see my great grandchild before I die. You know I¡¯ve been getting weaker and weaker as the days go by.¡± She wept quietly as she clutched onto my hands.


    I remained quiet for a while, trying to process words in his head before I inhaled deeply, ¡°Actually, grandma. I-uh,¡± I trailed off and Nana gazed expectantly at me.


    ¡°I have someone that I have been seeing for a while now and we just got engaged two days ago.¡± The first set of lies slipped out of my mouth and as soon as it did, regret enveloped me.


    Fuck. What the hell did I just say?


    Nana¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Oh my goodness! This is great news! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this earlier, Roman? You are not lying to me or anything, vero?¡±


    I swallowed harshly before feigning a smile, ¡°Of course not, Nana. I would never lie to you. I just wanted to give you a surprise.¡±


    ¡°So, when can I meet her? I want to meet her as soon as possible. Can we do tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?¡± She rambled out.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s too fast. I will have to ask her first and get back to you. Maybe next week.¡± I fibbed again.


    ¡°Okay, That¡¯s fine by me. Oh my God, Romano, I¡¯m so ted, I can¡¯t wait to meet her. I love her already.¡± Nana dered excitedly.


    I could only force a grin on my face even though I knew I was in deep shit for my stupid lie.


    I had no idea where I was even going to find a fianc¨¦e before the week ended.


    Fuck my stupid big mouth that couldn¡¯t seal itself when it wasn¡¯t needed, I thought, on my way to the bar, half an hourter.


    I needed to clear my head first with some alcohol.

 The sexy stranger

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I muttered to the waitress as she ced the ss of margarita on the bar ind.


    It was my fourth drink that night, and although I was starting to get drunk, and everyone and everything I saw seemed to be in doubles, I didn¡¯t stop.


    I wanted to drink my frustration and sadness away, even if that meant drinking myself to a stupor and waking up with a terrific hangover tomorrow.


    My fuzzy vision trailed to a man who had Alexander¡¯s burly physique, and had his hand looped around a prettydy¡¯s waist. Instantly, I shuddered as the thoughts of the older man bristled in my head.


    I had no idea what I was going to do.


    I was sure rejecting Alexander¡¯s proposal had definitely gotten me in more trouble with my parents.


    I knew my parents won¡¯t stop until they frustrate me to the point where I would have no option but to ept the old man¡¯s proposal.


    I couldn¡¯t allow that to happen.


    But, I would also have no ce to stay when my parents chased me out of their ce.


    My best friend, Amy Dumas, was the only person that I could stay with but the problem was that she was not even in town at the moment.


    ¡°Fuck me.¡± I cursed underneath my breath as I downed the remnant of the alcohol in the bottle.


    The alcohol had now fully kicked in and my head felt lighter.


    ¡°dly, princess.¡± A man¡¯s voice came from beside me which made me giggle drunkenly.


    I tilted my head sideways to take in whoever the man was.


    To be honest, he was quite good-looking, and he also looked young but the weird smirk that he had on his face made him look like the joker.


    As I thought of his resemnce to the fictional character, I had the sudden urge to burst into a peal ofughter and I did.


    Iughed so hard that I felt tears rolling down my cheeks as I stupidly pointed at the man whose smirk had dissipated.


    In ce of the smirk, he now had an annoyed expression glued to his face.


    I came down from my crazyughing bout as I cleaned my tears with my thumb, and directed a gaze at the man.


    ¡°Care to enlighten me about the cause of your amusement?¡± He asked, his vexed countenance dissipating.


    ¡°Nothing. I-I just remembered something funny.¡± I slurred, and shrugged intoxicatedly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    He grinned, ¡°So, I would like to take you up on your offer. I will dly fuck you, kitten.¡± The joker-esque smirk was back on his face but this time around, I didn¡¯t feel amused, I felt pissed off.


    ¡°No, thank you and I don¡¯t appreciate the offer either.¡± I drawled, bibulously tapping on the bar ind with my fingers.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got such a feisty, little mouth on you. Don¡¯t you?¡± He asked, his voice tinged with mild annoyance.


    I just waved him off, and turned back to my empty ss cup.


    I was really going to use up my meager sry on alcohol.


    ¡°I want another ss of this.¡± I said to no one in particr with my hand dangling weightlessly in the air.


    ¡°Let me pour you a ss of wine. By the way, I¡¯m Kieran, and you?¡± The man¡¯s voice seeped into my ears, and I rolled my eyes in annoyance, before turning toward him.


    ¡°I thought we were done talking. Why are you still here?¡± I questioned, nodding my head drunkenly at him.


    He shrugged, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not done with you. Your ss is empty and I was just being generous.¡± He made to pour the wine into my ss, and I smacked his arm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it! Don¡¯t you understand English? I don¡¯t want your stupid wine and I most certainly don¡¯t want you. Just leave me alone, please!¡± I yelled at him with myst bits of reasoning.


    I watched his expression change from amused to perplexed, and then to anger before he mumbled something incoherently.


    I heaved a sigh of relief as I watched him get up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk in private. My car is packed over there. I promise you it won¡¯t be long.¡± I felt his hot, annoying breath at my nape, and I clenched my teeth angrily.


    If I was in the right state of mind, I would have given him a befitting p but at that moment, I was physically helpless, and could only rely on my sharp tongue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to speak with you. We don¡¯t have anything to discuss. Please leave me alone. Go home.¡± I said as politely as I could, and to my utter respite, I sensed him leave my back.


    I felt a harsh grip on my wrist afterward and when I gazed up, my eyes met with Kieran¡¯s dark, evil orbs.


    He smirked wickedly at me, ¡°If I¡¯m going home, then you areing home with me.¡± He whispered.


    ¡°Let me go.¡± I said weakly, trying to pull myself away from him.


    Extracting my arm from his vice-like grip proved to be a futile task as he effortlessly dragged me up from the stool, and ignored me when I pinched him.


    ¡°This won¡¯t take long. Before you know it, we will be done.¡± Kieran said, and I shook my head, hot tears now spilling down my face.


    ¡°Please, leave me alone.¡± I whimpered.


    ¡°She is not interested in you, let her go. Can¡¯t you see that you are hurting her?¡± I heard a deep, baritone voice boom from behind me and instantly, Kieran released my hand.


    My wrist was sore and reddened.


    I spun around to see who the powerful timbre belonged to, and my mouth gaped in awe as I took in the man¡¯s tall, aura-exuding form.


    I looked like an insect beside his imposing height.


    From my drunken haze, I could still make out his handsome features, his regal nose, his thin, pink lips, his piercing grey eyes, his ck hair, and the sexy undercut beneath it.


    The man looked unreal.


    There was no way a person could look as perfect, and gorgeous as the man looked in just a ck dress shirt and ck cks.


    No fucking way.


    The way his ripped muscles flexed as he stood with his arms akimbo made me shudder wantonly with lust.


    ¡°And who the hell are you?¡± Kieran barked.


    What I didn¡¯t expect was for the man to pull me closer to himself and gaze into my eyes before ring at the pervert, ¡°Her fianc¨¦. Now fuck off, you perverted bastard.¡± He snarled before leading me back to the bar ind.


    ¡°Are you even real? I¡¯ve never seen a person as handsome as you are.¡± I blurted out as he helped me onto a bar stool before he also took his seat beside me on another stool.


    ¡°I-err, thanks?¡± He said in a tone set between a question and a statement.


    I was gradually starting to snap out of my drunken haze into an aroused haze, the more I stared at the gorgeous man.


    ¡°I should have thanked you first. Thanks for saving me from that situation.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but you are wee.¡±


    ¡°How can I thank you? Do you want a bottle of whiskey? You look like you only take expensive stuff and I really don¡¯t have enough for that. If you don¡¯t mind, can you please take a cheap bottle of alcohol?¡± I rambled out, to which the man chuckled.


    A deep, rich sound that made me cream my panties with desire.


    ¡°Thanks for the offer but you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m fine.¡± He said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want the whiskey? Is it too cheap for you to drink?¡±


    The man seemed hurt, ¡°Of course not. I had some earlier and I still have to drive myself back home.¡±


    I nodded and silence prevailed between us for a while before a great deal of effrontery summoned itself inside me which caused me to leave my seat, stand in between the man¡¯s legs and cup his face.


    I expected him to smack my hands off him but he didn¡¯t, even though he looked befuddled.


    ¡°I love your eyes. They are pretty.¡± I slurred and the man¡¯s face rxed to form a smile.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He said.


    What would they taste like? I thought as I stared at his lips.


    The urge to taste, and feel his lips with mine simmered within me.


    I swallowed harshly as our foreheads met and his eyes darkened.


    Ignoring my logical reasoning and throwing caution to the wind, I kissed him.

 Shocked

    Roman¡¯s POV


    To say I was shocked out of my mind by the fact that this small, random, drunk, and very prettydy who I had just met barely an hour ago had her lips sealed to mine was an understatement.


    I was bbergasted to the point that I remained frozen for some moments before realization dawned on me.


    Even after I came to my senses, I didn¡¯t push her off because I kind of enjoyed it even though the kiss was a bit sloppy.


    I was about to pull her onto my thighs, and make her straddle me when she pulled away from the kiss.


    ¡°Your lips are so soft and I feel like kissing you again,¡± She whispered, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want me. But, don¡¯t think of me as a pervert, I¡¯m just be-¡± The rest of her statement was cut short as I captured her lips with mine, and plopped her down on myp.


    She gasped, stunned and I took that chance to slip my tongue in between her plump, rosy lips.


    She tasted like coffee and alcohol. The taste was unique and at the same time, it was also like a breath of fresh air.


    My hands roamed around her body before firmly looping around her waist as she perched herself atop my hardening boner, and unknowingly grinded on me.


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I wanted her so badly at that moment.


    I wanted to bend her over the nearest table and fuck the living shit out of her.


    I wanted to make her scream my name as I pounded mercilessly into her.


    It was as if her kiss was ecstasy, and it had intoxicated me to the point where my logical reasoning had flown out of the window, and I couldn¡¯t control my sexual urges.


    Willing my eager hands from tearing off from her waist and stripping her naked, I broke off the kiss, ¡°I want you as much as you want me, doll.¡± I whispered, trailing my hands down her sides.


    She shivered as she grabbed onto the cor of my shirt, and gazed into my eyes with lust-filled hazel orbs.


    Under the dim amber light of the bar, she looked breathtaking and wlessly pretty.


    ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± She giggled and pressed a drunken kiss to my lips.¡±Do you want to get out of here?¡±


    I pulled her jaw downward, shoved my tongue into her mouth, and kissed her passionately, ¡°Of course.¡±


    She nodded and plucked herself up from me, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I mirrored her action, got up, and slid my card to the waitress who was standing across the table with a mortified expression.


    She must have seen our wild disy of lust.


    ¡°For her.¡± I exined to the waitress and she nodded before quickly looking away from us.


    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t really have to. I should be the one paying for your drink, not the other way around.¡± She said coyly, to which I chuckled.


    I hooked a hand around her waist, leaned down, and whispered, ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t get your name.¡±


    She flushed, ¡°Sofie. My name is Sofie Diaz.¡± Bashfully, she darted a quick stare at me before rooting her gaze back to the floor.


    ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡± She squeaked.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that she was the same girl who had repeatedly called me handsome, and had also made the first move to kiss me.


    ¡°Roman.¡± I said.


    ¡°Roman? Just like Rome, like Italy¡¯s Rome?¡± She gasped as if she had just found a new source of knowledge, and it made me chuckle and nod.


    I found her antics cute but in a charming way.


    Sofie was adorable and it was a great turn-on for me.


    I loved cute, and small things.


    The waitress handed me the card wordlessly, and I nodded at her before squeezing Sofie¡¯s waist.


    Wordlessly, I led her to my car, and helped her in before going to my side of the car.


    Sofie darted a shy look at me as I steered the car onto the road.


    From the corner of my eyes, I saw her fiddle with her fingers, and it made me feel unsettled.


    ¡°Are you having second thoughts about this? We won¡¯t do it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± I reassured her, even though my rock-hard cock was clearly against it.


    Sofie shook her head in negation, suddenly sober, ¡°No. It¡¯s not that. I¡¯m fine with this.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    The car was enveloped infortable silence for a while until I felt something creeping up my thighs, I almost lost control of the car when the thing stroked my hard-on.


    I heard a soft chuckle from beside me and I briefly averted my attention from the road to Sofie, and it was then I realized that she was the thing.


    Her hand to be specific.


    She wasn¡¯t timid anymore, and her eyes glinted with immense lust as she sensually palmed me through my pants.


    ¡°ying dirty, aren¡¯t you?¡± I gritted out as I clutched tightly onto the steering wheel.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun and arousing to tease you.¡± Sofie whispered sensually, and I let out a groan.


    I stifled the urge to pull over, recline her against the car seat, and blow her back out as her ministrations became more intense, and less teasing.


    I released the breath I wasn¡¯t even aware I was holding when she stopped.


    But then, she started fumbling with the buckle of my belt, and quickly detached it from its fastening.


    ¡°Sofie.¡± I warned as I felt her warm hand slide into my pants.


    Into my briefs, specifically.


    She chuckled before removing her hand, and thankfully, she kept her hands to herself for the rest of the journey, to my utter relief.


    We soon got to the hotel, and I checked in.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    As soon as we got into the elevator that led to our room, I could not hold myself back from kissing Sofie.


    She had teased me so badly that I had reached my limit.


    ¡°What if someonees in?¡± Sofie broke the kiss to ask, her chest heaving and her lips plump from our activities.


    ¡°Then they get to watch live porn.¡± I said nonchntly which made Sofie giggle.


    As I gazed into her eyes, a thought crossed my mind.


    What if I hired Sofie to y the part of my fiancee?


    I quickly shrugged the thought off as soon as it appeared because I knew it would be useless.


    Grandma would easily see through my lies.


    I threw the thought of Grandma and her naggings at the farthest part of my mind and focused on Sofie.


    I would think about my faceless fianc¨¦e tomorrow because, at that moment, I just wanted to fuck Sofie.


    When we got to the bedroom, I mmed Sofie against the ss walls and her legs came to hook around my waist.


    As she helped me out of my clothes and I did the same to her amidst passionate kissing, I knew at the back of my mind that it was going to be a long and thrilling night.

 One night stand

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I whimpered as Roman hoisted me against the ss walls of the room, and instinctively hooked my legs around his lithe waist, causing my pussy to grind on his hard cock.


    The thought that his body had reacted to me caused my head to swell with a mixture of pride and lust.


    I moaned when Roman¡¯s strong hands grabbed, and squeezed my ass cheeks.


    Impatiently, I grinded on him harder, prompting him to squeeze my cheeks harsher.


    I couldn¡¯t wait for Roman to fill me up.


    Littering kisses down my chest, Roman grabbed me by my ass from the wall, and without breaking the kiss, he ced me on the bed and situated himself in between my legs and the reality of what was about to happen dawned on me.


    Roman was about to take my virginity.


    For the first time since I met Roman that night, I started to feel nervous and unsure of myself.


    What if Roman didn¡¯t want inexperienced women in his bed? What if he didn¡¯t like having sex with virgins?


    What would I do then?


    I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of Roman leaving me when I was so aroused and wet for him.


    Roman managed to sense my mood and so, he withdrew his lips from my body to gaze into my eyes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked calmly.


    Fluttering my eyes shut, I inhaled deeply, ¡°I want you to go easy because it¡¯s my first time doing this.¡± I rambled out and his eyes doubled in a change of expression but I didn¡¯t know whether he was horrified or disgusted by my confession.


    The room was still for a while and I almost thought he had gotten off of me when I felt a tender kiss on my forehead, ¡°Thank you for trusting me, doll.¡±


    Doll.


    I loved the pet name.


    It made me feel all weak in the knees whenever he called me that.


    I wanted to hear his sexy timbre call me his petal for the rest of my life but I knew that was as impossible as my parents apologizing for being cruel to me.


    After tonight, I would mean nothing to Roman.


    I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t even realized I was holding and looped my hands around his neck as I opened my eyes, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± I flushed.


    He chuckled, his husky voice reverberating through my chest down to my core and causing me to feel butterflies in my vagina.


    ¡°Let me know if it hurts, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I whispered before locking our lips together.


    Our clothes were long gone and probably scattered around the room, I didn¡¯t even care about them at that moment, I only cared about the tantalizing feeling of Roman¡¯s mouth wrapped around my tit while his other hand sensually stroked my clit.


    My head was high up in the clouds of erotic delectation as I moaned out all sorts of obscenities that I didn¡¯t even know I was capable of uttering.


    Roman¡¯s mouth was a warm, wet magic.


    Then, he withdrew his fingers from my clit to slot them inside my mouth.


    ¡°Suck it.¡± Hemanded, and I eagerly did.


    I sucked greedily like I had never seen fingers in my life as wetness trickled down my thighs.


    ¡°I-I want you now.¡± I cried against his fingers, my pussy dripping with desire.


    ¡°Patience, doll.¡± He muttered, fastening his mouth around my other boob as one of his fingers slid inside me.


    It felt strange but I quickly adjusted to it.


    Roman peppered kisses along my corbone as he slid two fingers into me, making it three digits thrusting deep inside me.


    At first, it felt like my pussy was on fire but after a moment of Roman muttering sweet nothings to me as he trailed kisses down my chest, I rxed and allowed myself to enjoy the sensation.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I gritted out when he brushed my G-spot.


    I never knew a heaven of sexual fulfillment existed until that night.


    Though Roman¡¯s fingers were long and dexterous, they couldn¡¯tpare to the scious girth of his huge cock that I was sloppily stroking.


    ¡°Fuck, I can¡¯t wait.¡± Roman gritted out, pulling his fingers out of me, prompting me to moan at the emptiness.


    I wasn¡¯t left to wait for too long before Roman hung my legs on his shoulder and elevated my lower half to press directly against his cock.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He panted,sciviousness shining in his grey eyes.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°P-Please, y-yes,¡± I whimpered, to which he nodded before cing the tip of his cock at my entrance, and then slowly sliding it past my wet lip of flesh.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± I screamed when he finally buried himselfpletely inside me and stretched me, almost prying my pussy apart.


    Roman was massively gifted in hisher regions.


    ¡°Rx, petal. I will take good care of you.¡± He whispered against my ears, his hands slowly caressing my sides to help me rx.


    ¡°Y-you, f-fuck can move now.¡± I gritted out after some time had passed.


    Roman then began thrusting into me.


    Slow, gentle, and careful thrusts at first before he quickened his pace and started mming his thickness mercilessly inside me.


    I had never felt so much pleasure in such a rough manner before and I was shocked that I loved it.


    I couldn¡¯t contain all the pleasure in me, so I screamed.


    I screamed so loudly that at one point, I lost my voice.


    I could feel the buildup of sensual pleasure at the pit of my belly as the bed creaked with our movement.


    Barely two thrusts after, I reached the peak of my erotic gratification and I came all over Roman¡¯s thighs.


    He didn¡¯t seem to mind it a bit and if anything, he looked proud, ¡°I-I¡¯m almost there.¡± He grunted and before I could blink, he dumped his load inside me.


    ¡°That was amazing.¡± He whispered and I couldn¡¯t help but nod weakly in agreement.


    We remained interlocked by ourher regions for a while, and I had almost fallen asleep when Roman pulled out of me, got up from the bed, and trekked into the adjoining bathroom.


    I admired his ripping back muscles that shone gorgeously with sweat as he walked away.


    Secondster, he came back with a wet towel which he used to clean up my puckered pussy and my thighs.


    Then, he went back to the bathroom to discard the used towel before he came back again, climbed behind me, spooned me, and pressed a kiss to my temple.


    It was only when I heard his light snores that the realization that we didn¡¯t use protection struck me.

 Torrid desires

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I was roused up by the tantalizing sensation of something wet wrapped around my stiff cock, and also bobbing up and down on it.


    I initially thought I had gone back to my early teenage years, and I was just having a wet dream before I heard hushed whimpering.


    I didn¡¯t expect the sight that greeted my eyes when I nted my eyes open.


    Lo and behold, Sofie was situated in between my legs, and her small hands were fondling with my balls as she sucked me off.


    It felt like I was in an erotic fever dream.


    My breath hitched in my throat as I propped myself up on my elbows, and gazed down at her.


    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± I choked out, precum trickling down my cock.


    Sofie didn¡¯t reply to me, and just darted a mischievous smile which wasced with arousal at me.


    I could feel the crest of my pleasure gradually building up inside me as Sofie increased her speed, her lust-filled stare still not breaking away from my face.


    I sucked in the cold air as my cock slipped out of her mouth with a loud pop.


    Chuckling, she grabbed me again to continue blowing me when I held her wrist and shook my head.


    I couldn¡¯t allow this to end before it even started.


    I shuffled up from the bed, and flipped her over so that she was nowying underneath me with her legs wide open.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s my first time giving a blowjob.¡± Sofie gritted out as I ced a kiss on her weing entrance.


    ¡°You did great.¡± I whispered against her clit before taking it into my mouth and sucking it off.


    Her fingers raked, and then grabbed my hair to pull me closer as I sucked the beady flesh like my life depended on it.


    Every part of Sofie was just too addictive.


    I wanted to own her.


    She was my greatest addiction. I had been in and out of many rtionships but I had never had mind-blowing sex like I didst night.


    Not even once in my life.


    Sofie took me to the sky of erotic gratification.


    I shoved my tongue into her blissful warmth, and hungrily ate her out with unhinged famish.


    Ipped, and sucked hungrily like she was an oasis I had found in the middle of a desert.


    ¡°T-too good.¡± Sofie whimpered her grip on my hair, weakening as her legs quivered.


    She thrusted herself impatiently on my face as she squirmed and moaned out gibberish.


    ¡°I-I want it now. P-please put it in.¡± She choked out.


    ¡°What do you want, petal?¡± I teased before dragging my tongue down her lips.


    ¡°I-I want your huge cock inside me. I w-want you to fuck me so hard t-that even when we are apart, your cock will be all I think of.¡± Sofie whimpered, and her dirty talk went straight to my hard cock and I could feel it twitch with an impending climax.


    Fuck.


    ¡°Oh, baby. You have no idea what you just did.¡± I growled out.


    In response, she just moaned loudly.


    Reluctantly, I plucked myself from in between her legs, ¡°Now, get on all fours, petal.¡± I said, delivering a light smack to her ass.


    She whimpered and eagerly obeyed, arching her back and jutting her ass out, so that her pussy was directly mounted against me.


    I spanked her again, this time harsher before I guided my tip to her entrance.


    With a sharp exhale, I smoothly slid inside her which drew out a low whine from her.


    ¡°Fuck, Sofie. Y-you are always so fucking tight.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grit out.


    She held onto the headboard as I grabbed her cheeks and slowly thrusted into her.


    ¡°D-deeper. G-Go deeper, please. I want it deeper.¡± Sofie cried, prompting me to smack her jiggling ass once more before I tightened my grip and pummeled her core heavily and deeply.


    ¡°You like it this way, huh?¡± I panted, bucking my hips to reach even deeper inside her.


    ¡°Y-yes, I love it so much. It¡¯s too much but I love it so fucking much.¡± Sofie rambled out, clenching tightly around me.


    I grabbed her hair, causing her to arch further, ¡°You are so fucking warm and taut. I could live inside you forever.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I-I wish you could.¡± She whimpered.


    ¡°You have no idea what your words do to me.¡± I groaned, releasing her hair and gripping her waist once more.


    ¡°I-I feel funny again.¡± She moaned and instantly, I deduced that she was on the verge of reaching her climax.


    ¡°Come for me, petal.¡± I said, and with a high-pitched moan, Sofie sttered her cum around me, and secondster, I also painted her insides with my release.


    Gentle grunts mixed with the distinct smell of sex filled the room as we both came down from our highs.


    I ced a kiss on the crook of her shoulder and as I made to stand up to grab some towels from the bathroom to clean her up, she ced her hand on my wrist, ¡°Don¡¯t go yet. Let¡¯s just stay like this, I want to feel your warmth.¡±


    Wordlessly, I obliged, pulled her into my arms, and ced a kiss on her forehead as I watched her flutter her eyes closed.


    ¡°You know we didn¡¯t use protection.¡± She whispered, and I stiffened as realization washed through me and the ability to form a sentence left me.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.


    How could I have made such a terrible mistake?


    A scary thought crossed my mind as I stared down at her; what if she got pre-


    ¡°It¡¯s fine though as long as you are clean, and I can always take a morning-after pill.¡± Sofie¡¯s calming voice drifted into my ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m clean.¡± I whispered, to which she nodded before molding herself closer to me.


    As she slept peacefully, and gentle snores left her pouty mouth, my thoughts drifted back to my ¡°fianc¨¦e¡± issues, and I soon forgot about the possibility of Sofie ever carrying my child.


    I still had to answer to grandma soon, and one thing I knew was that I couldn¡¯t admit that I had lied to her.


    It would break her, and I didn¡¯t want to break her trust.


    But where would I find a fianc¨¦e?


    As if to answer my inner monologue, Sofie stirred in her sleep, and I smiled to myself.


    Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad after all to make her my fake fianc¨¦e. I concluded, before drifting off to sleep.

 His absurd proposal

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I woke up with a throbbing headache that made the blood vessels at either side of my head bang like they were about to tear out of my skin.


    The sun rays seeping through the window blinds also didn¡¯t help matters at all, and itbined to give me an even worse headache.


    Groaning, I squeezed my eyes shut and gently massaged my temples to cate my tensed nerves.


    When I fluttered my eyes open again, I realized I wasn¡¯t in my bedroom, and I jumped up with a start.


    The sight that met my eyes made me scream and I almost tumbled down from the bed.


    A dangerously handsome man dressed in an expensive grey three-piece suit was sitting cross-legged on a chair next to the window with his arms folded crossed around his chest.


    Frightened, I nced down at myself, and realized I was naked beneath the nket covering me.


    I screamed again,¡±What happened?¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem fazed by my scream. Instead, he looked bored.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finally woken up. I was starting to think something else might have happened to you.¡± The man¡¯s husky voice drifted into my ears as he observed me.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, caressing my forehead to alleviate the ache.


    He threw me a puzzled nce, ¡°What do you mean by that? You don¡¯t know who I am? Don¡¯t tell me the alcohol messed up your head that much.¡±


    I red at him, and made to utter a nasty retort to him when the memories fromst night floated into my mind.


    He had saved me from a pervert, and I had kissed him!


    Fuck. What the hell?


    The vulgar images of me screaming the man¡¯s name as he fucked me, and me giving him a sloppy blow job before he fucked me again shed through my mind¡¯s eye, and my jaw cked in shock.


    I gasped, horrified as I lifted the nket again to assess my nakedness.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve finally remembered who I am, haven¡¯t you?¡± The man-Roman scoffed.


    I had finally remembered his name.


    Meekly, I nodded, and dropped my gaze to my hands.


    A great wave of shame washed through me as the memories continued pouring into my mind.


    I frowned when I noticed something.


    Roman was dressed in a suit.


    Wait, was he not casually dressed yesterday?


    I wasn¡¯t hallucinating because I could remember that I had unbuttoned his cks yesterday.


    Right?


    Something felt odd and unsettling.


    How did he manage to look well rested, and collected while I probably looked like someone who had just gotten run over by a tide.


    Well, figuratively, I had gotten my back blown out by Roman, so I might as well say I was run over by him.


    ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± Roman gruffed, and I snapped back to reality.


    My cheeks flushed as my gaze dropped to his strong hands.


    Those hands had caressed my waist as he slowly fucked me into the bed.


    ¡°You are spacing out again,¡± He huffed, and I quickly got a grip on myself and shrugged the wanton memories off my mind and gazed up at the man.


    I took that opportunity to fully observe Roman.


    I had only gotten a drunken view of him yesterday.


    The man was hot as hell and he knew it, because he carried himself with a charismatic aura that made you weak in the knees and yearn to please him.


    I suddenly had the urge to do that but I controlled myself.


    His onyx hair was neatly slicked back to entuate the sexy undercut underneath. His jawline was perfectly chiseled and it looked like it could cut into anything, his pointed nose seemed like it was majestically carved to fit perfectly onto his face.


    To sum it all up, he looked like he was made by Adonis and Aphrodite.


    He was that perfect.


    His grey eyes looked like theycked warmth but that only made him hotter to me.


    It seemed as if I had met a different Roman yesterday because the Roman I was currently gazing at looked different in an inexplicable manner.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I pulled myself out of my daydream, and fixed my gaze on his face, ignoring the temptation that was his sinful pink lips which were now drawn into a firm line.


    ¡°W-Were you talking to me?¡± I asked, to which he scoffed and poked his inner cheek with his tongue.


    It was the hottest thing I had ever seen.


    I never knew a day woulde that I would shamelessly simp over a man but I didn¡¯t mind it because Roman was hot, and he made me think and dream of things.


    Obscene andscivious things that I couldn¡¯t say out loud.


    ¡°Who else could I be talking to? Is there anyone else in the room with us?¡± He deadpanned and I nodded sheepishly.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s settled. Anyway, I have something for you. It¡¯s a job and no, it¡¯s not a formal job or anything. But, I can assure you that you will get paid massively if you agree to do it.¡± Roman started, and I frowned, perplexed.


    ¡°What sort of a job is that?¡±


    Roman nodded toward the nightstand and my gaze followed his to a brown envelope which was sealed, ¡°It¡¯s in there. You can read it to get a clearer description and understanding of the job.¡±


    I nodded and tentatively picked it. I looked up from the envelope to Roman whose face remained devoid of any emotion before I cleared my throat, and retrieved the paperwork inside the envelope.


    My heart pounded as I felt the weight of the paperwork in my hold.


    ¡°Go on. Read through it.¡± Roman said.


    I gulped before obliging hismand, and my eyes doubled in a mixture of confusion and surprise.


    Roman wanted me to pretend to be his fianc¨¦e for a hundred days.


    That was random.


    ¡°So, what do you think? Are you willing to ept my proposal? I can give you some days to think about it if you like, but it¡¯s an urgent matter that needs to be resolved by next week.¡± Roman exined and I averted my concentration from the paperwork to him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What do you need a fianc¨¦e for? Can you enlighten me further?¡±


    He heaved a deep sigh, ¡°My grandma wants me to get married soon and I¡¯m not interested in rtionships like that.¡±


    ¡°You could have just told her that. Wouldn¡¯t she be pissed off when she finds out about this?¡± I motioned to the paperwork.


    ¡°She won¡¯t listen to me. She is desperate for a great grandchild which I¡¯m not willing to give her either now or in the future.¡± Roman said, darting a nk stare at me.


    When I didn¡¯t say anything, he continued, ¡°We will break up in three months if you ept the offer. I will make up some sort of story about how we tried everything to make it work but we couldn¡¯tst with each other and she will forget all about it. So, are you willing to take the offer?¡±


    I nibbled on my lower lip as various thoughts assailed my mind ranging from my forced engagement to Alexander Guilon and my greedy parents.


    If I epted Roman¡¯s absurd proposal, he would surely pay me nicely, and I could even use the money to get the apartment I¡¯ve always wanted, and also go back to college.


    I dropped out of college two years ago in my third year after my parents squandered my tuition fees on gambling.


    This was my way out of the wretched life my parents wanted to immerse me into.


    Inhaling deeply, I nodded as I gazed into his sexy grey eyes, ¡°Yes. I will be your fake fianc¨¦e, Roman.¡±


    He smirked, ¡°Perfect. I knew you wouldn¡¯t disappoint me, doll.¡±

 Agreement

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Perfect. I knew you wouldn¡¯t disappoint me, doll.¡± I smirked, feeling excitement sizzling inside me before a great wave of relief cascaded through me.


    Atst, it was settled.


    I just had to brief her on how, and how not to act with Nana to arouse her suspicions.


    Sofie flushed, steering her gaze away from me, and fiddling with her fingers.


    For some unknown reason, seeing her act all adorable and nervous always made me feel all funny and soft inside, which was strange.


    But, it wasn¡¯t as if I liked her or anything though.


    Her tucking her auburn hair behind her ear did absolutely nothing to me. Her big, doe, brown eyes didn¡¯t make me feel like protecting her and her perfect oval face coupled with her plump, rosy lips didn¡¯t make me feel like having her to just myself.


    Exactly, they didn¡¯t. I was only confusing lust with love.


    Right. That was it.


    But then again, why did I still feel that warmness in my chest whenever her coffee eyes stared up at me?


    My feelings toward her should have dissipated after we had sex, so what was this weird feeling that made me feel like a schoolboy admiring their crush from afar?


    Before my thoughts could stray further, my phone vibrated in my pocket and I fished it out.


    It was an iing call from Nana.


    I eyed Sofie¡¯s hunched-over form, ¡°One minute. I have to take this call, it¡¯s urgent.¡± I said before answering the phone and turning away to stare through the ss walls at the cars driving by and the walking pedestrians.


    ¡°Grandma.¡± I greeted.


    ¡°Romano, how are you?¡± Her tender voice came from the other line.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, thank you. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m doing good. You know, when you get to my age, your bones be weak and you feel sore almost everyday like you are one step away from meeting the creator.¡± She said, to which I sighed.


    ¡°Nana, what did I say about talking like that?¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°I know. I know. I¡¯m sorry, darling. I was just being honest. I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t say stuff like that again, promise.¡±


    I nodded even though she couldn¡¯t see me, ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°So, have you spoken to your fianc¨¦e about it yet? What did she say? Will she be down to meet me by next week?¡± Nana asked excitedly, with an energetic crescendo.


    I turned to stare at Sofie who had now gotten out of bed and had the nket wrapped around her. When she saw that I was staring at her, she froze like a deer in the headlights.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± She stuttered, scrambling around to pick up her clothes from the floor.


    ¡°Romano, are you there?¡± Grandma yelled, and I winced.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I¡¯m sorry. I will bring her to you by next week.¡± I said, to which Nana gasped, excited.


    Sofie has frozen again on the floor with her clothes in her hold.


    ¡°Great, that¡¯s perfect. I will have the chef prepare your favorite. I can¡¯t believe I almost forgot! What is her favorite food? I will have them make it too. I want to make my future granddaughter-inw asfortable as I can.¡± Nana rambled out, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel guilt pluck at my heart.


    I didn¡¯t want to imagine how hurt she would feel when she found out about my lie.


    I ced a hand over the speaker, ¡°What is your favorite food?¡±


    Sofie dragged herself up from the floor, ¡°Chicken Lasagna.¡±


    I turned away from her again and repeated her words to Nana.


    ¡°Okay, then. Take care of yourself, caro mio. I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    ¡°Sure. You too, ma,¡± I said, and just as I was about to end the call, I heard a startled yelp behind me, and I looked back just in time to save Sofie from squashing her jaw on the floor.


    Wrapping an arm around her waist, I quickly hung up and slipped my phone back into my pocket.


    ¡°Thanks for saving me again.¡± Sofie squeaked, her grip on my biceps tightening as pink dusted her cheeks.


    ¡°You sure are quite clumsy, you do know that right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do. I¡¯ve been told by a lot of people.¡± She said and I shook my head before setting her upright.


    My body was starting to react to her luscious breasts pressed against me, and I couldn¡¯t risk it.


    The thought of spending the morning thrusting deeply into Sofie was tempting, but I had apany to run.


    ¡°Go and take your shower. We are heading out soon.¡± I said.


    She frowned, ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we. We have to sign a contract for our little arrangement to begin, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She flushed and nodded before shuffling into the bathroom.


    I just shook my head at her adorable antics before I sat down.


    Wait, adorable?


    Did I just call her adorable? What was wrong with me?


    Why was I behaving like I hadn¡¯t seen a woman in years?


    Get a grip, Roman. You have to get a grip before you ruin this. I inwardly chided myself.


    I didn¡¯t do affection, love or anything like that. I only did sex and I knew as hell that I wasn¡¯t interested in Sofie like that.


    I would never be and I would do everything it took to stick to my decision.


    I just had to put my dick aside to think properly.


    Momentster after Sofie was now fully dressed and as we strolled to the parking lot, I couldn¡¯t help but steal a nce at her petite stature which I once again found cute.


    I resisted the urge to wrap an arm around her waist to show my possessive nature by forcefully tearing my gaze away from her.


    Roman, keep your damn dick away. I inwardly cursed myself as we got to my car where my assistant was waiting.


    ¡°Good morning, sir.¡± He bowed stiffly before gazing inquisitively at Sofie.


    ¡°Morning, Nathan. We are stopping by a lot of ces before we head to work today.¡± I said, to which he nodded.


    cing a hand on Sofie¡¯s waist, I said, ¡°This is my fianc¨¦e, Sofie and baby, this is my assistant, Nathan.¡± I smiled down at Sofie who mirrored my expression.


    As expected, Nathan looked shocked but he still bowed to Sofie, ¡°Nice to meet you, madam.¡±


    ¡°Same here but you don¡¯t have to bow to me or call me your madam.¡± Sofie said, gesturing to him to stand upright.


    Nathan seemed perplexed.


    Before Sofie could utter another word, I motioned her into the car before climbing in behind her.


    With Nathan¡¯s attention on the wheels and the road, I leaned closer to Sofie, ¡°Don¡¯t say stuff like that, okay? Do you want to blow our cover?¡± I said through my teeth.


    ¡°Noted. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sofie whispered back.


    I just shook my head as I reclined against the car seat and stared outside the window.


    I hoped everything went well.

 The game begins

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Roman¡¯s voice caught me off guard, and yanked me out of my shameless daydream.


    I hadn¡¯t even realized that I was shamelessly ogling him.


    What the fuck was wrong with me?


    Crimson colored my cheeks in embarrassment as I shook my head, and looked away from him, ¡°N-No.¡±


    I felt his amused stare beside me as a chuckle exited his lips, ¡°Okay, then. I will take your word for it.¡±He muttered.


    I groaned inwardly as I scuffled further away from him, almost molding myself into the door.


    Our arrangement hadn¡¯t even started, and here I was about to blow our cover.


    I could only hope I didn¡¯t get too carried away by my lewd thoughts, so I wouldn¡¯t ruin everything for Roman.


    He¡¯d definitely never forgive me if I did.


    Sofie, you just have to zip your damn mouth shut and only talk when he asks you to, okay? I inwardly admonished myself as I climbed out of the car momentster.


    ¡°We will be back in about thirty minutes,¡± Roman said to Nathan who nodded curtly, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    I watched Roman walk in all his suave glory, and I had to force my gaze away from him to suppress the weird thoughts creeping into my mind.


    And no, they weren¡¯t lustful thoughts this time around, they were ridiculous thoughts.


    Ridiculous thoughts about Roman falling for me, and making me his wife for real and not just for a goddamn contract.


    Stop it, Sofie. Just fucking stop this because you are not the female lead in some mills and boon novel, this is your reality.


    You are doing this to get enough money to go back to college, and get your own apartment not for love.


    Sure, you may have had great sex with Roman that blew your mind but that was it.


    He¡¯s never going to love you, so you should just stop being delusional, I chastised myself inwardly.


    I cleared my throat with the firm resolve to act professionally etched into my mind as we walked into an office.


    A tall, formally dressed man who looked like he was the same age as Roman or maybe a little older was at the door with a smile curving his lips.


    ¡°Roman, my man.¡± Heughed heartily as he smacked Roman¡¯s back.


    Roman smiled.


    The man fucking smiled! And it didn¡¯t look forced, he looked like he was genuinely happy to see him.


    ¡°Damien, how has work been?¡±


    ¡°Well, like work. Come in properly, so you can introduce her to me.¡± Damien smiled in my direction which I returned as I felt my face heat up.


    ¡°Damien, this is Sofie and Sofie, meet Damien, a good friend of mine.¡± Roman said as we sat down on the sofa at the center of therge office


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Miss Sofie.¡± Damien smiled warmly at me.


    I smiled back, ¡°Same here, Mr Damien.¡±


    ¡°Actually, Damien. I am here for what I told you about over the phone yesterday.¡± Roman started.


    Damen¡¯s brows furrowed as he nced at me, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were being serious about it.¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Well, I am.¡±


    ¡°You found one so soon. How did you do it?¡±


    I fiddled with my fingers at the question as the memories ofst night rushed into my head.


    My cheeks med up when Roman threw a nce at me before he cleared his throat, ¡°That¡¯s a topic for another day. So, is the draft ready?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is. One second,¡± Damien rummaged through the files on his desk, ¡°Aha! Here it is.¡± He handed Roman a piece of paperwork.


    Without ncing through it, Roman gave it to me and I swallowed as I collected it and read through the terms which went thus;


    Miss Sofie Diaz will be paid a sum of ten million dors in total by Mr Roman Giovanni. Half of the money would be wired to her immediately the contract is signed and the remainder will be paid after the contract bes null and void.


    I paused to digest the first paragraph.


    Ten million dors? Just to lie about being his fianc¨¦e for three months?


    That was some people¡¯s worth!


    Roman had to be filthy rich.


    Throughout the duration of the contract, Miss Sofie Diaz must stay faithful to Mr Roman Giovanni. She is not expected to have other men as that would tarnish Mr Giovanni¡¯s reputation and the same thing also applies to Mr Giovanni.


    Hmm. That was eptable.


    I didn¡¯t even have a man to begin with.


    As soon as this contract is signed, Miss Diaz is expected to move in with Mr Giovanni until the contract ends.


    Passable. It wasn¡¯t as if I had anywhere to go.


    Now on to thest item,


    There shall be little affectionate touches when needed between Mr Giovanni and Miss Diaz but there shall be no sexual rtionship between them throughout the duration of the contract. The moment that happens, the contract will be dered null and void.


    This was going to be so easy. I grinned from ear to ear.


    I could keep my sexual urges to myself for three months.


    I was sure of myself. After all, I had been a virgin for twenty three years.


    Tsk.


    Living with a sexy Greek god like Roman wasn¡¯t going to tempt me one bit.


    Or was it?


    ¡°I¡¯m cool with the terms.¡± I said, handing the paperwork back to Roman who nodded and gave it back to Damien.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Now, you just have to sign here and here to make it legal.¡± Damien exined, sliding a binded copy of the contract and a pen toward me.


    I nodded, my eyes scanning the contract again before I inscribed my signature on the allocated box.


    Roman also did the same before Damien collected it and got up to ce it in a drawer.


    ¡°Okay, so that is out of the way. Would you like some tea?¡± Damien offered, plopping down on the sofa.


    Roman got up and I followed suit, ¡°We still have some errands to run, man. I will see you soon. Thanks for everything.¡±


    Damien stood up and they both shook hands and side hugged, ¡°Alright then. Take care, Miss Sofie.¡± He beamed.


    I mirrored his expression, ¡°You too, thanks.¡±


    Afterward, Roman and I silently headed back to the car.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to fill the silence, so the car ride was also quiet but tense.


    ¡°We are heading home. I will have Nathan deliver some stuff you may needter.¡± Roman broke the silence.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded as Nathan drove us into the sprawling expanse of an estate.


    When Roman said home, I didn¡¯t expect it to be a magnificent mansion.


    I mean, I knew he was quite wealthy based on everything that had transpired between us but I was still shocked as I climbed out of the car.


    It was a ginormous three storey building with huge door to ceiling windows. The mansion looked like a pce, and a vi at the same time.


    A water fountain was situated upront the vast driveway coupled with aesthetically-cutndscape.


    The mansion looked like it was straight out of a Harlequin novel.


    I shook my head, amazed as we walked into the main house.


    The mansion was luxury itself.


    A formally dressed middle-aged man with two women who were also d in corporate wears coupled with three younger women, and two men in identical uniforms nking him.


    They stared at me briefly before their gazes rested on Roman as they bowed to him.


    ¡°You came back early today, sir. Is there a problem?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°No. I came to drop her off.¡± Roman wrapped a strong arm around my waist which made me flush.


    ¡°I want you to meet my Fianc¨¦e, Sofie. From today onward, she is the madam of this household and anything she needs and wants should be provided to her, am I clear?¡± Roman said, to which the trio nodded obediently.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± They said in unison.


    ¡°Baby, I have to head over to thepany now. Take care.¡± Roman said before pressing a kiss to my lips.


    I flustered and nodded as he detached from me, ¡°Okay. I will see you soon.¡±


    He smiled before he motioned to Nathan, and they left.


    ¡°You are wee, Miss Sofie. I am Antonio, the young master¡¯s butler and this is Natalie.¡± The elder man gestured to the taller woman between the two suited-up women.


    ¡°I¡¯m Melissa.¡± The other woman quipped, which got her a reproachful stare from Natalie.


    I could taste the tension in the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you all.¡± I quickly said and Natalie beamed at me.


    ¡°Melissa, set the table. Natalie will make some food for you and I will take you to the young master¡¯s bedroom. I mean, your new room.¡± The butler said, to which I nodded as he led the way.


    The interior of Roman¡¯s house was like heaven on earth. From the exquisite parquetry on the floor down to the gold finishings of the furniture, everything looked opulent and fragile.


    I moved carefully so as not to trip on anything and break it in the process as I followed Antonio down the long hall which had vintage photos stered to its walls.


    ¡°Here we are.¡± The elderly man opened a door, and I gasped.


    The room was huge.


    It was probably the size of my parent¡¯s entire house and it was minimally designed with grey, taupe and white furniture.


    It really reflected Roman¡¯s coldness.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said, to which he bowed and left.


    I sat down gently on the bed with my hands ced on myps as I looked around.


    My phone then vibrated in my pocket which made my heart lurch.


    With a hand cradling my chest, I swiped it open, and smiled.


    My bank ount had been credited with five million dors just like Roman had promised, and now, the game of pretense had officially begun.

 Don鈥檛 say anything

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I nodded at Nathan as he flung the car door open before getting in, and rxing against the car seat.


    Afterwards, I retrieved my iPad from my briefcase, and ran through my schedule for the day again even though I had been briefed on it by Nathan.


    I sighed as various unbridled thoughts assailed my head.


    What the hell had I done? Was I even in the right state of mind?


    I had picked up a random stranger from the club, fucked her and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, I had paid her to help me lie to my grandmother.


    I scoffed inwardly, shaking my head at my absolute idiocy.


    Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped now. I just had to hope I hadn¡¯t mistakenly taken a serial killer into my house to pose as my fianc¨¦e.


    Almost immediately after the thoughts flew out of my mind, guilt enveloped me.


    I thought back to Sofie.


    The vulnerable Sofie who I met at the bar. She didn¡¯t seem dangerous that night. If she was, she would have probably brutalized the pervert that was bugging her even before I got there, right?


    Fuck. Whatever. The die was cast now and there was no going back.


    I just had to hope nothing went wrong throughout the duration of our contract, and my Grandma never found out about my stupid arrangement.


    At that moment, Nathan cleared his throat loudly which yanked me out of my reverie.


    He nced weirdly at me through the rearview as he coughed loudly again.


    I frowned as I watched his antics.


    He wanted to say something. He had wanted to talk right from when I introduced Sofie as my fianc¨¦e to him.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Speak.¡± I said.


    ¡°About what, sir?¡± He asked, his gaze fixated on the road.


    I huffed, ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me, Nathan. You know who I am, and you must know that I¡¯m thest person you should try to act smart with, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Nathan cleared his throat, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡±


    ¡°I will give you another chance to say what¡¯s on your mind because you clearly have something to say.¡± I said, to which Nathan darted me a sheepish stare.


    ¡°Forgive me sir if I¡¯m being rude but I don¡¯t think your fianc¨¦e is suitable for you.¡±


    My brows furrowed as I ced the iPad beside me feeling a bitter thickness block my throat, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I managed to ask in a strict tone.


    Fuck. I couldn¡¯t let Nathan know about my ns because I knew he¡¯d definitely tattle to Nana given how close he was to her.


    Nana often invited him and his family for lunch at her ce every weekend.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, sir. Please forget I ever said anything like that, sir.¡± Nathan rambled out.


    ¡°Is it because she¡¯s different from Lana and the others? Is it because she was not wearing an expensive luxury brand like them or do you just have a vain prejudice like this toward people?¡± I yelled, causing Nathan to wince.


    ¡°No, sir. I¡¯m sorry, sir. I shouldn¡¯t have said something like that.¡± He ducked his head apologetically.


    ¡°You are smarter than I thought. You caught on faster than I expected, good job.¡± I admitted trying to sound nonchnt but failing woefully.


    There was still a slight tinge of dread to my voice.


    I figured admitting to Nathan would be better than him finding out by himself and telling Nana.


    At least, I could warn him against telling her.


    ¡°So you really hired her to y the role of your fianc¨¦e?¡± His eyes doubledically which made me huff.


    ¡°I mean so I was right sir.¡± He said.


    I shrugged, ¡°Nana wants me to settle down, even though we both know how much I hate the idea of love and rtionships.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to marry her, sir?¡± Nathan curved a brow.


    ¡°Of course not. I just said I hate the idea of love and rtionships, so why would I be willing to do something like that? I¡¯m doing this to make Nana back off.¡± I exined, to which my assistant nodded.


    ¡°But won¡¯t the chairwoman get angry when she finds out about this?¡± Nathan asked quietly.


    I bunched my hands into fists beside me, ¡°I will make sure she never finds out and that goes for you too. You will not discuss this with anyone because the moment you do and I find out, I will fire you.¡± I said icily.


    Nathan made a gesture on his mouth.¡±My lips are zipped shut, sir. I won¡¯t tell a soul about this. You can count on me, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I muttered as the skyscraper building of thepany came into view.


    ¡°But there¡¯s something I want you to do for me. I should have done this before now. I want you to run a background check on Sofie. Find out about her family and friends, and the type of lifestyle she leads.¡± I instructed as I got down from the car.


    Nathan nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Make it as fast as possible.¡± I muttered.


    Nathan nodded again before we climbed the flight of stairs that led into the lobby.


    Some of the employees passing by stopped to curtsey before going their way.


    As we entered the elevator, I said to Nathan, ¡°Go to the best female clothing store in town, get some items for Sofie and also stop by the mall to grab some essentials for her.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sir.¡± He said as we trekked into my office.


    He dropped my briefcase on a chair at the center of the room before he left.


    I plopped onto the swivel chair with an exasperated groan.


    So much had happened in the short span of a day.


    So many tiring events.


    I wondered what could have happened if I had never lied to Nana about having a fianc¨¦e.


    If I had just gone home after listening to her nagging instead of making a detour to the bar.


    It all probably happened for a reason. I concluded within myself.

 A tense night

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I giggled to myself as I read through some memes on the inte while trying to free my mind from the thought of Roman and I sharing a bed tonight.


    It wasn¡¯t supposed to be a big deal because we had both seen each other¡¯s nakedness the night before, and we had also fucked like rabbits in heat.


    So, why was the thought making me restless?


    I didn¡¯t even know how I was supposed to act around Roman now.


    ¡°It¡¯s just sleeping together on the same bed, Sofie. Nothing else could possibly happen between the both of you. It¡¯ll be fine. Put your mind at rest.¡± I chanted like a mantra to myself as I dropped my phone on the bed and got out of bed.


    Roman had even included it in the contract that we were only going to be affectionate when it was needed, and I knew he¡¯d definitely not go back on his words and before I knew it, the hundred days would be over and we¡¯d be out of each other¡¯s lives. I reassured myself with a satisfied nod as I paced around the room.


    Then, there was a knock on the door.


    I halted. ¡°Who is there?¡±


    ¡°Madam. it¡¯s me, Melissa.¡±


    That darn madam. I could never get used to the formalities that came with being Roman¡¯s fake fianc¨¦e.


    ¡°Come in.¡± I said, and Melissa walked in struggling with some bags in her hold.


    I quickly went over to help offload some from her hand but she shook her head firmly before cing the bags on the bed.


    ¡°The young master¡¯s assistant just delivered these. They are clothes for you.¡± She enlightened me as she gestured to the bags and I nodded.


    ¡°Oh. Alright thanks.¡±


    ¡°Madam. Food is also ready. Would you like me to dish out the food or would you prefer to do it yourself?¡± She asked, bowing slightly.


    ¡°Please stop bowing to me and you can just call me Miss Sofie when he is not around.¡± I muttered, to which Melissa gasped with her eyes gaped in shock.


    ¡°Madam, that¡¯s absurd. I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t do so. The young master won¡¯t take it lightly with me if I do so.¡± Melissa countered and I just sighed, already tired.


    You can¡¯t be tired, Sofie. You are not even a day into this assignment. Roman had kept to his end of the deal, now it¡¯s time for you to do the same thing without qualms. A voice within my head chided.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to serve me or anything, I¡¯ll be fine by myself. Thanks, Melissa.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Madam. I have to go get some groceries now. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to call Natalie or the butler. I will be on my way now.¡± She bowed before exiting the room.


    I sighed again as I peeled off my clothes, and dragged myself to the adjoining bathroom with something akin to excitement sizzling within me.


    I was excited to take a shower in the same ce where Roman must have surely taken tons of showers.


    I tried to imagine Roman, naked in all his full glory, muscles shining, and flexing under the drizzling shower, his fingers raking through his hair and his other hand scrubbing water off his face.


    My envisioning was hot as fuck.


    I forcefully plunged the wanton thoughts into the furthest part of my mind as the water cascaded down my body.


    I couldn¡¯t have unchaste thoughts about Roman. It was immoral to do so, and even though it made me feel like a nymphomaniac, I just couldn¡¯t stop the thoughts.


    After, I got out of the bathroom, and picked an outfit from the literal truckload of clothes that Roman had made his assistant ship over.


    It was somethingfortable: a pair of navy sweatpants with a baggy T-shirt of the same colour to match.


    I tossed my auburn tresses into a bun, patted the sides of my hair satisfactorily as I smiled at my reflection in the mirror.


    ¡°Madam, you are finally here.¡± Natalie smiled patronizingly at me as I walked down the stairs.


    I returned her smile warmly and sat down. An amazed gasp escaped my throat when I took in the mouthwatering disy of various appetizing meals.


    A literal feast had been set on the table.


    ¡°Am I the only one that will eat all these?¡± I blurted out, angling my neck to face Natalie who was standing behind me.


    She smiled, ¡°Yes, Madam. And if by any chance, you don¡¯t find something that¡¯s up to your taste here, please let me know so that I can make something else for you,¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m okay with everything here. They look perfect and I¡¯m sure they¡¯d also taste delicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ttered by your words, Madam.¡±


    I swallowed hungrily as I picked a spoon and dished a generous amount of rice, chicken roast, buffalo stew and some colew on my te.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    I grinned sheepishly at Natalie who grinned back before digging into the food.


    I was right. The food tasted like heaven.


    ¡°You are a great cook, Natalie.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for thepliment, Madam.¡±


    I soon scarfed the whole food down in a matter of minutes before reclining against the dining chair and patting my full belly with a satisfied grin.


    I waited there for a while before I headed back to the room where I couped myself in, reading a book I found on the nightstand.


    That was how Roman met me when he got back from work.


    ¡°Y-You are back.¡± I squeaked as I dropped the book on the bed, and stood clumsily in the middle of the room.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How was work?¡± I asked, desperately trying to act natural but woefully failing.


    Roman huffed, looking me up and down, ¡°So-so.¡±


    The tension between us was extremely awkward that I was literally freaking out inwardly as I watched him loosen his tie, and unbutton his shirt before he went to the bathroom.


    I had nned to take a shower before bed but I quickly decided against it when Roman stepped out of the bathroom, buttoning his pajamas with his rock hard abdominal muscles on disy.


    I swiftly looked away before he could see my reddening face.


    It didn¡¯t help matters when the bed dipped with his added weight, and his natural masculine scent seeped into my nostrils.


    I felt a tear run down my legs that instant.


    ¡°Do you sleep with the lights on?¡± His husky voice reverberated through my chest.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, without stuttering.


    Thankfully.


    He pped his hands, and the room went dark safe for the dim amber light that the nightmp provided.


    I hugged myself, and faced the other side with my heart mming violently against my ribs before sleep finally overpowered me.

 Preparation for the meeting

    Roman¡¯s POV     ¡°Mio nipote, how are you doing today?¡± Nana asked from the other end of the phone, to which I just shrugged even though she couldn¡¯t see me.


    ¡°Good. How are you, ma?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good too. No, even good is an understatement. I am ted, delighted, excited and slightly nervous too.¡± Nana chattered excitedly which made a smile curve my lips.


    ¡°Today is D-Day, Romano. Hope you haven¡¯t forgotten about it?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, ma. What do you take me for?¡± I huffed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, darling. You know you¡¯ve deceived this old woman so much that she doesn¡¯t even know when you are telling the truth. Remember some years back when you told me you were dating onedy, Lana or what was her name? Correct me.¡± She said.


    ¡°Yes, Lana. You got it right. Well, things didn¡¯t work out between the both of us. I¡¯m sorry, ma.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need to apologize. You haven¡¯t done anything wrong. You have to choose someone who you are sure you want to spend the rest of your life with and vice versa. But I know you and Sofie will live happily forever. I¡¯m so happy, Romano.¡± She paused for a moment before I heard sniffling.


    Grandma sounded so happy about this whole stupid facade that I had put together, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad whenever I thought of it.


    As much as I wanted her to be happy, and give her the great-grandchildren that she desperately wanted, I had to consider myself first.


    I admitted Sofie made me feel things, and she made my stomach tingle pleasantly whenever I was around her but I still didn¡¯t want to get married to her nor did I want tomit to a true rtionship with her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, my boy. I¡¯m just really happy that you finally got engaged and are even nning to settle down.¡± Grandmaughed, her voice teary.


    ¡°It¡¯s something to be happy about, Nana. You shouldn¡¯t cry, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, my boy. I have to get back to the kitchen now. The chef is currently preparing the food and I don¡¯t want anything to go wrong. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± She said and ended the call.


    I ced my phone on the desk with a sigh before I stood up to look through the ss walls at the pedestrians and vehicles passing below.


    It was the day I had chosen to introduce my ¡°fiance¨¦¡± to Nana.


    I still felt slightly stressed out about the thought of something possibly going wrong during the meeting that I made Sofie practice how she was going to act with Nana.


    I had also paid some people to act like Sofie¡¯s parents if it was ever needed, since Sofie always changed the subject whenever I asked her about her parents.


    I couldn¡¯t underestimate Nana.


    I knew she¡¯d surely have her secretary do a background check on Sofie, and I didn¡¯t want to risk anything by being too careless.


    A knock on the door broke me out of my reverie, and back to reality.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Even before the ss walls could reflect his form, I already deduced who it was.


    Nathan was the only person who knocked in short, quick sessions.


    ¡°Good morning, sir.¡± He said, to which I nodded with my gaze still on the moving passersby.


    ¡°Morning. What is my schedule for today?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You have a meeting with Guilon corps to finalize the investment discussion, and you are also meeting the delegates from Ebenezer software at lunch.¡± Nathan recited.


    ¡°Great. I have to leave work before three in the afternoon. Make sure no one tries to dy the meeting, if they want to, just cancel on them or postpone the date altogether.¡± I instructed, ncing down at my wristwatch.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°By the way, have you done what I asked you to do yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Nathan replied, to which I nodded.


    ¡°Are you sure they are good? Did you critically assess their ratings before you called them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Be rest assured that everything will go smoothly.¡±


    I pped him on his shoulder, impressed, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I mentally noted it down to triple his bonus for that month.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, sir. It¡¯s my job to do anything you ask of me.¡± Nathan said, and I fought the urge to scoff.


    Trust Nathan, and his forever professionalism.


    Momentster after Nathan left, I sat down on the swivel chair as my thoughts strayed to Sofie for the umpteenth time that day.


    I remembered how timid she seemed on that night, four days ago.


    On her first night as my fake fianc¨¦e.


    She had looked almost frightened to see me when I got back from work and when we slept, she had folded herself in a way I didn¡¯t think or know was humanly possible, to take up just a tiny part of the bed.


    All my efforts to cover her with the nket had been in vain.


    Even though she¡¯d been shivering, she still declined my offer to warm her up with the nkets.


    She didn¡¯t want to trouble me. She had argued.


    Everything about her was often surprising and weird.


    But I felt myself getting more and more intrigued by her as the days flew by, as much as I hated to admit it.


    I suddenly craved to hear her honeyed voice at that moment and before my logical reasoning could kick in to stop me, I picked up my phone and dialed her number.


    She answered almost instantly like she had been expecting my call, and the thought made something pleasant simmer within me.


    ¡°Roman?¡± Sofie said and for a split moment, the ability to form sensible, coherent sentences evaded me.


    ¡°Sofie.¡± I said, after getting my voice back.


    ¡°Uhm, did something happen?¡± Her enthralling voice floated into my ear.


    ¡°No. I-uhm,¡± I racked my brain for a reasonable-enough statement to utter.


    Fuck. Why was I acting like this?


    Now that I had finally gotten the opportunity to listen to her talk, I couldn¡¯t even find the words to properly express myself.


    ¡°Some people wille over to the house soon. Be ready. That¡¯s all I wanted to say.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Who are they?¡±


    ¡°Stylists. They are stylists. I hired them to help you get ready to meet my grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Very well then.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I muttered before hanging up.


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I just did.


    ¡°Sofie Diaz, what are you doing to me?¡± I groaned, my head sped between my hands.

 Nervous

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I walked into the bustling restaurant with quick, confident strides even though anxiety simmered within me. I clutched my handbag tightly as I reached the backroom, and came face to face with the door to my boss¡¯ office.


    ¡°Sofie?¡± I heard someone call just as I was about to knock on the door. I tilted my neck sideways, and smiled when I saw who it was.


    ¡°Brian.¡± I said as he walked up to me, returning my smile with a wide grin. Brian Goshen was also a worker at the restaurant. He was the coworker who I was closest to.


    ¡°Sofie. Where did you run off to? I¡¯ve been trying to call you for three good days, yet your line is always busy. What happened to you? Where did you suddenly sprout out from?¡± He asked as he held my hand.


    I grimaced before reciting the carefully-rehearsed lie I had prepared yesterday. ¡°Actually, I had an emergency. A family emergency. My parents forced me to go and the ce had no reception, so I couldn¡¯t take anyone¡¯s call nor could I ce calls to people. I¡¯m so sorry .¡±


    Good job, Sofie. Good job. I inwardly praised myself.


    ¡°Oh. I hope everything is fine now.¡± Brian said, letting go of my hand as he eyed me, ¡°Why are you fancily dressed up to work?¡±


    I nced at my outfit which consisted of a mini ck leather skirt, and an oversized white shirt which I stylishly tucked in at the front, and left ying at the back coupled with the ck pumps that my feet were in.


    They were the only casual-enough outfit I found among the clothes Roman had bought for me.


    The rest were too expensive, and ostentatious to be worn just to submit my resignation letter. I couldn¡¯t tell Brian the truth about my new life, so I just smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. By the way, shouldn¡¯t you get back to work now?¡± I narrowed my stare on the menu he had in his hand.


    He gasped, ¡°Fuck. I almost forgot. I have to go now. Bye, Sofie.¡± He screeched before he hastily left.


    I just smiled fondly at his retreating figure before averting my gaze back to the door.


    I inhaled deeply to calm my nerves before I knocked gently.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Someone bellowed from within.


    I could ce the voice. No one else among the people that worked in the restaurant had that distinct, annoying, high pitched voice except Daphne. ¡°It¡¯s Sofie.¡± I said, repressing the urge to scoff.


    I heard shuffling for a moment before I heard keys cking, ¡°The door is open. You cane in.¡± I swallowed hard before pushing the door open, and stepping in.


    Two pairs of eyes were rooted on me as I walked into the office further, one seemed to widen in surprise, on seeing me while the other looked disgusted by my appearance. ¡°So after disappearing for a week, you finally decided toe back, Queen Sofie. You must think you are all that, huh?¡± Daphne said, ring distastefully at me as she tucked in her blouse.


    I didn¡¯t even want to know what she might have been doing with my boss before I walked in.


    ¡°I was only away for four days, Daphne.¡± I said before turning to Richard, my boss, who still looked surprised, ¡°Here. I am here to hand in my letter of resignation.¡± I slid the white envelope on the table.


    ¡°Why? Did something happen?¡± Richard asked, retrieving the letter from the envelope. Just I had expected, Daphne looked relieved as she eyed me. ¡°Finally.¡±


    ¡°No, sir. I got another job and I will be going back to college soon. I can¡¯t juggle schooling and two jobs, I hope you will understand.¡± Richard red at her before averting his focus back to me, his gaze softened, ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. I wish you all the best.¡±


    I bowed, ¡°Thanks, Richard. I must be on my way back now.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t even stay to have some refreshment before you leave? Are you that mad at me?¡± He asked.


    I quickly shook my head in negation. ¡°No. It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Take care.¡±


    I bowed again, ignoring Daphne¡¯s smirk before exiting the office. Afterward, I quickly headed back to the road to board a taxi.


    As soon as I got into the taxi, Roman¡¯s words from earlier rang inside my head. ¡°Some people wille over to the house soon. Be ready. That¡¯s all I wanted to say.¡±


    Fuck. I should have chosen a better day to hand in my resignation letter instead of today.


    I wondered what I was thinking when I made such a decision, forgetting that today was the day Roman was taking me to meet his grandmother.


    After what felt like years, I reached the mansion, and literally sprinted into the house. I was relieved when I didn¡¯t see anyone besides Antonio in the living room. He just bowed to me, and didn¡¯t question my haste.


    I ran up the stairs to the bedroom to wait for the stylists but to my utter astonishment, three women who I immediately deduced were the stylists were waiting. ¡°You must be Miss Sofie Diaz.¡± One of them said with a smile, to which I nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I kept you waiting.¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s fine, madam.¡± She replied.


    Before I could utter a response, the shortest woman among them yanked me by my arm and plopped me onto the stool in front of the dresser, so I was now staring at my reflection in the mirror. ¡°We will take very good care of you, madam. Just sit back, rx and enjoy the sensation.¡± The third woman grinned at me through the mirror.


    I nodded tentatively as they got to work.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    One of them did my hair and makeup, another did my manicure and pedicure while the third oneid out five dresses with jewelry sets, shoes and bags to match and asked for my preferences.


    In about an hour, they were done and I stared at my dolled-up self in the mirror.


    I looked extremely different.


    My hair had been parted at the center and curled at the ends, so that the brown tresses stylishly flowed down my back.


    My makeup was perfect just the way I liked it. It wasn¡¯t too loud nor was it too minimal.


    For my outfit, I was d in a mini bodycon beige turtleneck dress which was stylishly cut out at the shoulder with a ck, leather trench coat worn over it while my feet were slipped into a pair of ck Alexander Wang strappy heels.


    In my hand, I held a Chanel ck purse with gold embellishment around the straps. Diamond earrings were also looped around my ears while two gold rings were worn on each of my hands with a diamond wristwatch and bracelet.


    I looked elegant, almost like a wealthy heiress. ¡°How well do you like it, madam?¡± The woman in charge of my hair asked. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. I love it so much.¡± I confessed and they all smiled, satisfied.


    ¡°We are d to hear that and we¡¯ll be on our way back now.¡± The shorter one said, to which I nodded and smiled.


    Afterward, they took their leave, and I was left alone to gush over myself to pass time while I waited for Roman to arrive.

 Unnecessary raunchy thoughts

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Wee home, young master.¡± Antonio greeted as I handed him my briefcase.


    ¡°Thanks. Where is Sofie? Is she ready yet?¡± I asked, ncing down at my wristwatch.


    ¡°Yes, sir. The stylists just left not quite long ago, sir.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded before sprinting up the stairs.


    I rubbed my palms together when I reached the door, feeling a weird sort of excitement sizzle within me.


    It wasn¡¯t as if I was excited to see what outfit Sofie was wearing though. I just wanted to get the meeting done, and over with.


    Yes. That was it.


    I pushed the door open while inwardly hoping I didn¡¯t catch Sofie in an awkward situation.


    My jaw dropped like literally dropped on seeing the ang-I mean, Sofie.


    I looked her up and down, lust mixed with fascination settling inside me.


    The stylists had done a great job and for a moment, I thought of calling Nana to cancel the meeting.


    I just wanted to bend Sofie over the dresser, and turn her into a whimpering mess.


    What did she think she was doing dressed up so gorgeously?


    The dress entuated her beautiful hourss figure, and her sinful milky thighs were also left on disy.


    I had the sudden urge to roll the dress up, and sit her on my cock.


    For some minutes, I couldn¡¯t form aprehensible statement and instead, I kept opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water.


    When I finally got control over my tongue, the first sentence that slipped out of my mouth was, ¡°Are you ready now?¡± Instead of thepliment I had nned to give her.


    Fuck. Why was I so nervous?


    ¡°Y-yes. I am.¡± She stuttered, grabbing her purse from the dresser.


    ¡°So, what do you think about my outfit? Do you like it?¡± She asked, motioning to herself.


    I shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I feigned nonchnce and for a brief second, a strange emotion glinted her hazel eyes but when I blinked, it was no longer there, and it made me wonder if I had imagined it.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She mumbled and nodded.


    I felt like an asshole as I watched her walk with her shoulders hunched to the car.


    She got in quietly, and exchanged pleasantries with Nathan. I nced at her continuously, inwardly hoping she¡¯d dart a stare at me like she usually did when she thought I wasn¡¯t looking but she remained still and just stared outside the window.


    Was she mad about my earlier nonchnce?


    Fuck. I wasn¡¯t used to apologizing to anyone but Sofie really made me want to try things.


    She made me want to be a better man.


    ¡°Uhm,¡± I cleared my throat as I arranged the words in my head, and that did the job.


    Sofie stared at me, confusion twinkling in her eyes.


    ¡°The stylists did an exemry job. You look stunning in this outfit.¡± I confessed, looking her in the eye just in time for her eyes to double in surprise as her cheeks became dusted with pink.


    ¡°T-thank you.¡± Sofie whispered, fiddling with her fingers as she lowered her gaze.


    I didn¡¯t know why but I liked to see Sofie being so submissive and flustered by me.


    It made something in me preen with pride.


    I was caught off guard when Sofie suddenly climbed myp, wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a passionate kiss as she rocked my hardening shaft.


    Ignoring the voice at the back of my mind warning me about Nathan seeing, and hearing us, I groped her ass cheeks and fondled them like stress balls.


    They felt exceptionally soft that day and right there and then, precum started leaking out of my tip.


    ¡°You like being disyed and fucked, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked as Sofie broke the kiss and started trailing open-mouthed kisses on the sides of my neck.


    ¡°Yes, daddy. I-I want everyone to know that I belong to you.¡± She shivered and I groaned into the crook of her neck.


    ¡°Fuck. You are really asking for it, aren¡¯t you?¡± I gritted out and in response, Sofie started grinding harder on me as she looked into my eyes with a smirk contorting a side of her lips.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, daddy. I want you to fuck me. I want your big, long cock inside me so bad.¡± She whimpered, sensually whining her waist on me, causing me to clench my teeth and grip her ass roughly.


    ¡°When we get home, I will do that. I will fuck you so hard that you won¡¯t be able to walk for days.¡± I growled.


    At that, she moaned out something incoherent and I smacked her ass, ¡°Be more vocal about what you want, baby girl.¡±


    She just continued moaning and whimpering and the sensual sounds that came from her, went straight to my cock and soon enough, I was close.


    I felt something wet on my pants and realized Sofie had climaxed but she didn¡¯t stop grinding on me and before I knew it, I saw white and also came in my pants.


    I was about to say something to her when Nathan¡¯s voice interrupted me.


    ¡°Sir Roman, we are here.¡±


    Without thinking, I spat, ¡°Stop bothering me!¡±


    ¡°Roman. Roman? We are here.¡± This time, it was Sofie¡¯s voice and it made me frown.


    I gazed up at her only to find myself staring into space, and Nathan¡¯s curious eyes fixated on me.


    I nced to my side and lo and behold, Sofie was collected and calmly sitting beside me as she also stared quizzically at me like I had suddenly grown a pair of horns.


    Only then did I realize I had imagined everything that had just happened.


    What if I had said everything aloud? I couldn¡¯t have done so.


    Right?


    I looked from Sofie back to Nathan, and they didn¡¯t seem appalled, instead they looked befuddled. I guessed I was quiet.


    Then, I cleared my throat, and stared out of the window at my grandparent¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°Sorry, I was deep in thought,¡± I lied, to which Sofie nodded.


    ¡°Thanks again for thepliment,¡± She muttered before Nathan flung the car door open on her end.


    I tried to hide the smile that creeped onto my face but sessfully failed as my attention dropped to the tent forming in my pants.


    I didn¡¯t want to visit my grandma with a boner, and I had no way I could relieve myself in a short period.


    ¡°Fuck it.¡± I whispered underneath my breath as I arranged myself to conceal my hard-on before I stepped out of the car.


    Afterward, Nathan left for thepany and Sofie and I walked up the stairs leading to the entrance of the mansion together, as I stylishly stole quick nces at her beautiful side profile.


    Sofie really made me feel things, and honestly, I didn¡¯t think that was good.

 The meeting (pt.1)

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I walked closely behind Roman, almost gluing myself to him as we walked into the ginormous expanse of his grandmother¡¯s mansion.


    If I had thought Roman¡¯s house to be magnificent, then this mansion was by far grandiose.


    Even grandiose couldn¡¯t describe the medieval-themed mansion, it was opulently breathtaking.


    ¡°You are wee home, young master.¡± A formally dressed middle-aged man greeted us as we crossed the threshold.


    Roman handed his coat to the man, ¡°Thanks. Where¡¯s grandma?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in her bedroom, sir.¡± He replied.


    The man whoter introduced himself as Daniel made to ease my coat off my body and I just held up a hand and shook my head in calm negation.


    ¡°You are not feeling hot?¡± Roman¡¯s voice rang into my ears as he drew back a dining chair for me to sit.


    I perched on the chair, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine like this.¡± I said, to which he nodded before he scanned the room, and brushed my forehead with a kiss which made Daniel, and the maids setting the table look away, to give us some privacy.


    I reddened like it was the first time all over again that Roman was making body contact with me.


    He just had that sort of powerful effect on me that whenever he was with me, I just couldn¡¯t help but act and also feel so needy.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get grandma. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡± He whispered, and I nodded before I felt his warmth leave my back.


    I looked down at my thighs as the maids put finishing touches to the sumptuously-arranged variety of dishes.


    My stomach growled with immense famish as I gluttonously stared at the silverware that contained chickensagna, my favorite food in the world.


    So this was the reason why he asked me for my favorite food that day.


    ¡°Oh, is that my granddaughter-inw?¡± I heard a squeal behind me and I was instantly up on my feet.


    I spun around to face Roman¡¯s grandmother who was limping down the stairs with a walking stick in her right hand, and Roman¡¯s hand in the other.


    She was a mirror image of Roman. The only difference was that she was smaller, older, and feminine but they both had the same siren grey eyes, and the same pointed nose.


    I was sure she¡¯d have been a dazzling beauty with lots of suitors in her younger years.


    ¡°Mrs Giovanni.¡± I greeted her, respectfully sping my hands together.


    ¡°Nonsense, cara. Stop being so formal to me. You can call me Benedicta or Nana or Nana B, anything you want, okay?¡± She genuinely looked pleased to see me, and that brought tears to my eyes which I quickly blinked away but unfortunately didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Roman who just raised a questioning brow at me.


    All my life, I had never had a parent figure in my life.


    My parents were just pests, and disgraceful excuses of parents and never really cared about me, so to have Roman¡¯s grandmother seem so happy to see me delighted my inner child.N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°I want to sit beside her, Romano. You should sit beside her.¡± Nana dered, to which I smiled and Roman just feigned an exasperated scoff before he took his seat beside me.


    I figured I could call her Nana as calling her by her name would sound too disrespectful and also, calling her Nana B sounded too affectionate when I was just a disgusting liar pretending to be her grandson¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    Now that I carefully thought about it for the first time, I realized how cheap and low I probably seemed to Roman.


    I had spread my legs for him, and had greedily jumped on the offer to collude with him and lie to the poor, old woman.


    I was so pathetic.


    ¡°You are really gorgeous, mia tesorio,¡± She cooed, reaching for my hand on the table before steering her attention to Roman, ¡°You got lucky with her. Good job.¡± She said, which made Roman smile with a strange emotion glinting off his grey orbs.


    ¡°Forgive my old brain, dear. I should have asked for your name first. What is your name?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Sofie. My name is Sofie Diaz.¡±


    ¡°Sofie. You are just as pretty as your name.¡± She giggled which made my cheeks flustered.


    ¡°You are ttering me too much, ma.¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course not. I never tter anyone. I say things exactly the way I see them.¡± She boasted with a smirk.


    Even her smirk was the same as Roman¡¯s.


    She continued. ¡°By the way, Roman told me you are still in college. What is your major? What year are you in? Do-¡±


    ¡°Nana, the food will get cold. Allow her to eat first before you continue your interrogation.¡± Roman interrupted, which earned him an eye roll from the older woman.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetheart. I didn¡¯t realize I was being too inquisitive. Forgive me, my dear.¡± She smiled apologetically at me.


    I returned her smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, ma. I¡¯m not offended.¡±


    Afterward, Nana called for her maids to serve us which they promptly did and momentster, a te ofsagna served with garlic bread and topped with greek sd.


    The food was appetizing to my line of smell, and also tasted scrumptious.


    As for Roman, he had some baked, stuffed lobster that was garnished with lemon rings, and sprinkled with some vegetables while Nana had a strange white soup.


    The sound of cutleries nking against tes was heard for a couple of minutes as we busied ourselves with the meal.


    We soon finished eating, and the maids cleared the table while Nathan brought two bottles of wine to the table, opened them, and poured them into wine goblets for the three of us.


    ¡°So, back to my questions. Can you answer them now?¡± Nana asked as I took a gentle sip of the wine.


    ¡°Yes, Nana. I¡¯m in college in myst year of studying clinical nutrition and dietetics.¡± I replied, half lying, and half saying the truth.


    I was truly studying nutrition and dietetics before I dropped out some years ago but I was still in the second year of college.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome. You are a really responsibledy, I¡¯m quite impressed.¡± Nana said.


    I doubt you¡¯d still be impressed with me when you find out the truth, I thought, feigning a smile at her.


    ¡°By the way, when can I meet your parents?¡± She asked, and I almost choked on my drink.


    I quickly forced the alcoholic liquid down, and stared at her with various unbridled thoughts assailing my mind.


    I could just lie to her that I was an orphan. Frankly speaking, I was as good as one anyway.


    But before I could reply, Roman did, ¡°Why do you want to meet them, Nana?¡±


    ¡°We have to start nning your wedding, don¡¯t we? I want you both to get married before the year runs out.¡± Nana deadpanned, causing Roman and I to exchange startled nces.


    Marriage? All of a sudden?


    What was going on?


    That was definitely not part of the n.

 The meeting (pt.2)

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Romano, you are not saying anything.¡± Nana said, and I broke the stunned gaze Sofie and I were currently sharing.


    I was so astounded by the sudden discussion about marriage that I didn¡¯t even know what to say, but I knew I had to utter a word to at least counter Nana¡¯s marriage ns before the situation escted.


    ¡°I-err,¡± I looked from Sofie to Nana, ¡°Sofie and I are not in a hurry to get married, Nana. I hope you can understand, ma. We want to learn each other¡¯s differences, and what not before getting married an-¡±


    ¡°How many years have the both of you been together? When did you start dating?¡±


    ¡°Two years. We started dating two years ago.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been almost a year.¡± Sofie and I blurted out at the same time which made Nana frown, and caused Sofie to dart a frightened stare at me.


    Fuck.


    I quickly salvaged the situation by cing a hand over Sofie¡¯s, ¡°What Sofie means is that we met two years ago but we officially started dating about a year ago.¡± I smoothly lied.


    ¡°Oh. Very well then. By the way, I noticed something, my dear.¡± Nana swerved her focus on Sofie.


    I swallowed anxiously, ¡°What is that, Nana?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you, Caro. I am having a discussion with my granddaughter-inw.¡± She said, and the weird sensation that clouded my chest whenever she referred to Sofie as her granddaughter-inw struck me again.


    I ignored the feeling and just mumbled an apology.


    ¡°As I was saying before the rude interruption, I noticed you are not wearing an engagement ring. Is there a reason why it¡¯s not on your finger?¡± She asked, all traces of light-heartedness gone from her tone as she fixed her stare on Sofie¡¯s tensed form.


    How could I have forgotten something so crucial?


    An engagement ring should have been at the top of my list.


    I made a mental note to go to the jewelry store with Sofie before the day ended, lest I forgot.


    ¡°Actually, Nana, I had a little bit of an ident on my left ring fingerst night, so I decided to take it off to prevent further irritation in the area.¡± The first set of lies smoothly flowed out of Sofie¡¯s mouth and my jaw unclenched with relief.


    But my respite was short-lived as Nana¡¯s face was still pinched in a frown.


    ¡°Oh, that must have really hurt. How did the ident happen? Is it a cut or a burn and if you don¡¯t mind, can I see the injury?¡±


    I froze as I tilted my neck sideways to stare at Sofie.


    Strangely enough, she didn¡¯t seem preupied with fear, ¡°I identally cut myself when I was chopping some veggies to make some sd. And yes of course, Nana, you can see it.¡± She ced her left hand on the table, and true to her words, there was a tiny cut on the said finger.


    The most surprising part of it was that the cut still looked fresh.


    Sofie just shot a fleeting stare at my bedazzled countenance as Nana assessed her finger.


    ¡°Oh, dear. How did you allow that to happen? You should have asked the maid to make you some fruit sd instead of ruining your beautiful skin like this.¡± Nana grimaced, to which Sofie smiled.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, ma. It just looks like that, I don¡¯t even feel pain there anymore.¡±


    ¡°Be rest assured, Nana. She¡¯ll wear the ring on our next visit,¡± I said, to back Sofie up.


    Nana nodded, seemingly satisfied which made me inwardly heave a sigh of relief, ¡°Alright then. Make sure you take very good care of yourself, Sofie.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Nana.¡±


    ¡°So, you said you are not getting married anytime soon, right?¡± Nana started again and I nodded.


    She furrowed her brows as if in deep thoughts for a moment before her countenance softened, ¡°Okay, I agree you have to do that to ensure you have no loopholes in your marriage. I agree with that.¡± She nodded before her features morphed into a serious expression.


    ¡°But,¡± She continued, which made Sofie and I exchange tense nces.


    ¡°I will only agree to push the wedding as far as you both want if you agree to do as I say.¡±


    Was she going to ask us to have a child?


    I hoped not.


    I sincerely hoped not.


    I didn¡¯t want to have kids now or in the future.


    I didn¡¯t despise kids though but there were some traumatic experiences I had with kids that made me cancel the prospect of ever being a father.


    When Nana saw that Sofie and I remained quiet, she cleared her throat and proceeded with her condition, ¡°The both of you will go to Greece for your engagement honeymoon this weekend and you will spend a week there. Consider this as a sort of pre-wedding gift from me.¡± She grinned.


    What?


    I sighed, ¡°Nana, I have to oversee the affairs of thepany. I can¡¯t go away for five days.¡±


    I really couldn¡¯t.


    If I spent five days with Sofie, without thepany taking up half of my time, I would surely breach the contract by having sex with her, and I couldn¡¯t have that at the moment.


    The only thing that held me back from following my instincts and ramming her into our shared bed since her first night at my house was the fact that I was often preupied with work.


    I was barely hanging onto thest bit of my self control and I feared it could totally dissipate if I really agreed to Nana¡¯s request.


    ¡°Nathan is there to handle it all, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Nana. I just can¡¯t leave everything to him. I¡¯d be overworking him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already discussed it with him and he has no problem with it. I offered to pay him extra and he agreed.¡± Nana muttered.


    ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t he say anything about it to me?¡±


    ¡°I asked him not to.¡±


    I groaned, ¡°But Nana, I d-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s either you go to Greece or you get married before the year ends, choose one,¡± Nana countered and turned to Sofie, ¡°Or do you have any problem with going to Greece, cara?¡±


    Sofie stared at me as if expecting me to answer the question in her stead.


    ¡°Darling, I just asked you a question.¡± Nana said.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine with it.¡± Sofie stuttered and Nana smiled smugly.


    ¡°Good. Roman, you have no excuse and you will do as I say, va bene?¡±


    I sighed for the umpteenth time that day, ¡°Okay, Nana.¡±


    ¡°I presume Sofie has an international passport, right?¡± Nana averted her focus to Sofie.


    ¡°Yes, ma. I do.¡± Sofie replied, and Nana nodded with a satisfied grin.


    Later on, when Sofie and I had settled in the car, heading home, a thought suddenly crossed my mind and without thinking, I spouted, ¡°Nathan, make a detour.¡±


    ¡°Why, sir?¡±


    ¡°Change of ns. We are going to see Sofie¡¯s parents,¡± I dered and he nodded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°My parents? All of a sudden? Do you even know where they live? Why do you want to meet them? They have no business with anything that¡¯s going on between us.¡± Sofie rambled out, worry twinkling in her eyes.


    I smirked, ¡°I know everything I need to know about you, doll. You are my fianc¨¦e after all.¡± And with that, I tore my stare away from her, back onto the road.

 The greedy parents

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    What exactly could he want to see them for? I wondered within myself as the car steered to a half in front of my parents¡¯ shabby ce of abode.


    Roman darted me a stare, ¡°Shall we?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t as if he cared about my opinion anyway. I thought to myself as we trekked into the house together.


    Walking inside me anxious as the memories from that day with Mr Alexander Guilon floated into my mind.


    Roman is here now. I have him to protect me for a while. He won¡¯t let them harm me. I reassured myself.


    As usual, my parents werezily syed on the couch together watching a rerun of a Mexican telenov that Mum was particrly obsessed with.


    They must have sensed our silhouettes hovering over the entranceway as they both turned their heads around to re at me in particr, paying no attention to Roman.


    Mum shot up from the chair, triggered, ¡°You stupid slut. I regret ever giving birth to you. I should have gotten rid of you immediately when I found out about you. You are so useless and you are nothing but a fucking disgrace to us. Where the hell are youing from?¡± She spat, poking my chest with her forefinger.


    I squeezed my eyes shut to control the rage simmering within me as I felt shame wash through me.


    Usually, I never felt any form of embarrassment whenever my parents insulted me because I had developed thick skin to all of their biting remarks, but the realization that Roman was there to see the ugly sight y out made something heavy settle at the pit of my belly.


    ¡°Veronica. I never pictured you to be so mannerless and uncouth in the presence of a visitor.¡± Roman said coolly, and I temporarily forgot about my worries and gazed up at him, befuddled.


    How did he know my mum¡¯s name?


    Had he been digging up information about me?


    ¡°And who the fuck do you think you are, to talk to my wife in such an insolent manner?¡± Dad stepped in between Mum and Roman, clutching his hands into fists as he red up at Roman.


    Roman just chuckled and shook his head, ¡°The both of you are pathetic. You are the worst type of parents a person could have. You wanted to force your own daughter to get married to a man old enough to be her fucking grandfather, why?¡±


    I froze, ¡°H-how did you know that?¡±


    Without turning toward me, he said, ¡°I told you before, petal. I know everything I should know about you.¡±


    ¡°Are you one of the various men this harlot whores herself around with? Has she also brainwashed you with her lies to take her side?¡± Dad scoffed, and tears brimmed in my eyes.


    The sort of immense disgrace I felt at that moment could not be described.


    ¡°Let me advise you, young man. Sofie may look innocent and tender to you but that is all a lie. She is a fucking whore with various STDs. You should go check up on yourself to see if you haven¡¯t contracted any from her, if you have had sex with her.¡± My mum fibbed, added salt to my injury.


    ¡°You are not even trying to hide your tawdry lifestyle anymore. Look how scantily dressed you are like an escort. Such a fucking shame to have you as my daughter. It¡¯d have been-¡± The rest of dad¡¯s words were interrupted by a heavy blow delivered to his face by Roman.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with this darn man?¡± Mum shrieked as she tended to her fallen husband.


    I remained transfixed to the spot as I stared at Roman.


    He calmly wrang his wrist, ¡°That is for calling my fianc¨¦e a whore and if you don¡¯t stop talking like that, I¡¯d beat the living shit out of you, fucking son of a bitch.¡± Roman spat on Dad who remained helpless on the floor, nursing his swollen jaw and bleeding nose.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, baby. This environment is not good for you.¡± Roman muttered, cing his hand on the small of my back.


    I had to admit that it felt nice to have someone defend me from my parents¡¯ cruelty for once in my life but something wasn¡¯t quite clear; why was Roman doing all of these?


    He¡¯d even gone as far as proiming that he was my fiance.


    I nodded dazedly and followed him out, ignoring mum who was still spitting profanities at us.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I whispered,ter when Roman and I were seated in the car as we journeyed back home.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Though, it¡¯s nothing. It was the right thing to do.¡± He replied, shing me a tiny smile before looking away.


    I bit my lip to suppress the smile threatening to widen my lips as I looked out of the window.


    ¡°By the way, how did you get the cut on your finger?¡± He asked, and I stared down at the tiny red injury on my ring finger.


    ¡°I identally cut myself with a knife yesterday when I was dicing up some carrots. I wanted to make some colew.¡± I divulged, patting the cut.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we head to the hospital right now? You don¡¯t want it to get infected, do you?¡± He asked.


    I shook my head, touched at his coldpassion. ¡°We don¡¯t need to go to the hospital. It¡¯s just a minor injury.¡±


    In response, he just hummed, and looked away.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time, you know.¡± I mumbled underneath my breath but Roman heard it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time what happened?¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    I fiddled with the hem of the coat, ¡°The first time someone stood up for me against them. When I was younger, most people, especially adults used to defend them and paint me as the bad child whenever stuff escted between me and them. I¡¯m not saying this to get your pity or anything, I¡¯m just saying it because I want to.¡±


    I had no idea why I thought thest part of my sentence was necessary.


    Roman just stared at me with an expression I couldn¡¯t even pinpoint, ¡°Nathan will bring the ring over to the house. I have to meet a friend after dropping you off at home.¡±


    And just like that, Roman reminded me of my worth in his life.


    I was nothing more than his sham fianc¨¦e.


    I tried to mask my hurt with a smile as I climbed down the car, ¡°Alright.¡±


    It didn¡¯t help matters that immediately I mmed the door shut, the car sped away and Roman didn¡¯t pay further attention to me.


    I blinked the tears that welled up in my eyes away, as I walked through the foyer and the butler bowed to me.


    I just nodded at him as I couldn¡¯t bring myself to utter a reply to him, lest I burst into tears.


    As I trudged up the stairs, the bitter reminder that I was nothing to Roman sounded within me.


    I could only hope Nana took back her words, so I wouldn¡¯t have to travel to Greece with him.

 Facing his feelings

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore, Damien. I honestly don¡¯t know what to do. No matter what angle I try to view it from, it just doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± I rambled out as the waitress ced the bottle of whiskey on the table.


    For an unknown reason, I felt guilty about doing something I didn¡¯t even know about.


    The stupid feeling bloomed within me immediately. I dropped Sofie off at the house and caught a slight nce of her eyes which were ssy with suppressed tears.


    No matter how much alcohol I consumed, I just couldn¡¯t shake the image off. It made my heart awfully heavy.


    Damien waited until the waitress left before he replied, ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what you are trying to say, man.¡±


    I poured a generous amount of amber alcohol into two ss cups, then slid one toward Damien who nodded before taking a sip.


    ¡°Sofie makes me feel things. Things I have never felt toward anyone in my life.¡±


    ¡°Things?¡±


    ¡°Initially, I thought it was mere pity because given the circumstances surrounding our first meeting, I thought I just wanted to protect her and keep her away from all the dangers in the world. I just realized that whatever these stupid feelings are, they are definitely not normal and I want to get rid of them, Damien.¡± I confessed, taking a swig of the whiskey.


    Damien just chuckled, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with your feelings for her, man. I mean, Sofie is a very beautiful woman.¡±


    At his statement, I gripped the ss cup, so tight that I thought it¡¯d eventually break and cut into my palm.


    I didn¡¯t want Damien or any other man calling Sofie beautiful.


    I was the only person allowed to think of her in that manner.


    Fuck. Getting rid of my feelings for her was going to be way harder than I thought.


    ¡°It¡¯d be strange if you didn¡¯t harbor any feelings for her. You know what, Roman?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you want my candid advice? You know I won¡¯t sugarcoat stuff for you and I¡¯d tell you the in truth, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let me first start off by telling you that you can¡¯t get rid of your feelings for Sofie. It¡¯s not done that way. You just have to calm down and enjoy the wonderful bliss thates with falling in love with your own person.¡± As he spoke, his eyes illuminated excitedly.


    Falling in love?


    What the fuck was that?


    I wasn¡¯t and will never fall in love with anyone, be it Sofie or any other woman.


    I didn¡¯t love Sofie.


    Right?


    ¡°Don¡¯t get it twisted, Damien. I didn¡¯t say I was in love with her. I don¡¯t love her, man. I¡¯m just intrigued by her, nothing more, so don¡¯t say stuff like that, okay?¡± I huffed.


    Damien shook his head as he eyed me, like I was a petnt child and he, my teacher, ¡°Rx, man. I¡¯m just saying. After all, I¡¯m not living inside your heart to know whether you are telling the truth. But we both know you are lying to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Damien.¡± I gritted out, shooting a re at him.


    He raised his hands in surrender, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, bro. I won¡¯t push it anymore. I¡¯m just trying to look out for you as your best friend. There¡¯s no need to get so defensive.¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply anymore and I just chugged down the remnant of the alcohol in my ss cup as I inwardly reassured myself of one thing.


    I was definitely not in love with Sofie.


    In lust probably, but I was positive I wasn¡¯t in love with her.


    +++


    Dayster, I was in my office with Nathan, assessing my schedule for the following week when my phone vibrated with an iing call.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± I said, to which Nathan nodded before I retrieved my phone from inside my pocket to nce at the caller id.


    It was Sofie.


    Strange. She had never called me before.


    I cleared my throat before answering the call, ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Roman. Nana is in the mansion right now!¡± Her voice sounded panicky.


    My brows contorted in a perplexed frown, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s in the mansion which is her home. What is the problem? Did something happen to her?¡±


    ¡°No. You don¡¯t understand. I mean, she is at your mansion right now. She just arrived some minutes ago.¡± Sofie spelt it out.


    It was then realization dawned on me.


    I shot up from the swivel chair, ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She just told me that she felt caged and bored at her ce, so she decided toe over to spend some time with me.¡± She replied.


    Fuck. I didn¡¯t want Nana meeting Sofie in my absence.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It only aggravated my anxiety. I was already walking on thin ice and in fear of my cover being blown.


    ¡°Where is she right now? Did she ask you any questions?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in the living room, she asked Antonio to make her some porridge and no, she didn¡¯t ask me anything. I¡¯ll try to keep her entertained, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything. I just called you to inform you of her arrival. I have no idea why I panicked either. You should get back to work now. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Sofie rambled out before ending the call.


    I nkly stared at the dim device in my hold for some minutes before Nathan jolted me out of my reverie.


    ¡°What happened, sir?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Back to the schedule, that¡¯s settled, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now cancel the rest of my schedule for today. I have somewhere important to be right now.¡± I instructed as I shrugged on my coat.


    ¡°You are driving yourself?¡± Nathan uttered as I grabbed my car keys.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± I muttered, to which he nodded.


    ¡°Alright, sir.¡±


    On the drive back home, I literally flew past the road signs, only mumbling apologies to the traffic wardens.


    Momentster, I got home, hopped out of the car and sprinted into the house.


    ¡°Young master, you are back so early.¡± Antonio observed, giving me a once over.


    ¡°Yes. Nana is in, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Bu-¡± I didn¡¯t wait to hear the rest of his response as I strode to the dining room.


    A smile curved my lips as I settled my gaze on the sight that weed me; Nana and Sofie chatting away like old friends.


    They didn¡¯t even notice my presence until I cleared my throat.


    Sofie tossed me a fleeting stare over her shoulder before she quietly turned back to her food.


    Nana tilted her neck to look at me, ¡°Romano. What a pleasant surprise. Come, sit. I brought something for you both.¡± She winked at Sofie whose cheeks flushed.


    I pecked Nana¡¯s forehead, ¡°Okay. Let me go take a quick shower.¡±


    After, I cupped Sofie¡¯s jaw, shed a smirk at her before kissing her, full on the lips, ¡°Hey, baby.¡± I whispered after breaking the kiss.


    ¡°H-Hi. Work went well, I presume.¡± She yed along.


    I nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She mirrored my action, ¡°You should go take a bath, lunch will be ready soon.¡±


    Nana yfully shoved me, ¡°She¡¯s right. Go take a shower or something, you reek of sweat.¡±


    I just smiled at her before I trekked up the stairs to take a shower, after handing my briefcase to Antonio.


    Nana obviously came for something but what could that ¡°something¡± be? I found myself thinking as warm water from the showerhead trickled down my body.

 Get out of your imagination

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Thanks again for having me, Cara. I¡¯m sorry I showed up unexpectedly and ruined your ns for the day, dear.¡± Nana cast an apologetic stare at me as she rose from her seat, at the head of the dining table.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, ma. I had no ns for the day, so you didn¡¯t wreck anything.¡± I reassured her as she slipped a warm, wrinkled hand into mine.


    Roman was quietly walking behind us to Nana¡¯s car, with his hands sped behind him.


    ¡°Before I forget, let me give this to you.¡± Nana rummaged through the brown leather bag clutched around her wrist, with her gaze trained on me.


    She handed me a small exquisitely wrapped lc gift bag, a mischievous smile curving the sides of her mouth, ¡°Here you go.¡± She handed it to me, ¡°By the way, you should only open it when you are alone. It contains something exhrating that will make your heart race.¡± She winked.


    I exchanged perplexed nces with Roman but nevertheless, I thanked her, ¡°Alright, Nana. Thank you for the gift.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, darling. Make sure you use it well, okay?¡± She winked again as she patted my shoulder.


    I stared at the box as I brandished it curiously.


    The box felt weightless in my hold and it made me wonder if there was anything at all inside it, for it to be so light.


    ¡°Nana, are you sure you don¡¯t want me to take you home?¡± Roman asked as Nana limped over to him.


    ¡°Yes, Romano. I am. My driver is waiting outside for me.¡± She replied, cing her hand on his cheek.


    Roman leaned in as she gently caressed his face with a smile, ¡°Let me see you off to the car then.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Nana turned toward me and I went to her.


    She stroked my face affectionately just like she did to Roman earlier, ¡°Make sure you enjoy yourself in Greece, okay?¡±


    I nodded and she nodded back, ¡°Have fun, darling. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± She released my face and beckoned to Roman.


    ¡°I will, ma. Take care.¡±


    ¡°You too, amore.¡± She beamed before walking out of the house with Roman.


    I sped the package, excitement sizzling within me as I hopped up the stairs like a well-fed rabbit.


    I closed the bedroom door behind me, ced the bag on the bed, and retrieved my phone from the nightstand.


    I had almost forgotten about what I¡¯d wanted to do before Nana arrived.


    With a heavy heart, I dialed her number with a flicker of hope illuminating within me even though I knew I¡¯d receive the same response from thework service.


    Amy¡¯s number didn¡¯t exist anymore.


    I stared at my phone as hope fizzled out of me.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Amy had called me a month ago to inform me that she was in Florida for work. She worked as a travel nurse.


    She¡¯d also told me she woulde back in a week, and now, three weeks had passed yet I still didn¡¯t know her whereabouts.


    I just hoped she was safe at least.


    Amy was like a sister I had never had and she was also my best friend since high school.


    We were seatmates and somehow, we clicked and became inseparable.


    My attention traveled back to the lc package and my worries were temporarily brushed aside as I picked up the bag and assessed it.


    Inside it was a lc box with a violet bow beautifully wrapped around it.


    With my heart violently hammering my ribs with intense inquisitiveness, I loosened the bow, tore the wrapping paper off, and gasped, on sighting the gifts enclosed within the box.


    Lo and behold, it was a pair of ckce thong with ckce bra and ck mesh thigh-high stockings to match. Buried underneath the wanton clothings was a small bottle of scented oil which had a sticky note stered to it and the note read; ¡°Enjoy Greece, love and I want great-grandchildren ASAP.¡±


    I froze for a moment, stunned by the whole package before I picked up the thong and assessed it.


    What was this supposed to cover? I thought as I raised it up in the air.


    I was deeply engrossed with the tiny piece of material that I didn¡¯t register the sound of the door opening and someone walking in.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Roman¡¯s husky voice wafted into my ears.


    Jolted by the sudden intrusion, the thong slipped out of my hand and dropped on the floor as I spun around to face him, ¡°N-Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s nothing? You look like you just saw a ghost.¡± Roman poked, advancing toward me.


    I gulped nervously as his gaze fixated on the ck material on the floor.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s just a napkin. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I lied, attempting to sweep the thong under the bed but my foot failed me and instead passed the scandalous fabric to Roman who frowned and picked it up.


    In just a moment, his face morphed into a wide range of expression; from confusion to shock then disgust.


    He sneered, ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°Nana gave it to me, I swear. They were all in the gift bag.¡± I motioned to the ck disy of obscenity on the bed.


    ¡°You better not be thinking of something stupid, Sofie. Nothing will happen between us in Greece or anywhere for that matter, okay?¡± He barked, indignation written all over his face and it bruised my ego but also made my blood boil with fury.


    ¡°Your grandmother gave this to me, Roman. It was wrapped and I didn¡¯t know it contained stuff like this. What was I supposed to do? Throw it in her face?¡± I retorted, ring at him.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t fucking know. You better discard this rubbish this instant, do you understand me? And I suggest you help yourself by getting out of your imagination and back to the reality of our rtionship. I will say it again, nothing will ever happen between us again.¡± Roman bellowed, and my anger dissipated to hurt as tears pooled in my eyes and slid down my face.


    Roman remained unperturbed as he mumbled a curse, grabbed a pillow, walked out of the room and mmed the door shut.


    I watched him leave while inwardly chiding myself for appearing weak by crying like a baby in front of him.


    ¡°Fucking bastard.¡± I whispered as I wiped my tears off.

 Greece

    Roman¡¯s POV


    Sofie and I walked into the luxurious vi which was one of the various properties Nana had bequeathed to me, grim-faced and awkward with each other.


    She had been ignoring me for the past three days, after our spat.


    I regretted uttering such derogatory remarks to her, and I really wanted to apologize to her and make things right between us.


    We had to be cordial with each other at least, to make our charade more believable to the public.


    I had no idea why I had gotten so enraged toward Sofie at the sight of Nana¡¯s gift. After all, Nana was the bearer of the lewd gift.


    All my efforts to mend our rtionship went down the drain as Sofie paid no attention to me.


    She¡¯d only spoken to me earlier today to ask if I¡¯d packed my passport and ticket and when I¡¯d answered that I had done so the night before, she just nodded stiffly and faced sideways.


    ¡°Young master, you are here.¡± Dave Martins, the elderly caretaker of the vi, walked towards us, his eyes drawn into tiny slits in the form of a smile.


    ¡°Dave, how have you been? It¡¯s been quite a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been well, sir. Thank you, sir. I hope Madam is also faring well. I should make time to visit her one of these days if my old bones cooperate with me.¡± The elderly man sighed as he wrung his shoulder as if toy more emphasis on his statement.


    Iughed and pped his other shoulder before casually hooking an arm around Sofie¡¯s small waist, ¡°Nana must have told you about her.¡± Dave nodded.


    ¡°Let me formally introduce her to you. Dave, meet my fianc¨¦e, Sofie, and my love, this is Dave, Nana¡¯s good friend.¡± I said, and Sofie smiled as she shook hands with him.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Dave.¡±


    ¡°Same here, Madam Sofie.¡±


    ¡°Forgive my rudeness, sir. I shouldn¡¯t keep you two on your feet after such a long flight. Everything has been prepared, go in and rx.¡± Dave beamed, gesturing toward the entranceway.


    I nodded as two formally dressed men trekked up to us, bowed robotically, and hoisted our luggage upstairs.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± I nced at Sofie.


    All I got as a response was a curt nod.


    When we entered the room, Sofie made a beeline to the adjoining bathroom without uttering a word to me or even acknowledging my presence.


    I had to put an end to this before it got out of hand.


    I¡¯d dly apologize to her if it meant she¡¯d put the past behind me and forgive me but she didn¡¯t even want to look in my direction, talk less, or engage in a conversation with me.


    She came out soon after with a towel wrapped around her head and walked straight to sit on the bed.


    ¡°Sofie.¡± I started, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.


    She threw an irritated stare toward me, ¡°Yes?¡±


    I made to apologize to her but instead, what came out of my mouth was, ¡°Would you like to share a bottle of wine with me by the pool?¡± I gestured to the pool outside our bedroom.


    She scoffed and I expected her to snarl and refuse but instead, she nodded wordlessly as she entered the bathroom again.


    When next she trekked out, her hair had been freed and the lustrous auburn locks floated gently as she walked out of the room.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I rolled my cks up to my knees after grabbing the bottle of wine and two wine goblets. Then, I joined Sofie who was already sitting by the pool with her legs dipped in the cold, scintiting water.


    Sitting beside her, Imented, ¡°The view is nicer than I expected it to be.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never been here before?¡± Sofie asked and for the first time in three days, she looked at me with an expression devoid of disgust.


    ¡°I have when I was about six or seven. I can¡¯t remember clearly.¡± I replied, screwing off the wine cap.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She mumbled before silence ensued between us.


    ¡°Hey, about the other day. I fucked up and acted like a jerk toward you, I had no idea what got into me. I¡¯m sorry for being an asshole.¡± I said, handing her a half-filled wine goblet.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had it in you to apologize.¡± Her tone was cold and scathing as she sipped her wine.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had it in myself to apologize either. You make me do strange things, Sofie.¡± I confessed, and she just stared at me, tantly surprised.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t mind me, so am I forgiven?¡± I said, to which she nodded.


    ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t keep grudges. I¡¯ve never been a malice keeper, so I guess you are forgiven.¡± She replied before chugging down her wine.


    ¡°By the way, can I ask you a question?¡± Sofie asked.


    I nodded, ¡°Sure, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Why did you help me that day?¡±


    ¡°Which day?¡±


    ¡°That day at my parents¡¯ ce. You could have just ignored it and walked out, you know. Since you are not obliged to defend me or anything.¡± She said, twirling the now-empty wine goblet.


    ¡°I already told you that day that I did what had to be done. Nothing more.¡± I replied casually.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, I wonder if my life would have turned out better if I were born to normal parents. Not dirtbags like them.¡± She said quietly.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just settled on staring at her side profile.


    She continued, ¡°Maybe I¡¯d be done with college by now and probably have a good job somewhere. Living happily with people who love me.¡± Her voice wavered at the end and I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for her.


    I felt bad for all the times I¡¯d treated her like she was nothing.


    She stared at me, ¡°You are lucky to have such a caring grandmother like Nana. You should cherish every moment with her. I wish I also had someone like her in my life.¡±


    ¡°You do. Nana can fill up that space for you, you don¡¯t have to wish anymore because you have her now.¡± I said and Sofie gaped at me as if I had suddenly grown three heads.


    ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°You are being weird right now and it¡¯s creeping me out. Why are you being so nice to me ?¡± She blurted out.


    I chortled with a shrug, ¡°I¡¯m not being nice. I¡¯m just being honest.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± She nodded and stared intently at me.


    I held her gaze before it dropped to my lips, and she licked her bottom lip.


    I could already sense what wasing.


    I had promised myself that I wasn¡¯t going to give in to my carnal urges no matter what happened.


    Why then was I standing inside the pool, between Sofie¡¯s legs, with my tongue slotted inside her mouth?

 Blame it on the alcohol

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    When Roman grabbed me by my jaw and captured my lips with his in a sensually ferocious manner, I was so astounded that I froze and just let him maul my lips.


    He tasted of grapes tinged with alcohol, like the wine we had just shared.


    The memory of the thong incident came crashing down on me with full force but I threw the thought aside to allow myself enjoy the moment.


    I could always me it on the alcohol.


    I grabbed either sides of his face as our tongues danced together in an erotic rhythm, drawing out choked moans from me as his hands crept behind me to pull my sundress up, and squeeze my ass cheeks which elicited a lewd whimper from me.


    He pulled back and I thought he¡¯d regained his logical sense of reasoning as he stared at me, ¡°Do you want to continue this here?¡± He whispered, stroking my exposed thigh.


    ¡°L-Let¡¯s see how it goes.¡± I whispered before hurriedly pulling him into a passionate kiss.


    Sliding a hand into his pants made me gasp with immense desire, and I couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°Did you get bigger?¡±


    Roman just chuckled before reattaching his lips to mine, eroding my sensitive edges in the process.


    Shakily, I grabbed him as an endless downpour of wetness trickled down my thighs. Then, I proceeded to stroke him, gently at first but as his groans and grunts got louder and needier, it fueled my senses and I stroked him harder.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± He mumbled against my lips as I felt him shift my underwear to the side.


    I shuddered heavily as desire cascaded through me and Roman sucked on the crook of my neck, ¡°You wore it.¡± He muttered, caressing my ass.


    He was talking about the thong.


    Yes, I wore it but it wasn¡¯t like I had anyscivious ns in my head when I did.


    ¡°It was just sitting there and I didn¡¯t want it to waste away.¡± I truthfully replied, and Roman growled against my nape.


    ¡°My god, you have no idea what you do to me, do you?¡± He whispered as he dexterously rolled the thong down my legs.


    It fell into the pool with a gentle ssh.


    Though I wasn¡¯t quite skilled in the knowledge of swimming, I suddenly had the urge to have pool sex right there and then.


    Holding Roman¡¯s face, I plopped into the pool and came face to chest with him, given his pole-like height.


    His muscled pecs looked so inviting and before I could think too much about it, I licked it.


    I had no idea if it was the horniness that was thinking for me but all I know is that I almost came from inhaling and licking the masculine musk off his chest.


    ¡°Slow down, kitten. There is no need to rush.¡± Roman chuckled, heightening my desire as he looped my legs around his waist, so that we were now facing each other.


    Nibbling at his helix, I tried to unfasten his pants but it didn¡¯te off which intensified my sexual frustration, ¡°Why won¡¯t thise off?¡± I moaned as Roman pulled my dress upward, so it was now bunched around my midsection.


    Romanpped at my ear as he expertly freed himself out of his pants and boxers with his massive girth poking my belly.


    I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed even though I had seen and held it twice.


    That meant more enjoyment on my part.     He inserted a finger inside me and I saw stars. Roman took me to the sky of sexual delectation that night with just a digit but I wasn¡¯t satiated.


    I wanted more of him.


    ¡°W-Want to have more of you.¡± I whimpered as his finger moved in deft strokes inside me, inches away from my sensitive spot.


    ¡°You want more?¡± He smacked my ass as his finger finally brushed my G-spot, causing me to squirm pleasurably in his hold.


    ¡°Y-Yes. I want to have you inside me. I can¡¯t wait anymore.¡± I babbled, unabashed.


    Roman delivered another spank to my cheeks as he collected his finger from inside me, his scious gaze on me not faltering for a second.


    Then, he brought three of his fingers to his mouth and sucked on it, like ants would do to spilled syrup.


    Him doing that with his stare fixated on me made me whimper and thrash in the water. I couldn¡¯t wait anymore.


    It was now or never.


    ¡°Please just fuck me already.¡± I cried, to which he smirked, clearly enjoying my desperation.


    Without warning, he slid his well-moistened fingers inside me and I coughed out a strangled moan.


    With his fingers, he teased me to the edge of a splendid orgasm and just before I reached the peak, he pulled them out of me.


    It was sexual frustration at its peak.


    ¡°Stop teasing me.¡± I groaned, frustration sizzling within me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. I¡¯ll fulfill your needs now.¡± He whispered against my lips before pulling me into a steamy kiss.


    Carefully and tenderly, he guided himself into me, stretching me out to the extreme.


    I loved the pleasure tinged with slight burn I felt in my core as he pushed himself deeper.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so fucking much, doll.¡± He growled before he started pounding into me.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Roman didn¡¯t give me space to respond as his speed and fervor intensified with each passing second.


    I honestly preferred him fucking me like this. I loved how he mercilessly hammered so deeply inside me that my eyes rolled to the back of my head in pleasure.


    One thrust more and I was close to the edge of my sensual ecstasy. To make this known to him, I met his thrusts midway by grinding mercilessly on him.


    Soon, my vision was blinded with white and a surreal orgasm coursed through me.


    ¡°I¡¯m close.¡± Roman gritted out before he came inside me, in thick, warm stripes.


    He kissed the crevice of my shoulder, ¡°You did well,¡±


    My head swelled at the praise before a grave realization hit me.


    He didn¡¯t use a condom again.


    I didn¡¯t utter a word to Roman as I feared he¡¯d pull out of me if I did, so I just settled onzily kissing him as he pulled the both of us out of the pool with impressive strength.


    I would just take a morning-after pill tomorrow, I reassured myself.

 Jacuzzi sex

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Fuck, this feels so good.¡± Sofie moaned as I stepped into the jacuzzi and spooned her from behind.


    I couldn¡¯t help but agree as I buried my nostrils into her glossy hair, inhaling the heavenly tropical scent of our shared shampoo, wafting from it.


    I had to admit it.


    Doing something as domestic as taking a bath together with her made it all feel so real and believable.


    But before I could delude myself further, I shrugged the thoughts off and hooked my arms around her waist, inwardly groaning in satisfaction at the soothing sensation that the warm water in the jacuzzi provided.


    We both remained in the calm silence for a while as I sensually caressed the sides of Sofie¡¯s body absentmindedly.


    Recently, I found myself thinking about Sofie even when she was in my presence or I was in the same vicinity with her.


    It felt like a weird, crazy obsession that I still couldn¡¯t wrap my head around.


    The stupid silly obsession that made me break the first rule of the damn contract.


    I couldn¡¯t even find it in me to be mad or disappointed in myself for doing something so drastic.


    At that moment, I made up my mind to stick to Nana¡¯s advice; to enjoy the moment and not let my mind drift away to anything stressful.


    I could always do something about the contract when we got back to the US.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. This feels really nice.¡± I said, kissing the side of her head.


    She leaned into me, tilted her head sideway and smiled at me, revealing her healthy set of white teeth, ¡°I know.¡± Sofie didn¡¯t break eye contact as the smile dissipated from her face and her hand found my chest.


    I couldn¡¯t help it, so I did the most logical thing at that moment.


    I kissed her slowly and deeply. Her lips were soft and plump as always and they also tasted like the sweetest candy in the world.


    Well, literally.


    But I was addicted to them and although we had kissed plenty of times, yet every time I kissed her, it always felt like we were doing it for the first time all over again.


    Without breaking the kiss, Sofie moved her body to properly face me as she hooked her arms around my neck.


    ¡°This is perfect.¡± She whispered against my lips, to which I nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I have to say it is, doll. You right here, looking ethereal and flustered with your hair disheveled, ready for me is more perfect than anything.¡± I muttered before recapturing her lips in a passionate kiss.


    While our tongues wrestled, Sofie grinded her hips heavily on my crotch which did nothing to tame the wild desire simmering within me.


    She let out a choked gasp into my mouth and I took the opportunity to slip my tongue into her wet cavern, to explore every nook and cranny of the beautiful wetness that her sinful mouth offered.


    Then, I withdrew my tongue from her mouth, albeit reluctantly to lick up from her chest to her neck while also scattering open-mouthed kisses and hickeys down the supple, porcin skin around the crook of her shoulder.


    Impatiently, Sofie grinded heavily on me again as she cupped my face and kissed me roughly.


    ¡°Easy there, doll. There¡¯s no need to rush, we will enjoy every moment of this.¡± I smiled as I broke the kiss to fasten my lips around one of her boobs while I fondled the other, slowly and sensually to tease her and bring her to the edge of her sexual ecstasy.


    There was this sort of manic pleasure I derived from stretching Sofie to her limits and having her beg me to fill her wetness.


    ¡°R-Roman. I-I don¡¯t think I can-f-fuck wait anymore.¡± She choked out a moan as she unhooked one of her hands off my neck, and made to stick one of her fingers into herself.


    ¡°Patience, doll. What do you think you are doing?¡± I spanked her ass, eliciting a lewd whimper out of her.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± She gritted out as I spanked her again, savoring the erotic sight of her ass jiggling with every hit.


    ¡°From now on, you will only do as I say, okay?¡± I whispered, slipping three fingers at once into her which made her cry out an incoherent word as she rolled her waist on me.


    Well, my digits.


    ¡°F-fuck, yes!¡± She cried.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± I smacked her ass before pulling my fingers out of her.


    Then, I wrapped an arm around her waist, grabbed my cock and slowly guided it to her entrance.


    I sipped cold air through my teeth as I lost myself inside her wet tightness.


    Fuck, being inside Sofie never failed to take my breath away.


    She was always so impossibly tight.


    ¡°Ride me.¡± I said, gazing up at her as I caressed her waist.


    Without a word, she nodded amidst heavy pants as she dragged herself off me and plopped back on me again. She repeated this for a while until she became tired and her movements became lethargic.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t ke-¡± She breathed out but before she couldplete herint, I tightened my grip around her waist as I bucked my hips upward and thrusted swiftly and deeply inside her.


    Sofie was so fucking wet and she felt like heaven.


    She kissed me passionately as an exhrating orgasm slithered through her, and left her shuddering on myp.


    And secondster, while cupping her ass, I dumped my seeds inside her.


    We remained inside the jacuzzi for some moments with Sofie panting from the aftermath of climaxing twice in barely an hour while I watched our release mix together, and spill out of her into the warm water.


    ¡°Can we sleep here tonight?¡± Her voice drifted into my ears and I chuckled.


    ¡°That would be unsanitary and unhealthy to do, doll.¡± whispered, kissing her full on the lips.


    Shezily returned the kiss for a minute before she yawned and molded herself into my chest, ¡°I feel so sleepy.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s clean you up first before getting you to bed.¡± I made to stand up to grab some towels when Sofie grabbed my wrist and looked up at me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing serious. I just want you to remind me to take a morning-after pill in the morning.¡± She muttered and I froze before awareness hit me.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°We forgot protection again, didn¡¯t we?¡± I sighed while inwardly groaning to myself.


    ¡°Yeah but I took some pills the other day at the hotel. I will just take them again tomorrow. Nothing will go wrong.¡± She darted me a tired yet reassuring smile.


    I returned her smile as foreboding festered within me for no good reason.


    I shook the feeling off by reassuring myself with Sofie¡¯s words.


    She¡¯d take the pills tomorrow, and everything would be fine just like it had always been.


    Nothing could possibly go wrong.


    Right?

 Stunned

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    The sound of something vibrating close to me seeped into my ears, forcing me up from the fluffyfort of the bed.


    I groaned, exasperated as I blindly reached for whatever it was.


    When I couldn¡¯t reach it, I winked an eye open only to discover that it was my phone and it was vibrating with an iing call from an unknown international number.


    Scrubbing the remnants of sleep off my face, I retrieved the device from the nightstand and answered the call before cing it against my ear, ¡°Who is this, and why are you calling so early in the morning?¡± I yawned as I roamed my eyes around the walls of the room in search of a wall clock.


    ¡°Hey, babe. How have you been? It¡¯s Amy and I¡¯m sorry for calling so early. It¡¯ste afternoon over here.¡± The familiar voice of my best friend wafted into my ears, and I gasped as relief coursed through me.


    ¡°Amy? Finally, you called! I was starting to think something bad had happened to you. I¡¯m so relieved to hear your voice.¡± I rambled out, gently massaging my forehead.


    ¡°Yeah, I lost my phone and stuff happened with the agency, so I was out of work and cash for some time. I¡¯ll give you full details of it when Ie home. So, back to my question, how have you been?¡± She asked, to which I shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, how are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing good too. I hope Daphne and your boss aren¡¯t causing too much trouble for you.¡± Amy questioned, and I swallowed harshly with guilt brimming within me.


    Amy didn¡¯t know about my pretentious facade of being engaged to a billionaire with whom I had amazingly surreal sex, and bouts of orgasms with the previous night, and she definitely didn¡¯t need to know about it.


    Not yet at least.


    ¡°Uhm, Amy, about that, we will talk about it when youe home. I don¡¯t work there anymore, I found a better job some weeks ago and I called to inform you but your line was unreachable.¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait, a new job? Did something happen at the restaurant? Did you get fired? Was it Daphne who made it happen? I swear if she got you fired, I will make her scrub the walls of that darn restaurant with her stupid tongue el-¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Amy. Let me speak, okay?¡± I interrupted her rage-filled babble.


    ¡°Very well then, I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    I inhaled deeply before I began, ¡°I resigned from the restaurant because I found a better job, I wasn¡¯t fired, so you can put your mind at rest.¡±


    ¡°So, this new job of yours, what does it entail? Are you working at another restaurant?¡±


    I shook my head in negation even though Amy couldn¡¯t see me, ¡°No, it¡¯s not a restaurant. It¡¯s a uhm-¡± I paused, to rack my brain for a reasonable lie.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about what your new job is? Sofie, you are okay, right? Don¡¯t lie to me please, if you need my help, tell me and I will help you in the best way I can.¡± She said gently, to which I sighed heavily as self-loathe coursed through me.


    I had a best friend who would yank the moon down to earth for me if I wanted and here I was, lying to her.


    Amy was a travel nurse, so she lived quitefortably and she had also offered to help me pay for my college tuition fees on numerous asions but I always rejected because I didn¡¯t want to be a parasite, and also because I didn¡¯t feelfortable with receiving so much from her when I gave her so little or even nothing at all.


    ¡°I work as a waitress at the strip club downtown. I was hesitant to tell you because I didn¡¯t want you to flip out.¡± I lied through my teeth.


    ¡°A strip club? I hope you aren¡¯t being harassed by anyone there.¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. I¡¯m fine, the pay is huge and I don¡¯t have to work long hours.¡± I lied again.


    ¡°That¡¯s great then. I¡¯m relieved to hear that. I¡¯m sorry, babe but I have to get back to work now. My boss is being a bitch again. I will call you when my shift is over and always remember that I love you, bye.¡± She said before ending the call.


    I heaved a sigh of despair as I ced the phone on the nightstand and got out of bed to pick a cloth to wear.


    Momentarily, I forgot about the guilt festering in my mind as I averted my gaze to the reflecting image of the pool on the ss doors.


    My cheeks heated as the tawdry images of what had ensued between Roman and Ist night made it¡¯s way into my mind.


    Sex with Roman was so good that it always made my logical reasoning fly out of the window.


    I wondered where he was.


    I threw on arge white long sleeve shirt that I found on the bed.


    The shirt felt warm on my skin and it reeked of Roman¡¯s masculine musk and I flustered as I made my way down the spiraling flight of stairs.


    The delicious aroma of homemade pancakes seeped through my nostrils and made my stomach rumble with famish.


    As I walked into the kitchen, my jaw cked in astonishment when I saw who the cook was and without thinking, I spurted out the first thing that came to my mind, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could cook, Roman.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I ran my tongue over my lower lip as I took in the sexy sight of the man mixing batter and scooping it into a frying pan. He was d in just a pair of grey sweatpants and nothing else, so his sweaty yet arousing muscles were left on disy which was very dangerous for my heart.


    Hell, the man was doing the bare minimum and here I was, almost melting into a puddle at his feet.


    Roman turned his concentration from the pancakes which were sizzling in grease, and stared at me.


    His stare made my heart lurch, and threw me off guard with how cold it was. It felt like the day I signed the contract all over again.


    Was he mad aboutst night?


    ¡°Lst night was-¡± I started, but stopped when his gaze hardened into a re.


    ¡°Last night was nothing but a stupid drunken mistake that I made and we both know it should have never happened, so there¡¯s no use dwelling on it.¡± He said, before steering his concentration back to the pancakes.


    It felt like my heart was bludgeoned with a jagged shrapnel when I heard his statement.


    Of course, he only saw me as nothing but a cheap slut that he could always dump his cum into, whenever he wanted.


    I attempted to look unhurt by feigning a smile, ¡°Yeah, sure. It was just sex.¡± Surprisingly, my voice came out steady.


    He neither acknowledged me further nor did he utter another word, so I turned around to head back to the bedroom to empty out my tear nds.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Roman¡¯s voice reverberated across the kitchen, and I blinked my tears away before I spun around to face him with a smile.


    Did he want to further ridicule me by calling me a slut to my face? I wondered within myself as he walked toward me.

 A weird arrangement

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I walked toward Sofie, smirking inwardly as she nervously fidgeted with her shirtsleeves, although the shirt was technically mine.


    I basked in the proud sensation that engulfed me when I saw how reddened her cheeks were, and how she couldn¡¯t seem to hold my gaze, and had her stare fixated behind me.


    Cupping her jaw with a hand, I smirked, ¡°Was that what you were expecting to hear? That clich¨¦, overused line?¡±


    She seemed bedazzled as she finally averted her gaze on me, ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand what you mean by that. What are you trying to say?¡± She stuttered.


    I chuckled as I cocked my head to look directly into her eyes, ¡°Last night was everything but a mistake, we had a nice time together. I was merely teasing you.¡±


    Her hazel eyes widened, ¡°So you don¡¯t think it was a drunken mistake then. Is that what you are trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Yes, doll. I¡¯d be stupid to deny how much I liked it or did you not like it?¡± I asked, cupping her face before bringing our lips together in a feathery kiss.


    ¡°I loved it, Roman. My body loves being with you.¡± She whispered into the kiss, and that familiar heavy sensation settled on my chest again.


    Why did I feel disappointed by her choice of words? Was I expecting her to say that she loved being with me?


    ¡°My body also loves being with yours. It really does.¡± I confessed before kissing her again, this time with more intensity as mes of desire cascaded through me.


    ¡°But, Roman,¡± Sofie withdrew her lips from the kiss as she ced her hands on my biceps and gazed up at me.


    ¡°Yes, doll.¡±


    ¡°What about the contract? You know it states that we shouldn¡¯t have this sort of thing between us and I-I don¡¯t know but I¡¯m somewhat scared of it.¡± She mumbled, her eyes twinkling with trepidation.


    I ced a kiss on her nose bridge before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I can change anything in the contract whenever I want, so there¡¯s no need to fret over it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Her doe, brown eyes peered into my eyes.


    ¡°Of course, doll. I drafted it after all.¡± I chuckled as she hooked her arms around my neck and kissed me.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you check on your pancakes?¡± She asked as she littered sensual feathery kisses from the crook of my shoulder down to my chest.


    ¡°They¡¯re done. I switched off the gas cooker already.¡± I gritted out as she palmed me through my joggers.


    ¡°I want you to fill me up, Roman. I don¡¯t think I can ever get enough of you, no matter how hard you fuck me. I love how you fuck me like you¡¯re mad at me.¡± She whispered, sinking down to her knees as she made to loosen my waistband.


    Her dirty talk was doing something to me.


    Something dangerous yet exciting.


    I ced a hand over hers and shook my head in negation, ¡°No, doll. At least not now.¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you think I can¡¯t properly suck you off?¡± She gaped up at me, her eyes glinting with lustful fire.


    ¡°Do you know what I like most about you?¡± I said, carding my fingers through her brown tresses.


    She shook her head in negation, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This dirty mouth of yours and every foul word thates out of it.¡± I said as I lightly smacked her lips with my forefinger.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised when she sucked on my forefinger, ¡°Patience, doll. We have three more days in Greece to ourselves.¡±


    ¡°But I want you to fill up my mouth with your cum, Roman and after that, I want you to fuck me so hard that my legs will tremble whenever I think of you. I want you inside me, daddy.¡± As she said thest statement, her voice quieted down to a sultry whisper.


    All my life, I never knew I had a daddy kink, and I¡¯d always thought people that were into it were nothing but weirdos but I couldn¡¯t believe how badly turned on I was at that moment.


    ¡°This dirty mouth of yours will get you in trouble one day, doll.¡± I whispered as I felt my cock stretch to it¡¯s full, erect length inside my joggers.


    ¡°If by trouble you mean having you inside me, then I want that, daddy. I want to be in trouble.¡± She whispered, yanking herself up from her kneeling position, and trailing hickeys from my crotch to my Adam¡¯s apple.


    I couldn¡¯t hold myself back from fiercely capturing her lips in an heated kiss. Sofie had seeded in working my arousal up so high that I badly wanted to peel her shirt off, and just fuck her senseless on the countertop.


    I wanted nothing more than to reduce her into a babbling, cum-dripping mess.


    Hoisting her legs around my waist, I slid my hands into her shirt to cup and squeeze her bare ass cheeks. She sighed into the kiss as I brought us further into the kitchen, and ced her on the countertop.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her hands took control of my dick as she stroked me through the thickness of my joggers, and made precum trickle down my cock while I scattered love bites down her jaw.


    Just as I was about to slip a finger into her core, the oven chimed to remind me about the bagels I had left inside it to bake some minutes ago.


    ¡°Were you baking something?¡± Sofie asked after we broke the kiss, and I nodded.


    ¡°Bagels.¡± I said as I slipped my hands into a pair of oven mittens and brought out the baked pastries.


    ¡°You¡¯re full of wonders, Roman. I didn¡¯t know you could even boil water yet here you are making pancakes and bagels. I have to admit that I¡¯m really impressed.¡± Her voice had a teasing lilt to it.


    I tilted my head toward her, ¡°You thought I was a spoiled rich brat who always relied on maids and butlers for everything, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Guilty.¡± She sheepishly grinned as she buttoned up her shirt.


    I scoffed fondly, ¡°Nana wouldn¡¯t have any of that, she made sure I learnt how to cook on the weekends when I was in middle school and even when I went home for holidays when I was in highschool.¡±


    ¡°You lived away from her in highschool?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I went to a boarding school. She was ill back then, so she couldn¡¯t look after me properly and she didn¡¯t quite trust her maids and butler to do the job.¡± I exined, to which Sofie nodded as she jumped down from the countertop to grab some tes and cutleries.


    ¡°That reminds me, I haven¡¯t seen Dave and the helpers today.¡± She said as I sttered some maple syrup on the pancakes.


    I recapped the bottle of maple syrup as I turned to her, ¡°They don¡¯t live here. They onlye around to help.¡±


    ¡°Okay then.¡± She grinned at me as she ced the te of bagels on the kitchen table.


    I had to admit, seeing Sofie in nothing but my shirt being so domestic made something pleasant sizzle within me and for a moment, I couldn¡¯t help but imagine what it¡¯d be like to be truly engaged to her.

 The souvenir

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I heaved a sigh of satisfaction as I molded myself further into Roman¡¯s broad, muscr chest and he wrapped his arms tighter around me.


    It¡¯d be nice if I could live forever like this; going to sleep and waking up wrapped in the strong expanse of Roman¡¯s chest.


    But I knew it could never happen. I could only continue to wish for it.


    Roman had hinted on numerous asions that he was clearly into me for sex and sex alone, but my stupid delusional mind just wouldn¡¯t ept that fact.


    My more stupid heart just had to betray me by falling head over heels for him.


    Thinking about the fact that in about two months, I wouldn¡¯t have the privilege to wake up beside Roman or have amazing, toe-curling sex with him made me miserable but I wasn¡¯t going to make a fool of myself more than I had already done by confessing my love to him.


    He¡¯d probablyugh at me and null the contract and I couldn¡¯t have that.


    I wanted to be with him for as long as I could even if it hurt me to secretly love him.


    I guessed that was love.


    ¡°Baby, would you like to go on a tour of Greece today?¡± Roman¡¯s voice seeped into my ears and yanked me out of my miserable thoughts.


    I cocked my head to stare at the naked, sexy man in whose arms I was safely nestled in and felt my heart lurch for the umpteenth time that day.


    God, I loved this man so much.


    I tried not to read too much meaning into the new pet name as I feigned a smile at him, ¡°Sure. I¡¯m ready when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Splendid,¡± He said before kissing me, ¡°Would you like to shower together?¡± He added, his lips curved upward in a sinister smile.


    I yfully shoved his chest as I tried to wiggle out of his hold, ¡°No, you horny fucker,¡±


    He didn¡¯t let me go as he smirked at me before suddenly swooping me out of bed bridal style, ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± He muttered, setting me on my feet under the shower before sealing his lips to mine.


    +++


    Momentster after our brief make out session in the bathroom, we were seated inside a sleek ferrari with Roman behind the wheels on our way to tour the great city of Greece.


    ¡°Wow, this ce is huge.¡± I gasped as Roman brought the car to a stop in front of a gargantuan ss building.


    He just chuckled, ¡°It really is.¡± before hopping out of his side of the car to help me out.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I mumbled, slipping my hand into his much bigger one.


    Roman was acting strange, and it wasn¡¯t good for my whipped heart. When he asked to be sex friends with me, I had thought we were just going to continue having casual sex just like we had always done, and nothing much will change between us.


    But I was confused when his character toward me suddenly did a 360-degree change, and he became friendlier toward me.


    He was ying with my heart yet I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    I knew this was nothing but a game to him. Whatever ubeled rtionship we had right now was just a pastime to him.


    ¡°No problem, doll.¡± He smiled as we strolled into the building which I soon realized was a luxury boutique as we entered.


    Immediately, I knew it was a bad idea.


    ¡°Roman, what are we doing here? You said we were going to tour Greece, so why are we in a boutique?¡± I asked, my eyes roaming around the mannequins that were elegantly ced in front of the store, and d in expensive outfits whose prices I knew would probably feed me for a year or more.


    Probably a decade.


    ¡°We are here to shop for keepsake, doll. You need to have a little souvenir from Greece.¡± He said before kissing me.


    ¡°A little souvenir? We can buy some local crafts from street traders, Roman. There¡¯s nothing little about this ce.¡± I countered, to which Roman chuckled.


    He was about to say something when a youngdy in a suit walked up to us all smiles, ¡°You¡¯re wee, sir and ma. How may we help you?¡±


    ¡°We are here to get some dresses for her.¡± Roman said, ignoring me.


    ¡°How many, sir?¡±


    ¡°As many as possible.¡± He replied, to which the woman nodded with a smile.


    ¡°How lovely, sir. If you don¡¯t mind, you may check the second aisle to see if she¡¯d like to get any of the dressers there while I¡¯d also check for some dresses in the backroom.¡± She suggested, and Roman nodded before gently pulling me by my arm to the said aisle.


    I couldn¡¯t help the gasp that escaped my lips, as I took in the sight of the costly brand wears that were neatly held up on racks by cloth hangers.


    Everything in the ce looked so shiny and fragile that I was scared of moving too clumsily, and breaking something with an exorbitant price tag.


    ¡°So, doll. Have you seen anything that¡¯s up to your taste?¡± Roman leaned in to ask me with his hand ced on the small of my back.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t buy anything here, Roman. Let¡¯s just buy locally made cups or jugs as souvenirs.¡± I replied, which made him huff before he turned his attention to something on the jewelry rack.


    He held up a small velvet box and opened it to reveal a beautiful dainty, gold bracelet which had tiny diamonds carved into it, ¡°We can make do with this.¡± He said, and I just scoffed as I averted my gaze at the price tag on it.


    Shock revolted within me the more I stared at the extortionate price.


    ¡°Fourteen thousand dors?¡± I eximed as he retrieved the piece of jewelry from the box, and held it under the illuminating amber light of the store.


    ¡°It¡¯s cheaper than I thought it¡¯d be,¡± Roman murmured before staring at me, ¡°You like it, right?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? The price is too high, this is a rip off, Roman. I don¡¯t want this, I won¡¯t ept it from you. It¡¯s too much.¡± I protested, but he just ignored me, and beckoned a store attendant over.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to pay for this.¡± He said as she led us to the check-out area.


    ¡°Roman, didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? I won¡¯t ept this from you.¡± I reiterated and Roman just darted me a smile before handing a ck card to the attendant.


    The man was wealthy, damn.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t as expensive as you¡¯re making it to be. The price is quite reasonable for a cartier bracelet.¡± He shrugged as he collected the bagged package from the attendant.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just scoffed incredulously.


    What else could I say? This was probably just a miniscule amount of money to him.


    After all, he had paid me what he probably considered a chunk of change to be his fianc¨¦e for a hundred days.


    ¡°Thanks foring, sir. We hope youe back again.¡± She bowed as we headed toward the exit.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    We met the attendant from earlier with an armful of dresses on the way and Roman just shook his head and motioned to the bag in his hold.


    ¡°They have a no refund policy here, so this can¡¯t be returned.¡± He said after we had gotten into the car, cing the bag on myp.


    I knew how stubborn the man could be and I didn¡¯t want to seem too exasperating to him, so I decided to ept the gift.


    I would return it to him in two months when our contract ended, I reassured myself as he intertwined our hands, and drove us back to the vi.

 Back home

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Home sweet home.¡± I said as Sofie and I walked down the stairs of my private jet.


    ¡°Literally. I never knew a day woulde in my life that I¡¯d say I missed America¡¯s hustle and bustle.¡± Sofie acquiesced with a sigh.


    ¡°Wee back, young master and madam Sofie.¡± Nathan was at the foot of the stairs with two suit-d men standing behind him.


    The men bowed and eased our luggages from us before walking behind Nathan to ce them in the car trunk, ¡°You should head back to thepany, I will drive us home.¡± I said, to which Nathan nodded as he handed over the car keys to me.


    ¡°Wee home again, sir,¡± He said before walking off with the men.


    The drive home wasfortable although Sofie slept for most part of the journey.


    Cute, I thought as I tore my attention away from the road for a split second to admire her.


    She soon started squirming in her sleep and I knew she was about to wake up, so I forced my stare away from her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I slept off,¡± I heard her yawn and I stifled a smile as I stared at her, ¡°So much for keeping mepany throughout the drive.¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me. me the wind, it lulled me to sleep.¡± She muttered, running her fingers through her disheveled hair.


    Momentster, we arrived at the mansion and Antonio with some men servants came out to unload our luggage from the car after we exchanged pleasantries.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised to see Nana standing on the threshold of the sitting room, her walking stick in one hand and a radiant smile stretching her lips.


    ¡°Mia tesorio.¡± She squealed like a little girl as she boycotted me and limped over to Sofie who darted me an amused smile before hugging her.


    ¡°Hi, Nana. How have you been?¡± She asked when they disengaged from the hug.


    She shrugged as her grin widened, ¡°I¡¯m still here at least. You are glowing, my dear. I knew I made the right decision when I decided to send you both to Greece. I presume the both of you enjoyed my little gift, you two seem quite refreshed.¡± Nana winked cheekily.


    Sofie blushed and I had to suppress the itch to take her in my arms and kiss her right in front of Nana.


    I was gradually bing a stranger to myself. This new budding feeling was extremely frightening and sometimes, it made me so confused about myself.


    I had never felt like this before. I had never felt my heart tingle with warmth at the sight of a woman ever in my life and it made trepidation brew within me.


    Eventually, I knew I¡¯d have toe clean and put abel on whatever the feeling was but at that moment, I still wanted to keep hiding from it.


    It was better that way and less stressful.


    ¡°Nana, you shouldn¡¯t have bothereding all the way over here. Sofie and I would have gone to you.¡± I sighed as I pulled her into an embrace.


    ¡°That¡¯s crap, figlio and you know it,¡± She huffed as she patted my back and withdrew herself from the hug, ¡°You look well rested and rxed, my boy. Have you seen why I was hellbent on you going to Greece?¡±


    ¡°Right. Have you had lunch yet?¡± I asked as we stepped further into the house and my arm subconsciously wrapped itself around Sofie¡¯s waist.


    ¡°No but I was about to before you arrived.¡± Nana grunted as she sat on a dining chair.


    Sofie nced over her shoulder to stare up at me and a visceral fire of lust zed through me.


    I felt heat pool at my gut as her gaze dropped to my lips and without thinking or looking at Nana, I blurted out, ¡°Why don¡¯t you start eating first, Nana? Sofie and I will be back in fifteen minutes.¡±


    Without asking further questions, she nodded, ¡°Very well then.¡±


    My grip tightened around Sofie¡¯s waist as we both walked up the stairs as calmly as we could. As soon as we staggered into the bedroom, I bolted the door shut and mmed her against the wall.


    ¡°Kiss me.¡± She whispered, her hands caressing my face.


    ¡°With pleasure.¡± I whispered back before our lips met in a ferocious, torrid kiss.


    Our tongues twirled together in an ardent rhythm as I lifted her up from the floor and she instinctively wrapped her legs around my waist.


    Without breaking the kiss, we undressed each other as wild mes of dithyrambic want tinged with lust for each other burned within the both of us.


    We headed into the bathroom, and I set Sofie down in front of the mirror, and started trailing fiery hickeys from her nape down to the fissure between her ass cheeks as my hand slipped under her core to sensually massage her throbbing clit.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I basked in the electrifying moans escaping her sinful lips which elucidated that she was just as aroused, and impatient as I was.


    Afterward, I traced the hickeys back up and lifted her right leg sideways as I kissed her shoulder de, ¡°You are so fucking beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I want you, Roman. I want you now.¡± She whimpered while my fingers strayed away from her clit into her cleft.


    With desire-hooded eyes, I watched her lower her gaze to the floor as she cried in pleasure as I scissored her open.


    I forced her head up and aroused-filled brown eyes stared dazedly at me through the mirror, ¡°Don¡¯t look down. I want you to watch yourselfe from my fingers.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, sir.¡± She gritted out, holding herself up with a hand ced on the mirror as her boobs bounced with each thrust in a perfervid dynamic.


    Hell, Sofie was fucking gorgeous as she writhed uncontrobly on my hand.


    I continued finger-fucking her, as I felt precum roll out from the slit of my cock.


    At that moment, I wanted nothing more but to fuck her into the bathroom wall but a faint voice in my mind reminded me that my grandmother was waiting for us downstairs.


    ¡°F-fuck it, I¡¯ming.¡± She cried and shivered as her creamy release sttered all over my fingers.


    Leering at her exhausted form, I brought my cum-zed fingers to my mouth, and licked it clean as she watched me.


    ¡°You¡¯re weird,¡± She whispered as she turned around to kiss me, ¡°Fuck, I can taste myself.¡± She mumbled and I chuckled into the kiss.


    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten you out multiple times, so what¡¯s weird about licking you off my fingers?¡± I muttered as she hoisted her legs and wrapped them around my waist and we stepped into the shower.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡± Sofie mumbled against my lips.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I whispered pressing my dick directly against her wet core which caused her to squirm and whimper.


    ¡°W-What will you do about your boner? You know I can suck you off before we head downstairs.¡± Sofie offered, as the warm water from the shower head cascaded down our intertwined bodies.


    With great self-restraint, I declined her tempting offer, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, doll.¡±


    Momentster, when we went down for lunch, freshly-showered with Sofie sexually satiated and my stubborn hard-on which I unsessfully tried to hide, poking through my pants, Nana just darted a knowing smile at us, without uttering a word.

 The talk

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I walked into the house, with a tired sigh escaping my lips as I nodded a greeting to Antonio and the maids.


    I had gone out to put some things rted to the continuation of my studies in ce, but I still hadn¡¯t told Roman about my educational ns yet because I was slightly scared that he¡¯d be against it.


    Although, something within me knew Roman wasn¡¯t like that.


    ncing at the time on my phone screen, I discovered that it was quitete in the evening and I¡¯d been out for a longer period than I expected.


    Roman should have been back from thepany by now because he usually arrived home by exactly some minutes to six in the evening, and currently, the time was ten minutes to seven.


    He had also not sent me a message to inform me that he¡¯de homete from work that day.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t like I had the right to know of his whereabouts anyway, I was just a pawn in his game of pretense.


    A pawn who he knew would always be at his beck, and call whenever he needed a hole to empty his cum into.


    Maybe he was with another woman. A voice in my head treacherously supplied as the lewd image of Roman sexually entwined with a a faceless woman shed through my mind.


    Get over it, Sofie. You¡¯re doing more harm than good to yourself by dwelling on your stupid feelings which Roman would never reciprocate. I chided myself.


    The man is a yboy who will be on to the next avable pussy as soon as your contract ends, you are only going to hurt yourself if you don¡¯t stop your idiotic heart from falling harder for him. I further admonished myself.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With a sharp exhale, I peeled off my clothes, and left them in a puddle before I stepped into the shower to wash myself clean of the stress I had gone through that day.


    When I stepped out of the bedroom after donning a casual outfit with the aim of heading downstairs for dinner, Melissa was at the door with a courteous smile curving her lips.


    ¡°Good evening, madam. Will you like to have dinner now or will you wait until young master is done with his work in the study?¡± She asked which made my face contort in a perplexed grimace.


    So Roman had gotten home already.


    ¡°Roman is home?¡± I made sure and she nodded.


    ¡°Yes, madam. He asked after you when he came back before retiring to the study.¡±


    ¡°I will have dinnerter with him then.¡± I replied, to which she nodded again and turned around to leave.


    ¡°Melissa, wait.¡± I started and she halted, and whipped her body around to face me.


    ¡°Yes, madam. Do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. Do you mind showing me where the study is? I haven¡¯t been to a lot of rooms in this mansion and I tend to get lost easily.¡± I exined and she smiled warmly.


    ¡°Of course, madam. This way please.¡± She motioned to the staircase and I nodded appreciatively as I quietly trailed behind her to the third floor.


    The third floor was like an entirely different section of the mansion.


    The entire wing looked like a medieval-themed hallway with framed pictures of victorian era-esque men, and a slightly newer picture of a surprisingly young man who bore an uncanny resemnce to Roman.


    ¡°That is the young master¡¯s dad. Sir Ro, the lord rest his soul.¡± Melissa said solemnly as she stared sadly at the picture.


    It was then I realized that I had never seen anything rted to Roman¡¯s parents in the mansion before nor had he himself said anything rted to them.


    ¡°He must have died quite young.¡± I muttered as we walked away from the picture.


    ¡°Yes, he did.¡± She agreed, but didn¡¯t say anything more as we stopped in front of a door.


    It wasn¡¯t my ce to be inquisitive, so I left it at that.


    ¡°Here we are, madam. I will be on my way now.¡± She bowed and left.


    I heaved a deep sigh before knocking twice on the door.


    Roman¡¯s deep voice came, muffled, ¡°Come in.¡±


    I pushed the door open and beheld him sitting behind a desk which was heaped with books, a pair of reading sses rested on his nose bridge and an iPad was also ced face down on the desk.


    His lips curved into a smile as beckoned me over, ¡°Where were you earlier today? I called the house to check up on you but you weren¡¯t around and when I got back from work, you were still not here.¡±


    I gingerly propped myself on hisp, ¡°You could have just called my phone, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I forgot about that.¡± He chuckled, tracing lines down my hips as he peered into my eyes.


    I flushed as his stare intensified while I woefully failed to form a sentence in my head.


    Stop staring at me, you gorgeous bastard who will never be mine, I thought.


    ¡°Something is bothering you, delicata. What is it?¡± He read into my mind as his expression morphed into that of concern.


    Or maybe I was just reading too much into things at that point.


    ¡°unting your italian lineage now, aren¡¯t we?¡± I scoffed, trying to sound nonchnt, and Roman chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the subject, Sofie. What¡¯s wrong?¡± The smile had been wiped off his face, and he had also stopped tracing lines down my skin.


    He was serious.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to back to college next week,¡± His expression was unreadable and I interrupted it as budding ire, ¡°I know I should have told have told you about this before I bought the form. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t m-¡± The rest of the sentence were hitched in my throat as Roman¡¯s lips came crashing down on mine.


    ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± He asked, intecing our fingers together.


    I shrugged, ¡°I-I honestly don¡¯t know. I just thought you¡¯d be mad that I did it without consulting you first.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason why I would be mad that you are trying to advance in your education, cara.¡±


    A wave is relief surged through me as I stared into his eyes, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really.¡± He said, and kissed me again.


    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡± I whispered as a thought floated into my mind.


    How could I ever get over this man, when he kept giving me mixed signals?

 Confession

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Hey, man.¡± I greeted as Damien walked in with his boxing gloves hooked around his arms, and a water bottle in his other hand.


    We were in a private gym downtown to catch up on everything that¡¯s been going on in each other¡¯s lives.


    ¡°Greece really did great on your skin. It¡¯s no longer as pale as a vampire¡¯s and you somewhat look slightly human. Wee back, my friend.¡± He pped my back before cing his boxing gloves down, and climbing onto the treadmill.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. Nana said the same thing, so how has everything been?¡± I muttered, delivering a jab to the punching bag hanging in front of me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been confused and quite stressed about everythingtely, and I also feel like the worst scum on earth.¡± He gritted out as the speed of the treadmill increased.


    I stopped punching the punching bag for a second and stood with my hands akimbo, ¡°What happened, man? Did your mother-inw say something to you again?¡±


    Damien¡¯s wife, Chloe, died about five years ago from childbirthplications, and ever since then, Damien and his mother-inw had been on bad terms with each other because she med her daughter¡¯s death on him.


    I¡¯ve known Damien for a greater part of my life, and I had never heard him utter so much profanities in a sentence before, so something was clearly wrong somewhere.


    Damien turned off the machine and moved on to the other punching bag in the room, ¡°No, she didn¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s been months since west spoke and her words don¡¯t bug me anymore. Frankly, it would be better if she was the cause of my fucking frustration right now.¡± He exined as he put on his boxing gloves.


    I watched him closely for a few minutes as he continuously punched, and kicked the punching bag angrily while muttering obscenities.


    This really wasn¡¯t like Damien at all.


    ¡°Hey, bro. Get off that bag right now before you burst it.¡± I said as I plopped onto a bench.


    ¡°I can easily buy another one. This is the only way I can unleash my anger, and disappointment in myself.¡± He said, to which I huffed.


    ¡°When did you get so violent and careless? Shouldn¡¯t I be the reckless one here?¡± I scoffed, and he paused briefly to stare with an unfathomable expression at me before he continued assaulting the punching bag.


    ¡°Damien, get over her right now. At the rate you are going, you may end up tearing a nerve before you destroy the punching bag. You are clearly mad about something or someone yet you won¡¯t tell me.¡± I said as he finally did as I said, and rolled the gloves off his hand.


    His face twisted into a snarl as he sat down next to me, ¡°I don¡¯t know, man. I really fucked everything up. I¡¯ve been holding on, and doing so well for four years now and I-I just had to mess up.¡± He sighed and buried his head in his hands.


    I patted his back, ¡°You can tell me everything, man. I will try my best to give you reasonable advice, and I promise I won¡¯t judge.¡±


    He observed my face as if to detect some evidence of sarcasm in my eyes, ¡°Alright, here goes nothing.¡± He muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears, Damien.¡±


    ¡°Remember I told you about the new secretary I hired a couple of months ago.¡± He started, and I nodded.


    Of course, I did.


    His most-trusted employee and secretary of many years had resigned some months back to further his education, and Damien had hired a new secretary, albeit reluctantly.


    He mirrored my gesture, ¡°I made a stupid mistake with herst night, bro,¡± Averting his stare away from me, he mumbled, ¡°I was drunk and I know that¡¯s not even a logical excuse for this bullcrap of a situation that I¡¯ve sessfully tossed myself into but I desperately want to me my foolishness on alcohol.¡±


    The situation was gradually bing clearer, but I didn¡¯t want to quickly assume things nor did I want to put words into Damien¡¯s mouth, so I just nodded and motioned him to continue speaking.


    ¡°Roman, I slept with herst night at the fucking senatorial dinner she apanied me to. I had too much to drink and I acted like a bloody son of a bitch by sticking my dick into my fucking secretary. Just thinking about it makes me want to ram myself into the nearest wall.¡± He rambled out and my jaw cked in mild shock.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you, man. That¡¯s kinda crazy, I never pinned you as a one night stand type of guy but I guess things happen when you least expect them to but you shouldn¡¯t beat yourself too much over this.¡± I started, cing a hand on his shoulder.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to gaslight my mind into doing that but I just can¡¯t seem to. I feel like I¡¯ve betrayed both Chloe and our baby. I should have never gone to that damn dinner in the first ce, it got me into this fucking mess.¡± He groaned, his shoulder tensing under my palm.


    ¡°Calm down, Damien. You are a full-grown man with blood running through your veins and we both know it¡¯s natural for you to err-you know.¡± I gestured with both hands, and he nodded.


    ¡°I do. But how do I stop the guilt?¡±


    ¡°You have to forgive yourself first, Damien and let go of the past. Chloe wouldn¡¯t want you beating yourself up over something like this, she¡¯d always want you to be happy. I¡¯m not asking you to cast her memories aside or anything, I just want you to free your mind and be happy, man. If you can¡¯t do it for yourself, at least do it for her.¡± I said, and he sighed but nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try. Thanks for this, man. I really needed it.¡± He shed a wan smile at me which I reciprocated with a back pat.


    ¡°No problem, bro. You know I¡¯m always here for you whenever you need me.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°By the way, I almost forgot to ask about Sofie. How is she doing?¡±


    A smile curved my lips at Damien¡¯s question, ¡°She¡¯s doing great as usual.¡±


    I tilted my head to look at him and he darted a mischievous smile at me as he nodded.


    The cheeky Damien I knew was back.


    ¡°What?¡± I huffed.


    He raised his hands up in surrender, ¡°Nothing, my friend. I was just thinking about something.¡±


    To prevent further questions, I hoisted myself up from the bench, put on my gloves and trekked back to the punching bag, ¡°Get off your ass ande over here right now.¡± I muttered, ignoring his widening grin.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± He gave a mock salute before climbing the treadmill.

 Back to college

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    Blinding rays of sunlight diffracted through the curtain blinds, and seeped into my tightly shut eyes, yanking me out of a light sleep.


    Today was d-day, and I felt extremely giddy at the thought of going back to college.


    No, even giddy was an understatement.


    I felt ted, ecstatic, joyful, and so merry that I could fly with happiness.


    I had missed school so much. I had missed socializing with people of my age.


    But underneath the jubnt wave of excitement swirling within me, there was a thin glimmer of anxiety tinged with trepidation.


    It had been two years since Ist went to school, and I couldn¡¯t help but fear that I may seem dull to my course mates.


    As if to shake off the fearful thoughts of low self esteem issues away from my mind, the rm on the nightstand dinged.


    With a deep sigh, I turned it off and darted a wistful stare at Roman¡¯s side of the bed.


    Earlier today, I had sensed him leaving for work, and something inside me wished he was here to encourage me and distract my mind from raging anxiety.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Snap out of it, Sofie. Why would he do that for you? You are bing more delusional as time goes by, you better get rid of your stupid sentiments, I scolded myself as I stepped into the bathroom.


    Shrugging off my nightwear, I stepped into the bathtub after plopping a vani-scented bath bomb into the warm water.


    A couple of minutester, I headed out of the bathroom toy out the outfit which I had carefully chosen the previous day and instantly, I felt the turbid tide of uncertainty inside me dissipate.


    I could do this. I would do this for myself.


    This was the only way out of the wretched, poverty-stricken lifestyle that my parents had carved out for me besides bing a stripper.


    Deep down inside me, I knew I could never be a stripper because I was easily irritated by men and I just couldn¡¯t stand the thought of unting my naked self in front of lust-filled, balding old men who probably had wives and children at home.


    My morals couldn¡¯t allow it yet it allowed me to conspire with Roman to lie to his grandmother.


    As much as I didn¡¯t want to be affected by the thought, I just couldn¡¯t help it. Never did a day go by that I don¡¯t think about what could possibly happen if everything got out.


    I would never be able to look Nana in the face any more and that was if she didn¡¯t get me arrested for lying to her. I had been with the woman on numerous asions to know that she was a strict disciplinarian who took nonsense from no one.


    I stared at my reflection in the mirror with a satisfied smile as I ran my hands down my hips.


    I was d in a pair of tightly fitted ck cks, coupled with a turtleneck tank top and a pink cardigan worn over it, to tone out the darkness of the outfit.


    For essories, the diamond engagement ring was firmly encircled around my left finger and as for my wrist, the bracelet Roman had gotten for me in Greece was cinched around it.


    I still felt immensely scared of wearing something so expensive but Roman wouldn¡¯t have any of that. He had instructed me the other day to always make sure I had the engagement ring and the Cartier bracelet on.


    They looked exquisite together, he had exined.


    Wearing them together made me realize he was right.


    I slid my feet into a pair of ck pumps before grabbing the Alexander Mcqueen ck tote bag which Roman had gotten for me yesterday, from the dresser.


    ¡°All done.¡± I whispered as I spritzed a generous amount of Roman¡¯s musky cologne all over myself.


    If Roman couldn¡¯t physically be with me, I could at least carry his scent along with me.


    Afterward, I headed downstairs to grab a sandwich to eat in the car but I was astonished to see Roman in flesh and blood sitting at the head of the dining table with a wry smile on his lips.


    Had he not gone to work hours ago?


    ¡°Hey, cara. How did you sleep?¡± He asked as he walked up to me and slid his arms around my waist.


    ¡°Good. I-I thought you left for thepany.¡± I blurted out as he traced circles on my cheeks.


    ¡°How can I do that? I have to be here for you on your first day back at college to cheer you on.¡± He muttered, cing a kiss on my lips.


    Gosh, this man confused my heart so bad.


    Why was he being so sweet and thoughtful? I wanted him to act insolently like he used to do, so that I could quickly get rid of my unsolicited feelings for him.


    ¡°Good morning, madam. Here you go.¡± Melissa handed me a foiled package which smelled like cheese and bread.


    Roman smiled down at me, ¡°It¡¯s sandwich, I asked her to pack it for you but I can wait if you wish to eat it here,¡±


    I suddenly had the urge to passionately kiss Roman as he grinned at me.


    I really hoped whatever we currently had between ussted for as long as it could.


    I nodded as I carefully ced the sandwich inside my bag, ¡°I¡¯ll just take it with me, thank you.¡± before kissing him.


    ¡°You¡¯re always wee, baby. Now let¡¯s be on our way, Nathan is waiting.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sure.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Madam Sofie.¡± Nathan bowed to me.


    ¡°Good morning, Nathan.¡± I smiled at him as I climbed into the back seat.


    ¡°Cara, how are you feeling?¡± Roman asked as Nathan steered the car out of the estate into the road.


    I suppressed the urge to shiver with desire at the foreign pet name as I felt my cleft moisten with lust.


    Now is not the time for this, Sofie. It really isn¡¯t. I thought to myself.


    ¡°Very excited but still slightly nervous.¡± I confessed, and he took my hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it.


    ¡°You will do well, doll. I trust you.¡± He reassured me and every budding knot of self doubt within me loosened.


    ¡°Yeah I hope so.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to hope so because I¡¯m sure you will ace all your sses. I have confidence in you, baby.¡± Roman said, peering into my eyes as he kissed my hand again.


    I felt jittery with butterflies swirling inside me as he leaned in to lock our lips together.


    I sincerely hoped I wouldn¡¯t let both him and myself down.


    I was brought out of my train of thoughts by Roman sniffing at the base of my neck like a creep.


    Right, I had used his cologne. I knew I had no right to but I hoped he wasn¡¯t enraged because of that.


    ¡°I wanted to have your scent with me throughout the day.¡± I confessed before he said anything.


    Roman just ced a chaste kiss on my lips, ¡°I figured.¡± He huffed fondly, after withdrawing from the kiss.


    At least, he wasn¡¯t mad which was an immense relief.

 The unspoken truth

    Roman¡¯s POV


    The corners of my mouth quivered in a smile, as I watched Sofie¡¯s eyes lit up as the car screeched down to a halt in front of the college building.


    I never knew a day woulde that I¡¯d derive so much happiness in seeing another person being happy.


    Maybe Damien was right about me getting softer, and less cold to the people around me.


    It was all because of Sofie and I wasn¡¯t sure if the thought didn¡¯t scare me.


    It had not even been up to fifty days since I had met Sofie, and I was sure that if she asked me to pluck down the stars for her, I¡¯d surely do so.


    I had given up trying to convince myself that it was just lust I felt for her and not something akin to love.


    Who else was I deceiving anyway but myself?


    But something still stood, I wasn¡¯t going to tell Sofie about my feelings until the contract was over.


    I wanted to be certain that I wasn¡¯t mistakingpassion for love and that I hadn¡¯t been brainwashed into thinking I had feelings for her all because we had surreal sex.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± She whispered, staring out of the window and clutching her bag tightly.


    She was nervous.


    cing a hand on her thigh, I said, ¡°You will do great, cara. You got this and just remember that I¡¯ll always be here rooting for you.¡±


    She nodded, scooting closer to me and wrapping her arms around my neck, ¡°I know. I-It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been quite a while since Ist came here. I dropped out from school two years ago and it still feels unreal that I¡¯m really here, you know. I never thought I would ever go back to school but here I am.¡±


    ¡°Everything will be fine, Sofie. Just try to rx and take a deep breath. You should also stop dwelling on negative thoughts, try to steer your mind into thinking more positively, and I¡¯m sure you will easily breeze through the rest of your semesters.¡± I reassured her as I looped my arms around her waist, and she sat on myp.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem, delicata.¡± I said before crashing our lips together, ignoring the fact that Nathan was still in the car.


    Slipping my tongue into the delicious wetness of her mouth, I ran my hands down her body while she moaned and weed me into her mouth. Our tongues fought for dominance while I slid one hand in between her thigh and sensually massaged her crotch.


    She squirmed with pleasure as her moans burned into low whimpers, and she hid her face at the crook of my neck while I fumbled with the zippers of her cks to gain prable ess into her.


    Sofie ced a hand over mine as she broke off the kiss, ¡°I-I have to go now or I¡¯ll be veryte for my first ss of the day.¡±


    I stared at her; skin flushed, hair tousled and pouty lips moist, and plumped and felt myself melt into a puddle.


    Sofie was easily the most beautiful woman I had ever met in the almost three decades that I had spent on earth.


    As she grabbed her tote bag which had been plunged to the floor in the heat of our short make out session, I remembered the little gift I had prepared for her.


    ¡°Before you go, I¡¯d like you to have this.¡± I smiled, outstretching a ck card to her.


    She looked confused as she stared at the stic without moving an inch to collect it from me and I wondered if I hadn¡¯t overdone things again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, Roman. You really don¡¯t, you are making me feel too indebted to you.¡± She sighed as she stared at me.


    I shook my head in negation, ¡°No, cara. There¡¯s no need to feel indebted to me. I just want to make sure that you are alwaysfortable. I don¡¯t want you to be stressed by either anyone or anything, so please ept this.¡±


    I had been in multiple sexual rtionships with various women before but Sofie was the first to make my heart skip a beat whenever I stared at her.


    She sighed before collecting it from me, ¡°Thanks for always looking out for me.¡± She leaned in to ce a kiss on my lips.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you.¡± She said before climbing out of the car and I nodded.


    I watched her trek further into the school, my heart swelling with pride.


    I noticed the scent of my cologne wafting off of her but I decided against pointing it out, so she wouldn¡¯t feel embarrassed.


    I turned to stare at the rear-view mirror, and found Nathan¡¯s eyes fixed on me with a wry smile twisting the corners of his lips. When he realized that I was now staring at me, he quickly averted his gaze and cleared his throat.


    I ignored his antics, and retrieved my tablet from my briefcase to revise my schedule for the week.


    He cleared his throat again as he switched on the ignition, and we set out for thepany.


    Once again, I paid no mind to him and just continued skimming through my endless engagements for that day.


    When he cleared his throat for the third time, and I caught him staring at me through the mirror again, I darted a warning re at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even dare to say a word, do you understand me?¡± I warned, turning my attention back to the device in my hold.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He said and I could detect the underlying tone of amusement in his voice.


    ¡°Nathan, behave yourself.¡± I warned again, this time with a sterner tone and that did the job.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡± He mumbled before focusing on the road.


    I waved off his apology as a strangely familiar name stared at me from the tablet; Alexander Guilon.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    From what I saw, I was to have a meeting with him over lunchter that day. I had heard of that name before but I just couldn¡¯t ce a finger on who the name belonged to.


    ¡°Who is Alexander Guilon?¡± I asked Nathan.


    ¡°He¡¯s the man who Veronica and Alphonso Diaz wanted madam Sofie to get married to.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe I had almost made the mistake of meeting him for a discussion about my possible investment in hispany in the future.


    I saw red as rage instantly filled me, ¡°Cancel every meeting we may have with him from now henceforth, and if any representative from hispany reaches out, ignore them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Nathan replied and I hummed as I looked out of the window.

 Trouble on the first day

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I walked into the venue for my first ss of the day with slight anxiety brewing inside me as I tightly sped my tote bag.


    Heaving a deep breath to calm my nerves, I quietly stepped into the hall while doing my best to avoid drawing too much attention to myself.


    Thankfully, the inhabitants of the hall seemed not to notice me as I walked to the middle of the room to take a seat. ¡°Did you hear that we are getting a new professor for the semester? They said he¡¯s nothing but bad news.¡± A feminine voice to my right drifted into my ears, and I tilted my head sideways to see who it belonged to.


    It belonged to a pretty girl whose blonde hair was cut into a bob, she grinned at me, and I managed to dart a small smile at her, although some parts of her sentence still confused me.


    ¡°I recently transferred here, so I don¡¯t really understand what you just said.¡± I uttered, to which she nodded, outstretching her hand.


    ¡°I reckoned. I¡¯m sorry for assuming. By the way, I¡¯m Katie Perez.¡± She smiled as we shook hands.


    ¡°Sofie Diaz. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± I replied with a smile of my own as she released my hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too. By the way, my boyfriend interns at the admin office, so he knows everything going on in this ce. He told me about the new professor and allegedly, he molested some students at his former school. Katie exined, shaking her head and I gasped in astonishment.


    What the fuck?


    ¡°How sure are you about this? I mean, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t believe you but it¡¯s just that it¡¯d be scathing to the school¡¯s reputation to hire a molester, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± I said and she nodded, clearly mulling over my utterance. ¡°Anyway, I just want you to be careful because there might be some truth in the lies.¡± She said, fishing through her bag for something.


    I just nodded before grabbing a notebook and a pen from my bag. ¡°He has arrived! That¡¯s him over there.¡± Katie whisper-yelled, discreetly pointing at the iing form of a short, burly man with a beer belly.


    As if by some evil stroke of misfortune, his gaze rested on me, and he darted ascivious smile at me which made my heart lurch with fear.


    Maybe there was really some truth in the lies like Katie had imed. I didn¡¯t want any drama in my life at the moment or even in the nearest future, so I made up my mind there, and then to always avoid the man.


    I went through the lecture in a daze as I couldn¡¯t shake off the trepidation brewing within me, no matter how hard I tried.


    ¡°Hey, you. The girl in the pink cardigan, see me in my office when the ss ends. I have chosen you to be my course representative. It¡¯s the second office on the right wing of this floor.¡± The man¡¯s voice boomed through the microphone, and dragged me out of my reverie.


    I looked around the ss to see who the unfortunate girl was but I was perplexed when I noticed everyone had their eyes on me, including Katie who looked at me, with worry twinkling in her blue eyes. ¡°What?¡± I mouthed to her and her gaze lowered.


    It was then the harsh realization hit me that I was the unfortunate girl; I was the girl wearing a pink cardigan.


    Goosebumps instantly enveloped me as my throat suddenly felt parched. I racked my brain with the hope of making a reasonable excuse to get myself out of this mess but none was forting as the man smirked at me before walking out of the hall.


    I swallowed harshly as I felt Katie¡¯s hand envelope mine, ¡°Just go and make sure you don¡¯t sit at all even if he tries to persuade you to. Stand your ground and stand beside the door, so that you can quickly make an escape in case he tries something stupid.¡± She was saying but all my mind could register was the fact that I was in deep soup.


    I nodded and grabbed my tote bag, ignoring the concerned looks trailing after me as I trekked out of the lecture room.


    Staring at his metal-engraved initials on the door; C. J Bolton, I heaved a sigh of despair before knocking on the door.


    ¡°Come in, dear.¡± His raspy voice came from within and I swallowed nervously before walking into the office.


    He was sitting behind a desk with a stupid grin on his face, holding a cup of coffee. I followed Katie¡¯s advice and stood beside the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, sir. What do you need me for?¡± I asked in a clipped tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger to my antics, angel. Come here.¡± He patted hisp, ¡°Come and sit down on your throne.¡± He grinned manically.


    I was too stupefied to utter a word as I stared at him with a question in my mind; was the man mentally ill?


    ¡°I almost forgot to ask for your name, what is your name, darling?¡± He asked, advancing toward me, hisrge belly swaying from side to side.


    I tried to unbolt the door, and make a run for it but my efforts were futile as the door remained shut.


    Tears of frustration welled in my ears as I continued struggling with the bolt, ¡°What the hell did you do to the door?¡± I yelled.


    Heughed, ¡°You don¡¯t have to scream, flower. You should save that forter when you will do so underneath me. By the way, I¡¯m Cornelius and you still haven¡¯t told me your name.¡±


    ¡°You will have to force it out of my throat, you psycho!¡± I hollered as he stood in front of me.


    The man was slightly taller than me by some inches which gave me a sort of leverage to escape but the damn door was not cooperating.


    ¡°I destroyed the CCTV camera, so there¡¯s no way this will get out. You don¡¯t have to be shy with me, sunshine. I want you and I know you also want me.¡± He said, tracing down my jaw.


    Before I could utter a word, he mmed me against the wall with his body weight, and ripped the buttons of my cardigan off as he sucked on my neck. I knew I¡¯d have to scrub my neck until the skin there peeled off when I got home.


    I screamed, and writhed against him but my efforts were futile as he harshly pinned my wrists above my head.


    Grasping onto a thin thread of hope, I dug my teeth into his neck and that did the trick. Blood quickly pooled around the area, and he shrieked as he got off me, clutching his neck. ¡°Stupid slut, I will kill you today.¡± He yelled, swinging dazedly at me with his other arm.


    I sessfully ducked his strikes and ran to his desk to search for the key to the door.


    Fortunately, I found it beside his abandoned cup of coffee and I took it. I felt him pull my leg from behind, and I grabbed the vase at the center of his table, and smashed it on his head.


    His hands immediately slipped off, and I easily opened the door after grabbing my tote bag and dashed out of the office with my heart hammering against my ribs.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I saw Katie standing in front of the office with worry lines etched all over her face. ¡°I knew the bastard would try to do this. I was trying to open the door but I couldn¡¯t, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She said as she helped me button up my cardigan.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I managed to escape at least.¡± I said, smoothening down my disheveled hair.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I smashed a vase on his head but he will be fine. He¡¯s still breathing.¡±


    ¡°Will you be able to finish the rest of the sses for today?¡± I shook my head, ¡°No. I¡¯m going home. I feel lightheaded and I don¡¯t think I can concentrate on anything.¡±


    ¡°I can understand. Just take care of yourself.¡± She patted my shoulder as we walked to the exit door of the building. ¡°I will, thanks.¡± I smiled before walking out of the school premises to the bus stop to take a cab home.


    As I sat in the cab, the realization of what could have happened back there and I burst into fresh tears.


    When the cab driver showed his concerns, I waved it off and told him I was fine.


    I was definitely not fine, and I didn¡¯t know if I would be able to hide the fact that I had almost gotten raped today from Roman.


    I could only hope he never found out.

 Talk to me

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Hey, baby.¡± I said as Sofie walked into the study with a wan smile caressing her face.


    ¡°Hi. How was work?¡± She asked, standing with her back against the desk, and her hand tracing lines down my face.


    ¡°Work was work. How did your first day back at college go? Did you have fun?¡± I asked, standing up to wrap my arms around her waist.


    She averted her gaze from me to stare at the bookshelf behind me, ¡°Yeah, I did. Let¡¯s talk about something else. Something unrted to school or education or professors and whatnot.¡± She rambled out, hazel eyes restlessly darting around like she was being chased.


    I could see pure, unadulterated fear twinkling in her eyes as she unknowingly clutched tightly to my shirt.


    Something was clearly up because I knew and has witnessed first-hand how Sofie had been so excited in the car this morning.


    ¡°Baby, are you okay?¡± I asked,cing my hands through hers.


    She smiled; a false, weary grin that didn¡¯t quite crease her eyes and nodded.


    ¡°You know I may not be the best advisor in the world but I promise you I¡¯m a good listener. If something went wrong today, you know you can tell me, right?¡± I said, fondly squeezing her hand.


    She sighed and stared at me with mild annoyance contorting her face, ¡°Yeah, I know and I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fucking fine and I¡¯m not a damsel in distress that needs to be looked after all the time. I just want to suck your cock in peace without hearing about school.¡±


    I was taken aback by her disdain-dripping tone that I didn¡¯t move or utter a word as she sank down to her knees, unbuckled my pants and rolled it down with my briefs before she took my cock into her hand and jerked it off; with agonizing, lethargic motions.


    Sofie seemed dazed as she absentmindedly stroked my dick while muttering something to herself.


    I had never seen this side of her before in the four weeks since we had been living together and it terrified me.


    She seemed like a shell shocked soldier with PTSD and I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so I tried to hoist her up but she remained knelt and unyielding in front of me.


    It was obvious she was trying to force herself to enjoy it.


    ¡°Cara, no. It¡¯s enough, you are not okay like you im to be. Something is clearly wrong with you, so I will ask you again and I want you to tell me the truth, are you okay?¡± I asked which made her halt her ministrations, sigh and then get up from the tiled floor.


    I buttoned up my pants and stared at her, waiting for her next move.


    ¡°Why are you so hellbent on getting me to lie? I¡¯m okay, Roman. If I wasn¡¯t okay, would I want this?¡± She tiptoed and crashed our lips together as she clung on to me for dear life.


    ¡°You are not enjoying this,¡± I countered, unbuttoning her shirt, ¡°Why are you wearing a long sleeve shirt indoors? Do you feel cold? Y-¡± I stopped my sentence midway, on sighting a scandalous, purplish hickey on Sofie¡¯s vicle.


    I was lost for words as my hands trembled with a mixture of emotions ranging from anger to disappointment to sadness and then back to unfiltered rage.


    ¡°Who did this?¡± I barked, pressing onto her corbone, ignoring the way she painfully winced.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    In response, she burst into tears and just shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want you to find out about this, I thought I would be able to hide it but I just couldn¡¯t b-¡±


    ¡°Sofie, I just asked you a simple question which I expect you to answer smartly like the intelligent person you are. Who gave you a fucking lovebite?¡± I asked, my voice calmer by a reasonable crescendo.


    She couldn¡¯t be possibly cheating on me, could she? I mean, it wasn¡¯t like we were romantically bounded to each other but the mere thought that something like that was possible made ire bubble within me.


    I tried to hold on to the hope that Sofie couldn¡¯t possibly do so in my heart but the fact that she wasn¡¯t saying anything logical pissed me off to no end.


    ¡°Say something, damn it. Have you gone dumb?¡± I spat, ring at her.


    Guilt tinged with hurt panged within me as she kept crying and shaking her head.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re hurting me, Roman. Please let me go, it hurts.¡± She cried, desperately trying to wriggle her hand free from my grip without sess.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you either but you le-¡± I cut myself short as the Sofie¡¯s shirt sleeve rode up, to show a painfully-red bruise on her wrist.


    She stopped trying to free herself and just sighed while I assessed the injury.     That was when it hit me; the bittersweet realization that Sofie hadn¡¯t cheated but was sexually assaulted.


    I didn¡¯t utter a word as I kissed the side of her neck before pulling her into a warm hug, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡±


    Her breath hitched as she wept into my shirt, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry too. I have no idea what I was thinking when I decided to hide it from you. I thought you¡¯d be disappointed in me.¡±


    I pulled back to gaze into her teary eyes, ¡°Disappointed? For what?¡±


    She shuddered, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. Probably because I let it happen.¡±


    ¡°Oh, tesorio, don¡¯t say that. The bastard who did this is to be me. But tell me, he didn¡¯t go further than this, did he?¡± I asked, my heart heavy with trepidation and fury.


    She shook her head and I heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. I hit his head with a vase before he could.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You are so brave and I¡¯m proud of you.¡± I said, brushing her forehead with a kiss.


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°No. I know so. Would you like to tell me who did this to you now?¡± I asked, tucking a stray stand of hair behind her ear.


    She shook her head again, ¡°Not yet but I will tell you soon.¡±


    I nodded as I darted her a smile, even though I knew I couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t wait for soon.


    I wasn¡¯t a calm person. I would find the son of a bitch who dared to touch my woman, and make them pay for their sins, I thought as I smirked to myself.

 The unexpected visitor

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I nervously twirled the engagement ring around my left ring finger as I stared at the professor on the podium.


    She was saying something about a group project but my mind couldn¡¯t really decipher anything at that moment.


    It was filled with thoughts and regretful memories of how I had fucked everything up the previous evening.


    If only I hadn¡¯t gone to Roman¡¯s study or initiated the stupid kiss, then he¡¯d never have known about this mess. I knew Roman and I knew he¡¯d never sit back and wait for me to tell him about Cornelius.


    He¡¯d probably kill Cornelius if he found out that he was the bastard that gave me the hickey and I didn¡¯t want that.


    I just wanted to peacefully graduate without drama but it seemed the universe was clearly against serenity being in my life.


    I wondered if Cornelius had survived that hit. It wasn¡¯t like I cared if anything had happened to him, he deserved it anyway for even attempting to molest a woman.


    I just didn¡¯t want to be tagged a murderer for the rest of my life but then again, I thought, if something had happened to him, my course mates would have said something but they didn¡¯t and the school atmosphere was rtively normal today.


    ¡°Is that an engagement ring, Sofie?¡± Katie whisper-yelled, motioning to the diamond ring cinched around my left ring finger.


    I smiled dimly, ¡°Yes. I forgot to mention it yesterday. I¡¯m engaged.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her eyes twinkled in awe as she gazed at it, ¡°That¡¯s cool. Can I touch it?¡± She stared up at me, hope brimming in her eyes.


    I nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    She grinned like a child who has just been handed a packet of their favorite candy as she gingerly touched the exquisite stone on it, ¡°Your fianc¨¦e must be rich rich. This is a diamond ring, you are so lucky, babe.¡± She said, and shook her head.


    Guilt clutched my heart as I feigned a grin, ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    Sometimes, I wished Roman and I had met in a normal setting, and had grown to fall in love with every little perfect imperfections of each other before getting engaged for real.


    It¡¯d have been so nice instead of having a falselybeled rtionship, where I was probably nothing more than a cum slut to him.


    ¡°You are so lucky, babe,¡± She reiterated, then added, ¡°Thank goodness, the professor is done. Let¡¯s go get lunch.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I got up and looped my tote bag around my arm.


    We trekked into the cafeteria, and I sighed at the massive outpour of students at the food station.


    Katie and I had no option but to resign ourselves to fate as we stood at the end of the queue.


    After what felt like hours, we got to the front of the queue and we got some food.


    ¡°The food here is nicer than the average college cafeteria. It¡¯s not a ten but it¡¯s at least a seven.¡± Katie exined as we walked to an empty table.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s cool, my former college¡¯s food was literally inedible. Their soup always looked and smelled like rotten pepper.¡± I sat down and ced my tray of food on the table.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s crazy. Can I ask you a question?¡± Katie inquired, shoving some scrambled eggs into her mouth. I nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Why did you get engaged so young? I didn¡¯t mean to pry but I checked your file yesterday and I saw your age. You are just two years older than me, and I really can¡¯t imagine myself getting engaged at twenty three.¡± She said.


    I took a generous bite out of my toast as I mulled over what she had said.


    If the universe was nicer to me and I didn¡¯t have to conspire with Roman, would I have gotten engaged so young? Probably if my fianc¨¦ was as hot as Roman, a voice in my head said which made me blush.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s how the universe wants it. I never thought I¡¯d get engaged so young either.¡± I fibbed smoothly, to which Katie nodded before her face suddenly contorted into a bbergasted countenance.


    ¡°Or is it a shotgun engagement?¡± She gasped. I stifled the urge to burst into a peal ofughter and just shook my head in negation, ¡°No. Of course not.¡±


    Roman had always been clear about the fact that he didn¡¯t want children and honestly, I didn¡¯t know if I wanted them either. Perhaps, I¡¯d know in the future.


    ¡°That¡¯s good then because a lot of young people I know are getting married simply because the woman got pregnant. I mean, I don¡¯t really understand it but why would I want to get married to a man because he knocked me up?¡± She asked, reaching for her cup of orange juice.


    ¡°You know there are different customs, and traditions that aren¡¯t quite epting of the baby mama and baby papa stuff without the expectant parents being married. Not everywhere is America.¡± I simply said, and she made a show of thinking about my opinion before she nodded.


    Afterward, she changed the topic to time when she had an argument with her boyfriend and they almost broke up but then, they had angry makeup sex which brought them back to their senses.


    I was about to say something when a middle-aged woman rushed over to our table which brought the attention of the whole cafeteria to us.


    ¡°Miss Diaz, you have toe with me right now. Your fianc¨¦ is in the chancellor¡¯s office and he asked to see you.¡± She rambled out, worry dripping from her voice. Katie and I exchanged nces as I instantly shot up from my chair.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Sir Roman Giovanni is asking for you and is in the chancellor¡¯s office. What part of my sentence do you not understand, or isn¡¯t he your fianc¨¦?¡± She reiterated, irritationcing her voice.


    My heart pounded with inexplicable fear as I yanked my tote bag and darted an apologetic smile at Katie, ¡°I¡¯ll see you.¡± ¡°Sure. Take care.¡±


    How could it not have urred to me that Roman would do something like barging into the school without informing me?


    I just hoped he wouldn¡¯t wreak havoc because of the hickey. I thought as the woman, and I hastily walked in the direction of the chancellor¡¯s office. I desperately hoped not.

 Realization

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Would your friend like to have some tea, sir?¡± A middle-aged man who I had never met in any of my numerous visits to New York state college asked me with a smile.


    I nced backward at Nathan, who was standing motionlessly behind me with an expressionless face, and beckoned him to answer the question.


    He shook his head in negation at the man, and the man nodded as he went back to his seat.


    I darted an investigative look at the man¡¯s bandaged head as I inwardly wondered why he wasn¡¯t resting in the hospital and was instead walking about and working.


    Earlier, he had introduced himself to me and exined that he was manning the chancellor¡¯s office, pending the time she got back from an official trip.


    Currently, I was in Sofie¡¯s school on a mission; to find who the fearless perpetrator was.


    The fucking bastard who had left a hickey for me to see on my fianc¨¦e.


    I had no idea why I was so sure the person was from the school but my guts were never wrong, so I knew I could be on to something.


    I was determined to get to the bottom of this today and I wasn¡¯t going to leave until I did. Even if it meant scrutinizing every male species of humans that were currently enclosed within the four walls of the school¡¯s property.


    Sofie along with a greying, middle-aged woman came sauntering into the office then and I darted a smile at her which she didn¡¯t return as she seemed terrified to see me.


    The woman that came with her, muttered something incoherent which I reckoned was an ¡®excuse me¡¯ before exiting the room.


    Sofie¡¯s eyes darted to the man, and I could see the way her eyes dted in horror as she looked at him which made me frown in befuddlement.


    She shuddered fearfully, and it brought back the memories of the previous day when she had flinched when I tried to hug her in bed.


    Wait.


    An horrendous thought tanged my mind the more I watched Sofie¡¯s bodynguage, and the way the man was smiling smugly at her.


    Suddenly, it all fell into ce.


    I tried to stifle the urge to yank the man off his chair, fling him to the floor, and smash his wounded head more.


    I concealed the anger raging within me with a smile as I stood up, and walked up to Sofie whose gaze had now averted from the man to me.


    Through the corners of my eyes, I could see panic glint across the man¡¯s eyes and my suspicions were confirmed.


    So, he really was the molester and he had the fucking audacity to still be in the same proximity with Sofie.


    ¡°W-what are you doing here? Y-You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing. I-I-¡± I made her swallow the rest of her words by locking lips with her in a feathery kiss.


    ¡°Hey, cara. I just wanted to give you a surprise, I promise. I didn¡¯t tell you because I didn¡¯t want to ruin it.¡± I said after withdrawing from the kiss.


    Her stare bounced to the man before bouncing back to me, and I could clearly see the disbelief twinkling in her eyes, she thought I had something up my sleeve. Well, I did. A pistol.


    And today, I was going to blow the useless fucker¡¯s brains out with it. The thought made me giddy with a wicked sort of glee as a manic smile stretched my lips.


    No one and I mean nobody born of a woman dared to touch my woman and went scot free.


    Sofie attempted to utter a word and I made a sign to Nathan, to which he nodded, ¡°Take her to the car. Mr Cornelius and I have something important to discuss, don¡¯t we?¡± I smirked at the man who nodded fearfully, the sardonic grin on his face, dissipated.


    ¡°W-We do.¡± He said and Sofie managed to re at him as a question escaped her lips, ¡°What is that?¡± I smiled at her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, doll.


    I should be out in a few minutes to join you in the car.¡± She didn¡¯t utter anymore word, and just nodded before Nathan escorted her to the car.


    As soon as the door mmed shut behind them, a strangled meep made its way out of the man¡¯s mouth as he stared at me, dread oozing from his eyes.


    I could feel my patience gradually evaporating as I sat back again and felt the pistol hidden against the thick, woolen material of my trench coat.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, sir. I didn¡¯t mean to do it. I shouldn¡¯t have brought this stupid character of mine over here. I should have left it in Texas. Please spare me, sir.¡± He babbled out, shivering fearfully on his seat.


    I feigned a nk stare, ¡°What do you mean?¡± The trepidation fell off his face as he gazed at me, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Sofie Diaz was close to you like that, sir.¡± My hands balled into fists, ¡°What would have happened if you did?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, sir. It¡¯s just that Miss Sofie seems to becking in some areas.¡± He said which stunned me.


    Here I was thinking he was going to confess by himself, and I wouldn¡¯t have to force the words out of his mouth but I guessed a bastard never failed to be one.


    ¡°She¡¯s only being here for a day, so how do you know that?¡± I snapped, feeling fury simmer within me.


    ¡°I m-¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Shut the hell up, Cornelius. Do you think I¡¯m here to listen to you utter bullshit upon bullshit, huh?¡± I snarled, standing up from my seat.


    Before he could reply, I dragged him off his chair, and roughly mmed him against the wall, taking great care to squeeze his injured head against the wall.


    The source of his head injury was now obvious.


    Sofie told me that she had hit the abuser on the head with a vase and bastard Cornelius had an injury, so it was now clear that she must have done it to him.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel proud as I thought of it. Sofie was my brave petal.


    ¡°I-I- don¡¯t understand what you mean, sir.¡± He said through his teeth as specks of blood trailed out of the bandage wrapped around his head.


    I dug my thumb deep into the bandage, eliciting a pained groan from him.


    Grinning wickedly at him, I retracted my pistol from inside my trench coat then dipped my hand into my breast pocket for a silencer which I slid over the gun before pointing it to his temple and instantly, he froze. ¡°Do you understand what this means now?¡± I taunted, pressing the gun tighter to his head.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, sir. The devil made me do it, please believe me, sir.¡± At this point, he was full-on sobbing.


    ¡°In your next life, you won¡¯t even think of touching a woman again. Addio, Cornelius.¡± I smirked evilly at him before stepping back to cock my gun.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. P-please spare me,¡± Those were thest words he uttered before I pulled the trigger.


    He gasped, clutching his chest as he slid down the wall, and lost consciousness.


    No one touched my woman and lived to see the light of the next day.

 Scared

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    As Nathan and I walked through the crowded hallway to the car, I felt innumerable pairs of eyes fixed on me with various mumblings of incoherent words trailing after me.


    I clutched my hands into fists as I willed my legs, which had suddenly be as heavy as lead to carry me to the car. The nervousness and trepidation sizzling within me at that moment was inexplicable.


    Momentarily, I turned back as my heart tinged with fear for the umpteenth time since I had walked out of the chancellor¡¯s office that day.


    God, I just hoped the man didn¡¯t feed Roman lies about me or worse still, Roman wasn¡¯t doing anything mortifying to the man.


    I mean I knew he totally deserved all the horrible things in life for forcing himself on me, but I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself or with the gruesome thought that Roman really did something horrible to him.


    Calm down, Sofie. You are probably overthinking everything, it¡¯s not like he knows Cornelius is the molester, so why are you worrying so much about this? A voice floated into my mind amidst the whirlpool of dreadful thoughts swirling in my head.


    Right. I was worried for nothing. After all, I didn¡¯t tell Roman his name nor did I describe who it was to him.


    Hell, I didn¡¯t even tell him the person was from school.


    So, everything would be fine, and Roman woulde to the car and we¡¯d go home and probably fuck or cuddle till nightfall.


    Yes, that was it.


    But Roman had said something about wanting to discuss something with Cornelius, what could that be?


    ¡°Babe, how far? What¡¯s going on?¡± A familiar, chirpy voice wafted into my ears, pulling me out of my reverie and prompting me to spin around to answer who it belonged to.


    Katie looked worried as she moved closer to me and hugged me.


    I had only known her for a day, but it felt like we had known each other for years and were tonic soulmates.


    No, my bad. Amy was and will always be my tonic soulmate but Katie was really dear to my heart.


    ¡°Five minutes, please. I want to say something to her.¡± I begged Nathan who sighed and nodded, ¡°Please be fast about it, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I whispered, to which he nodded before drifting some feet away from us, though his gaze was still secured on me.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am? I should have known you were rich. I mean, you were din luxury brand clothings from head to toe yesterday and even today. No wonder you are getting married so early. Is it an arranged marriage? Is your husband the wealthy heir to a fortune?¡± Katie babbled on, her eyes shining with curiosity.


    I sighed, exasperated as my eyes met with Nathan¡¯s.


    He cleared his throat, rather obnoxiously and pointed to his wristwatch before looking away.


    ¡°¡±That isn¡¯t important for now. Why are people standing outside and what are they mumbling? Did anyone say anything after I left the cafeteria?¡± I asked, to which she shook her head.


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t. I heard they came out to get a nce of your fianc¨¦e. They are saying he¡¯s really tall and handsome. Though, I¡¯m disappointed I didn¡¯t have a chance to catch a glimpse of him.¡± Katie exined with a sigh.


    My cheeks heated up with a mixture of shyness, and pride as I became lost for words.


    Even if mine and Roman¡¯s rtionship was nothing but a charade, I couldn¡¯t help but preen with delight.


    And momentarily, the thought of Cornelius possibly being dead by Roman¡¯s hands evaporated from my mind.


    I was about to form a reasonable sentence from the garbled words in my mind when Nathan advanced toward us and nodded.


    ¡°We will talk about this some other time, okay?¡± I said, already sidling with Nathan.


    ¡°Alright, babe. Take care.¡± Katie waved and I nodded before walking through the exit doors to the parking lot.


    On getting to the car, without as much as a word, Nathan flung the door open, and I quietly climbed in as I mumbled a thank you.


    Immediately I made myselffortable in the car, the scary thoughts rushed into my head again and though I tried to shake them off, my efforts were futile as the thoughts kept flowing in.


    ¡°He¡¯s back.¡± Nathan muttered, staring outside the window.


    My gaze followed his to Roman¡¯s smug approaching form; a smile was stered to his face, and even from a distance, I could tell it was sinister.


    It was dryly humorous, which badly agitated me.


    I watched Nathan hop out of the car to fling open the door for Roman to enter.


    ¡°Cara.¡± Roman said as his assistant mmed the door shut and went back to the driver¡¯s seat.


    I instantly attacked him with a barrage of questions as he took my hand in his,¡±How did it go? What were you discussing with him? I-¡±


    He raised a finger to my face and calmly shook his head, ¡°One question at a time, doll. I¡¯m not a robot.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m sorry, so what did you discuss with him?¡± I asked, willing myself to remain calm and collected.


    ¡°Something along the lines of him keeping his hands to himself. Don¡¯t worry about it, petal. We didn¡¯t talk much.¡± He smiled, cing a hand over mine.


    My heart pounded with inexplicable panic as I forced the words out of my mouth, ¡°What do you mean keeping his hands to himself?¡±


    He withdrew his hand from mine as his eyes darkened, ¡°Don¡¯t act clueless, Sofie. Stop it, it¡¯s infuriating. I know what that bastard did to you, I saw the way he looked at you. I know he left that stupid hickey on you and I¡¯ve taken care of it on my terms. In his next life, he¡¯d never think of looking at women, talk less ofying his filthy hands on them.¡± He said, his voice octaves lower, which sent shivers racing down my spine.


    ¡°Y-You didn¡¯t do anything bad to him, did you?¡± I choked out, anxietycing my voice.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    His smirk was sinister, ¡°Maybe I did, maybe I didn¡¯t.¡±


    And my face fell in horror.

 Mortification

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I stifled a smile as I watched Sofie go through a whirlwind of emotions in just a couple of seconds.


    She was really entertaining.


    ¡°Y-You don¡¯t mean it.¡± She whispered, shaking her head, horror evident in her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean what?¡± I prodded, feeling myposure wilter as time went by.


    Even Nathan was staring at me though the rear-view mirror with an unreadable expression as I casually ced my hand on Sofie¡¯s exposed thigh; her dress has rolled up and her soft, porcin skin was now left on exhibition.


    ¡°Roman, what did you to him? Is he still alive at least?¡± She asked, worry prominent in her tone.


    I felt anger bristle within me for a moment at her concerned tone; why was she so worried about the perverted bastard?


    I was starting to regret not gunning him down when I had the opportunity to.


    Yeah, you read it correctly. I didn¡¯t kill Cornelius after all and it was not because I was scared of the consequence but because I didn¡¯t want Sofie to be ostracized by the world.


    I didn¡¯t want her to be tagged as ¡°the fianc¨¦e of a psychopathic Italian murderer.¡±


    I saw how excited she was to go back to college again, and I didn¡¯t want to ruin her happiness because of my ego. I didn¡¯t want her to hate me for the rest of her life.


    I had only fired a nk shot to scare the fucker before I made him write a resignation letter, and also sign an oath which stated that he would retire immediately, never attempt to assault another woman, and move as far as possible away from America.


    I had chosen a small ind at Sao Paulo where I had underlings who would report his every move to me, lest he tried to act smart and breach our agreement.


    Damien had taunted me for a great thirty minutes earlier that day when I went to his office to get the oath. He told me I was a simp for Sofie, and I couldn¡¯t agree more.


    If protecting my woman, and other vulnerable women from a sex-crazed bastard meant I was a simp, then so be it.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry, unfortunately he is. But his career is dead from now on.¡± I said, moving my hand upward, almost beside her crotch.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Sofie shuddered heavily and it was conspicuous that she was trying to suppress her arousal and that wasn¡¯t going too well, ¡°So, he¡¯s alive and breathing. That¡¯s what you mean, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, cara.¡± I muttered, and she exhaled heavily before leaning in to kiss me passionately. I cupped her jaw, as I slotted my tongue into the pleasant wetness of her mouth and she clung onto my biceps.


    My hand dangerously strayed upward, and I smiled into the kiss as I palmed her wet pussy through her panties. There and then, I had the urge to instruct Nathan to pull over and get out of the car, so I could make Sofieepletely apart in my arms.


    With my hand, I pried Sofie¡¯s thighs apart as she circled her arms around my neck, her face burning with intense lust.


    ¡°W-what about Nathan?¡± She broke the kiss to ask while I continued rubbing the beady flesh of her clitoris which drew a strangled whimper out of her.


    ¡°You are notfortable with doing it here?¡± I asked, restraining the urge to rip her panties off and bury my fingers inside her pussy.


    ¡°I-I am, I can¡¯t even wait. I-I¡¯m just not an exhibitionist.¡± She whispered, to which I nodded before darting Nathan a stare, I didn¡¯t need to utter a word and he immediately understood what I wanted to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take this call, sir. Excuse me.¡± He muttered, motioning to his raised phone without looking me in the eye.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone now.¡± She stated the obvious as I looked into her beautiful brown eyes. They always made me melt even though they were currently glinting with torrid arousal.


    ¡°I see that, be.¡± I whispered, shifting her panties sideways and rubbing my fingers around her soaking wet pussy, to tease and rile her up more.


    ¡°P-please Roman, just do it.¡± She cried, as I ran my forefinger up and down her core.


    ¡°Do what?¡± I urged before capturing her lips with mine.


    ¡°Please fuck me.¡± She moaned into my mouth, sending sparks to my sex-addled brain.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to be bent over and fucked in a car like a slut, haven¡¯t you?¡± I uttered, dipping a finger into her cleft which made her tighten her grip on my biceps as she quietly cursed.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I¡¯ve always wanted that.¡± She chanted like a mantra as she grabbed my hand as if to guide my fingers properly into herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity we won¡¯t be able to do that, sunshine. The space in this car isn¡¯t wide enough for that, we should fulfill that fantasy of yours in my limo one of these days.¡± I said, biting her helix.


    ¡°O-Okay.¡± She muttered before adding, ¡°Let me suck you off then. I¡¯ve always wanted to do that too ever since that night.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this at home, baby. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to hold back when you wrap that godly mouth around my cock.¡± I whispered, already picturing how I was going to pick Sofie up, and fuck her against our bedroom wall.


    Fuck, the thought made my hard-on almost ravage my pants.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going back to work?¡± She asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m taking the day off. Nathan will handle things.¡± I replied, to which she nodded before pressing a chaste kiss to my lips.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have you ravish me.¡± Sofie sighed, sucking at the base of my neck while I resumed palming at her crotch.


    ¡°Me too.¡± I confessed, cing one final kiss on her lips.


    It was with great self-restraint that I yanked my hands off her and invited Nathan back into the car.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t perform any of his insinuating antics; he just got into the car, hit on the gas and drove us home.


    Just like I had promised her, Sofie and I spent a great deal of that afternoon fucking against the bedroom wall, like rabbits in heat.

 Overbearing

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Good morning, Sof.¡± Katie grinned, as I plopped down beside her and set my tote bag on the table.


    I mirrored her grin, ¡°Morning, Katie.¡±


    ¡°So, I heard something. Apparently, that bastard Cornelius is quitting. I was so shocked when my boyfriend gave me the news, I mean what could have pushed him to do that?¡±


    I feigned cluelessness as I brought out my writing paraphernalia, ¡°Right, but isn¡¯t that good news? I mean a sex offender who clearly shouldn¡¯t be loitering around and molesting women is going faraway from us.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m just worried for the girls at his new job, what if he tries to do that to one of them? I heard one of the third year girls saying something about how he used to threaten the female students at his former schools to have sex with him and if they refused, he¡¯d make them repeat that year. That man is a pervert that can never change. I honestly just hope he goes to prison, I¡¯ll be less worried if that happened.¡± Katie rambled out, concern wafting off her.


    I ced a reassuring hand over hers, prompting her to stare at me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. This is thest time that he¡¯d try something like this. He won¡¯t dare to touch a woman anymore, and nobody would be willing to ept him when he¡¯s retired from working.¡±


    Yesterday, after fucking me senseless against the bedroom wall and while we were both high on post orgasmic bliss, Roman had told me everything; ranging from how he made Cornelius sign an oath stating that he had retired from that moment henceforth, and that he¡¯d face gruesome consequences if he dared assault another woman again to the fact that he had made him move to a small ind in Brazil.


    At my statement, she let out a shocked gasp which steered some pairs of curious eyes to us, I leaned in to her, and whispered, ¡°I just know it. Tell your boyfriend to ask around for you.¡±


    She was about to respond when three girls suddenly crowded our tables, with identical, wide grins stretching their lips.


    I didn¡¯t know either of them as I had never seen them before.


    ¡°Hi, you are Sofie Diaz right?¡± One of them, a girl who had pretty middle eastern features asked and I nodded tentatively.


    ¡°Uhm, how may I help you?¡± I asked, cynically.


    ¡°We just wanted to tell you that your fianc¨¦ is so hot. I looked into him yesterday and it said he¡¯s the president of GV corporation and also one of the youngest billionaires in America. How did you manage to snag a man like that? We need tutorials.¡± Another girl, with a gorgeous halo of afro rambled out as she looked toward her friends who nodded enthusiastically in unison.


    That was quite a strange question that I wasn¡¯t expecting, so had no idea how to answer because I knew I didn¡¯t snag Roman.


    Hell, even if I wished to do that, it¡¯d only be in my dreams because I was quite sure that if eventually, he decided to date or get engaged for real, it¡¯d be to a woman in the same social circle with him.


    In the past, I had watched a lot of Mexican soap operas and I knew many wealthy heirs never dated lowlifes like me, they only saw them as their sex toys and nothing more.


    Roman probably saw me as his sex toy too.


    There was no way in hell that Roman would date a poor person who came from a dysfunctional family like me.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I muttered, feeling that familiar, heavy sensation of despair pang my chest.


    Some days ago, I had looked up Roman¡¯s exes on the inte, mainly because I was bored and partly because of curiosity and simply said, I was left astounded by the barrage of names and pictures of the women he had dated in the past.


    They ranged from wealthy heiresses and famous Victoria¡¯s Secret models to A-list actresses.


    And unfortunately, I didn¡¯t belong to either of the categories; neither was my family rich nor was I a well-known celebrity, plus I had seen pictures of those women and Roman together.


    They always looked perfect; sophisticated, ssy and exquisite together.


    Each one of them had always been a wless match with him, and it made me bitterly realize that Roman was way out of my league.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind us, Sof. We were just joking around.¡± The third of the trio, a pretty redhead, said.


    She seemed mature and moreposed than the other two.


    I nodded, ¡°Alright then.¡± And they turned to leave but one of them, the girl who spoke first said, ¡°If he has a brother or cousin, please let me know. I may be abl-¡±


    The redhead quickly cut in as she dragged her friends off, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Sofie. That¡¯s how she rambles.¡±


    I darted them a smile to show I wasn¡¯t pissed off and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s cool.¡±


    After they left, Katie nudged me, and I looked in her direction, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? Your expression changed when they were talking to you.¡± She exined.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I was probably thinking about something.¡± I lied, feigning a smile.


    ¡°You sure? Is everything alright at home? Or is your fianc¨¦ giving you problems? Does he hurt you?¡± She asked and I felt my heart lurch with fear in my chest.


    How obvious had I been?


    ¡°No, of course not. Katie, I appreciate your concerns and all but I¡¯m really fine, okay? We¡¯re happy and in love, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you stopped acting like a mother hen, please.¡± I said, my voiceing out harsher than I had intended.


    It wasn¡¯t like I found Katie overbearing, it was just that I was scared of her finding out that my rtionship with Roman was a hoax.


    At this rate, it was just a matter of time before the truth spilled out and I couldn¡¯t have that.


    I still had about seventy more days to fulfill my part of the contract.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding, I didn¡¯t even realize I was doing so. I¡¯m sorry for poking my nose into your business, Sofie.¡± She looked remorseful as she spoke.


    ¡°I-err, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m touched that you¡¯re concerned for me, I just want you to pipe it down.¡±


    ¡°Okay, noted.¡± She nodded before adding, ¡°So, friends again?¡±


    I smiled, ¡°We never stopped being friends.¡± And her face rxed in respite, ¡°Thank goodness.¡±


    I just shook my head fondly before averting my concentration to the lecturer as she strolled in.

 Lust or love

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Here you go, sir. These are the minutes of thest meeting with H and R technology, sir.¡± Nathan exined, cing a pile of paperwork on the conference desk.


    I nodded, ¡°Alright. When will they get here by the way? It¡¯s almost thirty minutes past the stipted time of the meeting, haven¡¯t they heard about punctuality or do they think I have nothing else to do with my time?¡± I gruffed, reaching for a piece of paperwork to skim through pending the time the people I was scheduled to meet with decided to arrive.


    I was already beyond pissed that I had wasted thirty minutes of my precious time waiting for an ipetentpany.


    If it wasn¡¯t because of Nana who had begged me to consider them because the Herreras were longtime friends of hers, and also business partners with GV group ofpanies when she was still president, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered to show up to the convergence.


    After the patriarch and founder of thepany died some years ago, thepany went from grace to grass as the people in charge of it weren¡¯t interested in improving its reputation, and were only interested in embezzling funds.


    I decided to wait for ten more minutes and if they didn¡¯t arrive within that timeframe, I would annul the meeting.


    ¡°I just got off the phone with their spokesperson and he told me to apologize to you and assured me that they¡¯re already on their way, sir.¡± Nathan replied, and I just nodded before he bowed and took a seat beside me, as my secretary.


    Suddenly, the door was hastily flung open and a middle-aged man, nked by two other men and a young woman strolled in.


    The middle-aged man, Francis Herrera, the good-for-nothing CEO who reced his dad stretched his hand for a handshake, ¡°Roman Giovanni, it¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it? How¡¯s the chairwoman doing? I heard her gout is getting worse with age, is it true?¡±


    Great, he had no sense of responsibility either to realize that he needed to apologize first foringte before beginning his aimless rambling.


    ¡°Take your seats and let¡¯s get this meeting done and over with.¡± I said coldly, ignoring his handshake.


    He chuckled and nodded, ¡°Okay, okay. Can you believe I almost forgot about the meeting?¡±


    Of course, he would. The only things in that empty circr box he called his head were banging women from different races and spending histe father¡¯s hard-earned wealth on gambling.


    I didn¡¯t say anything and just locked my jaw, to suppress the ire that was gradually slithering into my veins.


    ¡°My sister was the one who reminded me. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m already being so forgetful at just forty eight.¡± Heughed and his entourage joined in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the meeting, Francis. Some of us have to actually work here, and not entirely depend on daddy¡¯s fortune, so time is very precious to us.¡± The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, but I felt no remorse as I met Francis¡¯ shocked expression with a menacing re.


    The room was filled with awkward tension as Francis cleared his throat and nodded, ¡°Yeah, you are right. Let¡¯s begin the meeting.¡±


    Finally.


    I signalled to Nathan, and he nodded before standing up to brief us about the topics for discussion for the day¡¯s meeting.


    While he went on, I busied my eyes with the other two men who came with Francis and I couldn¡¯t help but scoff; instead of paying rapt attention to the ongoing meeting, they were both giggling at something.


    Breathe, Roman. Breathe.


    Though, I had the unquenchable urge to send them out of the convergence, I didn¡¯t because I had already concluded on a decision even before the meeting ended.


    There was no way in hell that I would invest in H and R technology, it¡¯d be nothing but a waste, I¡¯d just be pouring water into a basket.


    I¡¯m sorry, Nana. But I have to do what¡¯s best for thepany. I thought to myself.


    The meeting ended forty minutester, and immediately it did, the other two men among the entourage quickly exited the conference room after mumbling a rushed ¡®goodbye¡¯ to me.


    I shook my head as I watched them m the door shut.


    Pathetic fools, I thought to myself.


    After Francis and I shook hand with him promising to check up on Nana that weekend; a promise we both knew he wouldn¡¯t keep, and was only saying because he wanted me to invest in hispany, he left.


    Nathan had to take an urgent phone call, so he also left and I was left alone in the conference room.


    Or so I thought until I felt someone ce their hand on my shoulder, I muttered a curse at the person for catching me off guard before turning to re at whoever it was.


    The young woman from Francis¡¯ entourage grinned flirtatiously at me as her fingers traced down my back, ¡°Hey, baby boy.¡± She said.


    I shrugged her off me as I stood up to my full height, fixing a scowl on her, ¡°And who may you be?¡± I asked, in the coldest of tones.


    She gasped, as if shocked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are being serious right now. You¡¯ve forgotten about me, Charlie Herrera, the woman you fucked two months ago at the art auction!¡±


    The tawdry images from that night rushed into my head and I groaned inwardly; that night I was so stressed up, and aroused that I had fucked the first woman who flirted with me in my car.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I simply said because I didn¡¯t know what else to say to a casual hookup.


    She scoffed, ¡°Oh? Is that all you can say? Don¡¯t you want to relive that night with me again?¡± Her voice melted into a seductive octave.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± I deadpanned.


    ¡°Is it because of that fianc¨¦e of yours?¡±


    I concealed my ire as I stared at her, ¡°That fianc¨¦e of my mine has a name.¡±


    She scoffed as she moved closer to grab at my suitpels, ¡°You know just because you¡¯re engaged to a nobody like her doesn¡¯t mean you have to be faithful to her. You are too sophisticated for her, why wo-¡±


    ¡°What the hell did you just call my fianc¨¦e?¡± I barked, anger simmering within me.


    How dare she call my Sofie a nobody?


    She shrugged, feigning nonchnce but I could see fear zing her eyes, ¡°What? Did I lie? She¡¯s nothing but a wretched golddigger, Roman and I¡¯m surprised that you can¡¯t see it. How did she even manage to convince you to propose to her? Is sex with her that good, or is it her mouth? I can-¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Get out.¡± I said and Charlie huffed before continuing like my utterance meant nothing to her, ¡°That girl is way out of our league, Roman. She¡¯s neither wealthy nor is she famous, so why her? What is so special about her? What does she have that-¡±


    ¡°Get the hell out of this ce right now before I do something I might regret, Charlie!¡± I spat, ring murderously at her.


    That seemed to instill trepidation into her which she tried to y off as she grabbed her purse with trembling hands, and scurried out of the convergence.


    Good riddance to bad rubbish.


    I held on to the table as the anger within me fizzled down to nothing as I thought about my life since I met Sofie.


    I hadn¡¯t been to bars or nightclubs since the day I met her, neither had I thought of fucking another woman, the thought just didn¡¯t appeal to me like it used to, because Sofie lived rent-free in my head all the time.


    How hadn¡¯t I noticed all these before?


    Damien was right, what I felt for Sofie wasn¡¯t lust after all, the weird feeling was love.


    Fuck, I was really in love with her.

 What is wrong with me?

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I groaned as I felt the strange yet agonizing tug at the pit of my belly. It felt as if someone was punching the inside of my stomach, and a battalion of soldier ants were also nipping and chewing on my guts.


    I wondered what the cause of this terrible stomach ache could be as I rolled over to the other side of the bed, which was thankfully vacant, as Roman had left for work earlier that morning.


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± I grunted, feeling something bitter and heavy clog my throat as Iid on my belly while inhaling lungfuls of cold air to calm my raging system.


    Could it be something I ate? I thought, caressing my belly but touching my stomach only made everything worse as bile hitched my throat, and almost forced itself out of my mouth, on the bed.


    With immediate speed, I dragged myself out of bed to the bathroom and emptied my guts into the toilet bowl.


    The more I puked, the more the ache intensified, and it badly scared me because I had never gotten that sort of horrible stomach ache before and I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    I burst into tears of relief when I finally stopped puking and the ache seemed to dissipate.


    It felt like I was carrying a heavy mass of lead on my head, my body felt like a bag of bricks and my legs felt like limp noodles, so I couldn¡¯t get up for a while and I justid on the bathroom floor, panting and disgusted with my breath.


    Later on, I managed to yank myself up to brush the offensive odor of vomit away from my mouth, and I also used that opportunity to take a quick shower.


    I was surely going to bete to school today, I thought as I stepped into the bedroom, momentster.


    As I trekked into the walk-in closet to pick my outfit for the day, my head suddenly started to spin like a ball of yarn, I had to hold on to a wall to support my weight for a few minutes lest I fell down.


    ¡°What is wrong with me this morning?¡± I asked no one in particr as I blinked repeatedly as if somehow, that would make the dizziness fly away.


    It felt like my body didn¡¯t belong to me anymore.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I felt so lethargic and sick that I had to sit in front of the dresser for a couple of minutes to regain my lotion.


    I gasped as I gazed up at the wall clock; the time was five minutes to ten, which meant I had now officially missed my first ss of today.


    Still, I was determined to go for a ss that day even though I didn¡¯t feel well at all but just as I was about to stand up to dress up and head to school, nausea set in again.


    In a twinkle of an eye, I had taken my position in front of the toilet bowl again, bawling my eyes out as I puked.


    I detested being sick with all my might because it always caused me to be dependent on other people, which was something I really despised.


    I hated being a burden to the people around me.


    As I brushed my teeth again while staring at my pale reflection in the mirror, I realized that I was going to miss school that day.


    I made a mental note to ask Katie for the day¡¯s notester when I felt well enough to stare at my phone.


    I returned the clothes I had chosen back to the closet, picked a more casual outfit whichprised of a pair of joggers and sweatshirt and put it on.


    Afterward, I headed downstairs for breakfast even though I wished to sleep through the day but my stomach thought otherwise as it rumbled hungrily.


    I scrunched my nose in distaste as the usually appetizing aroma of fried chicken wafted into my nose, it made me want to puke again.


    It was then I knew something was terribly wrong with me because chicken was my favorite food, and even when I was sick in the past, I had never found the aroma of fried chicken disgusting.


    ¡°Good morning, Melissa.¡± I said, waddling into the dining area where she was cing dishes on the table with two maids.


    The maids bowed to me as they uttered their greetings.


    ¡°Good morning, madam.¡± Melissa darted me a smile which evaporated as she gave me a once-over.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have sses today, madam?¡± She asked, to which I shook my head in negation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look well, madam. You look really pale, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, are you okay, ma¡¯am?¡± She asked, clearly concerned, which caused the maids to dart me a cursory look before they went back to cing food and cutleries on the table.


    ¡°Not really but I¡¯ll be fine soon. It¡¯s probably just the flu.¡± I reassured her with a wan smile which she returned, albeit hers was tentative as if she didn¡¯t believe me.


    It was at that moment that a maid brought in a te of chicken tenders, and I felt bitterness cling to my throat.


    I covered my nose as I muttered, ¡°Please take the chicken away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡± Melissa replied and gestured to the maid who made a u-turn to the kitchen.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°No problem, madam. What would you like to have for breakfast? Would you like me to make some pancakes for you? Or would you have some soup?¡± She asked as I gingerly sat down on a dining chair.


    ¡°No pancakes for me, please. I will have some soup, thanks.¡±


    ¡°What type of meat do you want with it, madam?¡±


    ¡°Anything except chicken.¡± I replied and she nodded.


    ¡°Alright madam, I will make a bowl of beef noodle soup for you, is that okay?¡± She asked.


    I nodded, ¡°Yes, please.¡± As she walked to the kitchen, I called after her, ¡°Thanks, Melissa.¡± I said, and her facial features softened into a smile.


    ¡°No need to thank me, madam. It¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡± She said before exiting the dining room.


    I made a mental note to take some Advil, and Pepto bismol after I finished eating as I gently rubbed my stomach.

 Panic

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Are you sure you really don¡¯t want to eat anything?¡± Katie¡¯s chirpy voice rang into my head as I stared into space, various unbridled thoughts about my strange illness swirling within me.


    I feigned a smile, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure. I had a lot to eat this morning before I left the house.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, but let me know if you want any of my chicken nuggets.¡± She winked, putting one of the said nuggets into her mouth.


    The sight coupled with the mixture of various types of food aromas in the cafeteria made me want to puke my guts out, so I stealthily ced my menthol-infused handkerchief against my nostrils, to prevent further questions from Katie.


    I couldn¡¯t even eat breakfast today because the entire mansion especially the kitchen smelled like rotten eggs to me, I had no idea what was going on with me because it seemed the fever had gone but the nausea and testiness still remained.


    ¡°By the way, you look really pale and unwell, shouldn¡¯t you still be resting at home?¡± She asked, raising a questioning brow.


    I sighed, ¡°I¡¯m neither pale nor am I unwell, and I¡¯m definitely hale and hearty enough toe for sses, you know you are really just like Roman. The both of you love nagging me for absolutely no reason!¡± I snapped at her, which took both me and her aback, even though the words came out of my mouth.


    I had no idea why I was being so peevish today.


    That morning, I had snapped at one of the maids when she asked me whether I wanted her to make me some porridge before I went for sses. The poordy had retreated back to the kitchen with a sad countenance, and it had made me feel so disappointed in myself.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I had eventually apologizedter, when I encountered her, on my way out of the house.


    ¡°Is Roman your fianc¨¦?¡± Katie simply asked, before chugging down a ss of water.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I muttered, fiddling with the straps of my tote bag.


    ¡°Then, he¡¯s right for nagging you, Sofie. You are clearly not in a good condition to be in school right now yet you came even though you look like you¡¯re about to faint any moment from now.¡± She scoffed, and shook her head.


    I huffed as my phone pinged with a text message from Roman. I smiled as I scanned through the endearing text which read;


    ¡°Hey, cara. I just wanted to check up on you. How are you feeling now? Is your health better? You should go home if you feel the slightest headache, Sofie. I don¡¯t want you to fall sick again. Have you had lunch yet?


    If not, I can ask Melissa to deliver some food to you, that¡¯d be healthier than the wack food college cafeterias serve their students. Take care of yourself, baby.


    My smile dissipated as I read through thest paragraph. The text seemed nd and Roman-esque yet there was still something my delusional ass wished he had wrote.


    I wondered when I¡¯d get rid of my stupid, illicit feelings for him.


    No, I didn¡¯t think that was even possible at the rate I was going.


    ¡°Is that from your fianc¨¦?¡± Katie interrupted my train of thoughts, causing me to raise my head up, and nod after I sent a reply to Roman.


    I told him I was fine even though I obviously wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°That¡¯s cute.¡± She grinned as she stood up, carrying her tray of empty tes, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± She stated, to which I nodded.


    A couple of minutester, when we were back in the lecture hall, Katie asked, ¡°So, have you looked into what may be the cause of your sudden mood swings?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have mood swings, Kat and no, I don¡¯t need to. It¡¯s just the flu, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I said, trying to reassure myself more than anything.


    Maybe if I said it continuously, it¡¯d eventually be true.


    ¡°The flu, hm? Okay then.¡± She raised her hands up in mock surrender, and I just scoffed, retrieving my jotting pad from my tote bag as the professor in charge strolled in, or should I say, waddled in with a huge baby bump.


    ¡°She should be off her feet and resting at home. Her baby¡¯s father must be a brute for her to still be working at this stage of her pregnancy.¡± I gritted out, and shook my head, angry at the faceless man in my mind, who I deduced was the professor¡¯s baby father.


    I had no idea why I was suddenly so enraged with a strange and nameless man.


    ¡°I second that, just look at her. She seems so exhausted.¡± Katie agreed, and I huffed before a forbidden thought struck me.


    What if I was pregnant?


    I gasped at the horrifying thought as I sped a mmy hand over my mouth to suppress my panic and the sudden overwhelming urge to burst into tears.


    Fortunately, Katie seemed to be engrossed in the ongoing lecture to notice that I was having a mini panic attack.


    I couldn¡¯t be pregnant, there was no way in hell that could happen because ever since Roman and I started having sex more frequently, I always made sure to take a contraceptive pill at the same time every day, and even before I started taking the contraceptives, I used to take a morning-after pill after we had sex, so how could pregnancy be possible?


    Also, whenever we fucked nowadays, Roman always used condoms, so how could anything possibly go wrong?


    There was only one answer to this, which was that I wasn¡¯t pregnant and I was just overthinking things.


    It was just a bad flu that had struck me, I¡¯d take a flu shot tomorrow and everything will be fine again.


    But just to be clear and to erase fear from my heart, I decided to buy pregnancy test kits after school before Roman¡¯s driver arrived to take me back home to the mansion.


    As I clutched the test kits to my chest before Roman got home from work, I could feel anxiety building up inside me with one heavy question tanging at my heart; what if the tests returned positive?


    What would I do then?


    Roman clearly didn¡¯t want kids, he had brushed the topic on the day I signed the contract to be his fake fianc¨¦e.


    Rx, Sofie. You¡¯ll be fine, everything will be alright because you¡¯ve always used protection. A voice from within reassured me and I nodded at my reflection in the bathroom mirror before hiding the test kits in the farthest part of the bathroom drawer.


    By that time tomorrow, I¡¯d know the next line of action to take, I thought to myself as a despondent sigh escaped my mouth.

 Whirlwind of emotions

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I sighed to myself as I scrolled through the messages Sofie and I had exchanged moments ago. I wondered if she was really doing well like she had imed or if she was just lying to me.


    I had seen how pale and weak she looked before we left home. I didn¡¯t want us to argue in Nathan¡¯s presence, so I just decided to let her go for her sses.


    She didn¡¯t have anything to eat for breakfast and when I tried to get her to eat something, she got mad at me and asked me if my purpose in life was to always nag her.


    I really didn¡¯t understand the sort of flu that Sofie had that made her so tetchy.


    I guessed I¡¯d have to wait for a while before asking her out on a date lest she snapped at me.


    There was a knock on the door which made me set my phone aside, ¡°Come in.¡± I muttered, and one of my female employees walked in with a pile of paperwork in her hold.


    ¡°Here it is, sir. The auditing department have gone through everything. The only thing left is your signature.¡± She said, cing the huge mass of paper on my desk.


    ¡°I will go through it again before I sign it, we can¡¯t make the slightest mistake with these documents. On your way out, call Nathan in, you may leave.¡± I instructed, to which she nodded with her hands professionally sped in front of her.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    A couple of minutester, I heard a knock on the door as I inscribed my signature on the pile of paperwork which caused me to look up from the documents to stare at the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡± I muttered, putting the paperwork away and capping my pen.


    ¡°You sent for me, sir.¡± Nathan said as he entered the room.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± I mumbled absentmindedly as I sighted an error in the misceneous calction.


    I felt the tiniest bit of rage slither in and out of me before correcting the mistake while making a mental note to chide the auditing departmentter that day.


    They had done the same thing two weeks ago, when I asked them to draft an allocation of the new budget they had proposed for me to sign to their department.


    ¡°I want you to send some choctes and other stuff you can gift a convalescent to the house before the day ends.¡± I said, to which he nodded.


    ¡°Alright, sir.¡± He bowed before exiting the office.


    I shifted the paperwork further away from myself as I retracted my phone and tapped on the contact icon. I swiped to Sofie¡¯s contact, and my thumb wavered as an inner turmoil of whether to call her or not whirled within me.


    What if she¡¯s busy with a ss? Just let her be, she already reassured you that she¡¯s fine. A voice from within seeped into my mind and as I was about to ce my phone on the desk, another voice told me to call her, to hear her voice she make sure she was really fine as she imed and wasn¡¯t lying to me.


    I decided on listening to the first voice because I didn¡¯t want Sofie, and I to quarrel like we almost did that morning.


    I¡¯d see her at home and I¡¯d know if she had lied to me or not. It was just a matter of hours anyway, I thought to myself before scribbling my signature on the errorless sheets of paperwork and stamping my insignia on them.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I decided that I would observe Sofie¡¯s health and if I saw that she wasn¡¯t improving, I¡¯d take her to the hospital even that meant an argument. If there was anything I hated most in the world, it was seeing the people sick.


    I would do anything to the her illness away. Hell, I¡¯d even be sick in her ce if that meant I would have my bubbly, less irritable Sofie back.


    +


    Lana¡¯s POV


    I smiled to myself in satisfaction as I cocked my head out of the car window to inhale lungfuls of the cold air.


    I had really missed this country so bad, it had the only person I loved in the whole wide world, it had the love of my life, Roman.


    It pained me to refer to him as my ex-boyfriend but I calmed myself with the thought that I¡¯d get him back soon. It was only a matter of weeks or even days before he fell for my charms again, like he always had.


    That stupid imbecile that he was parading around America as his fianc¨¦e meant nothing to me. I knew his engagement was nothing but a hoax, it surprised me that media outlets bought it.


    I mean, how could Roman, the Roman Giovanni, president of GV group ofpanies, one of the youngest billionaires America had produced, fall for a lowlife like her?


    It just wasn¡¯t possible. I wondered how much he must have paid her.


    She wasn¡¯t even his type, I knew Roman like the back of my hand, I mean I dated him for three good years before he suddenly broke up with me. I knew how much he loved tall, slender blondes with slightly-tanned skin like me and his other exes.


    I was the most beautiul one out of all of them anyway.


    It made no sense that Roman would decide to settle down with a petite brte with pale skin like that bitch, Sofia or Sapphire, whatever her stupid name was.


    I made my assistant run a background check on her, and saw how wretched her family were, they couldn¡¯t even be categorized as a middle-ss family; they were nothing more than a bunch of poverty-stricken church rats.


    ¡°Wee home, Miss Lana.¡± A greying, formally-dressed, middle-aged man said to me, as I stepped out of the car and into the premises of my mum¡¯s sperm donor.


    When he got wind that I was taking a break from modelling, and returning back home from France after two years, he had gotten through to me and had offered to amodate me in one of his properties.


    I had epted it of course because even though my mum¡¯s sperm donor was a bastard who abandoned her after knocking her up, it was my right to im as many of his properties that I could.


    ¡°Don¡¯t address me like that, you dumb old man. How dare you call me by first name? You are only allowed to call me Madam Hernandez, do you understand me?¡± I spat at the man, who looked taken aback for a brief moment before he nodded and bowed.


    ¡°Pardon my shorings, Madam Hernandez.¡± He said, to which I scoffed before walking into the mansion where a bevy of maids and two men servants were waiting.


    They all bowed silently to me as I further walked into the house. I loved the feeling that came with being above these lowlives called servants.


    The butler and a maid escorted me to a bedroom and ced my luggage in the closet before the old man left.


    I grinned at my reflection in the mirror, as I sat in front of the dresser with the maid relieving me of my earrings.


    I couldn¡¯t hide the excitement sizzling within me at the thought that I was finally going to see the love of my life in person after two frustrating years tomorrow.


    ¡°Do you want to yank my ear off?¡± I spat at the maid who instantly cowered, and bowed to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam Hernandez.¡±


    ¡°Good-for-nothing idiot. Get out of my room!¡± I yelled and she bowed before scurrying away.


    ¡°Oh, Roman. I can¡¯t wait to see you again.¡± I moaned, as I reached for my phone which had Roman¡¯s picture set as the wallpaper before grabbing my vibrating dildo from my handbag, and climbing into bed.


    I¡¯d finally have the real thing inside me tomorrow, I thought before fucking myself to a breathtaking orgasm.

 Trepidation

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I winked an eye open as I surreptitiously cocked my head sideways, to see Roman spraying his cologne all over himself.


    In spite of myself, especially the anxiety that has been blossoming within me since yesterday, my lips curved upward in a smile as I watched him.


    The handsome, grey-eyed, Italian man that stole my heart, the man who his mere existence brought great happiness to me, above all, the man who would never be mine.


    Thest thought wiped the smile off my face as I yanked myself back to reality. I watched him grab his briefcase and turn toward me, which made me instantly p my eyes shut.


    I held my breath as he walked toward the bed and crouched down in front of my face. I tried not to inhale the camwood tinged with white musk scent of his cologne as I grabbed fistfuls of the nket.


    He mumbled something in Italian, I wasn¡¯t well versed in thenguage, so I couldn¡¯tprehend what he had said. Then, he did something that almost made me betray my cover and jump out of bed; he ced a kiss on my forehead before exiting the room.


    What the hell had just happened?


    I sprang up from bed into a sitting position as I touched the site where Roman¡¯s lips had tenderly caressed, feeling my cheeks heat up.


    I wondered if that was the first time he had done such or if it was an habitual action of his. The thought made me forget about my miserable reality for a while, as I dared to entertain myself with the ridiculous imagination that Roman was in love with me.


    Crazy, right?


    But it was his fault anyway, why was he confusing me so much?


    It was at that moment my stomach decided to whirl aggressively, and invoke the nausea I thought hadpletely disappeared, which sent me sprinting to the bathroom and retching my guts out.


    I exhaled heavily as I returned my toothbrush to its holder after brushing my teeth to rid my mouth of the rancid odor of puke.


    My gaze travelled lower to the drawer where I had hidden the pregnancy test kits and I felt goosebumps envelop me.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to fret, Sofie. You are not pregnant, okay? You are only taking this test for formalities, nothing more.¡± I reassured my reflection and nodded before retrieving the packet of test kits.


    I followed the instructions on the sachet, peed on the sticks; I used the five kits at once to get a more urate result, turned it to face downward and set the timer to five minutes.


    I folded my arms across my chest as I waited, while nervously tapping my foot on the ground.


    Soon, the time was up and I sighed heavily as I darted my reflection a fearful stare before turning the test sticks upward.


    Three out of the five test sticks had two visible lines on them while the other two had dim but slightly noticeable lines on them.


    I knew at that moment that I was done for.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    My breath got stuck in my throat as my hands tremored with extreme agitation. I shook my head fervently like a person possessed by a demon as if somehow that would erase the vivid lines that were staring back at me.


    I felt like they were silently mocking my predicament.


    ¡°No, no, no. This can¡¯t be happening to me, it just can¡¯t. How could this happen? After all the pills I swallowed, how can a child be growing inside me?¡± I rambled on as I clutched my stomach with tears of despair tinged with ire cascading down my cheeks.


    A child wasn¡¯t part of the agreement between Roman and I.


    What would happen to this baby, whose existence wasn¡¯t expected at all?


    What sort of misfortune was this?


    I had to call Amy, she always knew what to do. My mind was clearly not in the right ce at that moment and I didn¡¯t want to make a stupid decision that¡¯d only worsen things in the future.


    Retrieving my phone from the nightstand, I ced a call to her but I was directed to voicemail.


    ¡°Not now, Amy. Please not now.¡± I whispered as I dialed her number and was unfortunately redirected to voicemail yet again for the umpteenth time.


    ¡°When you get this message, please call me immediately. I really need your help, Amy. I¡¯m so scared, what do I do?¡± I tearfully spoke into the phone before hitting send.


    I couldn¡¯t call Katie, she would totally judge me if I told her that my rtionship with Roman was a lie. I needed to tell someone who would understand my plight and need to do what I did. No one other than Amy was in the best position for that.


    I couldn¡¯t sit still, so I paced the room. I had to do something, I had to tell someone about this as soon as possible before I ran mad.


    Roman.


    Yes, why hadn¡¯t I thought of this? I would tell Roman, after all, he was also responsible for this.


    And if he didn¡¯t want the baby, I¡¯d just disappear from his life to raise my child far away from him.


    Even though the pregnancy was sudden, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to think of abortion, that was murder.


    I couldn¡¯t get rid of something that was half me and half him. It just wasn¡¯t possible.


    I quickly flung on a presentable outfit, wrapped the test kits in a stic bag before putting it in my purse before grabbing my wallet and phone.


    Luckily, Melissa and the maids were busy cooking in the kitchen, so they didn¡¯t notice me sneak past them which I was thankful for.


    ¡°Are you going somewhere, madam?¡± Antonio¡¯s voice wafted into my ears as I stepped on the threshold of the entrance area.


    Fuck.


    I turned to face him with a feigned grin, ¡°Yeah. Something urgent came up. I¡¯ll take a cab, so you don¡¯t need to ask the driver toe over.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you can manage, madam?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. Thanks.¡± I muttered before ambling out of the living room and out of the mansion.


    Luck was on my side, and soon, a cab screeched down to a halt in front of me.


    ¡°GV group.¡± I panted as I got into the cab.


    The driver nodded before steering the car onto the road. My chest throbbed with anxiety as my heart mmed heavily against my ribs.


    After a long, torturous hour, the cab halted in front of the ss, mammoth building of Roman¡¯spany which had letters ¡®G¡¯ and ¡®V¡¯ sculpted at its crest.


    I made to walk into the building but a uniformed guard stopped me from entering, ¡°Excuse me, youngdy. Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± He asked as he mockingly sized me up.


    ¡°I need to see the president of thispany.¡± I said and he scoffed.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s someone you can easily see? First of all, do you even have an appointment with him to begin with?¡±


    Right, I had forgotten how bigpanies like these operated. It was always impossible to get in without an appointment.


    ¡°No, but I can call him right now.¡± I said and the manughed jeeringly.


    ¡°Right, you sure can.¡± He taunted.


    I sneered at him before fishing out my phone from my purse. As I made to dial Roman¡¯s number, I felt a shadow loom beside me and the guard bowed to it.


    I heaved a sigh or relief when I saw who it was, ¡°Nathan.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Good day, Miss Sofie. Did something happen?¡± He asked and I shook my head in negation.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m here to pay Roman a surprise visit.¡± I fibbed, and he nodded, although he seemed skeptical of my utterance.


    ¡°She¡¯s with me,¡± He said to the guard who nodded and once again bowed to him, ¡°I will take you to him then.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± I said as we stepped into an elevator.


    The ride was silent like I had expected, and after a couple of minutes, the elevator hummed to a stop and we got out.


    ¡°His office is at the end of this wing.¡± He motioned rightward.


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± I said, and he waved it off.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± I informed and he nodded before I scurried to Roman¡¯s office.


    I inhaled deeply before knocking twice on the door. When he didn¡¯t answer the third time, I decided to usher myself in.


    I expected Roman to disy a wide range of reactions at my impromptu visit but I definitely didn¡¯t expect to find him kissing a strange woman, right in the middle of his office.

 The unwanted visitor

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°We will send a representative to you with a draft of the contract before the week runs out, you can amend it if you want before I do a final review.¡± I spoke into the boundary microphone, and my business partners exchanged pleased nces among themselves.


    ¡°We will be expecting them and it was nice doing business with you once again, President Giovanni.¡± One of them replied.


    ¡°Very well then. This meeting is now officially over.¡± I dered before turning off my microphone, and handing the tablet over to Nathan did a curtsey before exiting the conference room.


    The business conglomerates trooped out except a middle-aged man who looked like unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time.


    It seemed I had seen him somewhere before today, like a younger version of him but I just couldn¡¯t wrap my head around where exactly.


    The man walked up to me with a smile and an outstretched hand, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Romano. Hasn¡¯t it? You¡¯ve grown up well, I know Madam Benedicta and your parents must be very proud of you. I am too.¡±


    I shook his hand tentatively, ¡°Do you perhaps know me? I think I may have seen you somewhere but I just can¡¯t remember.¡±


    He chuckled and pocketed his hands before his expression turned grim, ¡°I was really close friends with Marcus, your dad. It¡¯s sad that death decided to take both him and your mum so soon. You know, I also went to college together with your mum. it was through her that I knew Marcus. Julia, your mum was a really kind and loving soul, she was unreal, like an angel in human form.¡±


    I nodded as my body tensed up with the morbid images of the horrendous car crash that took both of my parents¡¯ lives, on that rainy night seeping into my head.


    The conference room was fully air-conditioned but I suddenly felt stuffy and hot, it felt like something invisible was strangling me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look up, baby. Don¡¯t!¡± My mum¡¯s fearden voice wafted into my ears, and I sped my hands against my ears as I shook my head.


    It didn¡¯t take a moment before I realized I was hyperventting. The man looked worried and he was saying something which sounded like fuzzy, unclear words to me.


    I held on to the desk to support my tremoring legs as the man stopped talking and instead patted my back. The feeling of asphyxiation gradually died away and I was yanked back to reality.


    I panted heavily as I scrubbed the beads of perspiration, clinging to my forehead off and gazed at the man, ¡°T-thank you.¡± I whispered, and he nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for bringing them up. I didn¡¯t mean to make you ufortable by bringing up sad memories, son.¡± He said.


    I smiled wanly at him, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine, you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be on my way now. Extend my greetings to the chairwoman. Tell her you met Gavin Santiago.¡± He said.


    ¡°Sure, I will. I mean, I know your name, we are business partners after all.¡± I said and he nodded before exiting the conference room.


    I plopped back onto the swivel chair with a deep sigh as I caressed my temple.


    It was then I realized where I had seen that man; he was in the framed wedding picture of my parents which Nana kept in her bedroom.


    I thought I was over the hyperventtion bouts that attacked me whenever I thought about the ident.


    In the past decade, it hadn¡¯t urred, so why was it back again? I thought as I headed back to my office.


    Immediately I stepped into my office, I knew something was wrong; the door was slightly ajar, and a strange flowery perfume had permeated the ambiance.


    ¡°Hi, my love.¡± I heard that unnerving, provocative voice that I hadn¡¯t heard for the past two years and rage instantly coursed through me.


    Lana.


    She was sitting cross-legged behind my desk, and as usual she was scantily d in a skimpy gown.


    With my hands clenched into fists, I watched her stand up from my swivel chair and walk up to me with a sultry smile curving her lips.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± I spat as she made to loop her arms around my neck.


    She remained undaunted at my outburst as she leaned in to straighten mypels, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be speaking to your ex-girlfriend in that manner, babe. I missed you so much, did you miss me?¡± She breathed sensually against my neck.


    If it were the Roman from a month ago, I¡¯d have gotten aroused by that action of hers but at that moment, nothing irritated me as much as Lana¡¯s mere existence.


    I yanked her hands off me, ¡°Fuck off and get out of my office before I ask a guard to bundle you out. How did you even manage to get in here?¡±


    ¡°I have my ways, babe.¡± She giggled with a shrug as she wrapped her arms across her chest.


    ¡°Get out, Lana. I don¡¯t want to assault a woman but you are really provoking me right now.¡± I seethed and she sighed.


    ¡°Then, you leave me no choice but to do this.¡± She muttered before pressing her lips to mine.


    For a couple of seconds, I was too stunned to move and I just remained glued to the floor like an idiot as she slipped her tongue into my mouth.


    When I finally registered what was happening, it was toote because Sofie was standing on the threshold of my office with her jaw cked, and her eyes widened in horror.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    What was she doing here?


    Fuck, no.


    What had I done?


    Instantly, I pushed Lana away from me as I pleaded, ¡°Sofie, I can exin. Please calm down and listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the fianc¨¦e is here.¡± Lana mocked, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Baby, this isn¡¯t what it looks like, please let me exin.¡± I rambled as I walked toward Sofie who was still rooted to one spot, but was now staring nkly at me.


    ¡°Aw, baby. Are you mad? You shouldn¡¯t be, baby. Roman is too attractive to be with a lowlife like you, do you understand me? Wh-¡± I darted her a murderous re, and she swallowed the rest of her statement with a snarl.


    ¡°What, isn¡¯t that the truth?¡± She scoffed, and I had the urge to p that snicker off her face but I controlled myself and diverted my attention back to Sofie.


    ¡°Cara, let¡¯s t-¡±


    Her eyes were teary as she stared at everything in the room but me, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for intruding. I¡¯ll be on my now, you can carry on with what you were doing. E-Excuse me.¡± She interrupted me with a stutter before leaving my office, and mming the door shut with a loud bang.


    ¡°Are you happy now?¡± I snapped at Lana.


    ¡°I¡¯m overjoyed.¡± Sheughed, reinvigorating my anger but I decided to ignore her as I went in pursuit of Sofie.


    I desperately hoped I hadn¡¯t ruined everything with my own hands.

 The unexpected confession

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I wasn¡¯t angry.


    I wasn¡¯t infuriated either, and I definitely wasn¡¯t heartbroken nor did it feel like my heart had been ripped out of my chest, and tossed into a trashcan.


    Definitely not.


    Then, why was I bawling my eyes out like a pathetic fool? Why was I shivering with immense fury? Why did I feel like dying?


    I had no right to feel these things but why did it hurt so bad?


    The familiar scent of Roman¡¯s cologne filled the air as I heard light footsteps behind me, which made me halt my steps.


    With shaky hands, I wiped my tears off and continued walking while inwardly willing myself not to pay attention to him.


    ¡°Sofie.¡± I heard him call and I swallowed harshly, before turning to face him with a feigned smile.


    I was hellbent on making him realize that I wasn¡¯t hurt by the torturous sight I had just beheld.


    I definitely wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I said, inwardly thanking my stars as my voice came out normal and stable.


    I clutched my hands into fists, as I watched him walk up to me with remorse visible in his expression.


    ¡°Whatever you might have witnessed in there was nothing but a grave mistake that I deeply regret. I want you to know that I never wanted it to happen, Lana forced herself on me, please believe me, cara. I¡¯m really sorry that you had to walk in on that, it was never my intention to break your trust.¡± He rambled out, looking into my eyes as he took my hands in his.


    I shrugged, feigning nonchnce as I withdrew my hands from his, ¡°It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to apologize to me anyway. It¡¯s not like you cheated on me or anything. We are nothing but sexual partners, so it¡¯s okay for you to kiss anyone you want, I¡¯m cool with it.¡± I lied, even though it felt like my heart was about to burst with ire.


    He made to hold my hands again, and I deftly avoided it by folding my arms across my chest.


    He seemed hurt briefly before his face morphed into an emotionless countenance, and he slid his hands into his pockets, ¡°Alright. I just wanted to make sure you weren¡¯t mad.¡±


    My heart lurched again, I felt betrayed for no damn reason but I hid my pain well and nodded, ¡°Now you know I¡¯m not.¡± My voice came out harsher than I had intended, but I decided to y it off.


    Without waiting for him to utter another word, I made my way into the elevator but just as the doors were about to slide shut, Roman breezed into the elevator.


    ¡°Roman.¡± I gasped as he held me by my shoulders.


    ¡°Did you expect me to allow you to go just like that, without making sure that you¡¯ve forgiven me?¡± He asked, his piercing eyes seeking mine.


    I tried to wriggle free from his grip with a fib, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive, Roman. I told you that before, I¡¯m not mad at you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my fucking problem, Sofie. I want you to get mad at me, please. p me, hit me, punch me or do anything you want with me but please, don¡¯t just stand there and lie to my face. You¡¯re clearly hurt and mad at me yet you don¡¯t want to show it, why?¡± He gritted out, his remorseful expression gradually morphing into an irate one.


    Wait, why was he mad? Shouldn¡¯t I be the angry one in this situation?


    I couldn¡¯t repress my rage anymore as I pushed him off of me, ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m mad. But at what cost? It¡¯s not even my fucking ce to be furious with you. I¡¯m nothing to you, Roman. I¡¯m nothing but a whore to you, no?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to call yourself by that filthy term cara. Everything else is eptable but not that, you are not a whore, Sofie. You mean more than that to me, a lot more than that. I-¡±


    I interrupted him with a scoff, ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯m your human sex doll, that¡¯s the correct term.¡± I gasped theatrically.


    Roman sighed, taking my hands into his again. I tried yanking my hands out of his vice-like grip but my effort was futile, so I just decided to allow him to talk. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant, Sofie.¡±


    ¡°Then, what do you mean? Why the hell are you so obsessed with getting my forgiveness, d-¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m fucking in love with you, do you get it now?¡± Roman hollered and instantly, my mouth mped shut.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Roman was in love with me? That was what I¡¯ve always wanted to hear from him, but why did it sound incredulous to my ears?


    The ability to form a coherent and logical statement in my head evaded me as I stuttered, ¡°Y-you-¡±


    He shed me a wide grin as his gaze softened and he tenderly caressed my hands, ¡°Yes, me. I¡¯m in love with you, Sofie. I love you so much it hurts. I fell in love with you on the first day Iid my eyes on you. I know my confession is quite sudden but you left me no choice, I was nning to tell you about my feelings soon b-¡±


    I shook my head and his smile dissipated, ¡°No, Roman. You are not in love with me, you are just confused about your feelings. You can¡¯t be in love with me, what is there to love about me?¡±


    ¡°Many things, Sofie. For example, your kind heart, your tender mannerisms. The way your eyes light up whenever you talk about your interests, the way y-¡±


    ¡°Stop, please just stop it. You don¡¯t know what you are saying and I know you¡¯re going to regret it when you realize your true feelings. You are just worried that I will lose interest in whatever is going on between us.¡± I heaved a sigh to catch my breath, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, we will continue having sex whenever you want.¡±


    ¡°Why are you trying to decide my own feelings for me? I¡¯m a grown adult and I know what I feel in my heart is love for you, Sofie.¡± Roman retorted as the elevator hummed to a halt.


    Immediately the doors slid open, I scurried out and darted him a warning re, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± I whispered, and without waiting to hear his reply, I trekked out of the building, with quick steps.


    It was only when I settled into a taxi that I realized I had forgotten to give him the news of my pregnancy.

 Tension

    Roman¡¯s POV


    The conversation that had just transpired between Sofie and I felt surreal-in a very horrible way.


    I couldn¡¯t believe everything she had said.


    I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around the fact that she was trying to figure out my own feelings for me. I mean I didn¡¯t expect her to grant me her forgiveness, and take me back with open arms when I confessed my feelings to her, but I wasn¡¯t expecting her to tell me to my face that she couldn¡¯t reciprocate my feelings either.


    I mean, what else was I supposed to deduce her insistence that I wasn¡¯t in love with her as? I balled my hands into fists as I trekked into my office, and saw the cause of the problem sittingfortably on the desk like she didn¡¯t just ruin everything between Sofie and I.


    I didn¡¯t utter a word to her as I spoke into the inte, ¡°Send security in here right now. There is a nuisance in my office.¡±


    Lana scoffed as she climbed down from the desk, ¡°I¡¯m a nuisance now, huh? But you didn¡¯t know that when you dated me, did you?¡±


    ¡°Dating you was the worst mistake I ever made in my life. I wish I could turn back time and erase that horrible moment from my life.¡± I said coldly, which made her huff incredulously.


    ¡°You fucking son of a gun, I was a mistake? How exactly was I mistake? I was a fucking treasure who everyone wanted yet you just broke up with me on our fucking anniversary like I was nothing but a whore you just picked from the streets without even taking a moment to think about how it¡¯d have hurt me. You were the problem in our rtionship, Roman and you will always be!¡± She yelled and this time, it was my turn to huff.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny how I thought you¡¯d have changed, and learned to admit you were the problem in our rtionship but I guess I must have overestimated you. We both know I was never in love with you and I only dated you because the media and yourpany¡¯s management wanted it yet I was still willing to give us a chance but you ruined everything. You know what I¡¯m talking about, stop pretending to be clueless!¡± I retorted harshly, just in time for the security guards to walk in.


    They bowed to me before making to escort Lana out of the room, ¡°Stay the fuck away from me, I have two functioning legs and I know my way out.¡± She spat before ring at me.


    ¡°I¡¯lle back for you very soon. That stupid bitch that doesn¡¯t know her ce will be gone from both our lives and you will be mine again, just wai-¡±


    I darted the guards a menacing snarl, ¡°Why is she still here? Drag her out this instant before you both be jobless!¡± One of the guards yanked Lana by her arm while the other grabbed her bag.


    As they dragged her out, she still kept dishing out empty threats, ¡°You think you¡¯ve seen thest of me, huh? This is just the start, you will be mine so-¡± Her voice diminished, as the door mmed shut and I heaved a deep sigh of relief.


    Now back to Sofie, how was I going to get her trust again? How was I going to make her believe that I was really in love with her?¡± Fuck, I really ruined our rtionship before it even began. I had no idea how I was supposed to face her when I got home? I exhaled heavily as the image of her tearden eyes crossed my mind.


    I hated myself so much for being the cause of her tears, I badly wished to ram my head into the wall at that moment but I restrained myself.


    Instead, I settled on punching the standing mirror next to my swivel chair.


    I watched with manic satisfaction, as blood trickled down my knuckles and stained the floor.


    I deserved to be punished just like this for making my love cry.


    I wasn¡¯t even aware of Nathan¡¯s presence until I heard him gasp behind me, ¡°Your hand, sir.¡±


    I turned to face him with a pleased smile as I stared at my bloody hand, ¡°I see it. Take care of my remaining meetings for the day and make sure the mirror is reced before tomorrow. I¡¯m heading home.¡± I said, picking up my phone, car keys and briefcase.


    He bowed, ¡°Noted, sir.¡± Throughout the elevator ride to the parking lot, various thoughts assailed my mind as I thought about Sofie for the umpteenth time that afternoon.


    I wondered what she was up to at that moment.


    My mind remained unsettled throughout the short yet agonizing drive back home, and I almost got gged down and fined for driving above the speed limit.


    ¡°Where is Sofie?¡± That was the first thing I asked Antonio when I got home.


    He seemed perplexed at my unhinged behavior but he answered regardless, ¡°She¡¯s upstairs, sir.¡± I nodded before jogging up the stairs to the bedroom.


    When I finally came face to face with the door, nervousness suddenly settled in my throat, almost making it difficult to breathe but I repressed the feeling, twisted the doorknob open and went in.


    As I stepped foot in the room, Sofie trekked out of the bathroom, looking pale and sickly. Was she feeling ill again? I thought to myself as she stared at me with an unreadable expression before her gaze dropped to my wounded hand.


    ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± She asked, moving closer to me and it made me feel slightly relieved because it almost felt like everything was fine between us again.


    ¡°It was a small ident.¡± I lied, looking into her eyes and willing her to meet my gaze. ¡°Take off your coat and sit down on the bed. I¡¯ll be back with the first aid kit.¡± She instructed, ignoring the heated stare I had on her before disappearing into the walk-in closet.


    She walked out, holding a first aid kit that I didn¡¯t even know was in there, ¡°Natalie gave it to me the day after I came here.¡± She exined, as if somehow reading my thoughts.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I said, not sure of how else to respond.


    The ambiance of the room was awkward and tense as Sofie disinfected the cut, I suddenly had no idea of how to begin a conversation.


    ¡°Would you have told me?¡± She whispered, breaking the silence.


    ¡°About what?¡± I asked, staring at her face.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯te to your office today, would you have told me that you kissed her?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I truthfully answered. ¡°I would have.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it from her, I couldn¡¯t keep anything from her and I¡¯d rather she heard it from me instead of someone else.


    She finally raised her head to gaze at me as she taped a band-aid to the cut, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s what I wanted to know. I¡¯m done with your hand, make sure you keep it away from water when you take a shower.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± I muttered, standing up from the bed as she did the same.


    I suppressed the urge to pull her into a hug as she went to put the first aid kit back into the closet.


    ¡°Sofie.¡± I called as she trekked out, and she just darted me a stare but remained quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry and I want you to know that I meant every bit of my confession.¡± I muttered, inching closer to her and daring to hold her hand.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She stared downward at our intertwined hands and mumbled, ¡°You¡¯ve had a long day, you should take a shower and get some rest.¡± before withdrawing her hand from my hold.


    I pretended I wasn¡¯t hurt by nodding, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading downstairs.¡± She whispered before exiting the room without looking in my direction.


    Huffing heavily, I peeled my clothes off before strolling into the bathroom.


    I hoped things between us became normal again.

 I will always be with you

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Fuck, no.¡± I cursed in frustration as a guy abruptly breezed past me, causing me to drop my wallet on the floor which made everything inside it pour out on the floor.


    ¡°Hey, watch where you are going.¡± I yelled after him but he didn¡¯t even bother to look in my direction.


    Stupid brat, I seethed, darting his retreating back a re before I averted my focus back to my wallet.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Katie asked, crouching down beside me and helping me grab my stuff from the floor.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alright.¡± I affirmed, getting up from the floor and dusting my wallet.


    ¡°Woah, you have a ck card?¡± Katie gasped as I slid the stic card into my wallet, and I just nodded in response as my thoughts strayed to Roman for the nth time that day.


    It had been two days since his abrupt confession and I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at him because something within me thought I didn¡¯t deserve to be loved at all, much less by a handsome billionaire like him.


    Even though I mostly replied to all his questions and statements in monosybles, he didn¡¯t seem to mind it, he even told me that he was fine with anything as long as I still responded to him. He never failed to confess his undying love to me everyday despite the fact that he knew I would only answer him with an ¡°ok.¡±


    I badly wanted to reciprocate his love without holding back but my inferiorityplex wasn¡¯t letting me get a breather at all, and I was worried Roman would eventually get bored of me and realize that he never truly loved me and move on with a more deserving woman like the woman I had met in his office.


    ¡°Earth to you, Sofie.¡± Katie flicked her fingers in front of me, jolting me out of my reverie.


    ¡°What?¡± I muttered, eying her akimbo pose.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been out of it for about five minutes now, what are you thinking about?¡±


    I smiled sheepishly, ¡°Nothing much.¡±


    Katie clearly didn¡¯t believe me but I guessed she¡¯d learnt to let me be if I didn¡¯t wish to tell her what was on my mind.


    ¡°Your fianc¨¦ must be really wealthy and in love with you for you to casually possess a ck card. I heard the waiting period for a ck card is nearly up to a year and that you must also have several millions of dors in your ount before you¡¯re considered for one.¡± She rambled on, to which I nodded.


    I still hadn¡¯t used the ck card since Roman gave it to me two weeks ago. I didn¡¯t want him to think I was a money-grubbing thief who was overtly greedy for his money.


    I was quite satisfied with the money he¡¯d given me before our contract began.


    ¡°Oh really? I didn¡¯t know that.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°I figured. Anyway, I¡¯m heading home, you know you still haven¡¯t visited me in my apartment.¡± Katie used me and I chuckled lightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you a surprise visit very soon.¡± I reassured her, to which she huffed before giving me a short wave.


    ¡°Take care, babe.¡±


    ¡°I will, you too.¡±


    Afterward, I went to sit underneath an oak tree, waiting for Roman¡¯s driver toe pick me up.


    My hands unconsciously spread over my abdomen and I inhaled deeply, I still hadn¡¯t told Roman about my pregnancy, I rarely even spoke with him nowadays, so how was I supposed to begin a serious conversation with him?


    I knew I was due for a visit to the obstetrician¡¯s office soon but it saddened me that I¡¯d have to go alone without anyone to support me and assure me that everything would be fine in the end.


    Pregnancy wasn¡¯t something I could hide for so long because with time, a baby bump would eventually form and when we got intimate, Roman would see how swollen my abdomen had be.


    Before that happened, I had to muster up enough courage to inform him about our baby.


    Our.


    Thinking about it like that made me giddy with tion, and the realization that I was really carrying a child that was half-me and half-him heightened my excitement.


    A smile curved my lips as I thought about it but my smile slowly dissipated when I saw Nathan walking toward me.


    What was he doing here? I thought as I sprang up from the bench.


    Did something happen?


    ¡°Miss Sofie.¡± He said as soon as he got to me. His demeanor oozed slight despondence which confirmed my fears that something terrible must have happened.


    ¡°Nathan, is everything okay? Why are you here instead of the driver?¡± I asked, my voice breaking at the end.


    ¡°The chairwoman copsed earlier today and is currently in the ICU recuperating.¡± He started, and I gasped in shock.


    My heart instantly broke for Roman because Nana was his only family left.


    ¡°What? My goodness, where¡¯s Roman? How is he holding up?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s currently in the hospital, and he asked me to inform you but he said I shouldn¡¯t force you toe with me if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°What does he mean by that? Of course, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± I said and he nodded.


    We headed to the car and got inside before Nathan drove us to the hospital. My heart hammered against my chest in trepidation and I fidgeted with my hands out of restlessness throughout the short trip to the hospital.


    ¡°This way, ma¡¯am.¡± Nathan said as we stepped into the hospital.


    My heart broke again as I beheld the vulnerable sight of Roman, he was seated at the reception area with his head buried in between his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll park the car properly.¡± Nathan muttered before walking away.


    With slow, tentative steps, I trekked up to Roman and quietly sat down beside him.


    He tilted his head sideways and his eyes widened slightly as he eyed me, ¡°You are here.¡± He whispered, disbelief conspicuous in his voice.


    In spite of our sour rtionship, I shed him a smile, ¡°In flesh and blood.¡±


    He mirrored my smile, ¡°Thanks foring, cara. I really mean it.¡±


    cing my hand on his, I nodded, ¡°You¡¯re wee, I know you mean it.¡±


    He seemed shocked as he stared down at my hand, ¡°How¡¯s Nana doing now?¡± I asked, averting his focus to my face.


    ¡°She woke up some minutes ago, she has been moved to the general ward, and she also asked to see you as soon as you get here.¡± Roman replied as he stood up.


    I nodded, also getting up. ¡°Thank goodness.¡±


    ¡°Shall we?¡± He stretched out a hand to me and I smiled as I slipped mine into his.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I smiled as he intertwined our hands.


    With our locked hands, he drew me closer, and pressed a kiss to my forehead before grinning down at me and leading the way.


    I tried not to blush as we walked through the hospital hallways, with Roman intervally darting me tender stares.

 She knows about our facade

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Nana, Sofie is here to see you.¡± I announced as I walked into Nana¡¯s hospital room with Sofie.


    I willed the despondence that threatened to hitch my throat as Nana tried but unfortunately failed to sit up by herself away, and went over to help her up after propping two pillows behind her back, to make herfortable.


    ¡°Thank you, mio figlio.¡± She smiled weakly as she rubbed my cheeks.


    I sighed heavily as I watched her frail hands beckon Sofie over for a hug; She had really emaciated a lot.


    I badly wanted to get mad at her for conspiring with her butler, and servants to withhold the fact that she¡¯d been copsing frequently from me.


    She had imed she didn¡¯t want to make me worry over something intangible.


    She looked so thin and weak, and her extremely sickly appearance worried me so much but at least, she could still breathe on her own, to my utter relief which made me hopeful that she¡¯d be fine again.


    ¡°Oh, my darling Sofie, how have you been? I hate that we¡¯re meeting in an hospital after being apart for so long, pay me a visit when I get out of this ce, okay?¡± She said to Sofie who smiled and nodded before sitting down on a chair next to the bed.


    I was too pumped up on adrenaline to calmly sit down, so I decided to pace around the room, hoping to release my pent-up stress and nervousness.


    ¡°Romano, why are you being so restless like a man whose wife is in thebour room? Come take a seat.¡± She scoffed, to which I shook my head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good, Nana. I¡¯m not restless, I¡¯m just really infuriated with both you and Daniel right now. I mean, even if you decided to hide it from me, why couldn¡¯t he call to tell me about it? What if something worse than this had happened, huh? Would he have given me that bullshit of an excuse that you asked him not to tell me?¡± I gritted out, my hands balling into fists just at the thought of something terrible happening to my grandmother.


    The thought of losing the only family I had left instilled extreme fear in me, I couldn¡¯t deal with that at the moment or ever.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I wished Nana could live forever, I didn¡¯t want her to leave me without warning like my parents did, I wouldn¡¯t allow that. I would force her to get whatever treatments the doctors prescribed if she didn¡¯t want to.


    I just hoped whatever ailment she had could be quickly cured and she¡¯d go back to being my nagging but caring grandmother.


    Nana sighed and shook her head, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be mad at him, Romano. Direct all your frustrations toward your grandmother not that poor, old man. I didn¡¯t train you to be so ill-mannered toward a person older than you.¡± She chided softly which made me huff but I apologized anyway.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry for speaking like that.¡±


    ¡°Good. You shouldn¡¯t get mad at me either because I¡¯m not mad at you for faking your engagement.¡± She casually said, darting me an usatory stare which made me freeze in shock as Sofie and I exchanged terrified nces.


    I ran out of words as my mouth closed and open wordlessly like a fish out of water.


    ¡°Why do you seem shocked? Did you think you could easily fool this old woman, huh? I¡¯ve known you since you were born, my dear. Your acting was really superb though, you could have easily tricked me into believing you.¡± She chuckled, shaking her head.


    I shifted my gaze to Sofie and it seemed like she was about to cry as she stared at the floor. The sight made my heart lurch with guilt and before I could stop myself, I moved beside her and gave her a firm shoulder squeeze, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, madam, please forgive me. I rea-¡±


    ¡°Now, amore, there¡¯s no need to get all serious and teary, okay?¡± Nana sounded rmed as her eyes rested on Sofie who heaved a sigh that I presumed was of relief.


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    Nana gasped, ¡°Where¡¯s thating from? Why am I your madam? Aren¡¯t I your Nana anymore or did you disown me?¡±


    Sofieughed, gazing up at me before averting her stare to Nana, ¡°Never, Nana. I just thought you wouldn¡¯t want me to call you that anymore.¡±


    ¡°That would be petty for no damn reason plus you both aren¡¯t pretending you¡¯re in love anymore, so that makes it significantly better because you¡¯re truly in love with each other now and it¡¯s always beautiful to witness young love.¡± She exined, darting me a smile.


    I looked down at Sofie but her gaze remained fixed on the floor as she fiddled with her fingers.


    Her in demeanor made me feel like I was punched in the heart, but I took it without qualms because I still med myself for everything bad that happened between us.


    If only I had flung Lana out of my office immediately I saw her, Sofie and I would still be living in peace and harmony.


    The atmosphere was quite awkward until a nurse walked in to inform me that the doctor had important information to give me.


    Sofie kept Nanapany while I went with the nurse to the doctor¡¯s office.


    ¡°President Giovanni.¡± A woman d in navy scrubs and a ward coat beamed as I strolled into the office.


    I stretched my hand out for a courteous handshake, ¡°Good day, doctor-¡± I motioned for her name.


    ¡°Tiffany Perkins. Doctor Perkins.¡± She said, shaking hands with me.


    ¡°Please have your seat.¡± She gestured and I obliged as she did the same thing.


    ¡°So what¡¯s wrong with my grandmother?¡± I asked, sping my hands on the table.


    She sighed, skimming through some paperwork, ¡°She has cancer. Ovarian cancer which has now metastisized to her liver.¡±


    My hands shuddered with shock and I struggled to form words for a split moment before I finally registered what the doctor had just said to me.


    Nana had cancer. Nana may die, she didn¡¯t tell me thetter but I figured from her mncholic yet sympathetic demeanor.


    My worst nightmare could reallye to pass.


    I heaved a deep inhale, ¡°What will happen now? Will she need chemotherapy or surgery? Or is it terminal?¡± My voice almost broke at the end.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s terminal or not yet. After the surgery and a few chemotherapy sessions, we should be able to tell. The cancer cells has really eaten deep into both organs but we¡¯ll do our best to destroy them.¡±


    My breath hitched my throat as I gazed at the doctor. I suddenly felt sick.


    ¡°So it may be terminal?¡± I whispered, feeling anxiety clog my throat.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say yet, sir.¡±


    I nodded as I got up, ¡°Alright. Thanks, doctor.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, sir.¡± She said as we shook hands before I exited her office.


    I had to sit for a moment before I toppled over my legs and fell down, so I went to the waiting area but to my utter surprise, Sofie was already seated there.


    I sat down beside her and she inteced our hands together, her affectionate actions were really confusing the hell out of me because one minute, she acted like she was not in love with me and the next, she acted like we were a couple.


    ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± She whispered, her doe, brown eyes peering at me.


    ¡°Nana has cancer.¡± I muttered and she squeezed my hand, ¡°And from the look of things, it may never be cured.¡± I added before sighing deeply.


    ¡°Oh, Roman. I¡¯m so sorry to hear that.¡± She said, pulling me into a warm embrace.


    I could only nod as I dug my nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling her gentle, homey scent while inwardly hoping everything the doctor told me was a lie, even though I knew it definitely wasn¡¯t.

 You are not a murderer

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Thanks for the hug. I really needed it.¡± Roman muttered, withdrawing from my embrace and darting me a smile that didn¡¯t quite crease his eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to thank me, Roman. I¡¯m always here for you whenever you need me, okay?¡± I said, smiling wanly at him.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He just nodded before sping his hands together, and staring into space with a mncholic mien.


    I sighed as I watched him. He looked so vulnerable which really broke my heart. I thought about how I had literally rejected his feelings in front of his grandmother and guilt instantly tanged my heart.


    I really was a jerk.


    ¡°Nana is the only family I have left, I don¡¯t want her to die. She can¡¯t just go like that, I won¡¯t allow that to happen. Even that means I have to bring in the best specialists from every country in the world to have a look at her. I won¡¯t mind doing so, as long as she would live.¡± Roman suddenly said, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it, Nana wouldn¡¯t like that. I know she would live because she is a resilient fighter and she won¡¯t easily give up like that. I¡¯ve only known her for a couple of weeks but I¡¯ve seen how stubborn she can be and I know she¡¯d fight that cancer, no matter what.¡± I replied, giving him a reassuring shoulder squeeze.


    He darted me a lopsided smile as he squeezed my hand back, ¡°I hope so, I really do. I know I probably sound like a petnt toddler right now, childishly whining about how I don¡¯t want my grandmother to die even though I know she¡¯s well into her eighties and that she¡¯d eventually die one day.¡± He shook his head.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t sound whiny at all. I can¡¯t say I understand what you¡¯re going through right now because I don¡¯t. Your grandmother has been your rock and shield since you were a toddler and it has always been the both of you against the world, so it¡¯s only right for you to feel this way. But I know everything will be fine very soon, you just have to believe it.¡± I said, smiling at him.


    This time, he didn¡¯t smile back and just went back to staring despondently into space.


    Tense silence ensued between us for a while with each person left to their thoughts.


    A couple of momentster, Roman cleared his throat and began, ¡°You know on that fateful night, I was in the car that killed my parents and-¡± He sighed heavily before adding, ¡°My unborn baby sister.¡±


    I squeezed his shoulder again but didn¡¯t utter a word.


    ¡°I caused the ident, you know. I killed my parents and that poor, unborn child because of my stupid, mannerless antics. And before you say stuff like I was barely a child and all, let me tell you that I could discern candies from dirt and I didn¡¯t stick food into my nostrils when I had to eat, so I should have known the fucking right thing to do.¡± He gritted out as his entire body tremored with anger.


    I tried to calm him down, ¡°Ro-¡±


    ¡°No, let me finish talking before you judge me. You haven¡¯t heard the whole story, that¡¯s why you feel sorry for me.¡± He countered, shaking his head.


    Self-hatred had really paralyzed Roman¡¯s mind; he carried so much loathing toward himself, which was just too sad.


    He continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure Nana must have told you this or I may have also mentioned it in passing, I was three when they died. My mum was inbor, so dad was driving the car and I was seated on the backseat, strapped to a car seat, ying with a toy soldier if I can vividly remember.¡± He paused to inhale sharply and to stare at my tear-stricken face.


    Without a word, he gently wiped my tears off before continuing, ¡°They were going to drop me off at Nana¡¯s ce before heading to the hospital but I had no idea what possessed me to throw a stupid tantrum on that rainy night. I suddenly wanted to y with my Superman toy, a toy that I didn¡¯t even own because I hated anything rted to Superman. When either of them failed to provide the toy, I tried to unbuckle the car seat, so dad looked back at me and tried to stop me from doing so.¡±


    He heaved a deep sigh of despair before resuming his story, ¡°But he didn¡¯t see the speeding truck approaching our car. When heter realized that the truck was speeding toward us, it was toote as the deed had already been done and our car had been rammed into a tree. But somehow, by a stroke of luck, even though I caused the ident, I wasn¡¯t hurt anywhere. Dad died on the spot and mum-¡±


    Roman shook his head, nervously tapping his feet on the floor, ¡°She didn¡¯t die immediately, but she went into aa before passing away three dayster with the baby. I was too stupid and confused to realize what had happened, and the reason why I could no longer see my parents and was suddenly moving to my grandmother¡¯s house to start living with her. When I became older and finally realized how I caused the ident, I didn¡¯t have it in me to forgive myself and honestly, I don¡¯t think I will ever be able to. ¡±


    ¡°Would you let me speak now, Roman?¡± I asked, to which he nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Neither did you kill your parents nor did you cause the ident. The universe did, it was meant to happen and I want you to stop ming yourself for what was out of your control, okay?¡± I whispered, patting his thigh.


    He chuckled bitterly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do that. You know I went to therapy for fifteen years after my parents¡¯ death because I couldn¡¯t speak for like a year and I became scared of cars and the rain. Apparently, therapy worked for my phobias but I guess it didn¡¯t workpletely since I still have this vitriolic hatred toward myself.


    ¡°Before therapy can help you, you need to forgive yourself first, Roman.¡± I said.


    ¡°How can I? It¡¯s been twenty seven years yet the memories of the car crash is still fresh in my mind.¡±


    ¡°By epting that you never had a hand in the ident and it all happened because it was destined to.¡±


    Roman nodded, pulling me into a hug, ¡°I will try, cara. Thanks for listening to my rants without judging me. I really appreciate it and I know you must be probably tired of hearing it but I won¡¯t stop telling you how much I love you. I love you so much, Sofie. More than words or numbers can express.¡± He muttered, pecking the crown of my head.


    I fisted at his shirt, ¡°I¡¯m not tired of hearing it.¡± I whispered.


    He pulled away from the hug to peer down at me with a glint of hope in his grey orbs, ¡°You¡¯re not?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yes, because I love you too.¡±


    Roman¡¯s eyes doubled in shock, ¡°You love me.¡± He said, disbelief prominent in his voice.


    I locked my lips with his in a passionate kiss before throwing him a toothy grin, ¡°Yes, Roman. I love you too. I was scared of admitting it before and I¡¯m sorry for m-¡±


    My words were jammed back to my throat as he cupped my cheeks and kissed me, gently and meaningfully


    ¡°You have no idea how happy you¡¯ve made me today, amore.¡± He whispered against my lips and I chuckled.


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Would you go on a date with me?¡±


    We said in unison which made us exchange amused nces with each other.


    ¡°A date?¡± I muttered, staring into his eyes and he nodded.


    ¡°Yes a date. Will you go on one with me?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yes, Roman. I will.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, cara. Now back to your question, I just can¡¯t exin it, I feel I could burst with happiness right now.¡± He grinned, lifting my jaw with a finger and gazing intensely at my lips.


    ¡°I love you.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I love you more, doll.¡± He whispered back before our lips met in a tender, loving kiss.

 Do we really need to have children?

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I was beyond smitten with Sofie. I smiled in adoration as I watched her wake up from her sleep with a loud yawn and a big stretch.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± She yawned.


    ¡°Good morning to you too.¡± I yfully huffed before pressing a light kiss to her lips.


    She giggled, ¡°Hope you slept well?¡±


    ¡°I should be the one asking you that question, doll.¡± I smirked as my eyes took in the image of her disheveled hair and the dark red hickeys scattered around her neck and body.


    As I pounded into herst night, I had yanked her by her hair while she screamed my name aloud with her back arched. I had never been more thankful for soundproofing the entire house like I was yesterday night.


    The lewd thoughts of the previous night drifted into my mind, causing heat to pool in my guts as I stared at her.


    Her face reddened as she weakly punched my chest, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t saying thatst night, doll.¡± I teased and she made to pull herself away from my hold, with her pretty face contorting in mock anger.


    ¡°What are your ns for today?¡± I asked, when she finally rxed, and made herselffortable in my hold.


    ¡°I need to visit the obs-¡± She stopped herself, ¡°Nothing. All my sses for the day were canceled.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s past ten, you are not going to work?¡± Sofie asked, peering up at me and I nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m taking the day off to be with you.


    Fuck, I was so whipped for Sofie.


    I couldn¡¯t believe the day woulde that I¡¯d proudly make corny-ass statements like that.


    But I guessed that was what love did to people; It turned them into cheesy suckers like me.


    It was not like I felt ashamed though, I could never be bashful to disy and proim my love for Sofie.


    Yes, that was how clich¨¦ I had gotten.


    ¡°How did you know my sses were going to be canceled today?¡± She asked, molding herself closer to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m a seer.¡± I chuckled, to which she scoffed.


    Afortable silence enveloped the ambiance as we basked in each other¡¯s warm, calming presence.


    ¡°Can you tell me about them?¡± Sofie asked after some moments had passed.


    ¡°Them? Who?¡±


    ¡°Your parents, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to. I just wanted to know what they were like. What am I even saying, you were barely a toddler when they died, so you can¡¯t remember a lot. Forgive my ignorance and forget I eve-¡± I cut her ramble short by kissing her; a kiss always proved to be the best solution to Sofie¡¯s nervous ramblings.


    When she leaned into the kiss and tried to slip her tongue into my mouth, I drew back with a chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Although, you are right, I don¡¯t really have any good recollection of them, the memories have gotten pretty blurry with time.¡± I said before my mind diverted to some years back, when I had just clocked fifteen and it suddenly registered to me that I couldn¡¯t recall my parents facial features anymore.


    In a huge fit of panic, I had taken the photo album from Nana¡¯s bedroom, to observe and critically memorize their features down to the tiniest, unnoticeable freckles on my mum¡¯s cheeks.


    I could easily remember their faces now though.


    ¡°Would you like to see a picture of them?¡± I offered and instantly, her eyes glimmered with anticipation. ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    ¡°Just a minute.¡± I muttered, climbing down the bed to retrieve a framed picture of them which I kept in the drawer.


    ¡°Are you really sure you¡¯refortable with sharing stuff like this with me?¡± Sofie asked.


    ¡°I am, doll.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°You are literally your dad¡¯s twin!¡± She eximed as I handed her the picture, and sat beside her with a smug smile.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± I prodded.


    ¡°You have his eyes, nose and height. But at the same time, you also have an uncanny resemnce to your mum, it¡¯s really cool though. You have the same color of hair and lips.¡± She exined, her eyes illuminating with excitement as she caressed the picture.


    She looked like an eager golden retriever.


    ¡°Really?¡± I beamed, staring lovingly at her.


    ¡°Yes. Though I have to say, your parents were really good looking, it¡¯s not a surprise that their son is also very handsome.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m handsome?¡± I teased, to which she huffed but nodded.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± She shrugged without darting as much as a glimpse at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re cheeky, cara.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to have kids in the future?¡± Sofie suddenly asked, which caught mepletely off guard.


    I nced at her but she remained calm with her concentration still rooted to the framed picture, ¡°Where did thate from?¡±


    ¡°Nowhere, I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you must know, I don¡¯t.¡± I truthfully responded.


    Her face seemed a weird expression for a split second but when I blinked, it was no longer there which made me wonder if I had really seen it or it was just a mere imagination.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the need to have kids. Don¡¯t get me wrong though, I don¡¯t hate kids but they¡¯re not for me. I¡¯ve heard some really gruesome pregnancy tales from the people around me.¡± I began.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go through that sort of a dangerous ordeal. You know, Damien lost both his wife and child due to childbirthplications and a year ago, Nathan¡¯s wife almost died from excessive bleeding after a cesarean section. Also, we don¡¯t need kids to be happy when we have each other.¡± I concluded, throwing a smile in her direction, which she returned.


    ¡°Did the baby survive?¡± Sofie asked in a whisper. ¡°Fortunately, yes.¡± I replied, to which she nodded.


    ¡°Are you sure you will never regret having children?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been surer of anything else.¡± I answered which made her shake her head and sneer at me.


    ¡°You really are a considerate gentleman under that cold demeanor of yours.¡± Sheughed, to which I huffed.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth though. As long as a couple are happy, and in love with each other, I don¡¯t see a need for them to have kids but to each their own, I guess.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Yes, I guess. I love you.¡± Sofie said, returning the framed picture to me.


    ¡°I love you too, baby.¡± I replied before nting a kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a shower and head down for breakfast, it¡¯s almost noon already.¡± I said, staring at the wall clock.


    The time was about ten minutes to noon.


    She nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to take a shower with me?¡± I asked, and she snorted.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do anything else, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± She rolled her eyes but regardless, she got up and tiptoed to hook her arms around my neck.


    ¡°Just a shower and nothing more, doll.¡± I said, wrapping my arms around her waist and she nodded, ¡°You better stick to your words.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I said, delivering a spank to her ass which emitted a startled yelp from her, followed by a tant refusal to shower with me.


    Although, several minutester, after she¡¯d finally re-agreed to take a shower with me and we were in the bathroom, she went against her own words, got on her knees, and proceeded to suck me off.

 A pleasant surprise

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Wow, ma¡¯am. You look really pretty in that outfit. Red is really your color.¡± Natalie gushed as I walked down the stairs.


    It was the day Roman and I were going on a date.


    I felt really nervous because that was my first date ever, and I didn¡¯t want to mess things up.


    Iughed, gazing down at my outfit which consisted of a strapless red silk figure-hugging dress that stopped just above my knees, coupled with silver heels paired with a silver clutch bag.


    I also essorized the outfit with the engagement ring and cartier braceletbo while my hair freely fell on my shoulder, in brown, loose curls.


    ¡°You think?¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Yes of course, ma¡¯am. The color entuates your beautiful, spotless skin. You are really stunning, madam Sofie. I¡¯m sure the young master will be blown away when he sees you.¡± She said, shaking her head as she eyed me in awe.


    ¡°Thanks for thepliment. It really means a lot, by the way, where is Melissa?¡± I asked, ncing around the room for the older woman.


    ¡°She has a family emergency, so the young master gave her the rest of the week off.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Alright then.¡± I nodded before turning to the chauffeur.


    ¡°The young master is waiting, madam.¡± He said, and I felt a whirlpool of butterflies at the pit of my belly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I muttered, and he led the way outside.


    I tried to suppress the guilt tanging my conscience as I trekked out.


    I was in no position to be happy that I was going on a date with Roman when he had indirectly rejected my pregnancy yesterday, but here I was, all dolled up like a stupid fool.


    I had no idea what I was supposed to do at that moment, but abortion was out of my options because no matter how I tried to convince myself that it was probably the best solution, I just couldn¡¯t make the appointment.


    I couldn¡¯t kill a poor child who did nothing wrong.


    It was my mistake, and I¡¯d have to deal with the consequences of my action without murdering them.


    Sost night, I had reached a conclusion to leave the city as soon as the contract ended. Roman would probably hate me for taking such a drastic decision, without informing him but I had to do what I had to do to protect my child.


    But I hoped he¡¯d forgive me in the end.


    My mncholic thoughts temporarily evaporated for a brief moment, as I beheld the ¡°car¡± that was going to convey Roman and I to our date.


    Before I could utter a word, Roman stepped out of the ¡°car¡± and froze with his face instantly bing devoid of emotions as he nkly stared at me.


    I nced at my outfit, uncertainty pooling in my guts as I wondered whether Natalie had lied to me earlier, and I didn¡¯t look as stunning as she had assured me.


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± I squeaked, smoothening the dress.


    His expression creased into a smile and a shudder of relief raced through my spine, maybe it wasn¡¯t that bad.


    ¡°Bad? You look enthralling, cara. You held me spellbound for a good five minutes.¡± He said, walking up to me, and casually flinging an arm around my waist.


    ¡°You look dapper yourself.¡± Iplimented, taking in the gorgeous sight of him d in a ck three-piece-suit with a ck tie to match.


    ¡°Thanks, my love.¡±


    ¡°Really, Roman? A limousine?¡± I muttered as he pressed a kiss to my shoulder.


    He had really gone out of his way to bring a limo from heaven knows where just for a date.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it too, right? I knew I should have gotten the Porsche instead of this. It¡¯s bing toomon.¡± He mumbled against my skin, which made me pull away to look into his eyes.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean it like that. I¡¯m just saying a limo is too much for just a date, don¡¯t you think?¡± I said, to which he chuckled before pressing a chaste kiss to my lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re so adorable, cara. Nothing is too much for a date with you, my love. This is not even up to a million, so it¡¯s definitely not too much. Plus, the limo dealer is a close friend of mine, so he gave me a twelve percent discount.¡± Roman rambled, and I just shook my head before tiptoeing to pull him into a hug, so he wouldn¡¯t see the tears clouding my vision.


    The thought that I was going to leave him without a word very soon made immense remorse and despair gue my mind.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do all these for me, Roman. I¡¯m serious.¡± I whispered, feeling a lump of tears hitch my throat.


    He chuckled as we disengaged from the hug and he caressed my cheeks, ¡°I¡¯ll dly do all these and more for you, amore.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for loving me, Roman.¡± I muttered and he just kissed me.


    ¡°I should be saying that to you, cara. Thanks for finding me worthy of your love. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you more, babe.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Babe. The term sounded pleasant yet strange on my tongue.


    Roman just darted me a smile before gesturing to the chauffeur and taking my hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be on our way now.¡± He said, as the driver flung the door to the limousine open and we climbed in.


    The interior of the limousine oozed sophisticated elegance, wealth and ss.


    I really couldn¡¯t believe Roman bought a whole limousine for a date, like it was nothing.


    ¡°There¡¯s wine over there, would you like to have some?¡± He asked as I felt the vehicle move.


    I shook my head as my hand unconsciously spread over my abdomen, ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Okay, baby.¡±


    ¡°So where are we going for our date?¡± I asked as Roman ced his hand on my exposed thigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise, doll. Telling you will ruin it.¡± He muttered, his hand straying upward, underneath my dress.


    I huffed, ¡°Very well then.¡±


    And he justughed.


    About an hourter, we got to the venue and I was further left stunned by the mammoth size and exquisite decoration of the ce.


    It was a Michelin star restaurant with fancy menus coupled with conical, crystalline chandeliers illuminating dim, white lights to set a romantic mood and an evenrger interior size.


    Money was really good.


    ¡°Wow.¡± I whispered as Roman intertwined our hands.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Like? I love this ce, it¡¯s absolutely beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Great, I¡¯m d. I was worried you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Something was strange about the ce though, there was no one inside except us and some waiters.


    ¡°There are no customers in here.¡± I muttered as a waiter led us to our table.


    ¡°Yes, I can see that.¡± Roman didn¡¯t sound fazed in the slightest bit, which made me look up at him; he had a mischievous smile curving his lips.


    Realization hit me and I gasped, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you rented this restaurant out for our date.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t tell you because you already said it.¡± He said and I yfully hit his chest.


    ¡°Roman.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any form of disturbance. I want us to have today to just ourselves alone without people staring.¡± He shrugged, , and I leaned in to kiss him with a newly-found resolve etched in my mind.


    I would do my best to enjoy today and the rest of the contact¡¯s duration, to make him unsuspicious of my ns, and when he least expected it, I would disappear without a trace from his life.

 Date

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Are you sure this menu is in English? Because I literally can¡¯t pronounce most of the dishes here.¡± Sofie said, causing me to chuckle.


    I watched her raise the menu again with a frown etching her ethereal features,, and I couldn¡¯t help but be swooned all over again.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?¡± She asked, cing the menu on the table.


    ¡°Yes, beauty. Lots of it.¡± I casually said.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Damien was right, I was really the biggest simp in the world for Sofie.


    ¡°Please never say stuff like that again.¡± Sofie muttered, rolling her eyes as a waitress stopped at our table.


    ¡°A lovely evening to you sir and ma. I hope the ambiance is cozy enough for yourfort.¡± She said, a business smile curving her lips upward.


    I nodded, ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure, sir. Are you ready to have dinner yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll have filet mignon.¡±


    She wrote it down on a small jotter before averting her gaze on Sofie whose lips were wordlessly moving with a squint curving her eyes.


    ¡°Have you chosen anything yet, cara?¡± I asked, to which she nodded.


    ¡°Yeah but I don¡¯t think I know how to pronounce it but I¡¯ll try.¡± She said and cleared her throat, ¡°I¡¯d like to have some steak au priver please.¡±


    The waitress also noted down Sofie¡¯s order before asking. ¡°While your meals are being prepared, would you like to have some appetizers as you wait?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°No. I¡¯m good, thanks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good too.¡± Sofie said, to which the waitress nodded before she left.


    ¡°I guess I did pretty good with pronouncing that strangenguage.¡± Sofie muttered as soon as the server was out of hearing range.


    ¡°Yeah, you did good but the correct pronunciation is Steak au poivre.¡± I lectured her.


    She shrugged, ¡°They both sound the same to me though. There¡¯s no significant difference.¡±


    Soon our meals were served with a bottle of exotic red wine. For a good ten minutes, Sofie stared at her food, with horror visible in her eyes before picking up her cutlery and gingerly cutting a tiny slice of steak, while deftly avoiding the peppercorn sauce.


    I stifled the urge tough as I watched her slowly ce the forkful of the meat inside her mouth.


    ¡°So how is it? Do you like it?¡± I asked, closely observing her demeanor.


    She grinned sheepishly, ¡°Surprisingly, it tastes like normal meat.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s going to taste like normal meat because steak is made from beef. Now dip it into the sauce, you¡¯ll see that your pte will thank you.¡± I motioned to the creamy soup on her te which she cringed at before shaking her head in negation.


    ¡°No, thank you. This thing looks like cum sprinkled with grated vegetables.¡± She blurted out before the gravity of her lewd words hit her, causing her to redden in embarrassment.


    ¡°You¡¯re sexualizing food now, huh?¡± I taunted her with a chuckle, and a humourous shake of head.


    She flustered as she cut another piece of meat for herself. ¡°It slipped out okay? I didn¡¯t mean to say it like that.¡±


    ¡°So will you try it now?¡±


    ¡°Try what?¡±


    ¡°What else? The peppercorn sauce of course.¡± I huffed, and she heaved a deep sigh before tentatively poking the sauce with her steak.


    Her facial expression was priceless; it made me snort out loud.


    She looked like she was about to puke but she forced herself to swallow it before chugging down her ss of water, ¡°Never give me foodbination ideas again.¡±


    I tsked as I swallowed thest piece of steak on my te, ¡°Your pte is just as unique as you are.¡±


    ¡°Do you want some wine?¡± I asked, already making to pour some into the wine goblet ced in front of her.


    She fervently shook her head as she instantly snatched the goblet, ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ll have some non-alcoholic wine please.¡±


    I frowned, that was strangely unlike her because I knew how much she loved drinking wine from that specific brand.


    ¡°Am I dreaming? You saying no to wine? In what universe am I in?¡± I huffed, pouring myself some wine.


    ¡°I visited the obstetrician yesterday and he advised me to stop taking alcoholic drinks. He said it¡¯s not good for me and the-¡± She paused as her face instantly became devoid of colour for a split second.


    ¡°You went to see an obstetrician? Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Did I say an obstetrician? I meant a physician, I keep mixing things like these up.¡± Sheughed which made me smile, although something within me didn¡¯t quite believe her but I ignored it.


    If she said she went to see a physician, then she surely did.


    ¡°Why did you go to see a physician anyway? Did the flue back?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. I went for a full body check up, I didn¡¯t tell you because I didn¡¯t want you to get worried.¡± She replied, and I nodded.


    ¡°From now on, you should always let me know if you¡¯re not feeling well, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°What would you like for dessert?¡± I asked, in an attempt to lift the weird tension of the ambiance between us.


    ¡°Cheesecake tartlets, you?¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll also go with that too.¡± I muttered, and she darted me a pleased grin.


    Two servings of mini blueberry cheesecake tartlets and a serving of sticky toffee puddingter, we were done with the first aspect of our date, and we left the restaurant.


    ¡°How well did you like the restaurant?¡± I asked momentster, when we had settled in the limousine and were on our way back home.


    ¡°I really loved everything about it, especially the dessert, it atoned for that weird peppercorn sauce. I really enjoyed today, thanks for giving me such a wonderful experience.¡± Sofie said, pressing a kiss to my cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you liked it.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± I inquired, and she nodded, smiling.


    ¡°Do you have a sexual fantasy?¡±


    Her smile instantly dissipated as she choked on air and started coughing.


    ¡°Easy, cara.¡± I said, patting her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine but your question really caught me off guard.¡± She muttered as her face reddened.


    ¡°So yes or no? Do you have one?¡±


    She nibbled on her lower lip as she shyly nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to have sex in a car.¡± She mumbled, and I felt the sensual heat of lust pool at the pit of my belly as I leaned in toward her.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She squeaked.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing stopping us from fulfilling that thrilling fantasy of yours right now, is there?¡± I whispered, raising her jaw with a finger and darting my gaze from her eyes to her plump, sultry lips.


    ¡°No.¡± She whimpered, and I smirked before closing the gap between us with a kiss.

 Fulfilling my fantasy

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°You are so fucking beautiful for me, tesoro.¡± Roman growled into the crook of my neck as I climbed onto hisp and roughly dry-humped him.


    My head was too far high up in the clouds of erotic delectation for me to give him a coherent response, so I just settled on moaning loudly as he bit and licked my neck.


    Unbuckling his belt, I freed his cock from the shackles of his pants and slowly started jerking him off.


    I really wanted to get down on my knees to fully take him in my mouth and have him stter his cum over my face but whatever pleasuring thing he was doing with his mouth to my neck made the thought dissipate as I momentarily released his dick, angled my neck closer to his lips before wrapping my hands around his neck.


    While he trailed hickeys after hickeys down my neck, his hands strayed downward to roll my dress upward at a frustratingly slow pace; he was hellbent on teasing me until I broke.


    ¡°Faster please.¡± I grunted when he finally slid his hands into my panties, to which he just chuckled mischievously as henguidly circled my slippery core with a finger.


    This time, it was even more infuriatingly slower than the first time. To get him moving, I bit his neck as I threw my waist around in an erotic circle to hump him harder, and it seemed to work as he grumbled an incoherent mixture of English and Italian words and held by waist to still me.


    ¡°You¡¯re so ready today.¡± He muttered, looking me in the eye with arousal glinting his grey orbs before pressing a rough kiss to my lips.


    I moaned as he slid his tongue through my lips while also grabbing and fondling my ass cheeks.


    Our tongues twirled together in a sensual rhythm as I averted my attention to his cock and slowly started pumping it again.


    I whimpered, my hold on his cock weakening when he finally inserted a finger into me.


    Despite the fact that Roman and I had done it a couple of times; more than I could count with both my toes and fingers, whenever he stuck his finger into me, it never failed to leave me eager for more of him.


    At that point, I knew I was addicted to Roman¡¯s cock.


    I was a shameless slut for his big, long cock and was always waiting for him to dick me down everyday.


    One finger turned into three inside me as he scissored me open into a moaning and drooling mess.


    ¡°W-want more of you.¡± I cried, bouncing eagerly on his fingers as I felt my pussy clench, an indication that I was about to reach the crest of my sexual ecstasy.


    He grinnedsciviously, ¡°You¡¯ll get all of me now.¡± He nibbled on my helix before his voice sifted into my ear, in a deep, sexy baritone, ¡°Ride me.¡±


    I nodded and he caressed my sides as I aligned his cock, which was already leaking from the slit with pre-cum. A loud, guttural moan tore itself out of my throat as I gently took all of him into myself.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a good girl for me.¡± Roman muttered, gently rubbing his hands all over my waist down to my ass.


    My praise kink made itself known by causing me to shamelessly whimper as I began to ride him, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, doll. You are doing so well.¡± He whispered and I moaned softly as I bounced myself as fast as I could, on his cock.


    ¡°Touch me.¡± I cried, and he harshly spanked my ass which drew a moan out of me and prompted me to ride him even faster than I¡¯d ever imagined I¡¯d be able to withstand.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Sei il mio bellissimo petalo.¡± He gritted out, undoing my zipper before attaching his mouth to one of my tit while twiddling the other.


    Hearing Roman speak Italian did something erotic to me and my pussy got even wetter. I guessed I had a foreignnguage kink now.


    That day, I discovered I had a lot of kinks that I didn¡¯t know of yet and it made me fervid to learn about all of them in the future with Roman but a small voice from within quickly reminded me of the fact that I would leave him soon. I shook the voice off and concentrated on attaining my sexual fulfillment.


    At that moment, climaxing was the most important thing to me not mncholic thoughts.


    But just as a mighty orgasm was about to course through me, Roman flipped me over, raised my legs up to his shoulder, held my hands and started delivering, womb-clenching, toe-curling, intense thrusts into my pussy.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve never felt this much pleasure before.¡± I choked out a confession as he grinned down at me.


    I could feel his cock in the deepest part of my core, and it was the best sensation ever.


    ¡°Really?¡± He prodded, through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Y-Yes.¡± I moaned.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯m making you feel good.¡± He said, to which I whimpered, ¡°M-Me too.¡±


    ¡°You are so fucking hot, cara. Every single part of you is just too gorgeous.¡± Roman groaned and I shook my head as tears pooled in my eyes.


    His cock was so good that it made me burst into tears of pleasure.


    I watched as he loosened his tie, unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged himself out of them.


    I lustfully ran my tongue over my lower lip as his rock-hard abdominal muscles sexily glistened with sweat but just as I was about to utter a word, I felt the familiar buildup of erotic satisfaction, and a gratifying climax raced through me as I shed my cum around Roman¡¯s cock, although some of it trickled down on the car seat.


    He tightened his grip on my hands as he also came inside me with a low growl. He didn¡¯t use a condom but I didn¡¯t say anything about it because I knew it was useless to tell him as I was already pregnant.


    ¡°This is the best way ever to wrap up a date.¡± I whispered as he pressed a kiss to my knuckle.


    He chuckled, ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more, so what should I do to prepare you for a second round?¡±


    ¡°No, I have a ss tomorrow and I won¡¯t be able to walk if we go at it again.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll carry you to your sses or scrap that, I won¡¯t go to work and you won¡¯t go for your ss, we¡¯ll just cuddle throughout the day.¡±


    ¡°Yeah and somehow in the process of cuddling, your cock will mistakenly slip inside me, no?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± He smirked sinisterly.


    ¡°Just shut up and cuddle me.¡± I huffed, to which he smiled before he plopped me onto hisp, pressed a chaste kiss to my lips and wrapped his arms around me.


    I purred in contention like a touch-starved kitten before pping my eyes shut and drifting off to a much-needed sleep.

 The charity gala

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°What do you mean the charity g is taking ce this evening?¡± I spat, ring at the overtly-designed invitation card that Nathan ced on my desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I brought it to your noticest week, so I thought you were aware of it, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t call to remind you about it yesterday, sir.¡± Nathan said, and bowed.


    I inhaled deeply as I massaged my forehead. ¡°So what time exactly is it happening?¡±


    ¡°You still have about two hours left, sir. It won¡¯t begin until five in the evening and it¡¯s about fifteen minutes to three now.¡±


    I groaned in frustration. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, how could I have forgotten about something so damn important?¡±


    He bowed once more. ¡°By the way, the event coordinator told me to inform you that it¡¯spulsory to bring a plus one and since almost everyone in the country knows about your fianc¨¦e, the chairwoman instructed me to tell you to take her with you.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°When did she tell you that?*


    ¡°I just got off the phone with her on my way to your office, sir.¡±


    I waved him away, and he bowed before exiting my office.


    Then, I observed my reflection in the mirror, and realized that I needed to change into a fancier suit.


    Luckily, I always had two spare suits in my office wardrobe; a ck tie and a casual one, in case of emergency situations like the one I was currently in at that moment.


    I quickly changed into the suit, knotted the bow tie, nodded satisfactorily at my reflection as I gelled down my ruffled hair with my palm.


    Afterward, I flung on my trenchcoat before grabbing my car keys and phone.


    As I made my way to the parking lot, I nced down at my Rolex.


    Earlier today, Sofie had informed me that she had an afternoon ss that¡¯dst an hour, from two to three and I reckoned she should be through with it by now because the time was now currently fifteen minutes past three.


    Fuck, I was really going to bete.


    I flopped into mymborghini aventador with a sharp exhale, revved it up, and steered it onto the road.


    About an anxious thirty minutester, I reached the college building.


    Swiftly, I got out and headed straight into the learning areas, ignoring the muffled whispers and murmurings trailing after me.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Roman Giovanni?¡± Someone said, and the mumblings intensified which made me huff in annoyance.


    ¡°Roman?¡± Sofie¡¯s pleasantly sultry voice wafted into my ears from behind, and my face instantly morphed into a smile as I turned to stare at her.


    Her eyes gaped in mild shock as I inched closer to her and pressed a kiss to her pouty lips, paying no mind to the loud gasps that reverberated through the hallway.


    Caressing her cheek, I said, ¡°Hey, doll.¡±


    ¡°H-Hey, what an unexpected surprise. What are you doing here?¡± She asked, searching my eyes before her eyes widened into horror-filled saucers.


    ¡°I came to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen? Why are you dressed like this?¡± She gestured to my bowtie.


    ¡°Something like what?¡± I prodded.


    ¡°Nevermind, you were smiling earlier, so I reckon everything is fine. I¡¯m still confused about this surprise visit of yours, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Tucking a stray auburn strand of hair behind her ear, I replied, ¡°We have a charity g to attend in two hours,¡± I gazed down at my wristwatch for the umpteenth time that day, ¡°No, scratch that, we have just an hour and some minutes left.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you are not properly exining this to me. What g are we going to?¡±


    I intertwined our hands together and led her outside, ¡°A charity g, cara. I¡¯ll answer the rest of your questions inside the car, are we good now?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, okay.¡± She nodded tentatively as we reached the car and I flung the door open for her.


    Afterward, I went to my side of the car to switch on the ignition, and swerve us back onto the road to a certain destination; a luxury store in particr.


    ¡°It¡¯s a charity g that Nana makes me attend every year, the proceeds from the event are donated to the an humanitarian facility that takes care of children with cancer.¡± My hands suddenly felt weak as my thoughts strayed away to Nana¡¯s ailment.


    She began chemotherapy yesterday, and was going to undergo surgery in two weeks.


    As if somehow reading my miserable thoughts, Sofie ced a hand over my free hand. ¡°Don¡¯t brood too much over it, Roman. Nana will be fine soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about that, cara.¡± I lied, darting her a lopsided grin that didn¡¯t reach my eyes.


    She nodded as she gave my hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. ¡°I know. I¡¯m just saying and I always want you to know that I¡¯m always here for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best thing that ever happened to me.¡± I whispered, squeezing her hand back.


    ¡°I could say the same thing about you.¡± She muttered, and ced a kiss on my cheek.


    Wordlessly, I took her hand into mine and pressed a tender kiss to her knuckles.


    We soon arrived at our destination and Sofie seemed in awe as we strolled into the store.


    ¡°Wait, why are we in a Dolce and Gabbana store?¡± She asked, as if suddenly realizing where we were.


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t wear sneakers and jeans to a g, can you?¡± I fondly huffed.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± She mumbled before two uniformed women walked up to us, with identical smiles stered to their lips.


    ¡°Wee sir and ma, how may we be of help to you?¡± One of them asked.


    I motioned to Sofie, ¡°We have to be at a g in an hour, can you fix her up as soon as possible?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡± They nodded in unison before shifting to Sofie. ¡°This way, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Sofie kissed me on the cheek before going inside with them. Another uniformed woman came and led me to sit in a waiting room.


    To while away time, I scanned through some magazines that I saw on an ottoman.


    One of women from earlier appeared in front of me and darted me a smile. ¡°She¡¯s ready, sir.¡±


    I felt my heart fluster with anticipation as I abandoned the magazine and stood up. ¡°Great, where is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯sing in now.¡± She announced and raises the curtain to reveal Sofie.


    ¡°Wow.¡± I muttered as I took in her gorgeous appearance; not that she wasn¡¯t gorgeous before.


    Her lithe curves were draped in a long ck satin dress which had a wide side slit, thin, barely-there straps that extended down her back and united into a corset-like knot while her feet were also slipped into a pair of elegant ck heels.


    A pair of diamond earrings dangled down her neck and on both hands, she had identical silver bangles clutched around them.


    I also noticed she was wearing the engagement ring which I honestly thought we didn¡¯t need anymore since I nned to propose to her for real, after our contract ended but I hadn¡¯t told anyone yet, not even Damien, because I didn¡¯t want to jinx it.


    Above all, she looked breathtaking with her auburn tresses beautifully falling down her back.


    ¡°You look pretty, cara. You are just too perfect.¡± I muttered as I went to her and wrapped my arms around her waist.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She blushed, and I leaned in to kiss the crook of her shoulder.


    ¡°My pleasure, doll.¡± I said, ¡°Shall we be on our way now?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    After paying for everything, we headed back to the car, and I drove us to the venue of the g while greatly resisting the urge to continue admiring Sofie¡¯s dazzling beauty, instead of focusing on the road.

 My sexy feistiness

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I heaved a deep breath as I slipped my hand into Roman¡¯s warm one and he helped me out of the car.


    ¡°You seem tense, baby, are you alright?¡± He asked, wrapping his arm around my waist, his eyes oozing with warmth and affection as they stared into mine.


    I shook my head even though I felt nervous as hell at the thought of being in arge, shiny room with wealthy men and women from all walks of life.


    I had no idea what I was supposed to do as Roman¡¯s plus one.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m just really blown away by the size of this ce, you know.¡±


    Roman chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to my forehead, ¡°This ce is nothing though. You should have seen the venue ofst year¡¯s g. It was really out of this world.¡±


    I shook my head as an incredulous gasp escaped my lips, ¡°So you mean there¡¯s somewhere even more extravagant than this ce?¡±


    My eyes roamed around the parking lot which had various colours of exquisite car models parked inside it.


    As much as I tried to tell myself that I wasn¡¯t intimidated in the slightest bit by the wealthy opulence that the whole charity g exuded, a tiny portion within me knew I was lying.


    ¡°Exactly, cara. So are you ready to go in now?¡± Roman asked, caressing my waist.


    I nodded, ¡°Yes, I am. Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    He gave my waist onest caress before his hand slid down and he intertwined our hands together.


    A choked gasp squeezed itself out of my mouth as we stepped into the magnificent hall and I beheld the luxurious interior decor of the ce which made me realize something for the umpteenth time that day.


    Roman and I definitely didn¡¯t belong in the same social ss and we never would, at least not in this life.


    The amount of suave, rich men d in expensive suits whose prices could probably feed me for a decade or even more, fascinated me.


    Not to even talk of the haughty-looking women donning ostentatious, bejeweled outfits from head to toe.


    Most of them were chatting happily with each other with scintiting goblets of champagne clutched in their hands.


    I was brought out of my reverie when Roman suddenly huffed beside me.


    ¡°They may all look like they care about each other but trust me when I tell you that it¡¯s all fake. Most of them truly missed their calling, they should be actresses and actors instead.¡± He scoffed as he halted a waiter who bowed to us.


    ¡°Can you drink alcohol now?¡± He asked, to which I shook my head as I darted him an apologetic smile.


    ¡°No, not yet.¡± I said, and left it at that.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He looked defeated but nodded before waving the waiter off.


    ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s fake?¡± I asked as Roman led us to an empty table at the center of the hall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fake, doll.¡± He chuckled, ¡°I know it¡¯s fake because I¡¯ve been in this business since I was a teenager. You know once when I apanied Nana to an auction, I overheard a woman who Nana had introduced to me as her close friend, telling her husband that Nana should have abandoned me on the streets when my parents died because I killed them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Roman.¡± I muttered, suppressing the urge to hug him.


    He just waved it off with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m over their bullshit now but I can¡¯t lie, hearing it fuelled my self-hatred because I used to me myself for my parents¡¯ deaths.¡±


    I was about to say something when the woman I hadn¡¯t expected to see at the g, in my wildest dreams plopped onto a chair opposite to me, with a taunting smile etched onto her features.


    A whirlwind of emotions, ranging from anger to panic swirled within me as she noisily chugged her champagne.


    ¡°Hi, baby. I see you brought it with you.¡± Lana snorted, eying me, disgust evident in her features.


    Hearing her call Roman by a pet name while she deemed me as an inanimate object made fury bristle within me, but I stifled it by clutching my hand into a fist.


    Roman darted me an apologetic stare,pletely ignoring her, ¡°Let me talk to the event coordinator. We should be able to get another table.¡±


    He had already started dialling a number on his phone but I ced a hand over his wrist and shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I lied.


    It wasn¡¯t fine. I wanted to leave that ce because I couldn¡¯t stand the bitch but I was determined to be the bigger person.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked, his grey eyes almost drilling a hole into my face.


    I smiled, ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°I guess it can still stand me after all.¡± Lana muttered, pouring some champagne into her empty goblet.


    I wanted her to know that she couldn¡¯t trample on me like I was nothing. She could be richer and more powerful than I was but she was a human being just like me and she just had the privilege that she was born into wealth.


    ¡°Miss Lana, can I ask you a question?¡± I asked, with the politest tone I could muster.


    She arched an eyebrow as she directed a vitriolic re at me, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still going to ask anyway.¡± I muttered, ¡°Why are you such a desperate bitch?¡±


    She choked as her eyes reddened and soon became teary. ¡°What did you just call me?¡±


    ¡°You are a desperate bitch, Lana. Have some ss, okay? You know, you belong to a higher social ss, so I don¡¯t get why you have zero etiquette, weren¡¯t you taught proper manners?¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    From the corner of my eyes, I could see Roman¡¯s gaze fixated on me but I went on anyway.


    ¡°I guess you can¡¯t answer that too.¡± I shook my head as I tutted in disapproval before waving a waitress over for a ss of vored water.


    Lana¡¯s face was an amusing sight to behold. Her mouth was gaped in shock while her nostrils were red up, and it seemed like her eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.


    ¡°R-Roman, are you going to allow this harlot speak to me like that?¡± She spat, drawing attention to our table.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever dare address Sofie by that name again. If anyone here should go by that vile name, it should be you.¡± Roman calmly said, to which Lana scowled.


    ¡°You will regret this, Sofie. I promise you that I will make your life a living hell. Just wait and see.¡± She growled, darting me a re before grabbing her purse and leaving our table.


    I was about to look back to see where she was going when Roman cupped my jaw and kissed me passionately.


    Although I was shocked, I found myself eagerly reciprocating the hot, tantalizing kiss.


    ¡°I never knew you could be so hot and feisty. I want you to show me more of that in bed, doll.¡± Roman whispered against my neck after he broke the kiss.


    I felt the familiar wetness in my panties as I repressed a moan from escaping my lips, ¡°So that was the only thing you got out of what just happened.¡±


    ¡°Yes, cara.¡± He muttered, pressing a kiss to my neck.


    ¡°We¡¯re in public, Roman.¡± I chided, but made no attempt to withdraw myself from him.


    ¡°I know and I hate it. I wish I had magic, so I could freeze them all and have you sit on my face, right here and right now.¡± He growled which sent sparks of lust through me.


    With great self-restraint, I finally withdrew myself from him before I could do something obscene in public.


    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the g for now and when we get home, you can do anything you want with me.¡± I said before taking a sip of vored water.


    ¡°You¡¯re not teasing me, are you?¡± Roman whispered into my ears which had me shuddering with torrid desire.


    ¡°I would never.¡± I said, and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.


    ¡°Perfect, doll.¡± He smiled and didn¡¯t utter another word before steering his attention to the man climbing the podium.


    I just smiled to myself before I also averted my concentration to the proceeding of the g.

 Her torrid promise

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Oh, Roman. I love you so fucking m-much.¡± Sofie drooled as I trailed feathery kisses from her jaw down to her clit.


    We had just gotten back from the charity g barely an hour ago, and Sofie was now in the quest of fulfilling the promise she made to me.


    ¡°I love you more, tesoro.¡± I whispered against the throbbing beady flesh of the most sensitive part of her.


    Her response was a sultry, guttural whimper that sent erotic electricity to my cock.


    With gentle yet passionate motions, I ran my tongue up and down her clit, basking in her moans and the way her body shuddered with overstimtion.


    ¡°P-please, Roman. I-I want more, give it to me.¡± Sofie cried, her hands weakly fisting my hair and molding my face closer to her wetness.


    I smirked up at her, revelling in the sex-zed coffee of her eyes, ¡°Easy, cara. You promised you would allow me do anything I wanted with you tonight, no?¡±


    She shook her head fervently, her legs grazing down my back, ¡°Y-yes, I did, b-but please I need it so bad right now.¡±


    Her words came out in form of a vulnerable whimper and reignited the fire of desire burning inside me.


    I dipped my tongue into her dripping pussy and sighed in bliss as the tautness of her core clutched my tongue in the most thrilling way.


    ¡°Oh, Roman.¡± She sobbed as I sucked her clit, like a traveller in the desert, who came across an oasis after days of walking.


    Sofie was my greatest obsession and I was not ashamed to say so.


    She was my addiction; she was like a drug I knew I would never be able to get enough of.


    My hands slowly travelled down the curve of her ass before I grabbed and fondled with them, while my tongue and lips continued to perform the gratifying act of cunnilingus on her.


    The room continued to resound with the harmonious melody that was a mixture of Sofie¡¯s moans and my groans.


    ¡°Oh, fuck. I¡¯m a-almost there.¡± She whispered, and I withdrew my left hand from her ass cheeks, and dipped two of my fingers into her pussy.


    Her reaction was instant and electrifying, she tremored with desire as her voice came out in a stunned croak, ¡°I feel so fucking full.¡±


    I angled my head to smirk up at her, and her face twisted into a grimace, ¡°I¡¯m reallying now,¡±


    I silently urged her on with a nod as I continued sucking and licking her until she squirted her cum into my mouth.


    I ate her out through her orgasm, until she came down from her sex-addled high.


    Withdrawing my hand and mouth from her pussy, which I had licked clean of her release, I ced a kiss on her inner thigh, ¡°You did good, sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡± She panted, propping her weight on her elbow to stare down at me.


    ¡°Really.¡± I affirmed, sliding her limbs off my back and scooting closer to her in bed.


    She turned toward me, with her hand trailing down my crotch, ¡°Looks like Roman junior also wants to have a little fun.¡±


    I gazed downward, and truly I was as hard as a rock with my length painfully straining against my pants.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± I muttered as she palmed me once more which made precum roll down my cock.


    ¡°Mind if I take care of it for you?¡± She whispered, her voice lowering to a flirtatious crescendo.


    ¡°Of course not, baby.¡± I said as she arched her back and fully unzipped my half-zipped pants which she had almost taken off when we started.


    I couldn¡¯t resist the sensually arousing view that her perfect backside produced, so I spanked her and watched with an erotic sort of glee as her ass cheeks jiggled.


    With a muffled moan, Sofie freed my aching cock out of my pants and gasped as it dangled in front of her eyes.


    ¡°I swear you get bigger everytime.¡± She muttered as she grabbed my cock and kittenishly licked the precum oozing out from the slit.


    Her statement polished my ego and I smacked her ass again.


    Then she licked up from the underside of my member to the leaking base with her eyes gazing directly into mine, ¡°You¡¯re doing so well, cara.¡± I growled.


    Without breaking off eye contact, she finally took me into her mouth and I let out a visceral howl as my hand automatically reached out for her hair.


    Sofie¡¯s mouth was magic. A warm yet wet magic.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Fuck, doll.¡± I mumbled as she started pumping and sucking my dick while her free hand yed with my balls.


    A thought crossed my mind as I took in the heavenly vision of Sofie bent over, across my thighs, eagerly sucking me off.


    What if I asked her to marry me at that moment?


    As soon as the voice spoke within me, I quickly brushed it off and shifted my concentration to the immeasurable pleasure that Sofie¡¯s skillful mouth provided.


    I wasn¡¯t about to let the sexual sentiments speak for me and ruin everything.


    Soon, I reached the peak of my sensual excitement and I thrusted upward into her, which caused her to gag and babble incoherent words.


    I continued fucking her mouth until I saw white. Then with a groan, I poured my seeds into her mouth and watched as she unabashedly swallowed my cum without allowing a drop to escape her mouth.


    She darted me an aplished grin as my cock turnedid, ¡°How well did I do?¡±


    I chuckled, reaching downward to take her into my arms,¡±You did great, cara. You always do great.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it.¡± She muttered before our lips connected in a chaste kiss.


    ¡°I love you, tesoro.¡± I muttered against her mouth, savoring the mixed scents of our cum.


    ¡°And I love you more, Roman.¡± She replied and I kissed her again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go on a date soon. I don¡¯t have a busy schedule this week, maybe we can find time?¡± I suggested, to which she nodded.


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go on a date. I¡¯m free tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Very well then.¡± I muttered, nting a kiss on her forehead before she molded herself closer against me and fluttered her eyes shut.


    Like the whipped man I was for Sofie, I watched her closely until she fell asleep before I also gave in to sleep.

 Trouble

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Oh, fuck.¡± I groaned, feeling the foreign sharp pangs of ache seize my abdomen for the umpteenth time that morning.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Earlier that day, I had woken up healthy and sated from the passionate events of the night before, so I had no idea what could have triggered the pain.


    It felt like something with elongated fangs was chewing on my belly, like it was a gummy worm.


    I had taken some drugs to relieve the pain but it seemed to be worsening as time went by, and fear was gradually starting to get a hold of me as I thought about my baby.


    Roman had left for work about an hour ago, so I could easily go to the obstetrician¡¯s without needing to form a lie.


    ¡°Please be okay, baby. Please.¡± I muttered to myself as I caressed the gentle slope of my belly.


    To me, it seemed like my belly was gradually starting to soften and widen but for some reason, Roman didn¡¯t seem to notice which was advantageous to me.


    I could keep up with my facade easily before I dipped out of his life.


    ¡°Madam Sofie, won¡¯t you have some breakfast before leaving?¡± One of the maids asked, on sighting me at the foot of the stairs.


    Amidst the torturous agony I was in, I managed to feign a smile and shake my head in negation, ¡°I¡¯m good. I¡¯ll do brunchter, I have a really important ss right now.¡± I easily lied.


    She nodded, unsuspecting, ¡°Very well, madam.¡±


    I mirrored her nod before trekking out of the dining room to the sitting room where Antonio was instructing one of the main servants to clean a vase.


    He was preupied which was perfect for my n. I wanted to go unseen and unquestioned by the man.


    Surprisingly, my n was a sess as I was able to easily sneak past him.


    I felt the pain again as soon as I gged down a taxi, but this time it was worse and crippling, it felt like my insides were about to force their way out of my belly.


    I could only stifle my pain as I sluggishly got into the car and told the driver to take me to the hospital.


    Inside the car, the pain continued to intensify, and I thought I was doing a good job hiding the inexplicable agony I was in at that moment until the driver¡¯s eyes met with mine through the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Are you okay, madam? You¡¯ve been groaning and sobbing ever since you got into the cab.¡± He stated, to which I nodded through clenched teeth.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, thanks for your concern.¡± I gritted out, turning my gaze away from his before he could interrogate me further.


    Thankfully he didn¡¯t utter a word again.


    Soon, we got to the hospital and I swiftly settled the driver before painstakingly climbing out of the car, ignoring the driver¡¯s offer to help me out.


    I trekked into the hospital and went straight to my obstetrician¡¯s office with my hands sped around my abdomen.


    I knocked and before she could answer, I trudged in with a tired huff.


    She stood up from her chair with a shocked countenance mauling her face, ¡°Miss Diaz. Good day, I definitely wasn¡¯t expecting to see you today. Y-¡± She cut herself short after giving me a once over and realizing something was wrong.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, you look pale. What happened to you?¡± She gasped as she quickly rushed to my side and helped me on the examination bed.


    I groaned as she freed my feet out of my shoes and hooked a sphygmomanometer around my arm.


    ¡°Your blood pressure seems to be okay.¡± She stated, sliding the equipment down my arm before going around to peek in between my legs as she put on her gloves.


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be a tear or bleeding here either.¡± She mumbled, moving around once more to sit on a chair beside me.


    ¡°What happened to you, Miss Diaz?¡± The doctor reiterated, to which I groaned again.


    ¡°I-I have no idea, doc. I woke up hale and hearty this morning only for me to suddenly get attacked by stomach cramps.¡± I sobbed before something shed through my mind.


    I grabbed the doctor¡¯s hand, ¡°Will my baby be okay? You said I¡¯m not bleeding or anything, right? So they should be okay, yeah?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re okay. We can run a scan right now to reassure you.¡±


    I nodded eagerly, ¡°Please, that will be great.¡±


    She darted me a smile before raising my shirt up. Afterward, she sttered the cold gel on my belly and moved the probe over my stomach.


    Within seconds, strong heartbeat began reverberating across the room and I heaved a deep sigh of relief.


    ¡°See? Baby is doing great but we still have to run some tests on you to make sure you¡¯re also alright.¡± She said, handing me a tissue to wipe the gel off.


    ¡°But the pain-¡± I trailed off and she nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some pain relief now.¡± She uttered, uncapping some tubes and injecting them into an iv pack before cannting my hand and attaching the medication to it.


    To my utter respite, the pain alleviated almost immediately.


    Then, she drew up some blood from my other arm and exited the room after assuring me that she¡¯d be back in thirty minutes with the test results.


    I had almost dozed off when she returned with the test results in her hand and a solemn expression on her face.


    I shot up from the bed with fear heavy in my heart as she stared sympathetically at me.


    ¡°The results are here.¡± I stated the obvious, in a weak attempt to begin a conversation.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Diaz. They are here.¡± She nodded, retrieving the results from the envelope.


    My heart mmed against my ribs in trepidation as she gazed up from the paper to me.


    ¡°So? Did something bad happen to me?¡± I blurted out without thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break this to you, miss Sofie but I have to.¡± She began and I heaved a deep inhale.


    ¡°Go on.¡± I urged.


    ¡°The stomach cramping was caused by stress. You¡¯re stressing yourself and the baby too much and no, I don¡¯t mean physically. You¡¯re psychologically stressed and somehow that has led to you being diagnosed with centa previa. If you don¡¯t treat it properly, I¡¯m afraid something worse than stomach cramps could happen.¡± The doctor calmly exined and I felt a tear slide down my cheek.


    ¡°What is that? centa previa, what is that?¡± I forced out, amidst tears.


    ¡°So the centa has covered the opening to your cervix which means you can¡¯t give birth normally anymore. You can only deliver your baby through a cesarean section.¡± She dropped the bomb, to which I nodded as I wiped my tears off.


    Great. Just great.


    Could my miserable life get any better?


    I was about to say something when someone suddenly entered the room loudly.


    I wiped my tears off properly before gazing up to dart the rude intruder a re when my eyes met with Damien¡¯s surprised ones.


    Fuck. There was really no way out of this anymore.


    I was doomed.


    Damien would surely tell Roman that he had seen me in an obstetrician¡¯s office and everything would be ruined earlier than I thought.


    ¡°Damien, what the hell are you doing barging into my office like that? Do you want to scare my patients?¡± The doctor snapped at him, and he grinned sheepishly at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kylie. I came to pick up my phone, my careless self forgot it here this morning.¡± He muttered, and I almost thought he didn¡¯t see me until he averted his concentration.


    ¡°Sofie, what are you doing here?¡± He asked and my heart skipped a beat.


    I had no idea what to say.


    ¡°What else could a woman be doing in an obstetrician¡¯s office? Wait, you know each other?¡± The doctor asked, looking from me to Damien.


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Wow, the world is indeed small. I had no idea you knew my idiot elder brother.


    Damien was her elder brother?


    As if things couldn¡¯t get anymoreplicated, he had to be my obstetrician¡¯s brother.


    ¡°I need to grab your medication, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The doctor said and left the room.


    Leaving me and Damien in the awkward silence. With how fast my heartbeat was, I feared my heart was about to rip itself out of my chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for barging in like that.¡± Damien started.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not offended.¡± I replied with a shaky smile.


    By the way, what is going on, Sofie? Is what my sister said the truth?¡± He calmly asked and I swallowed as I exhaled heavily.


    ¡°Yes, Damien, she¡¯s right. I¡¯m pregnant.¡± I nodded, and watched as his jaw cked in shock.

 Am I selfish?

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I smiled to myself as I watched the outside world from the ss walls of my office.


    The day had strangely gone quite well, and I was in a really great mood because Sofie and I were going on a dateter that day.


    My smile widened, as I steered my gaze to the small leather box that contained the custom-made choker I was nning on gifting Sofie.


    The choker was made by a well-known ne designer from Paris and I had to admit that I was really impressed with it.


    The design was intricately unique just like I wanted. It was a ck velvet choker that had some Italian words; L¡¯amato di Roman, engraved on it.


    The statement tranted to Roman¡¯s beloved in English, and I just hoped Sofie would be pleased with it.


    A knock on the door distracted me from my thoughts, and I quickly put the box away before sitting down.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I said and Nathan trekked in.


    ¡°Would you like me to drive you to the chairwoman¡¯s ce? Or are you going on your own, sir?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Nana has been asking to see you since she got out of the hospital, today would be a nice day to see her.¡± I responded, to which he nodded as I handed him my car keys and got up from the chair.


    I grabbed the box of choker ne, slipped it inside my briefcase before Nathan collected it from me, and led the way out of my office.


    ¡°Are we stopping by to pick miss Sofie?¡± He asked, switching on the ignition.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not. She¡¯ll visit Nanater.¡± I rified, to which Nathan nodded before steering the car out of the parking lot.


    Soon we got to Nana¡¯s ce, and Daniel came out, nked by two male servants.


    ¡°Young master, you are wee.¡± He bowed and the younger men followed suit.


    I pped his shoulder, ¡°Thanks. Is Nana awake?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Ever since you informed her of your visit today, she hasn¡¯t slept since she woke up. She seems better and less weak today.¡±


    ¡°Great. That¡¯s good to hear.¡± I nodded before turning to Nathan, ¡°Hand the keys over to him,¡± I gestured to the taller man servant.


    Nathan did as I said and afterward, we walked into the mansion, and I exchanged pleasantries with the servants who curtseyed to me.


    ¡°Romano, you came so early and I see you also brought a guest with you.¡± I heard a voice that was unmistakably Nana¡¯s utter behind me and I couldn¡¯t believe my ears at first, because the doctor had stringently advised her to do less of walking after her surgery.


    I turned around and lo and behold, she was really standing behind me with her walking sticks firmly rooted to the floor and a hearty smile framing her face.


    ¡°Nana, you shouldn¡¯t be walking around. The doctor warned you against straining yourself too much, didn¡¯t she? Why then are you up on your feet, couldn¡¯t you have asked the butler to get you whatever it was you wanted?¡± I softly chided, as I wrapped my arms around her shoulder.


    My heart lurched in my chest as I noticed how emaciated and frail she seemed in my hold, even though she was gazing up at me with a smile.


    The cancer had really taken a heavy toll on her.


    ¡°Please those doctors have no idea what they¡¯re saying. Just because I got a tiny surgery doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve suddenly beme. I¡¯ve been walking around the house as a form of exercise ever since the day I was discharged from the hospital and I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± Nana huffed, cupping my face with one hand.


    I just sighed and shook my head because I knew there was no way I could win in an argument with my grandmother.


    She was just too stubborn and headstrong. I had really taken after her.


    ¡°Good day, chairwoman. How are you feeling now?¡± Nathan asked and Nana turned to smile at him.


    ¡°Nathaniel, my boy. I feel as good as ever. How is your family doing?¡± She asked.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°They¡¯re going great, madam. Elena asked me to extend her greetings to you.¡±


    Nana nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Extend my warm regards to her and your children also. If you have time by the weekend, you and your family shoulde over for lunch, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    ¡°Oh, figlio. Forgive my inhospitality, I shouldn¡¯t make you stand like this. Let¡¯s head over to the sitting room.¡± Nana motioned toward Nathan.


    ¡°No, Nana. You are not going to the living room, you¡¯re going to rest in your bedroom and I won¡¯t take any excuses from you.¡± I cut in, to which Nana scoffed.


    ¡°Why do you all keep treating me like this? I¡¯m fine, let me do whatever I want.¡± She muttered as we trekked down the hallway to her room.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do whatever you want after resting for at least an hour. Only the heavens know if you¡¯ve been adhering to any of the doctor¡¯s instructions at all.¡± I countered which made her sigh.


    Nathan¡¯s phone then rang and he murmured an ¡°excuse me¡± before leaving.


    I helped Nana into bed, handed her a copy of one of her favorite books, made sure she wasfortable before taking my seat on the armchair opposite to her.


    ¡°So how is my granddaughter-inw doing?¡± Nana asked which made my lips unconsciously twitch with a smile.


    ¡°Nana, Sofie is doing great but please refrain from calling her that. At least for now.¡± I said and she gasped.


    ¡°At least for now? What is this I¡¯m hearing from you, Romano? Have you finally decided to marry her? Have you decided to give up your anti-marriage views?¡± She rambled out.


    ¡°I guess so but let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves, grandma. We¡¯re still taking it slowly, we want to get to know each other properly before we think about marriage.¡± I exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear, caro. You have no idea how happy I am to hear this. I really want to hold my great-grandchild or even children very soon.¡± Nana said, her eyes crinkling with a cheerful grin.


    ¡°Yeah, that is never happening.¡± I deadpanned and watched the smile instantly evaporate from her face.


    ¡°What? Why won¡¯t I have a great-grandchild?¡± She asked, confusion embedded in her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not having kids, grandma. I don¡¯t want them and no, I¡¯ll never change my mind no matter what happens.¡± I said nonchntly.


    Nana shook her head and heaved a sigh of resignation, ¡°Do whatever you want. You¡¯re an adult and I won¡¯t try to decide your life for you. I just hope you make reasonable decisions that won¡¯t ruin things in the future.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for understanding, ma.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, Romano. I¡¯m happy if you¡¯re happy.¡± She smiled which I returned.


    Someone knocked on the door, and I realized Nathan was still outside.


    ¡°Nathan, is that you?¡± I called out.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He yelled back.


    ¡°You cane in.¡± I said and the door creaked open as Nathan walked in.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry the call took so long.¡± He muttered, bowing to grandma.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, dear. It¡¯s fine.¡± Nana nodded, ¡°Have your seat.¡± She gestured to the chair beside me.


    As Nana and Nathan conversed, a thought crossed my mind and I couldn¡¯t help but ponder on it.


    Was I being selfish by not wanting to have a kid to carry on my legacy?

 Lie after lie

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Thanks a lot, Doctor Kylie.¡± I said, collecting the package which contained my medications from her.


    She waved it off with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss Sofie. You don¡¯t have to thank me for doing my job, what you have to do right now is to give yourself some peace of mind, okay? We don¡¯t want youing, and going out of the hospital when you¡¯re not even in the second trimester yet.¡±


    I nodded, lowering my gaze to the floor, as I felt the now familiar staggering guilt engulf me for the nth time that afternoon.


    The baby wasn¡¯t even born, yet I couldn¡¯t even protect them properly.


    Maybe Roman was right about not wanting to have kids. Maybe he really wanted to have kids but not with me. Maybe he had seen how clumsy and careless I could be that he didn¡¯t trust me enough to carry his kids.


    All sorts of torturous thoughts ran across my mind as I put the medications inside my bag.


    ¡°Sofie, do you have somewhere urgent to be right now?¡± Damien¡¯s voice rang into my ears and dragged me out of my agonizing thoughts.


    Right, Damien. I had almost forgotten about him and the impending doom that was about to befall me sooner than I thought.


    ¡°Uhm, no?¡± My voice was barely above a whisper.


    He nodded, ¡°Can I speak with you in a private ce?¡±


    My heart pounded with dread as I felt anxiety clog my chest, almost making it impossible for me to breath properly.


    What did he want to say? Was he going to mock me and afterward call Roman to tell him about my pregnancy?


    ¡°Sofie, are you listening to me?¡± Damien asked, flicking his fingers in front of my face.


    ¡°Y-Yes. I¡¯m sorry, I was thinking about something else. Sure, we can go somewhere private, where do you suggest?¡± I stuttered, shoving my mmy hands into my pants¡¯ pocket.


    ¡°There¡¯s a confectionery shop at the end of the street, Kylie and I like to eat there most times. Their cinnamon rolls are to die for.¡± Damien said excitedly but I was too engrossed in my misery to share some of his jolliness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go there then.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    We trekked to the parking lot, got into Damien¡¯s car and about fifteen minutester, we got to the snack shop.


    Damien ordered us some snacks, a ss of milkshake for me and a cup of coffee for himself, which I thanked him for but couldn¡¯t even work up an appetite to consume.


    We sat in the silence for a while until I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and I blurted out, ¡°Won¡¯t you ask me?¡±


    He frowned, ¡°Ask you what?¡±


    ¡°About my situation.¡±


    ¡°I was searching for the appropriate words because I didn¡¯t want to seem too forward.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°But since you started the conversation, I might as well ask you about it now.¡± He said, taking a sip of his beverage.


    I inhaled sharply, ¡°Okay, ask away.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re pregnant.¡± He began, to which I nodded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Does Roman know about it?¡± He asked the long-awaited question and my breath hitched my throat for a split second before I shook my head in negation.


    His eyes gaped in shock as he stared at me, ¡°Wait, why doesn¡¯t he know about it? What¡¯s going on? Or is the baby not his?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. The baby is his but he doesn¡¯t want it.¡± I muttered, causing Damien to frown.


    ¡°You just said he doesn¡¯t know about it, so how could he possibly not want a baby he doesn¡¯t even know about?¡±


    ¡°Well, I sorta asked him if he wanted a child and he told me he didn¡¯t an-¡±


    ¡°So you concluded on your own that he didn¡¯t want children?¡± Damien interrupted, raising a disbelieving brow.


    Hearing it like that made me feel stupid because Damien was right.


    I had jumped into conclusion withouting clean to Roman about my pregnancy.


    ¡°I guess you could say so.¡± I said with a shrug.


    My phone then chose that moment to ding with a text message from Roman which made shivers race down my spine.


    ¡°Excuse me, I have to reply to this.¡± I said to Damien, motioning to my phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    I nodded before unlocking my phone and swiping through the message he sent.


    It read; ¡°Hey, baby. I got off work earlier than I thought, would you like to get lunch together now, or are you still busy with your sses?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    My fingers nervously danced on the screen for some seconds while I pondered on how to reply him.


    Eventually, I chose to lie. So I typed back; ¡°Hi, my love. I¡¯m so sorry but I don¡¯t think our date for today would be possible. My sses today will end veryte in the evening, and I don¡¯t even know when the exact time will be. Let¡¯s postpone our date till tomorrow, I love you.¡±


    And with a deep sigh, I pressed send and ced my phone back on the table.


    ¡°It was a message from school about an impromptu ss we would be having tomorrow.¡± I lied freely and Damien just nodded.


    I had no idea why I was lying so unprovoked, and I just hoped my lies didn¡¯t end up biting me in the ass in the future.


    ¡°You have to tell him about the baby before things get out of hand, Sofie. I won¡¯t force you to nor will I tell him by myself but you really need to let him know about this. What if his reaction is better than you expected?¡± Damien suggested.


    ¡°You really think I should tell him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. You need to, you¡¯re carrying a child that is half-him, he deserves to know. Don¡¯t tell me you were nning on keeping it away from him forever.¡± He huffed incredulously.


    I couldn¡¯t defend myself, so I just settled on staring at myp.


    ¡°Sofie, that man is in love with you. I¡¯ve known him for decades and I know he is whipped as hell for you. I doubt he¡¯d hate you if he knew you were pregnant. He¡¯d be ted, I mean it.¡±


    ¡°No, he really doesn¡¯t want kids. He-¡± I sighed, ¡°He told me about your wife, I¡¯m sorry for your loss by the way.¡±


    Damien went silent then and just nodded wordlessly.


    ¡°He told me a lot of things and I know for sure that he doesn¡¯t want kids. He¡¯d never ept this child, Damien. Please respect my decision and don¡¯t tell him about this, can you do that for me?¡± I asked, gazing his eyes.


    He heaved a deep sigh and nodded, to my utter relief, ¡°Okay. I will, I really hope you make the best decision for you and the baby. And if you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know.¡± He said, pushing his business card toward me.


    I plucked the card from the table, ¡°Sure, I will. Thanks a lot, Damien.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± He replied.


    Momentster after I was done scarfing down the fluffy, jam-filled doughnuts and milkshake, we left the confectionery shop in Damien¡¯s car.

 Betrayed

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Make sure either you or any of the servants are always around Nana, okay? I don¡¯t want what happened today to ever repeat itself, am I clear?¡± I instructed Daniel, as Nathan flung open the car door.


    The older man bowed, ¡°Yes, young master. I promise to never neglect my duties in the future.¡±


    I pped his shoulder before getting into the car with Nathan following suit. He turned on the gas and then we set out to the mansion.


    ¡°By the way, sir. Alexander Guilon called at the office earlier today to set up a meeting with you and I declined it just like you demanded.¡± Nathan said, to which I nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s good of you.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t seem like he was going to back down, sir. He keeps saying he has something important to discuss with you, something rted to an abandoned gold mine that he recently just acquired.¡±


    Mild irritation sizzled within me as I clutched my hands into a fist and squeezed it into the car seat, almost making a punch mark into the leather.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Block everything concerning him then. Do I have to tell you that before you do it? I don¡¯t want to see or hear about that man again, are we clear? If I see that man within the four walls of mypany, Nathan, I will assume that you¡¯re not serious with your job and you don¡¯t want it.¡± I angrily gritted out.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    I just scoffed before looking out of the window, and I saw someone I didn¡¯t expect to see sitting in a confectionery shop.


    It was Sofie.


    Initially, I thought my eyes were ying tricks on me until Nathan spoke, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Miss Sofie, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± I muttered.


    I thought she had a ss today. Maybe it got cancelled.


    I ordered Nathan to park the car, so I could get a clearer view of her.


    It was then I noticed she was sitting opposite a man whose face was turned toward her but something was strange.


    Something about the man seemed familiar but I couldn¡¯t ce a finger on what it was.


    I decided to send her a text to see if we could go for our date earlier than I had nned.


    So I brought out my phone and sent a quick message which read; ¡°Hey, baby. I got off work earlier than I thought, would you like to get lunch together now, or are you still busy with your sses?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t deny the jealousy bristling within me as I stared at the faceless man. I guessed my possessiveness was worsening as the day went by.


    Soon I got a reply from Sofie which made a small smile curve my lips. The smile instantly dissipated as I read through her response which read; ¡°Hi, my love. I¡¯m so sorry but I don¡¯t think our date for today would be possible. My sses today will end veryte in the evening, and I don¡¯t even know when the exact time will be. Let¡¯s postpone our date till tomorrow, I love you.¡±


    I scoffed out a mirthless chuckle, as I took in the sight of Sofie nodding at whatever the man was saying, and inexplicable rage slithered through my veins.


    Sofie had lied to me.


    I felt the urge to go into the shop, and do something stupid but I held myself back, and just nodded at nothing.


    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving this ce until they leave. I need to see the son of a bi-¡± I squeezed my eyes closed for a split second to suppress my fury before continuing, ¡°I need to see the person she¡¯s with.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    After what felt like hours, Sofie and her mystery man trekked out of the shop and I was shocked out of my mind when I saw who the man was.


    It was none other than Damien, my close friend of many years meeting up with my woman.


    Various unhinged questions raced through my mind as I watched them get into the car, all smiley with each other like a newly-married couple.


    What could they be meeting up for? And why didn¡¯t I know about their meeting? Why did Sofie lie to me that she was in school when she was with Damien?


    It all bore down to a possible conclusion which weighed heavily on my mind; Sofie and Damien were cheating on me.


    But then again, they didn¡¯t exactly act like a couple; I didn¡¯t see them hug or kiss each other.


    Maybe they only did that behind closed doors.


    Sofie had even lied about her sses endingte in the evening when she wasn¡¯t even in school.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare make a snarky remark or else you¡¯ll lose your job this instant.¡± I red at Nathan as soon he opened his mouth to say something.


    He mped his mouth shut and nodded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Take me to the mansion.¡± I ordered, watching Damien¡¯s car diminish out of sight.


    ¡°Very well, sir.¡±


    When I got home, I ignored the butler and servants¡¯ greetings, headed straight to the bedroom to get changed into my gym clothes before heading downstairs to my private gym.


    There, I unleashed my pent-up anger and stress on the punching bag. I didn¡¯t even bandage my hands properly before putting on my boxing gloves.


    ¡°Damien, you bastard. You fucking piece of shit, you fucking betrayal. I¡¯ll kill you motherfucker, you dare meet up with my woman in private, huh?¡± I gritted out, picturing the punching bag as Damien.


    In my mind, I had already bludgeoned his head to the point where he was barely conscious.


    Blood was running down his head to the floor where it formed a mini pool of blood.


    Iughed manically as I continued hitting the punching bag, ignoring the fact that it now felt lighter and seemed like it was about to burst open.


    I stopped for a brief moment when my head started to spin with horrendous imaginations of Sofie and Damien naked and entangled in bed.


    The image was enough to drive me crazier.


    ¡°Fuck you, bastard!¡± I yelled on top of my lungs before I resumed punching the bag.


    At that moment, the immeasurable love I harbored for Sofie transformed into vitriolic hatred.

 Cold

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I heaved a sigh of despondence as my heart sunk to the pit of my belly, on sighting the imposing structure of Roman¡¯s estate.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± I mumbled quietly, to which Damien hummed.


    ¡°Do not hesitate to call me if you need anything, Sofie, and I mean literally anything, okay?¡± Damien uttered, unbuckling his seat belt and making to head out of the car.


    I deduced he wanted to assist me with the car door, so I quickly spoke, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can open the door on my own.¡±


    ¡°But seriously Sofie, don¡¯t forget to let me know if you need my help, and also please think carefully about this decision of yours to keep the pregnancy a secret from Roman.¡± He reiterated himself.


    ¡°The first one, I will. But the second one, I can¡¯t say.¡± I muttered, keeping my gaze rooted to the myp.


    I heard him sigh. ¡°I won¡¯t force you, I will try to respect your decision because after all, it is you who is carrying the child. Just make sure to take care of yourself and the little one inside you.¡±


    I was moved to tears at his statement, because it was the first time that someone else apart from the obstetrician knew about my baby and referred to it as a living person.


    ¡°Thanks for today, Damien. I¡¯ll head out now.¡± I said, my voice choked with suppressed sobs.


    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll keep in touch.¡± He nodded, to which I mirrored before I finally got out of his car and made my way into the mansion.


    When I got home, the house felt strangely cold, and quiet like something bad had happened or was about to happen, but I brushed the thoughts off as I trekked further into the house.


    ¡°Melissa, did something happen?¡± I asked her when she bowed to me.


    ¡°Nothing happened, ma¡¯am. Why did you ask?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason, I was just curious. Is Roman in?¡± I asked as I made to climb up the stairs.


    ¡°Yes, madam. He just got home a few minutes ago.¡±


    Guilt clenched my throat as I let out a shaky exhale and sent a nod toward Melissa¡¯s direction.


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t made up such an extreme lie.


    Now that I thought of it, I didn¡¯t even get a reply back from Roman.


    I trekked into our shared bedroom with mmy hands, and my heart violently throbbing within my chest and to my slight relief, Roman wasn¡¯t inside.


    The shower wasn¡¯t running either, so I deduced Roman wasn¡¯t in the bathroom.


    I made my way to the study where I was sure I¡¯d definitely find him but strangely, he wasn¡¯t in there either.


    I wondered where in the house he could be.


    I was about to saunter downstairs to ask Antonio for Roman¡¯s whereabouts when I heard someone yelling.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    The voice sounded like Roman¡¯s, so I went toward the direction and realized it wasing out from the private gym.


    I frowned in confusion because Roman had never used the gym since I moved into the mansion, he always went to a private gym with Damien, so him using the gym at that time of the day and also swearing angrily was quite strange.


    I knocked on the door thrice but he didn¡¯t answer and just kept yelling.


    I couldn¡¯t even make out what he was saying because it was a mixture of Italian and English.


    So I let myself in and the sight I beheld caused my eyes to widen in horror; Roman was boxing a punching bag and swearing at the poor equipment but the problem was that the punching bag had burst, and a mix of feathers and sand was now spilling out of it.


    ¡°Roman!¡± I screamed when I saw that he still wasn¡¯t stopping.


    It was only when I went behind him, and hit his shoulder that he finally registered my presence, and stopped his beastly behavior.


    ¡°Fuck, I really burst it.¡± He panted heavily before chuckling sardonically.


    ¡°W-What happened?¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°Sofie, you¡¯re back quite early. I thought you had a ss.¡± His voice came out in and cold which made me feel uneasy.


    ¡°Y-yeah but it got cancelled.¡± I lied, to which he huffed and just shook his head.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He said in a monotone before he sat on a bench and took off his boxing gloves, and bandage.


    Just okay. Nothing more, no cara, no tesoro or even doll.


    Absolutely nothing.


    Was he that upset that I had canceled the date?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, babe. I couldn¡¯t leave the ss even if I wanted to because it was mandatory to attend.¡± The lies fell out of my mouth with fluid ease which baffled me.


    I made to sit beside him and hook my arms around his neck when he got up and shook his head again.


    ¡°And I already said I was okay with it. You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± He replied harshly, without sparing me a nce before exiting the gym, leaving me all by myself.


    What had just happened? I wondered within myself as he violently mmed the door shut.


    I decided to give him some time before going after him because I didn¡¯t want his anger to intensify.


    When I strolled into the bedroomter that evening, Roman had already taken a shower and wasying in bed with a MacBook propped on hisp.


    He darted the most lethal stare toward me before averting his focus back to theputer.


    Something was now clear, it wasn¡¯t that he was just mad, he was really mad and it was at me.


    And it greatly disheartened me.


    I quietly went into the bathroom, took a shower and donned my nightwear before climbing into bed.


    To my utter despondence, Roman didn¡¯t even act like I existed.


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so I blurted out, ¡°Did I do something wrong? Why are you being so cold to me?¡±


    ¡°You know what, Sofie. I¡¯m really tired right now, today was not the best day for me, okay? So I¡¯m not in the mood to chat with you.¡± He said, with his gaze still rooted to the MacBook.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just feel uneasy since you aren¡¯t talking to me.¡± I muttered before scooting closer toward him to ce my head on his chest.


    I was shocked when Roman moved further away from me, and ced a pillow between him and I but I didn¡¯t utter a word, and just slept quietly with tears running down my face.


    For some reason, it felt like this was the beginning of trouble in our paradise.

 Brainwashed

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Make sure to attend the meeting with Mr Montez today on my behalf, okay?¡± I said, handing over the tablet to Nathan who nodded.


    I raised a questioning eyebrow at Nathan when he still remained standing in front of me, after I had instructed him on how to go about the schedule of the day.


    ¡°Yes. How may I help you? Why are you still here?¡± I asked.


    He shuffled in a spot before answering. ¡°I noticed you have been spending most of your time at the office, so I just wanted to know if everything is fine.¡±


    I frowned as I ced my pen on the table and observed Nathan.


    Since the past eight years that he had been working with me, he had never dared to ask me about my personal life and him asking at that moment made me feel somewhat pathetic.


    Did I look that heartbroken?


    ¡°Everything is fine, why do you ask?¡± I muttered coldly.


    ¡°Forgive my inquisitiveness, sir. My curiosity got the best of me when I noticed that for the past three days, you¡¯ve been going home quitete in the night and also arriving at work very early in the morning.¡± He said.


    ¡°So I can¡¯te into my ownpany whenever I like, is that it?¡± I harshly hurled.


    ¡°No, sir. That¡¯s not what I meant, sir. Please pardon my curiosity, excuse me, sir.¡± He rambled out in one breath, before scurrying out of my office.


    I just scoffed to myself as I watched the door close.


    It had been five days since I saw Sofie and Damien together, and three days since Ist spoke to Sofie.


    I always made sure I left the house before she woke up, and I only headed back home when I was sure she must have fallen asleep.


    I also had Melissa deliver breakfast, lunch, and dinner to my office because I was trying to avoid talking to Sofie by all means.


    For some reason, a tiny part of me felt bad for treating her like that without giving her the chance to exin herself but everytime I tried to mull over it, my anger toward Damien and her always overpowered my sense of reasoning by reassuring me that I was doing the right thing by avoiding her.


    My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, and I was almost tempted to curse at whoever it was.


    Nana¡¯s advice to always remain calm and collected in every situation I found myself, and to never take out my anger on innocent people rang in my ears, as I told the person toe in.


    ¡°President Giovanni, I finally meet you after a month of you ignoring mine and my assistant¡¯s emails.¡± Alexander Guilon said as he strolled into my office with a snarky grin curving his mouth.


    Angrily, I sprang up from my seat with my nails digging into the hard mahogany of my desk, ¡°Who the hell let you inside mypany?¡±


    Nathan rushed in and bowed to me, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir. I have no idea how he sneaked past sec-¡±


    ¡°Just get out and take him along with you. If he¡¯s still here after a minute passes, you¡¯re fired.¡± I threatened, to which Nathan nodded before he motioned the man to move.


    Alexander chuckled and shook his head before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not here to discuss business with you, President Giovanni. I¡¯m here to tell you something important about your fianc¨¦e, Sofie Diaz.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    That instantly got my attention and I gazed up at the man, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m here to tell you something about Miss Sofie Diaz. We have quite an history together and I must say, you wouldn¡¯t want your assistant to hear about it.¡± He said andughed mischievously.


    ¡°Leave us alone, Nathan.¡± I ordered, and Nathan stared at me like I had just spoken Latin.


    ¡°Sir, you want me to leave him with you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Have you suddenly gone deaf? Leave us the fuck alone and get back to work.¡± I spat, and he briskly bowed before exiting the office.


    ¡°You may take your seat.¡± I said to Alexander whose eyes were now roaming around the room.


    ¡°Before you start uttering gibberish, let me start by telling you that you have just five minutes to tell me whatever bullshit it is you have to say before I throw you out of mypany.¡± I uttered as he sat down.


    Alexander nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be quick.¡±


    ¡°You know Sofie and I almost got married some months ago but something happened a-¡±


    ¡°I know about that, her parents wanted to force her to get married to you.¡± I cut him off and heughed as he pped his hands.


    ¡°Is that what she told you?¡± He asked which made my brows furrow in a frown.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡±


    Alexander shook his head. ¡°Sofie lied to you. She was so excited about getting married to me but all of a sudden, she decided to call out engagement off because I didn¡¯t agree to her demands. I know this may sound like a lie to you but it¡¯s the truth. I have proof to back it up.¡± He said, cing a receipt on the desk.


    I eyed him before observing the receipt. It was a receipt for a 3 carats diamond ring which dated back to ten months ago.


    ¡°So? This doesn¡¯t prove anything.¡± I scoffed and the man nodded.


    ¡°I know but this is the biggest proof.¡± He said, unfolding a piece of paper and sliding it toward me.


    I shook my head before scanning through the contents of the paper.


    I let out an incredulousughter as my eyes roamed across the document again which stated that after marrying Alexander, Sofie would get fifty percent of his wealth.


    But what baffled me the most, was the fact that Sofie¡¯s signature was really engraved at the bottom of the document and like the receipt, it also dated back to ten months ago.


    ¡°That girl is nothing but a filthy golddigger. She wanted fifty percent of my hard-earned wealth simply because I wanted to get married to her. When I told her I could only manage thirty percent, she broke up with me and decided to start using that silly narrative that her parents wanted to force her to be my wife to gain sympathy, and probably money too.¡± Alexander said as I ced the paperwork on the table.


    I had no idea what to believe at that moment as I looked from Alexander to the document.


    ¡°Be careful with that girl, that is my advice for you.¡± He continued before ncing down at his wristwatch, ¡°I guess my time is up, I¡¯ll see myself out.¡±


    I watched him leave with various unbridled thoughts assailing my mind.


    One part of me believed him, while the other part of me waspletely torn between believing the evidence that wasid in front of me or choosing to remain oblivious.


    I had no idea what to do.

 An embarrassing ordeal

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I sighed as I turned sideways with my hands caressing my belly.


    I was gradually gaining weight, and my clothes were starting to get tighter around my waist.


    I had changed my clothes thrice that morning and still, I couldn¡¯t find something to fit in.


    The funniest thing was that my stomach had not even rounded to the slightest of bumps, but I was rapidly gaining weight.


    With a deep exhale, I changed into a pair of joggers and sweatshirt as they were the only clothes that I couldfortably fit into.


    Soon, I was on my way to a boutique to get some maternity clothes.


    But while I was in the taxi, I caught a glimpse of a beautiful pink sundress through a ss window, and before my brain could process the gorgeousness of the dress, I told the driver to stop and I paid him.


    ¡°Wee, Miss. What would you like to get from us today?¡± A smily-faced, young woman asked, as I sauntered into the ss building of the boutique.


    ¡°That.¡± I said, pointing to the flowery dress.


    She followed my stare to the cloth before nodding. ¡°Very well, ma¡¯am. Would you like to get something else, or will that be all?¡±


    I was about to nod when I saw a gorgeous skirt on the first aisle, so I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯d like to look around a little longer.¡±


    I smiled to myself as I felt the soft, cotton material of the skirt, it was really going to be a nice purchase.


    Some days ago, Roman had mentioned how much he wanted to see my legs in skirts, so what time other than that moment was right to get one?


    Thinking about Roman made something hard and heavy clog my throat as I realized it had been four days since Ist saw him.


    He was always out of the mansion before I woke up, and back home veryte at night.


    It was so obvious that he was avoiding me, but the frustrating thing was that I neither had no idea why he was doing that nor did I know what my offence toward him was.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to take this skirt too.¡± I said to the attendant who nodded before retrieving the skirt from the rack.


    ¡°Are you done now, ma?¡± She asked, to which I shook my head as I grinned sheepishly.


    I still hadn¡¯t shopped for maternity clothes.


    ¡°Well, well, well. Look who is here.¡± I heard an eerily-familiar, taunting voice drift into my ears as I was about to stroll toward the maternity aisle.


    That screechy and extremely irritating voice could only belong to the most annoying bitch in the world.


    Lana.


    I darted her a mocking smile as I spun around to face her. ¡°If it isn¡¯t the one and only ssless Lana.¡±


    Her face instantly became devoid of color as she red at me, if there was something I found funny about Lana, it was the fact that she always wore her emotions on her sleeve.


    The fact that she was so easy to mock and unnerve always gave me some sort of wicked thrill.


    ¡°You fucking bitch, you better mind the way you speak to me.¡± She spat, menacingly advancing toward me with a raised hand.


    I justughed as I moved closer to her, to show her that I wasn¡¯t in the slightest bit scared of her.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t, what can you do? You are all words and no action, coward Lana. You are all bark and no bite.¡± I sneered in her face.


    She was about to utter a retort when a tall, skinny woman with long, blonde hair walked into the aisle and asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Lana? I thought you liked the purse.¡±


    When Lana didn¡¯t say anything, the woman darted me a dirty re. ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the bitch I told you about. The golddigging whore who has Roman wrapped around her fingers.¡± Lana scoffed as she looked over to the woman.


    ¡°Oh. So this is it?¡± She made a nasty gesture with her hand at me. ¡°Roman¡¯s standards are below the ground at this point because why would he choose such a in-looking woman like this?¡±


    Their words were gradually starting to get on my nerves, but I was determined to keep my cool, so I just smiled at Lana¡¯s bitchy friend. ¡°Sweetie, Roman¡¯s standards fell through the ground the moment he started dating your friend.¡±


    ¡°What did you just say, you slut?¡± Lana yelled before lunging herself at me and pulling me by my hair.


    I felt immense anger and pain at that moment, as her friend pulled out her phone and started recording whileughing.


    ¡°You heard me right or have you gone deaf now?¡± I screamed as I also pulled her by hair, eliciting a startled screech from her.


    ¡°Let go of me right now before I lose it.¡± She shouted, and I just snorted as I tightened my grip on her hair.


    ¡°You started it first, so let me go, Lana!¡± I yelled back.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, what is happening here?¡± I heard the shop attendant wail, I didn¡¯t even notice her walking in.


    Out of shame, I decided to let Lana go but apparently, Lana had other ns as she suddenly pulled me tighter by my hair. ¡°You stupid lowlife, I will kill you today!¡±


    ¡°Let go, Lana.¡± I screamed, as I felt my scalp burn with immeasurable agony.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Roman¡¯s standards were through the floor when he began dating me, huh?¡± Lana fumed, ¡°I¡¯ll show you your ce today. I¡¯ll make sure you leave here bald and without your dignity.¡±


    ¡°She has no dignity, babe. Have you forgotten?¡± Lana¡¯s friend chirped in.


    ¡°Please stop this, madam. The police are already on their way.¡± The attendant pleaded but all her words fell on deaf years as Lana continued assaulting my hair.


    ¡°And what the hell is going on here?¡± I heard the unmistakable raspy baritone of Roman¡¯s voice and instantly, Lana freed me.


    How did he even know I was there?


    I turned to gaze at him, but he had a murderous re fixated on Lana, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. I can exin.¡±


    ¡°Good. Lana, you should start exining and your exnation better sound believable at least to my ears because I know how much of an expert you are at making things up.¡± He gritted out which caused my jaw to ck in a mixture of confusion and shock.


    Although, he was talking to Lana, I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly scared.

 Right in front of me

    Chapter 64 Right in front of meThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Roman


    ¡°When did I ever make things up, Roman? What have I ever done to you to make you hate me so much? Please tell me, so I can make a full atonement. It hurts s-¡±


    I inhaled deeply as I felt the familiar surge of anger simmer within me.


    ¡°Enough of that stupid pretentious acting of yours, what I want from you is to leave me the fuck alone, Lana. Get out of my life, I never want to see you again. I swear to the heavens, the next time you try this bullshit with my fianc¨¦e, I¡¯ll have you arrested before filing a restraining order, am I clear?¡± I gritted out.


    A stray, crocodile tear rolled down Lana¡¯s face as she shook her head. ¡°Where exactly did I go wr-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your bullshit.¡± I cut her off before turning to Sofie whose eyes were fixated on my face.


    I fought the urge to snarl at her, as the thought of her betrayal floated into my mind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, have you paid yet?¡± I asked, and she shook her head.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, and just walked to the checkout desk to pay for everything she had bought, then afterward, we walked past Lana and her scantily-d friend to my car.


    As Sofie and I walked, I could sense her stare burning into my back, and the impending question I knew she was about to ask.


    ¡°They started it first, I never meant to drag anyone¡¯s hair.¡± She mumbled.


    Cool, it wasn¡¯t a question.


    I paid no mind to her and remained silent as Nathan flung the car door open.


    ¡°By the way, how did you know I was shopping there?¡± She finally asked the question I was waiting to hear.


    Guilt enveloped me as my mind raced back to earlier that morning, when I had installed a tracking app on Sofie¡¯s phone while she was asleep to monitor every of her movement.


    I knew it was a shallow thing to do.


    I had really stooped so low but I couldn¡¯t help it, I had to confirm everything Alexander Guilon had told me.


    I needed to know if Sofie was just putting on a facade.


    I yearned to seek the truth about her.


    I needed to know if she was truly a golddigger, and I also wanted to catch Damien and her red-handed in the act.


    ¡°I had stuff to do around here, and I saw you walk in.¡± I said, looking straight ahead.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    I just hummed in response.


    ¡°Thanks for doing that earlier, anyway. I was scared for the b-¡± She cut herself short with a gasp which caused me to avert my stare on her.


    I just quirked an eyebrow but didn¡¯t utter a word.


    Her phone then rang at that moment and in spite of myself, I stealthily steered my gaze to the screen to get a glimpse of the caller id and the name I saw made my blood boil with ferocious ire.


    It was Damien.


    I inwardly scoffed when I saw the way Sofie became tense, and her face turned crimson red.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t want to answer his call in my presence, she had to keep up with her game of pretense.


    I watched her type something on her phone before turning it face down on herp.


    Maybe she had just set up an appointment to meet with him at his house or probably an hotel.


    Internally, I debated on installing a call and message tracking app on her phone without her knowledge but eventually, I decided against it.


    I had already stooped beyond low, and I didn¡¯t want to go lower.


    I just had to find a way to break up with her before our contract ended, so I could be free from her wayward lifestyle as soon as possible.


    ¡°Do you want to go on a movie date tonight?¡± Sofie asked, as the car screeched to a stop in front of my mansion.


    I willed away the impulse to snap at her as we walked into the house. ¡°No. I have something important to do.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow then? I heard this new romantic thriller will be showing in cinemas tomorrow, let¡¯s go for that.¡± She chattered excitedly as she hooked our arms together.


    I threw a icy re at her, and instantly, she unlooped her arm from mine.


    The silence between us was tension-filled and awkward but I simply couldn¡¯t bring myself to care.


    I didn¡¯t care about the way Sofie¡¯s shoulder sagged in miserable surrender nor did I care about the sad pout mping her lips.


    And no, I wasn¡¯t forcing myself to believe it because I knew within myself that something between us had changed for the worst.


    But you defended her against Lana, a voice within me countered and I instantly shook it off.


    I didn¡¯t care about Sofie anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have lunch in the study.¡± I said to Melissa, as she relieved me of my briefcase.


    I didn¡¯t bat an eyelid at the shocked stare Sofie darted toward me, and just climbed up the stairs to the bedroom to change into a causal outfit.


    Afterward, I trekked to my study and some minutester, my meal was brought in.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to savor the food because my head was filled with thoughts of Sofie and Damien.


    I wondered what they both thought of me. I wondered when they started meeting each other behind my back.


    I wondered if they thought of me as nothing but a stupid fool who couldn¡¯t even decipher whether or not a woman was truly in love with him.


    It waste in the evening when I finally left the study to the bedroom, with the hopes of finding Sofie asleep.


    Fortunately, she had fallen asleep.


    She looked so peaceful and innocent that I couldn¡¯t help but move closer to her to get a close-up view of her face.


    I was about to caress her face when I realized what I was doing and immediately, I withdrew my outstretched hand, changed into my nightwear before sliding under the covers.


    I wondered how long I was going to continue living like that; with so much loathe and venom toward Sofie in my heart.

 His inexplicable behavior

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I had a dream; a weird, obscene dream.


    In my vile dream, Roman was on top of me, kissing me with such ferociousness and fervor that it felt as though I was just a prostitute he had paid to fuck, and not his girlfriend.


    He was trailing harsh hickeys down from my jaw down to the cleavage of my chest while muttering angry italian words whose meanings I couldn¡¯t decipher.


    In a bid to stop the mad dream from continuing, I forced my eyes open with a loud gasp, but my eyes only widened in horror to the size of saucers when I realized my dream was not only real but even more horrible to view in reality.


    Roman was really on top of me, and was really trailing rough kisses down the slope of my chest.


    He fisted one of my boobs with a hand, while the other hand rapidly unbuttoned my night shirt with an hasty intensity that greatly baffled and scared me.


    ¡°W-what is this, Roman? What the hell are you doing?¡± I attempted to bark at him but my voice only came out in form of a timid whimper.


    Pushing him off me was typically impossible to do as the weight of his heavy muscles was easily twice my own.


    I could only try to stop him with my words, and even that didn¡¯t seem like it would work.


    ¡°Roman, please get off me. You¡¯re scaring me, I don¡¯t understand what I did to you that you keep torturing me like this.¡± I gritted out, as I felt him grope my core which was surprisingly wet, a great contrast to the trepidation brimming within me.


    ¡°You belong to me, Sofie. Nobody else especially not to that fucking bastard, do you understand me?¡± He continued, yanking my pants down with one angry pull and leaving my nakedness exposed to him.


    He grinned down at me, and I felt my heart lurch withplete panic because Roman wasn¡¯t the one staring down at me.


    It seemed as though a demon had possessed him, his eyes were bloodshot and there was no light in them.


    I gulped harshly as he shoved three fingers at one inside me and chuckled as his eyes darkened. ¡°You¡¯re still surprisingly tight but then again, when are you not? Even when I used to fuck you thrice a day, you were always taut.¡±


    A frown etched onto my face as I stopped squirming underneath him and looked straight into his lifeless eyes. ¡°What do you mean? What are you even saying?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I had just heard.


    Hell, I couldn¡¯t believe Roman had talked to me like I was just his slut in such a condescending manner.


    ¡°You are really good at this pretend game but you don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯ll make you talk by the time I¡¯m done with you.¡± He muttered, his voice deepening to a lower and darker crescendo.


    I yelped when he forcefully pushed his cock inside me, and without even giving me some seconds to adjust to the ever-increasing girth of him, he started pounding into me.


    He wickedly pummeled into me with a force that made my pussy burn, and I didn¡¯t mean in a pleasurable manner, it was so painful that I just started crying quietly.


    I didn¡¯t want him to get mad at me, and do something worse to me, so I justid there and took his hard thrusts like a lifeless, sex doll.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Who was I kidding? I bet he saw me as a mere sex doll at that moment.


    Bile clogged my chest as he harshly gripped my jaw and shoved his tongue into my mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine, Sofie. You will never be his for as long as I live.¡± He barked, increasing the speed of his thrusts and literally hammering me to the bed.


    Who was he? What was he even going on about?


    I didn¡¯t have the effrontery to ask him that because I just wanted him to finish and get off me.


    Never in my wildest dreams had I envisioned that a day woulde when Roman would rape me.


    As much as I wanted to hate him for his disgusting act, I just couldn¡¯t.


    I loved him too much that it hurt me to see our rtionship crumble into something I couldn¡¯t even decipher.


    I wanted my Roman back, I wanted the Roman that handled me like I was an egg back. I wanted the Roman who called me all sorts of Italian pet names back.


    I didn¡¯t know who the monster that was atop me was, but all I knew was that he wasn¡¯t my Roman.


    After what felt like a torturous day in hell, he eventually stopped and pulled out of me but didn¡¯t get off.


    ¡°I should fuck you like this more. You should see yourself right now, you look like a slut. A submissive one.¡± He chuckled, and tears pooled in my eyes again.


    He was now tantly referring to me as his slut.


    Not his cara, I was just his slut.


    The smile evaporated from his face when I started weeping loudly.


    I expected him to make a nastyment but surprisingly, he didn¡¯t. Instead, he rolled off me and climbed down from the bed to the bathroom.


    Almost instantly, he reappeared with a wet towel and gently cleaned me up as if he hadn¡¯t forcefully had sex with me, a few minutes ago.


    He was confusing me and it was really infuriating.


    Afterward, he rewore my nightwear for me before pulling on his joggers and a tank top, which were previously discarded on the floor.


    He fixated an almost remorseful stare on me for a brief moment and I couldn¡¯t help the scoff that escaped through my mouth.


    ¡°You have gotten what you wanted now, right?¡± I whispered, averting my gaze to the ornate ceiling of the room.


    Roman just huffed as his almost remorseful stare reverted to a cold demeanor before he walked out the room without bothering to give me a response.


    As the door mmed shut, I fluttered my eyes shut and burst into another round of fresh tears.


    What had my life be?

 Holding myself back

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Give me the strongest drink you have.¡± I muttered, plopping on the bar stool.


    The waitress darted me a smile as she nodded before getting the equipments for mixing the drink ready.


    I sighed heavily, as I felt the blood vessels inside my head throb with a migraine.


    The thoughts of the night before invaded my mind for the umpteenth time, and my heart lurched with guilt.


    No matter how much the alcohol I drank was, I just couldn¡¯t shake the image of Sofie staring up at me, her coffee eyes misty with unshed tears and atrocious hatred for me.


    I had no idea what possessed me to take Sofie in the most painful way without her permission. Although a part of me hated her for lying to me, that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to harm her.


    I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to apologize to her, because I felt both hurt and disgusted toward myself.


    The flowery oud scent of an exotic perfume wafted into my nostrils, as I felt a shadow loom beside me.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care about whoever the person was as I collected my drink from the waitress with a muffled ¡®thanks.¡±


    ¡°Hey, baby boy.¡± I heard the person say but I just scoffed and gulped down my alcohol without paying attention to them.


    ¡°Ooh, cold. But don¡¯t worry, I love a man with an icy demeanor just like you, y¡¯all know how to spice things up in bed.¡± The person chuckled, and I just snorted to convey my disinterest.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± I mumbled in the coldest tone I could muster.


    I felt a hand slide up my thigh, beside my crotch and I finally whipped my head sideways to dart her a menacing re.


    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± I spat, forcefully shoving her hand off my thigh.


    She didn¡¯t seem mad, instead she looked amused as she rolled her eyes and cleared her throat, ¡°You¡¯re no fun, so fucking boring.¡±


    ¡°If being boring means I¡¯m not interested in having sex with a ssless stranger at a bar, then yes, I am.¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Arrogant bastard.¡± She snickered as she got up from the stool and headed to a dark corner of the bar.


    I just shook my head as the waitress filled my now-empty ss again while sending me a sheepish look.


    ¡°You didn¡¯te with your friend, today.¡± She said, sliding the drink toward me.


    I failed to suppress the scowl that captured my face at the indirect mention of Damien.


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t.¡± I replied inly, and she cocked a befuddled brow.


    ¡°That¡¯s new, since you both became regr patrons here, you¡¯ve never visited here alone. Is he on a trip or something?¡± The waitress pushed on, and I could feel my patience thinning with every passing second.


    She¡¯s not the cause of your misfortune, so why are you getting mad at her? A voice inside my head quipped and I couldn¡¯t help but agree.


    She was just being nice and asking after her client, she didn¡¯t know something was up between Damien and I.


    ¡°Oh, there he is, he¡¯sing over here.¡± She said, her eyes lighting up with a smile as she looked past me.


    I followed her gaze and ire simmered within me on sighting him.


    It was Damien in flesh and blood.


    He had a stupid smile stered to his face as he walked closer to us.


    The urge to lunge myself at him, and bludgeon his face with my knuckle until his face became a bloody mess stirred inside me but I suppressed it.


    I just ignored him, and steered my attention back to the alcohol I was nursing.


    ¡°A lovely evening to you, Shnda.¡± Damien greeted the waitress whose smile widened.


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice to see you, sir. I just asked about you from your friend.¡± She said, gesturing to me.


    ¡°My schedule has been really tight nowadays, so I haven¡¯t really had the time for my social life. How is business going by the way?¡± He asked, to which she nodded.


    Yeah, I bet his schedule was really tight. He had to have fun with Sofie, pretend to be my good friend and also run his firm.


    He was really an hardworking bastard.


    ¡°Great. Thanks for asking, sir. What drink would you like to have?¡±


    ¡°My usual.¡± He winked at her and sheughed before excusing herself.


    ¡°Hey, man. What¡¯s up with you nowadays? You neither answer calls nor do you reply my texts, what¡¯s going on?¡± Damien rambled out as he took his seat on the bar stool beside me.


    ¡°Work is really hectic. I have tons of proposals to review.¡± I muttered, sparing him the slightest of nces.


    ¡°Oh. You could at least text back, you know? You had me worried, I thought something happened to you.¡± He said, patting my shoulder.


    Of course, he¡¯d be worried about me.


    The fucking nerve he had to pretend to care about me.


    ¡°Do you have Sofie¡¯s contact with you? My phone is dead, let me borrow yours.¡± I lied, outstretching my hand toward him.


    Damien froze for a millisecond before huffing. ¡°Dude, why would I have her contact with me?¡±


    ¡°Right. I forgot, I¡¯m starting to get tipsy. For a second, I thought you guys hung out.¡± I feigned an amused chuckle.


    ¡°No, man. She¡¯s your woman, why would I hang out with her? Wouldn¡¯t that be breaking the bro code?¡± Damienughed along.


    I shook my head as Iughed harder, I couldn¡¯t believe Damien could be such a pathological liar.


    ¡°Right, you¡¯d never hang out with my girl, would you?¡± I prodded, swirling my drink.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Of course not, that can almost be considered cheating. What would we even discuss?¡± He shook his head and smacked my chest.


    I guessed I really seemed stupid and extremely gullible that my best friend of over a decade was lying so casually to my face.


    I just had to get tangible evidence that they were both cheating before exposing them.


    ¡°Right. What would you discuss?¡± I reiterated his words with an amused tone.


    Heughed as he collected his drink from the waitress and we clinked our sses together.


    I will end you, Damien, I thought as he brought the ss to his lips.


    I would be his worst nightmare very soon.

 The deadbeat dad

    Lana¡¯s POV


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe Roman had the audacity to embarrass you in front of that gold digger.¡± My best friend, Jessica Coleman said as the maid poured us two sses of iced whiskey.


    ¡°That bastard will pay for his actions, and I really mean it. I¡¯m going to take the most important thing in his life away from him, then he¡¯d have no option but to return to me.¡± I giggled, but my short moment of manic excitement was cut short by the maid¡¯s clumsiness.


    She had tripped and in the process¨Cshe had broken the half-filled bottle of whiskey.


    ¡°Please pardon my mistake this once, Madam Lana. I didn¡¯t look where I was going, ma.¡± She knelt, begging profusely and not daring to look me in the eye.


    ¡°You stupid imbecile, is that bottle too heavy for you to carry? Do you know how expensive that whiskey is? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure you use your miserable, meager sry to pay for it, now get your useless self out of my sight, fool!¡± I barked, and she cowered but nevertheless, she scrambled off the floor and scurried away with the ss shards.


    ¡°She¡¯s a very stupid girl, that one. She doesn¡¯t even know the value of money, she thinks because she gets to have breakfast, lunch and dinner in my house, she can do whatever she wants.¡± I gruffed.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you give lowlifes too much liberty, they begin to think that they are also part of us, useless girl. Don¡¯t let her stupidity get on your nerves.¡± Jessica replied, to which I huffed.


    ¡°What was I even saying before that girl interrupted us with her clumsiness?¡±


    ¡°Something about making Roman regret embarrassing you.¡± She supplied, and I nodded.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ve got everything nned, I¡¯m just waiting for the right moment to strike, I want to cause Roman double the agony he caused me. I will make him wish he never left him, I will destroy him.¡± I chuckled to myself as I brought the ss of whiskey to my lips.


    ¡°Care to let me in on your ns?¡± Jessica prodded, and I responded by shaking my head in negation.


    I watched, amused as she rolled her eyes, ¡°Why? I¡¯m really curious, Lana.¡±


    Jessica was the loudest chatterbox I knew, and the only reason I kept her as my best friend was because she knew other chatterboxes that gave her legit information about thetest happenings.


    If I made the grave mistake of telling her about my ns, she would ruin it for me by announcing it to the whole of America.


    ¡°The n is not really done yet, sugar. When it is, you¡¯d be the first one to know. After all, you also have a big role to y in that n.¡± I fibbed.


    Her eyes instantly lit up with a grin. ¡°Really? I have a role in your n? Oh my goodness, now I really can¡¯t wait to find out what it is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, babe. You do.¡± I lied again, and her grin widened.


    She was just so gullible and clueless.


    It was so easy to fool her because she had the brain of a cockroach.


    The only thing she knew how to do was sleep with men who held high positions in the government¨Cto fund hervish lifestyle.


    Unlike me, she wasn¡¯t privileged to be born with a silver spoon in her mouth.


    Even though my deadbeat of a father had abandoned my mum and I after my birth, I still grew up in a rich household because my grandparents were very wealthy.


    My brows furrowed in a frown, as a maid walked toward me and bowed.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Madam Lana, the chairman would like to see you in his study.¡± She replied.


    I rolled my eyes in annoyance as a hiss escaped my lips.


    What the hell did he want now? I had almost forgotten he was in the house.


    I had no idea what he was even doing in the house, since he had told me the mansion belonged to me and he wanted to stay out of my way.


    He was never a man of his words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, Jessie. Let me go see to what the old man wants.¡± I said.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll wait.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I nodded before walking past the maid to the study while willing my countenance to seem less disgusted.


    I inhaled deeply before knocking on the door twice and pushing it open.


    He was sat behind his desk with a smile on his face and a phone ced against his ear.


    I took a seat in front of him and waited for him to finish his call as I looked around the study to entertain myself.


    Although I had been staying in the house for almost a month, that was the first time I was entering the study and based on how boring the atmosphere was, I didn¡¯t think I was going to go back there out of my own free will.


    On his desk was a shiny silvery namete which had his name; Alexander Guilon, inscribed on it.


    ¡°Hey, princess.¡± He grinned. ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, we are not close. Just because you gave me a ce to stay doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve epted you as my father.¡± I snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lana. I know I will never be able to fully atone for being a deadbeat but I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me one day.¡± He said, guilt evident in his countenance.


    I just rolled my eyes in response, ¡°Did you call me here for this?¡±


    ¡°No, dear. Of course not, I have a gift for you. Do you remember when I told you that I would do everything I could to make it up to you?¡±


    I frowned but nheless, I nodded. ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡±


    ¡°Take a look at that envelope.¡± He said, motioning to the brown envelope he slid toward me.


    I darted him a confused look before obliging his statement. My confusion grew further when I saw the contents of the envelope.


    It was a receipt for a 10 carats diamond ring which dated back to ten months ago.


    ¡°Okay, what am I supposed to do with this?¡± I asked, brandishing the paper in my hold.


    ¡°Oh, my bad. I wasn¡¯t supposed to show you that.¡± He threw me a sheepish look before pushing another envelope toward me.


    I shook my head before opening the envelope and the content made me smile; it was a marriage contract that stated Sofie would get fifty percent of his wealth when they got married and a strange signature which I deduced was Sofie¡¯s was also inscribed at the bottom of the document.


    But then something struck me, what could that even do?


    ¡°I know you¡¯re probably confused about this but I¡¯ll exin everything to you. I will take this to Roman and have him believe Sofie and I used to have something together, I hired the best signature forger in the whole of America for this.¡± He exined and I felt immense happiness pool inside me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything, your dad will take care of everything. You want that Giovanni boy, don¡¯t you?¡± He continued, to which I nodded eagerly.


    ¡°I do, dad. I really do.¡± I said.


    ¡°Y-you called me dad.¡± He stammered, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes at his glee.


    ¡°Yes, dad. You¡¯re my dad after all.¡± I feigned a smile.


    ¡°By the way, dad. I also have a n that I¡¯d need your help for. I want to get that leech out of Roman¡¯s life as soon as possible.¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing, flower. I¡¯ll do everything you want as long as it makes you happy.¡± He reached forward to hold my hand.


    I just smiled through my teeth, as I stylishly eased my hand out of his hold.


    Maybe my deadbeat dad could really be useful after all.

 The peace offering

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Did you hear about the professor from the faculty of botany? Allegedly, she had sex with five male professors in her faculty, and was caught on camera, and now the professors are getting fired while she¡¯s getting her license revoked, I mean how crazy is that?¡± Katie rambled, as we ced our food trays on the cafeteria table before taking out seats.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s crazy. It¡¯s really crazy.¡± I muttered, cutting the ham on my te into smaller pieces.


    Katie dropped her cutleries, bunched her hands below her jaw and darted me a pointed look which caused me to sigh and also drop my own cutleries.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m saying, do you?¡± She huffed.


    I made an offended noise as I red weakly at her, ¡°I do. You were saying something about a professor who had sex with five other professors, no?¡±


    She shook her head and said, ¡°Okay, fine. You were listening but your mind is clearly not here, what¡¯s going on with you? I noticed you¡¯ve been spacing out since the week began but today is the worst. You literally almost tripped down the stairs earlier on our way to theboratory. Is everything alright with you?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± Iughed, in attempt to seem nonchnt but from the unchanging pointed look rooted to Katie¡¯s face, I deduced my attempt had failed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you tell me.¡± She huffed before adding, ¡°But seriously, babe. You know you can always tell me everything that¡¯s bothering you right? As they say, a problem shared is a problem half solved, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I nodded, already resigned, ¡°Yes, it is. I don¡¯t even know how to begin exining this to you because even I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with him.¡±


    I could feel my face heat up with ire, as my eyes welled up with tears of frustration.


    ¡°Him? Your fianc¨¦e?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my fianc¨¦e. I don¡¯t know if that term is valid anymore, I don¡¯t even know what my position in his life is at this point.¡± I sniffled, and Katie casted me a sympathetic gaze as she handed me an handkerchief.


    ¡°Is it that bad? And you didn¡¯t say anything all these while, I could have at least listened to all your worries.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I felt bad and I didn¡¯t want to bother you with unimportant stuff.¡± I muttered, dabbing my undereye with the hanky.


    She made a disagreeing sound as she looked me in the eye. ¡°No, Sofie. Don¡¯t say that, your problems are not unimportant seeing how bad they have taken a toll on you. Nowadays, you look stressed all the time and today, you even have dark undereye circles.¡±


    I rubbed harder at my eyes as if that could somehow make my dark circles disappear, as the horrendous memories of the night before filled my mind.


    How Roman had forcefully had his way with me while treating me like his slut.


    I badly wanted to scrub the images off my mind because they badly tortured me but I just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°You know what, Katie? I¡¯m really grateful for your concern but I¡¯ll take care of it, I¡¯m sure I can do it. Please don¡¯t attempt to change my mind because I won¡¯t budge.¡± I said, with a newly-found resolve etched in my mind.


    I had to put an end to whatever the issue was between Roman and I.


    If he didn¡¯t want to tell me about my offense, I would pry it out of his mouth.


    Even if he decided toe home in the middle of the night, I would wait up for him to settle it once and for all, and if my attempt at reconction failed, I¡¯d get out of his life just like I had nned without a word.


    The heavens would surely know I tried my best.


    Katie stared at me like I had gone mad. ¡°Are you sure about that? Can you really take care of it?¡±


    ¡°One thousand percent sure. I can do it, the rest of our sses for today have been cancelled, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Cool, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then. Take care.¡± I rapped out in a breath as I hooped my bag around my shoulder.


    ¡°Ba-¡±


    ¡°Also, please help me with my food tray. Bye.¡± I patted her shoulder before making my way out of the cafeteria.


    To my utter relief, I spotted an empty taxi as soon as I reached the bus stop and got into it after telling the driver my destination.


    We soon got to Roman¡¯s estate and I paid the driver before alighting from the taxi.


    Afterward, I headed into the house, took a nice, cold shower and flung on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt.


    Then, I headed into the kitchen and quietly watched Melissa and the maids prepare dinner.


    When they were done, they served me and they all retired for the day to their respective quarters except for Melissa.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Madam Sofie, aren¡¯t you going to sleep? It¡¯s quitete already.¡± She said, to which I smiled.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. You should head over to your quarters, I will take care of Roman¡¯s meal when he gets back.¡±


    She looked at me in shock as if I had just stabbed her in the stomach, ¡°What? No, I can¡¯t allow you do that. The young master won¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Melissa. I said it¡¯s fine.¡± I said.


    She remained quiet, clearly hesitating on whether to listen to me or not.


    ¡°Very well then, madam. I¡¯ll be off to my quarters but please do let me know if you need anything.¡± She said.


    I nodded. ¡°Sure, Melissa. Good night.¡±


    ¡°Have a goodnight too, ma.¡± She bowed, before leaving.


    Soon enough, I heard the sound of Roman¡¯s car horning and my heart lurched with immediate trepidation.


    My hands became mmy with anxiety as he strode into the house with a in expression.


    Our gazes locked and he scowled, I knew I had to say something before he walked past me but my mouth only opened and closed noiselessly like a fish out of water.


    I then decided to clear my throat to gain his attention, and thankfully, that worked as he stilled in his steps.


    ¡°Roman, w-we need to talk. About us, about whatever is going on with you. I do-¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we need to talk about, Sofie. You can clearly see how tired I am, I need to sleep.¡± He said coldly and made to continue walking.


    ¡°You keep saying that but I know something is wrong. I don¡¯t know what I might have done to you that caused this sourness and I really want to know. I can¡¯t sleep well at night because of this, Roman.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know, huh?¡± He scoffed as he turned around, training a snicker on me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I really don¡¯t.¡± I sniffled, and his scowl faltered for a split second before it returned again.


    ¡°You lied to me, Sofie. There are a lot of mistakes I can ept from you but I can never ept you lying to me. You had the effrontery to lie to my fucking face, Sofie, yet you still im you don¡¯t know what you did wrong, huh?¡± He gritted out.


    I felt my knees weaken in panic as his eyes darkened and he started advancing toward me.


    What was he going to do now? Would he physically assault me?


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Roman.¡± I stuttered, with tears running down my face.


    ¡°Okay, since you¡¯ve decided to y dumb, I¡¯ll remind you. Why were you in a confectionery shop with Damien on the day you lied and cancelled our date?¡± He thundered, and shivers raced through my spine as I held onto the dining table.


    He knew. He fucking knew!


    What do I say? Should Ie clean and tell him about my pregnancy?


    ¡°I-I can exin, p-please c-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your damn exnation, Sofie! Just answer the fucking question!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t tell you why I met with him. But I can assure you that it¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking.¡± I cried, which made him stop moving.


    He burst into a peal of mirthlessughter and shook his head, ¡°You can¡¯t tell me, I see. Now I know the kind of a gold digging whore that you are! You disgust me, Sofie and I curse the day I met you!¡±


    I shook my head fervently as I clung onto his arm for dear life, ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Please believe me, I¡¯m not cheating on you with Damien. I will never do that to you, j-¡±


    ¡°Get the fuck away from me, Sofie.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I¡¯m s-¡±


    ¡°Let go of me, you fucking bitch!¡± He barked, and flung me to the tiled floor.


    My hands instinctively flew to my stomach as I mulled over the fact that Roman had just called me a bitch.


    ¡°Such a fucking waste of space.¡± He muttered before storming out of the dining room.


    As I hugged myself tightly, and wept bitterly, one thing dawned on me;


    I was doomed.

 Revealed

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Postpone my meeting with the marketing team indefinitely and tell the team leader of the auditing department to meet me in two hours for a brief meeting.¡± I instructed Nathan, as we both walked into my office.


    We had just finished attending a meeting with some shareholders from otherpanies, and for some reason I couldn¡¯t quite fathom, most of them were asking to sell their shares to get their money back.


    ¡°Sir, Alexander Guilon has withdrawn from the business proposal, sir. He asked me to inform you.¡± Nathan said, as I sat on the swivel chair.


    My fave contorted into a frown, as I tried to deduce what could have brought the sudden withdrawal.


    The Alexander Guilon I knew had been quite desperate to form a business alliance with me, so having him cancel his plea to merge ourpanies was really strange to hear.


    I shook off the irritable memories of what had transpired between us, on thest day he had been to mypany as I scrolled through my tablet, to see the rest of my schedule for that day.


    Then, it dawned on me.


    Alexander Guilon had probably hatched a n with the other shareholders to sell their shares to me, and form a possible business alliance with themselves.


    I scoffed, and shook my head at the thought.


    I knew Alexander Guilon was a lot of things, but I didn¡¯t know he was that stupid to think it¡¯d be easy to gain most of my shareholders over.


    The old fool had probably forgotten that business was a dirty, tricky game for money-hungry people.


    I just had to make an attractive offer to the shareholders that they¡¯d immediately run back to mypany to buy more shares.


    I mean, who in their right minds would not want to be a shareholder of mypany?


    Alexander was such a stupid businessman.


    No wonder why that ungrateful gold digger called Sofie had almost managed to rip him off his generational wealth.


    ¡°Cancel the rest of my schedule for today. I don¡¯t want to see anybody, and you better adhere to my instructions. If anyone dares to walk through my office doors after I¡¯ve given you a sound warning to not allow anybody in, I¡¯ll fire you with immediate effect.¡± I said, darting Nathan a icy stare.


    He nodded fervently and bowed. ¡°Yes, sir. I won¡¯t make any mistake.¡±


    Afterward, he left and I poured my concentration onto the barrage of paperworks I had to review and sign before the day ended.


    Instinctively, my hand reached sideways for my cup of iced americano and I was displeased when I realized that it was empty.


    I clicked on the inte and said. ¡°Send someone in with two cups of iced coffee.¡±


    Minutester, a woman walked in with the coffee, quietly ced it on the table and bowed before exiting my office.


    I groaned inwardly, when after an hour the paperwork didn¡¯t seem to have reduced at all.


    But it was better to continue signing away, than mulling over the thoughts of Sofie¡¯s unfaithfulness.


    cing my pen on the desk, I wrung my neck sideways with my hands until the tensed muscles within cracked.


    Before another hour passed, I had gone through two more cups of iced americano.


    I didn¡¯t realize there was a knock on the door until Nathan walked in, looking sheepish.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been knocking for a while now but you didn¡¯t answer, so I let myself in, sir.¡± He exined, to which I nodded.


    ¡°Oh, I was probably caught up with these proposals,¡± I looked down at the heaps of documents, before gazing up at him. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Attorney Mauricio is waiting in the lobby, sir. Should I allow him in?¡± Nathan asked.


    I had never felt the urge to murder someone like I did at that moment, as I red at my assistant.


    ¡°Are you fucking stupid? Did I or did I not tell you that I didn¡¯t want to see anyone today?¡± I hurled at him.


    He cowered a little as he rambled out, ¡°You did, sir. I¡¯m sorry, sir. I wasn¡¯t sure that also applied to your friend, sir. Excuse me, sir.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to tell him now?¡± I huffed as he made to leave.


    He didn¡¯t say anything and just bowed.


    ¡°Keep ying with your job, Nathan. Just know that when I fire you, even Nana won¡¯t be able to plead with me to rehire you.¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡±


    ¡°Enough of that, let him in.¡±


    As Nathan walked out, I braced myself to see Damien and inwardly hoped I didn¡¯t jump him as soon as I saw him.


    ¡°Roman, what the hell is fucking wrong with you?¡± He hollered as he walked in.


    Ignoring my initial resolve to y cool, I got up, pocketed my hands and stood in the middle of the room, a few steps away from him.


    ¡°I should be asking you that, since you just came into my office to start barking.¡± I said coolly.


    He snorted out an incredulousughter and shook his head, ¡°Me? Barking? So you are calling me, Damien a dog.¡±


    ¡°I mean, a person in their right senses won¡¯t act so uncouth like an animal.¡± I replied, carelessly.


    He stormed toward me and pushed at my chest which made me stumble backward. I shot him a murderous re as I stood upright.


    ¡°Are you fucking crazy?¡± I spat, menacingly walking toward him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been taking your bullshit for weeks now without saying anything but I can¡¯t deal with this shit anymore, what the hell is wrong with your immature ass?¡± He retorted, heatedly.


    I fisted his shirt aggressively and gritted out, ¡°Mind your fuckingnguage, you damned piece of shit!¡±


    ¡°Woah, I am the piece of shit now, huh? I¡¯ve been calling you and texting you for days to meet up with you but I got no response, why? Because you decided to block me everywhere for no good reason, tell me is that what a mature man should do?¡± He bellowed.


    That did it, I couldn¡¯t hold myself back anymore.


    ¡°And why the hell would I want to speak to a fucking betrayal of a friend like you?¡± I yelled.


    His angry expression morphed into a confused one as he stared at me. ¡°What? Betrayal? How did I betray you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake, Damien! Just cut the goddamned bullshit!¡± I growled.


    ¡°I swear, I have no idea what you¡¯re yapping on about!¡± He countered.


    ¡°Well, if you must know, I found out about you and Sofie. I know you¡¯re fucking my woman, I know you¡¯re both cheating on me, and to think I fucking trusted you!¡± I shouted.


    Damien burst intoughter, which heightened my ire.


    I felt the urge to punch theughter off his face as he looked me in the eye, ¡°You are so fucking stupid, Roman. I thought you were above all these!¡±


    ¡°Above what, huh? Does she remind you of Chloe, is that why you decided to fuck her?¡± I spat, and Damien¡¯s eyes darkened.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t have said that, but I was too vexed to care.


    In a split second, Damien¡¯s fist met with my jaw and the force nearly sent me staggering to the floor but I held onto the armchair beside me to support myself.


    I really deserved that punch.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fucking bastard for daring to bring my wife¡¯s name into this. Now I see why Sofie is determined to keep this away from you, it¡¯s because you¡¯re nothing but a bloody scumbag!¡± He barked.


    I wiped a speck of blood off my lower lip as I darted him a confused look.


    Sofie was hiding something from me?This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What else is she hiding from me?¡± I hurled.


    Damien inhaled deeply which angered me, what could it be that he was being hesitant to tell me about it?


    ¡°Sofie is pregnant with your child.¡± He whispered, and immediately, my anger fizzled to nothing.


    ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my ears.


    ¡°Have you gone deaf? I said, Sofie is pregnant with your child. The only reason we¡¯ve been meeting up is because of that. She needs someone by her side, do you even know that she hasplications with her pregnancy?¡± He gritted out.


    My Sofie was pregnant with our child, and what did I do?


    I treated her like a whore and said all sorts of hateful, derogatory words to her.


    ¡°She earnestly begged me not to tell you about it, but I guess I¡¯ve betrayed her trust because of you.¡± Damien said and shook his head before exiting my office.


    My legs carried me to an armchair in the middle of my office and plopped me onto it.


    Now it all made sense, the reason why Sofie had asked me if I wanted kids in the future that day, and like the asshole I was, I had tantly told her I didn¡¯t want them.


    My poor cara. She must have felt so lonely when she found out about the baby.


    About OUR baby.


    Fuck, I had ruined everything.

 She is missing

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Are you leaving already, sir?¡± The receptionist at the front desk of my office asked as I strode out of my office.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got somewhere important to be.¡± I replied, handing Nathan my briefcase and car keys.


    My hands were tremoring so badly, and I knew I couldn¡¯t drive in that sort of nervous condition.


    I had no idea what I was supposed to do to salvage my ruined rtionship with both Sofie and Damien.


    But most especially, with Sofie.


    The blossoming rtionship that I had single-handedly destroyed because of my stupid ego and immaturity.


    Damien had also mentioned something about Sofie havingplications with the pregnancy, but my head was too far up my ass for me to deduce what he was saying.


    I knew Sofie wouldn¡¯t easily forgive me even if I apologized but it was okay, because I brought it upon myself.


    If only I hadn¡¯t uttered such derogatory words toward her, if only I didn¡¯t give her a toxic response when she asked if I wanted kids in the future.


    She wasn¡¯t the cause of my childhood trauma. I had no idea why I had acted like a conceited fool.


    ¡°Did something happen, sir? I saw Attorney Mauricio leave earlier, and he looked quite pissed.¡± Nathan began, momentster as he drove me to the mansion.


    ¡°Yeah, something bad happened. I may have ruined everything with my own fucking hands.¡± My chuckle was devoid of humor as I shook my head.


    He darted me a concerned look through the rearview mirror, and I scoffed.


    ¡°Watch where you are going, Nathan.¡± I instructed and he immediately steered his focus back to the road.


    ¡°Is it with miss Sofie? Did something happen to her?¡±


    ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, Nathan! Just focus on driving, I will take care of it.¡± I snapped.


    I fished my cellphone out of my pocket and tapped on the screen to see whether I missed any of Sofie¡¯s calls but the home screen just stared nkly at me, devoid of any useful notification other than messages from thework service providers.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Fuck this!¡± I cursed, as I carelessly flung my phone beside me.


    I had called Sofie for about a trillion times now, yet all I got was no response. Initially, her phone rang for a while, and she didn¡¯t pick up but thest three times I called her, her line had been switched off.


    So even if I wanted to track down her location, I couldn¡¯t.


    It was understandable, she probably didn¡¯t want to speak to me after how I had treated herst night.


    The thought that I had pushed her to the floor without knowing that she was pregnant, caused the guilt within me to triple.


    And to think I had forced myself on her that night, amidst her pleas. I was such an heartless asshole who didn¡¯t deserve to be loved by anyone.


    When we got to the mansion, I ignored my butler and the servants, and made my way to our bedroom to see if Sofie was in.


    But to my utter surprise, she wasn¡¯t inside the bedroom nor was she in the bathroom or the closet.


    While I was at work earlier that day, I had checked her location twice; immediately I arrived at thepany, and some moments before Damien arrived, and on the two asions, it had showed me that she was at the mansion and hadn¡¯t gone out at all that day.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    I decided to ce a call to Damien¡¯s line, and just like I had expected, he didn¡¯t pick up.


    ¡°Antonio, what time did Sofie leave the house?¡± I asked as I walked down the stairs.


    ¡°Approximately two hours ago, sir.¡±


    ¡°Did she say where she was going?¡±


    ¡°Not really sir.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by not really? Be fucking straightforward, did she or did she not tell you her whereabouts?¡± My agitation was beginning to intensify as time went by.


    ¡°My apologies, sir. She did not.¡±


    I cursed to myself before I motioned to Nathan, ¡°I know where she might be. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She had to be at Damien¡¯s ce, nowhere else because I didn¡¯t think she knew anyone around apart from him.


    The only friend she had was not even in New York, I knew this because I still kept tabs on everything and everyone rted to Sofie.


    On the way to Damien¡¯s condo, I couldn¡¯t stop thrumming my fingers on myp, due to how tensed I was.


    I could only imagine how incredibly irate Sofie would be when I apologized to her. I¡¯d rather have her loathe me as long as she remained present in my life rather than have her walk out of my life.


    I knew it was ironical to say, given how disgusted and enraged I was with Sofie, barely three hours ago. But I really couldn¡¯t imagine my life without her.


    ¡°Wait in the car, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I instructed Nathan, before hopping out of the car.


    I took an elevator to the top floor where Damien resided, while inwardly hoping he was at home.


    Pressing on the door bell, I yelled, ¡°Sofie, it¡¯s Roman. I¡¯m sorry for treating you like that. I should have never done that to you, please forgive me, my love.¡±


    When that didn¡¯t work, I continuously banged on the door until Damien opened up, with bed hair and a vexed expression on his face.


    I had probably roused him from a nap.


    ¡°Why the fuck are you here, barking like a mad man?¡± He spat, shooting me a re.


    I looked behind him to see if there was any sign that Sofie was there but I couldn¡¯t find any.


    ¡°I just asked you a fucking question, or have you gone dumb?¡± He hurled, mming the door shut.


    ¡°Where is Sofie?¡± I asked.


    He gave me an incredulous look. ¡°How am I supposed to know that?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°So she¡¯s not in there?¡±


    ¡°Why would she be here in the first ce? Are you even listening to yourself?¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck. I think Sofie may be missing.¡± I blurted out without thinking.


    Damien¡¯s expression mirrored my frown. ¡°Missing? Are you sure about that? Have you checked everywhere? She¡¯s probably with a friend.¡±


    ¡°Sofie doesn¡¯t have any friend around here that I know of, and it¡¯s almost eight in the evening, so she can¡¯t be at school. Oh my goodness, what am I gonna do?¡± I rambled out, cupping the back of my head with my hands.


    ¡°You need to calm down and think positively, man. Just go home and wait for her.¡± Damien reassured.


    ¡°Her phone is switched off, and this has never happened before. Something is not right, Damien. I can feel it.¡± I countered.


    Damien sighed. ¡°Well, we have to wait for forty eight hours even if we want to file a missing person report. I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t have to, because she¡¯lle home safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. I really do.¡±


    ¡°Have faith, man.¡± He pped my shoulder before going back into his condo.


    I tried to will the ominous feeling within me away as I trudged into the elevator but deep down, I knew a foreboding was about to happen.

 Abducted

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I woke up to the sound of the same shrillughter of a female that I had heard, before everything went dark.


    As soon as I winked an eye open, I immediately knew I was in grave danger.


    The ce I was in looked like a basement or should I say a dark, horrifying den.


    I was sat on a chair, and tied to it with a spiky rope that dug into my skin with every little movement I made, and my mouth was also sealed with a duct tape.


    I had also been stripped out of the clothes I was wearing earlier. Now, I was dressed in a short, dirty camisole that loosely hung off my shoulder, and barely reached my thighs.


    I felt so awfully vulnerable and exposed.


    ¡°Looks like the bitch has finally woken up.¡± I heard the awfully familiar, high-pitched voice.


    Lana. She was standing right in front of me, with her head cocked to the right and a pleased grin twisting the sides of her mouth.


    Three scary-looking male thugs were also standing behind her, I sighted the bastard that had forced me into the van and I darted him a murderous re.


    In response, he just winked at me, licked his lips in a flirtatious manner, and chuckled.


    The fucking son of a gun.


    Gazing up, my trepidation morphed into anger as I welled up a reasonable amount of saliva in my mouth.


    If only I could somehow bite the tape off my mouth, I¡¯d douse Lana in my spittle.


    Since I was basically helpless, I settled on mumbling incoherent sentences as I struggled to wriggle myself free of the chair.


    Lana and her stupid cohorts stared at me like I was some sort of a new discovery they had justid their filthy hands on.


    ¡°What are you trying to say, Sofie? I can¡¯t seem to hear you, oh wait!¡± She gasped. ¡°Your mouth is sealed, I can¡¯t believe I forgot that, my bad.¡±


    The nerve of the bitch.


    The more I red at her, the more I badly wanted to wipe the cocky grin off her face.


    ¡°Ricardo, get the tape off her mouth. I want to have a conversation with her.¡± She motioned one of the guys who immediately obliged and harshly tore the tape off my mouth.


    Inwardly, I cursed him as my mouth burned with pain.


    ¡°Hi, Sof.¡± Lana grinned. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, how have you been?¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullshit, you fucking psychopathic bitch.¡± I spat.


    ¡°Ooh, calm down, Sofie.¡± She giggled, bending over to look me in the eye.


    I winced in pain as she roughly grabbed my jaw and her face became devoid of humor.


    ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t know what is going on, huh? You should address me respectfully, Sofie because right now, I own your life.¡± She chuckled as her hand strayed up my cheek.


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a boastful coward, Lana. I know you won¡¯t dare to harm me because you want to see Roman suffer, no?¡± This time around, it was my turn to chuckle.


    Even though in my current position, there was nothing mirthful to chuckle about.


    Her grip on my jaw tightened as she gritted out. ¡°Watch your mouth, Sofie. You don¡¯t know what I¡¯m capable of, don¡¯t bring out the beast in me.¡±


    Her statement amused me to the extent that I burst into a peal ofughter that left my ribs hurting.


    ¡°Is that meant to scare me? Lana, you can¡¯t do more than a headless hen. Let¡¯s face it, even if you go lower than this, Roman will never be yours. Whatever your stupid n is, I¡¯m sure it will definitely be a failure and you¡¯d be caught by the police an-¡±


    I was forced to swallow the rest of my words when Lana delivered a harsh, impactful p to my face.


    The heavy p tilted my neck sideways, had me seeing stars, and also tasting my blood.


    ¡°The audacity you have to talk to me like that, you stupid whore. You must clearly think we¡¯re in the same ss just because we have fucked the same dick, don¡¯t you?¡± She spat.


    I turned my neck to stare at her. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in the same ss. Intellectually, you¡¯re in a lower ss than I am in.¡±


    I squeezed my eyes shut when Lana raised her hand to p me again but the next thing I heard was a giggle from her.


    ¡°You act all feisty like you¡¯re not scared of me but the moment I raise my hand, you start trembling with fear.¡± She shook her head as she looked me up and down.


    ¡°And by the way, Sofie. Roman was, is and will always be mine. Right now, he¡¯s just confused and mistaking his pity for you as love. He just needs me to steer him toward the right path, which is to me. I need to get rid of you, your presence in our lives has brought us nothing but pain!¡± She screamed and before I could blink twice, she had grabbed a gun from one of her men to fire three nk shots in the air.


    If nothing about Lana terrified me, seeing her look extremely demented with a gun in her hold instilled great fear in me.


    I knew she was right. She could easily kill me, and dispose of my body and no one would find out.


    Not even Roman. I bet he¡¯d be the happiest man in the world if that happened to me.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Given how much he currently loathed my existence.


    ¡°Do you get the message now?¡± Lana panted after the guy at the mall retrieved the gun from her.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I whispered, to which she shrugged.


    ¡°To snap Roman out of his delusions. I¡¯m the only woman for him not a bloody, lowlife like you.¡± She replied absentmindedly, ncing down at her wristwatch.


    ¡°I have to run an errand now, don¡¯t miss me too much.¡± Lana blew a flying kiss toward me.


    ¡°You wish.¡± I muttered underneath my breath.


    Ignoring my response, she faced her men. ¡°Take care of her. You can have a little fun with her but don¡¯t go all the way in, am I clear?¡±


    They all seemed overjoyed at the permission as they eagerly nodded and answered in unison. ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    Darting me a final stare, Lana scoffed before walking out of the den.


    Leaving me with the three, hungry-looking men whose eyes glinted with lust as they stared at me.


    The guy from the mall was the first to approach me. ¡°Madam said we could have a little fun with you.¡±


    I swallowed frightfully as he caressed the sides of my face. ¡°S-stay the hell away from me this instant!¡±


    He justughed before pressing his lips to mine. When I kept my teeth clenched and denied him entrance into my mouth, he bit my lip and forced his tongue between my lips.


    I writhed on the chair as bitter tears rolled down my cheeks while the other two men groped my boobs and trailed nasty, open-mouthed kisses down my bare thighs respectively.


    Maybe this was how I was really going to keep living; by continuously getting kissed, groped and touched in the most inappropriate ces by thugs until Lana decided to get rid of me.


    I could only hope that my baby was safe.

 Finding out her whereabouts

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Hey, man.¡± I said into my phone as I took my seat on the swivel chair in the study.


    I was currently talking to Damien. Also, it had been three days since Sofie went missing.


    I had already filed a missing person report but still, there were no traces of her movement. I had also hired a team of renowned private investigators but all their efforts to find her proved to be nothing but futile.


    They were now implying that she must have been abducted, but we still haven¡¯t gotten any call from any one demanding a ransom.


    Strangely, she had also not been captured on any CCTV camera.


    I regretted not paying enough attention to her. I really did.


    For the past four days, I hadn¡¯t been to work because I couldn¡¯t bring myself to focus on other things but Sofie.


    ¡°So how are you holding up? Have you been able to sleep at all since the past four days?¡± He asked.


    I caught a glimpse of my bloodshot, sleep-ridden eyes through the gold namete te on the table, which bore my initials, and I shook my head in self pity.


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t even bring myself to close my eyes for a second. I¡¯ve taken some medications for insomnia but I don¡¯t think they worked.¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s bad, man. You should get some sleep, even if it¡¯s for just an hour, you need to sleep to be energized or how do you expect to find Sofie looking so burned out?¡± He lectured in a sympathetic yet firm tone.


    ¡°I will try.¡± I said, although we both know I wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Very well then. I¡¯ll stop byter today, take care of yourself, Roman. Eat well and sleep well, don¡¯t let go of yourself. I know everything will return to it¡¯s normal ce very soon.¡± He advised, to which I nodded.


    ¡°Hey, man. I¡¯m sorry about the other day. I shouldn¡¯t have said that to you nor should I have disrespected Chloe¡¯s memory like that.¡± I said solemnly.


    He sighed. ¡°Roman, you¡¯ve been apologizing for thest three days and I already told you that I¡¯ve forgiven you. To be honest, I understand your anger because I also wouldn¡¯t take it if my friend was hanging out with my girl, and I didn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    ¡°But I should have been more levelheaded about it. I should have been fucking matured with it. Now look what my anger issues has brought me, Sofie is nowhere to be found. Only the heavens know if she¡¯s still alive.¡± I gritted out.


    As soon as the words left my mouth, panic gripped my heart.


    ¡°No, man. I won¡¯t allow you to say that. You won¡¯t give up hope just like that. Sofie is very much well. That I can assure you, she¡¯s a very strong woman albeit how demure her physical frame might be, no offense.¡± Damien said.


    For the first time in days, my lips curved upward in a smile.


    ¡°None taken. I agree with you, she¡¯s really strong and I admire that about her.¡±


    Damien hummed from the other end. ¡°So try to get some sleep, okay? I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    And with that, he hung up.


    I stared at my phone screen, specifically at the picture of Sofie which I used as my wallpaper and a rush of emotions filled me.


    In the picture, she was all smiley, and sitting across from me at a restaurant we went to while we were in Greece.


    I badly wanted to see that smile again.


    Now, I was more determined to get Sofie anyhow I could. Even if it meant I had to swim in the deepest of oceans and climb the highest of mountains.


    All that wouldn¡¯t matter to me as long as I found her and our baby.


    A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts and yanked my back to reality with a wicked force.


    ¡°Come in.¡± I muttered, putting my phone away.


    A manservant walked in and bowed to me. ¡°Good morning, sir. Someone brought this for you.¡±


    He ced a brown envelope on my table and bowed again.


    I frowned as I eyed the envelope. I wasn¡¯t expecting anything from anyone.


    I tore the seal off the envelope. ¡°Did the person say who it came from?¡±


    ¡°No, sir.¡±


    ¡°You may leave.¡± I discharged him.


    Just as I was about to retrieve the containment of the envelope, my phone buzzed with an iing call from Lana.


    Enraged, I declined the call and immediately blocked her.


    I thought I had barred her number.


    When I finally set my eyes on the contents of the envelope, my legs trembled with shock and I had to tightly sp my desk, lest my legs fail me and let me fall to the ground.


    They were pictures of Sofie. And in some of those heart-wrenching pictures, she was tied to a chair, unconscious and wearing nothing more than a filthy mini gown that fell off her shoulder and slightly exposed her boobs.


    While in others, she was still unconscious but stark naked and her face had been mauled with bruises.


    ¡°S-Sofie.¡± I whispered, my hands shaking as I reassessed the pictures again.


    Like a demon-possessed device, my phone chose that moment to ping with a message from an unknown number.


    My first resolve was to m the device against the wall but I suppressed my ire, and clicked on the message.


    The anger in me tripled as I scanned through the message, which read;


    ¡°Hi, my love. I hope you got my little surprise nicely. I know you must be really worried about the whore but don¡¯t worry too much because she¡¯s in safe hands.


    As you can see, I¡¯m not hurting her too much, or am I? Also, I don¡¯t want a ransom, I only want you. You can show the police and the numerous private investigators that I¡¯m sure you must have hired by now but they will never be able to track me down because this is a burner phone.


    Anyway, I love you. I just wanted to inform you about her whereabouts.


    Love, Lana.¡±


    With immense anger simmering within me, I unblocked Lana¡¯s number and dialled it but she didn¡¯t pick up.


    Almost instantly, I got a text from another unknown number which read;


    ¡°I¡¯ll only talk to you when I want to. Not when you want to. Have a nice day, Sofie sends her greetings.¡±


    I inhaled sharply and quickly began dialling Damien¡¯s number.


    On the third ring, he picked. ¡°Hey, man.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sofie. I found her. She¡¯s been kidnapped by that fucking bitch, Lana.¡± I gritted out.


    I heard a deep sigh from the other end before Damien said. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes.¡±


    I tightly sped my phone against my palm as various furious thoughts assailed my mind.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I growled, flinging my namete across the room.

 The shocking reveal

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Would you look at that, huh?¡± I heard Lana scoff as she walked into the basement.


    She hadst visited the basement on the day I was abducted, and I had been quite relieved that I didn¡¯t have to see her for a while.


    But the things her underlings had done to me in her absence were best left unsaid, because merely thinking about them badly enraged me.


    I gawked at her but said nothing as she cupped my jaw.


    She muttered something incoherent as she assessed me. ¡°Nice job, boys. You made the art even better than I wanted. And for that, I¡¯ll give you a fully paid vacation to the Bahamas when everything is over.¡±


    The thugs exchanged nces among each other before bowing to her. ¡°Thanks for your neverending kindness madam.¡±


    She just waved them off as she stood to her full height. She continued staring at me as if I had suddenly grown a beard or I had a fire crown on my head.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I rudely asked.


    Despite her numerous threats to kill me if I failed to be respectful to her, I scowled at her.


    ¡°You look haggard, like a bag of bones. This is exactly what your wretched, tattered self should look like.¡± She said,ughing.


    ¡°You¡¯re not staring at your reflection, Lana. You are literally the epitome of a bag of bones. You can¡¯t even eat well with all the money you have, it¡¯s such a pity.¡± I mocked her as I clicked my tongue.


    Lana gazed at me for some time, as if calcting her next insult or step in her head before she suddenly grinned.


    ¡°Your little p backs don¡¯t faze me anymore, darling. By the way, I¡¯ve been getting reports from my men about your appetite. I can¡¯t believe you are actually eating anything they give you, are you daft or something? What if I poison you?¡±


    My eyes rounded in horror as I mulled over her statement.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Fuck, I couldn¡¯t believe I had never thought of that.


    Truth be told, I wasn¡¯t even eating for my sake but for my baby¡¯s. Although all hope seemed to be lost at that moment, I still wanted them to grow strong and healthy inside me.


    But Lana didn¡¯t need to know that.


    ¡°I can never do that, you idiot. At least, not now. Roman has to see that you are faring well in this ce.¡± She said, cing her purse on a stool in front of me.


    ¡°Wait, Roman knows I¡¯m here?¡± I blurted out.


    Lana giggled. ¡°Of course. I sent him some beautiful pictures that I specially took of you yesterday, and he loved it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± I spat, searching her eyes for an iota of lie, which I didn¡¯t find.


    So she was really telling the truth then.


    Just like I had thought, Roman didn¡¯t seem to care much about my disappearance.


    I didn¡¯t know he hated me to that extent.


    ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t care whether you believe me, you¡¯re nothing.¡± She retorted, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Roman really knows I¡¯m here?¡± For some reason, I wanted to reconfirm Lana¡¯s words.


    ¡°Are you fucking deaf? I just told you he does. Anyway, I want to give him a little surprise today, so you better behave yourself. Don¡¯t act like a damned bitch when you see him.¡± She warned, motioning one of her henchmen over.


    The man ced aptop on the stool in front of me, and bowed to Lana.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act all high and mighty. I know how much you want to see him and act like the fucking pick me of a bitch that you are.¡± Lana scoffed as she set up theptop.


    ¡°I want to see him but I don¡¯t know if he wants to see me. I don¡¯t think he even cares about me anymore.¡± I whispered to myself which fortunately, went unheard by Lana.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s send him the link to my surprise.¡± She tattled as she typed on her phone.


    Soon theptop lit up and disyed a ¡®no signal¡¯ text. Lana clicked on it, and the message disappeared to reveal Roman¡¯s emaciated but angry face.


    My heart sank as our eyes met, and his ire seemed to heighten. The slight hope I had initially harbored dissipated, and I resigned myself to fate.


    He took a deep sigh, and I braced myself for whatever insult he was about to utter.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you through all these, cara. But don¡¯t worry too much, I¡¯ll get you out of there as soon as I can. That witch will pay for this.¡± That was what I heard instead.


    My eyes gaped in surprise when his anger melted, and he stared softly at me.


    Were my eyes ying a trick on me?


    ¡°The witch is here, Roman. You must have forgotten that I now hold the power to her life, if you keep infuriating me like this, I promise to deliver her body to your estate tomorrow morning.¡± Lana spat, wrapping a hand around my neck from behind.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, Roman. You don¡¯t need to worry too much about me. Everything is fine, you can take your time.¡± My voice cracked at the end, despite my effort to keep a calmposure.


    Nothing about being abducted was fine. But I was scared of Lana because earlier, she had warned me against talking too much.


    ¡°That¡¯s fucking bullshit, Sofie. Don¡¯t lie to me, you¡¯re clearly not fine, look at your face, just look at you. That bitch is torturing you!¡± Roman snapped.


    ¡°And what the hell do you want me to do about it? I can¡¯t dream of escaping even if I wanted to. This ce is heavily guarded all the fucking time, I¡¯m just so tired. Stop acting like you care about me because I know you don¡¯t!¡± I retorted and silence enveloped the ambiance between us.


    Roman seemed hurt for a split second before the emotion disappeared as fast as it had appeared.


    ¡°I care about you, Sofie. I fucking care, I know I acted like an asshole toward you for the pas-¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. That¡¯s enough. Now, you¡¯ve seen her, haven¡¯t you? I¡¯ll send you a document that contains the terms you have to follow, if you want me to release her.¡± Lana said, darting Roman a suggestive smile.


    ¡°I swear to the heavens, Lana. If you dare to harm either Sofie or our baby more than you¡¯ve done, I¡¯ll find you and kill you with my own hands.¡± He gritted out, causing me to gasp in shock.


    ¡°H-How do you know about that?¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°Damien told me.¡± He replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been there f-¡±


    ¡°Hang on, so what I¡¯m getting from this is that Sofie is pregnant with your child, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lana asked, in an eerily calm tone.


    ¡°Lana, I sw-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need to hear. Good day.¡± She muttered, and hung up.


    She didn¡¯t say anything as she sat on the throne chair that was specially reserved for her, retrieved her vape from her purse, and started inhaling lungfuls of the vored air.


    Her silence was scary and ominous.


    My heart hammered against my ribs as I stared at her.


    I was starting to think that Roman might have sabotaged my chances of ever getting out of Lana¡¯s den alive.

 The meet up

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I massaged my temple as I patiently waited for Nana to finish what she was saying on the other end of the line.


    It had now been a week since Lana abducted Sofie.


    But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell my grandmother about it, because earlier that week, her oncologist had called to inform me that she was showing signs of being hypertensive.


    I didn¡¯t want to do anything that¡¯ll worsen her ailment, so I decided to keep mute.


    Inwardly, I hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to tell her in the future.


    ¡°Figlio, you¡¯re not saying anything. Is everything alright over there?¡± Nana asked, diverting my thoughts.


    I exhaled heavily. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong, Nana. How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing good, Romano. You¡¯ve asked me this same question thrice now. Tell me the truth, my boy. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°No, ma. I¡¯m serious. What could possibly happen? I¡¯m just really tired right now because I was up all night reviewing a proposal.¡± I lied seamlessly.


    ¡°Oh. Take care of yourself, caro. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, ma.¡±


    ¡°By the way, I want to speak to Sofie. Today is Sunday, so she can¡¯t possibly be at school, right?¡± She said, and my heart lurched.


    Various thoughts swirled in my head as I made up a reasonable lie to tell her.


    I finally settled on one that seemed believable enough. ¡°Sofie is not in right now, ma. There¡¯s this nutrition-based research that she¡¯s currently doing at Minnesota, so she won¡¯t be around for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She said. ¡± So when will she be done with this research?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°In five weeks.¡± I fibbed, while hoping within myself that she¡¯d have been found before five weeks.


    ¡°That¡¯s awfully long. Anyway, kindly extend my regards to her. I¡¯ve been trying to call her for a while but it kept saying her line has been disconnected.¡±


    ¡°Thework coverage over there is terrible. In the past week, I¡¯ve only been able to speak to her for just once.¡± I said.


    That wasn¡¯t particrly a full lie though. Because I had really spoken to Sofie just once since Lana had abducted her.


    *That¡¯s bad then. I guess I have to send her a letter then.¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I feigned augh. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve got to go now, I have a meeting in thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me disturb you then. Take care, darling.¡±


    ¡°You too, ma.¡± I said, and hung up.


    Afterward, I reclined against the swivel chair with a long, drawn-out sigh after I ced my phone on the desk.


    I was finally back at work because Nathan couldn¡¯t do everything all by himself. There were still some things I had to carefully tend to.


    Plus my long absence would arouse my employees¡¯ suspicions. And eventually, Nana would learn of my absence at thepany and hire someone to look into it which in turn would lead to her finding out about Sofie¡¯s kidnap.


    At that moment, no one other than Damien, some highly-trusted detective friends of Damien, and my private investigators knew about the fact that Sofie was abducted.


    And I intended to keep it that way until both her and our unborn child were safely found and brought back home.


    Back home to me.


    Momentster, my phone rang with a call from an unknown number. Rage coursed through my veins as I answered it.


    ¡°What do you want, Lana?¡± I hurled.


    ¡°A lovely afternoon to you too, babe. I¡¯m doing great, thanks for asking. You?¡± She said with an underlying tone of amusement.


    ¡°Cut the crap, and tell me what you want.¡± I spat.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve carefully thought about it, and I¡¯ve decided to let that bitch go. Before you interrupt me, don¡¯t. Let me finish speaking.¡± She began, and a perplexed frown contorted my expression.


    What was Lana on about now?


    ¡°She is no use to me, and I know you¡¯ll discard her when you find a more attractive woman that catches your attention. I¡¯ve decided to let you go, and be at peace with myself. I¡¯ll text you the location and the day I want you toe pick her up.¡± She said.


    I scoffed. ¡°Is this a joke? Are you having fun riling me up? Do you feel overjoyed because I can¡¯t do anything about this situation?¡±


    I expected her to burst into one of her tauntingughters, but strangely, she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I want to start seeing a therapist, Roman. I can¡¯t continue like this. I can¡¯t keep chasing after you like a desperate bitch when you¡¯ll never see me.¡± She uttered.


    Something about her sudden repentance just didn¡¯t seem right.


    ¡°And before I forget, don¡¯t you dare bring policemen to the venue or else, I¡¯ll really kill Sofie. Juste alone.¡± She added.


    Lana must really think of me as a fool, to think I¡¯d easily believe her lies. But I didn¡¯t say anything because I didn¡¯t want to make her suspicious.


    I was ready to y the fool as long as it guaranteed Sofie¡¯s safety.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be expecting the address and I do hope you keep to your promise.¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will.¡± She chuckled, and ended the call.


    For the rest of the day, I went about the rest of my work in a daze.


    Lana sent the venue to meter that evening.


    She wanted us to meet tomorrow at a bunker situated downtown, which was about an hour away from my house.


    Then, I sent the address and the recorded phone call between Lana and I to my private investigators.


    We nned that I¡¯d go first on my own andter, they would arrive with the cops.


    But to go alone, I needed something to protect myself with, in case everything didn¡¯t go ording to n.


    I grinned to myself as I opened the secret vault inside the walk-in closet adjoined to I and Sofie¡¯s shared bedroom. Then, I retrieved a revolver from inside it, and loaded it with a sufficient amount of bullets.


    That should be enough to blow up Lana¡¯s brain. I thought to myself as a dark chuckle escaped my lips.

 Empty threats not so empty

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I screamed, and squeezed my eyes open in fear as I felt cold, chilly water cascade down my body.


    When I calmed down, I saw Lana standing in front of me with her arms crossed, a pail beside her, and a cold countenance mauling her features.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± I said as I shivered, from the aftermath of the sudden shower of cold water.


    A week and a day has passed since I was kidnapped and I was still d in the same skimpy mini gown.


    I was convinced Lana wanted me to freeze to death.


    I had been studying her behavior since Roman had mistakenly blurted out that I was pregnant, and the way she acted around me was so weird that it aroused more suspicions in me.


    For example, she has directed her men to start serving me whatever I wanted since that day instead of the same meatless, thin, brown soup that I was usually served twice a day.


    To me, it felt like I was a sacrificialmb that was being pumped full with food for it¡¯s impending death.


    And that thought badly scared me. It was as if it further confirmed just how powerless I was in my current situation.


    ¡°Ronald told me that you have refused to eat again. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re rebelling against me.¡± She scoffed.


    ¡°Of course not. I just don¡¯t feel like eating anything, Lana. Thanks for your benevolence but I really am not hungry.¡± I said, and as if to shame me, my stomach grumbled just as I finished talking.


    I bowed my head in shame as I inwardly cursed my stomach, even though it was only doing its job to keep me and my baby alive.


    ¡°Suit yourself then. I¡¯m not the one who is pregnant with a bastard.¡± She muttered, lowering herself in front of me to look me right in the eye.


    I smirked as I stared at her before hurling arge dollop of spittle on her face.


    Her reaction was instant and amusing to watch.


    She shrieked with her eyes closed. ¡°Alfred, do everything you can to wipe this shit off me this instant!¡±


    The thug bowed before using a napkin to wipe the mess I made off her face. I had to say, it was really satisfying to watch her run around like an headless chicken.


    I felt the impact of the blow before I could register anything. I watched through hooded eyes as blood trickled down my face from where Lana has struck me with a nailed wood.


    I had no idea how or when she had gotten the wood, all I knew was that I could feel an iing terrible migraine.


    The nail had ferociously dug into my forehead into my forehead, and I was sure it¡¯d leave a jagged scar.


    ¡°How dare you, you fucking insect! I have been too lenient with youtely, haven¡¯t I?¡± She spat, dangerously swinging the bloodied wood in front of me.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± I whispered when she pointed the wood to my stomach.


    She justughed, and flung the wood to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill either you or the bastard inside you right now. I have to keep the both of you alive until Roman gets here.¡±


    My eyes lit up. ¡°R-Roman ising here?¡±


    She ignored my question. ¡°Now, don¡¯t get too ecstatic, darling. If you think you¡¯re gonna have a happy reunion with him, then let me tell you something.¡±


    She ced her mouth against my left ear, and whispered. ¡°You¡¯re badly mistaken.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean? What psychopathic ns do you have?¡±


    She mocked a gesture of being in deep concentration. ¡°Hmm, Sofie. I don¡¯t know if I should tell you everything because I n to give you a surprise. I don¡¯t want to ruin my surprise but I¡¯ll give you a little hint.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, ring at her.


    ¡°This will end with that bastard gutted out of your stomach and your death. And oh, Roman will be watching everything. I would get rid of you both right in front of him, and watch him lose his mind.¡± She giggled as she pped joyfully.


    I was so stunned and appalled by her morbid words that my mouth remained mped shut.


    ¡°I guess I told you more than I wanted to.¡± She pouted before giggling again.


    ¡°You have gone mad, Lana. And you need either an exorcism or shock therapy to save you.¡± I snarled at her.


    She remained unperturbed. ¡°At least I have options that can save me. Other than Roman, who else can save you from this ce?¡±


    I shook my head as I stared at her. ¡°I feel sorry for you, Lana. You have so much yet you¡¯re still so pathetic.¡±


    She angrily gnashed her teeth, as she harshly cupped my jaw. ¡°Keep that damn mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°Get me my bottle of brandy, some ice and a ss cup, Ronald.¡± She ordered, straightening to her full length.


    The said thug nodded but didn¡¯t leave which made Lana scoff. ¡°Do you want some bus fare? Why the hell are you still here?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem, madam. I thought the brandy belonged to Alfred, and I mist-arghhh!¡± The rest of his statement got cut off, as Lana brought out a gun from her purse and shot him in the arm.


    I gasped, terrified as I watched her calmly put the gun back into her purse.


    ¡°Throw him out. I don¡¯t want to ever see a thief like this here again, am I clear?¡± She said, taking her seat on the throne chair.


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡± The other two thugs said before dragging their colleague out like a sack of beans.


    I shivered with trepidation as I watched her light a cigarette.


    Although it happened right in front of me, I still couldn¡¯t believe Lana had truly shot someone all because of a mere bottle of brandy.


    ¡°The nerve of that wretched bastard.¡± She hissed, before drawing a long puff out of the cigarette.


    ¡°Lana, what are you going to gain from all these?¡± I whispered, tears clogging my throat.


    ¡°Roman. What else?¡± She said carelessly.


    ¡°And do you think Roman would ever love a person who killed his fianc¨¦e and child right in front of him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t concern you, Sofie.¡± She barked, agitated. ¡°What you should be thinking of is whether you¡¯ll ever get out of here alive.¡±


    I snorted out an humorless chuckle as tears blurred my vision. ¡°You¡¯re a monster, Lana. A hopeless monster.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve had enough of your yapping.¡± She said, uncapping a syringe and stabbing my neck with it.


    As my vision became blurrier, I croaked out. ¡°Y-You can never know peace.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about peace.¡± She chuckled, and I managed to dart her a weak re before slipping into unconsciousness.

 Finally reunited in more agony

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°We can¡¯t just cancel the meeting with the Lazarda¡¯sst minute, sir.¡± Nathan said over the phone, and I huffed.


    It was now the day I was to go to Lana¡¯s hideout to rescue Sofie. I had repeatedly gone over the n the private investigators had made, and everything was now set.


    The thought of being reunited with Sofie and our baby after a long, torturous week made me somewhat nervous because we hadn¡¯t exactly parted on the best of terms.


    And I still didn¡¯t know the sort of devilish n Lana had up her sleeve.


    ¡°Did you hear me say anything about cancelling the meeting?¡± I asked, nkly staring at the mirror.


    ¡°No, sir. But you said you are noting in today, and I can¡¯t possibly go on your behalf.¡± He replied.


    ¡°You will go to that meeting on my behalf, Nathan. You don¡¯t have to do anything other than to sign the documents. Thepany¡¯s attorney will go with you to guide you through the process of signing it, good day.¡± I exined, and hung up.


    Next, I stared at my disheveled reflection through the mirror and inwardly chided myself for looking so unkempt.


    Since I didn¡¯t have the time to focus on my appearancetely, my beards were gradually starting to encroach on my face.


    I knew I couldn¡¯t meet Sofie looking so tattered, so I quickly shaved before taking a shower, and donning on the cloth I had nned for my deadly mission that day.


    It was a pair of ck cks with a ck button up, long sleeve shirt.


    Thereafter, I retrieved my gun from inside the vault in the closet, rechecked the bullets in it before sliding it into my pocket.


    I smiled satisfactorily at my reflection as I grabbed my car keys and stepped out of the bedroom.


    Darting the room a wistful look while inwardly hoping toe back to it with Sofie, I closed the door and headed straight to the car garage.


    On the way, I met Antonio standing on the threshold of the living room.


    ¡°Good morning, young master. I hope you had a lovely night rest.¡± He said.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. Thanks.¡± I said hastily, and made to exit the living room before he asked me a question and further dy me.


    ¡°Young master, are you not having breakfast before you leave for work?¡± He asked, and I inhaled deeply to suppress my impatience.


    ¡°Yes, Antonio. I¡¯m not. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have somewhere important to be.¡± I answered before quickly leaving.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Antonio was the only one among my helpers that suspected Sofie wasn¡¯t on a school trip like I had told them when Melissa asked for her whereabouts some days ago. I didn¡¯t think he would though, but I wasn¡¯t ready to tell him about her kidnap.


    I had known the man since I was born and I knew he told my grandmother about everything happening in the mansion, even if I specifically told him not to.


    I got into my range rover evoque, turned on the ignition and set out for the address Lana had sent to me.


    While on the way, various gruesome thoughts floated into my head with the most prominent one being the thought that Lana had already killed Sofie and wanted me to see her corpse, to torture me mentally.


    I brushed the thought off just as it appeared and willed my mind away from horrible thoughts like that.


    Soon I got to the ce, and I got down from my car.


    A chilly, unsettling feeling gripped me when I saw two huge masked men guiding the entrance.


    The men made way for me without ncing in my direction as I walked into the secluded bunker.


    ¡°Hi, baby.¡± Anger surged through my veins as I heard the familiar, high-pitched, taunting voice.


    ¡°Where is Sofie? I don¡¯t see her anywhere.¡± I inquired from Lana.


    In response, she bit her lips as she darted me a lustful stare. ¡°You look sexy in ck, Roman. But then again, when are you ever not sexy?¡±


    I just ignored her as I walked further into the bunker, yelling. ¡°Sofie, if you can hear me, please scream back.¡±


    What met my ears was the echo of my voice and the infuriating sound of Lana¡¯sughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re so funny, Roman.¡± She giggled. ¡°Did you really think I was going to give you that bitch and the bastard inside her without getting something in return?¡±


    I yed dumb. ¡°What do you mean? We had an agreement, Lana!¡±


    She seemed to believe I was ignorant as she shrugged. ¡°I never signed any agreement with you, my love.¡±


    ¡°Romano Giovanni.¡± I heard someone call from behind me, so I turned around to see whoever it was.


    I scoffed in disbelief on seeing Alexander Guilon standing right in front of me with an aplished grin stered to his face.


    ¡°You also nned this with her? How low can you fucking stoop?¡± I spat at him.


    He shook his head. ¡°No, no, no. That¡¯s not it. I never nned this with her. All these were nned by my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter? Since whe-¡± I swallowed the rest of my statement as I put two and two together, and finally realized what he meant.


    ¡°Lana is your daughter?¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Flesh and blood.¡± Lana replied with a smile as Alexander wrapped an arm around her.


    I scoffed incredulously as I looked from the old man to Lana before something registered in my mind.


    ¡°So the documents you brought to my office were part of her ns?¡±


    ¡°No. Daddy did that for me, isn¡¯t he just the best dad in the world?¡± Lana giggled, nting a peck to Alexander¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°You are both psychopaths. The both of you are deranged retards that need serious mental help.¡± I spat.


    ¡°That bitch must be rubbing off on you since she also said the same thing.¡± Lana scoffed, and rolled her eyes.


    Her eyes lit up as the bunker slid open and two unmasked men but heavily armed men walked inside.


    ¡°Speak of the bitch, and the bitch will appear.¡± Lana said as three more men walked in carrying Sofie.


    I opened my mouth but nothing came out when our eyes met.


    I gasped as I saw how frazzled and emaciated she looked. Her cheerful, coffee eyes had lost their cheer as she stared nkly at me.


    A blood-soiled bandage was also scantily stered to her forehead, with some dried up blood clinging to her cheeks.


    ¡°Sofie.¡± I whispered, and she darted me a weak smile.


    ¡°You really came. I thought you wouldn¡¯t.¡± She said.


    ¡°Why are you being so lethargic? Tie her up this instant!¡± Lana yelled to the men.


    I watched helplessly as they dragged Sofie to a metallic pole in the middle of the bunker, and tied her up against it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He can¡¯t do anything.¡± She said to the men when they made to approach me.


    Stealthily, I felt my pocket for my gun to reassure myself that I could do it.


    ¡°So, should we start with cutting the bastard out of her stomach? Or should I put a bullet to her head first?¡± Lana asked, as her men handed her a knife.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare do it!¡± I spat, and made to jump her but her men held me down to the floor.


    ¡°Watch me.¡± She giggled, and I watched Sofie whimper tearfully as Lana slowly brought the knife to her belly.


    I could only hope the cops were already on their way.

 Change of plans

    Lana¡¯s POV


    ¡°I guess even Roman can¡¯t save both you and the bastard you¡¯re carrying.¡± I smirked as I brought the knife closer to Sofie¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡°I will do anything you want me to do, Lana. Please don¡¯t touch an innocent child who didn¡¯t even wrong you.¡± She begged, with tears cascading down her face.


    I smiled, satisfied as I looked from Sofie to Roman who was still struggling to ease himself from underneath my men¡¯sbined weights.


    ¡°Give up, babe. You can never get out of there.¡± I yelled across the bunker, which drew out a chuckle from my dad.


    Eww, it sounded cringey as hell to call the deadbeat my dad. But I had to do what I had to do to get his assistance and trust, even if that meant using his guilt against him.


    I darted him a fake smile. ¡°d to see that you¡¯re enjoying yourself, dad.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I sure am. You sure know how to put on an entertaining show, darling.¡±


    I just smiled again before I turned to Sofie whose cries had now been reduced to soft whimpers.


    ¡°You called that bastard inside you an innocent child, didn¡¯t you?¡± I scoffed. ¡°That bastard is nothing but a stupid mistake that doesn¡¯t deserve to be alive.¡±


    Sofie didn¡¯t seem to be listening to me because she had her eyes fixated on something behind me.


    I huffed as I followed her gaze only to see that Roman had now sessfully wrestled my men off him, and now had a gun pointed to one of them.


    Those stupid, big for nothing fools. They just couldn¡¯t do anything right.


    ¡°Calm down, Roman. Don¡¯t do something stupid, we both know you don¡¯t have the heart to do it.¡± I taunted him, as he tightened his hold on this trigger.


    Roman could do everything but kill a mere insect.


    He was too kindhearted for all that.


    But I was shocked out of my mind when I heard the sound of gunshots thrice, and my men fell down to the ground one after the other, with a loud thud.


    Maybe I was really a psychopath like Sofie had earlier used me to be because I found Roman sexier at that moment.


    Watching him stand among the fallen bodies of the thugs with his shirt buttoned halfway, and his shirt sleeves rolled to his elbow did something to me.


    It made my pussy wet with desire.


    My desire for Roman grew immensely that day. I wanted him to fuck me right there and right then in front of Sofie.


    I wanted to break the bitch¡¯s heart into pieces.


    ¡°R-Roman, what have you done?¡± I heard Sofie scream, and I rolled my eyes in displeasure.


    ¡°Oh, please. Have you gone blind? You can clearly see that he shot them.¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°They¡¯re not dead, cara. I just wanted to teach them a lesson for underestimating me.¡± Roman said.


    Something about hearing him call Sofie by a pet name instilled great anger inside me because while we were dating, he never called me by a pet name.


    Even when we had sex in the past.


    ¡°Do you want to know the real reason behind why I suddenly broke things off with you?¡± Roman began as he walked toward me, with his gun pointed at me.


    ¡°Now there¡¯s a real reason, huh?¡± I snorted.


    ¡°Yeah, and we both know that you know it deep down inside you.¡± He retorted.


    ¡°If I fucking knew it like you im, would I ask you?¡± I countered.


    ¡°I caught you in bed with Lucas on your fucking birthday!¡± He yelled, and the knife fell off my hand.


    ¡°I-I-¡± I couldn¡¯t talk sensibly as I moved closer to Roman.


    ¡°See, you can¡¯t even deny it. You introduced that fucker to me as your cousin. The bastard you¡¯ve been fucking since you were in high school was your cousin. I guess I was really stupid that I couldn¡¯t even put two and two together.¡± He chuckled mirthlessly as he shook his head.


    ¡°Well, you partly caused it too.¡± I said, and he red at me.


    ¡°What?¡± He barked. ¡°How did I cause it?¡±


    ¡°You were never avable for me. You were always at work. You never even loved me, it was basically a one-sided love.¡± I yelled.


    ¡°I made it clear to you from the beginning that I was never going to love you. Both you and your management agreed with it. We signed a contract to remain loyal to each other throughout the duration of our contract. But what did you do? You cheated!¡± Roman hollered.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I caused it?¡± I bellowed.


    He snorted out an incredulousughter. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to say it. I¡¯m telling you that you cheated.¡±


    ¡°Then, you decided to get back at me by dating this cheap whore, huh?¡± I motioned toward Sofie whose countenance was devoid of emotion.


    ¡°Mind your fuckingnguage when you speak to my woman, Lana. If anyone is a whore here, it is none other than you.¡± He hurled.


    I gazed into Roman¡¯s grey eyes and he had nothing but anger and hatred in those eyes for me.


    A realization I¡¯ve been trying hard to avoid dawned on me and I exhaled heavily as my hands shook with frustration.


    No matter what I did, Roman would never love me.


    Even if I killed Sofie like I was nning to do, he would never reciprocate my love.


    I would always be the discarded side piece struggling to get his attention.


    And I couldn¡¯t have that. I wanted to be the one and only woman in his life.


    The only woman who he treasured and deeply cared for.


    If I couldn¡¯t have Roman, no other woman should be able to have him.


    With that resolve, I swiftly retrieved my gun from inside my jacket and shot him thrice in the chest.


    Sofie¡¯s agonizing, screeching scream reverberated across the bunker as Roman fell to his knees with his teeth clenched as he clutched his blood-soaked chest.


    ¡°What have you done, Lana?¡± Sofie yelled but I was too dazed to even register what I had done.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t have him, no one should have him.¡± I chanted like a mantra as I moved around the bunker like a possessed person.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I would rather kill Roman and happily go to prison than watch him get married to someone else other than me.

 Rescued, but at what cost?

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Roman, please don¡¯t sleep. Don¡¯t leave me alone in this world. Don¡¯t even think of going anywhere without me!¡± I screamed when Roman groaned again and fluttered his eyes closed.


    With a painful growl, he weakly pped his eyes open and threw me a small smile.


    He gasped as he slowly stretched his arm outward toward me. When he saw that it was pointless and he could not reach me, he groaned again and gave up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a smoke.¡± Alexander said, and without as much as a backward nce, he exited the building.


    I had no idea why he was even there or what his rtionship with Lana was, but at that moment, his presence wasn¡¯t important to me, Roman¡¯s life was.


    I burst into fresh tears as I watched him fight for his life on the floor, which was now a mini pool of his blood.


    I wanted to be by his side so bad. I wanted to reassure him that everything would eventually be fine, even though the future seemed bleak.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t have him, no one should.¡± Lana changed as she reappeared, holding a stick.


    I writhed against the pole, desperately trying to break the chains, and stop Lana from proceeding with her psychopathic activities.


    But all my efforts proved to be futile as Lana bashed Roman¡¯s head multiple times with the stick while muttering something incoherent.


    I watched in horror, with tears rolling down my cheeks as Roman¡¯s head cracked open and blood started flowing out of it uncontrobly.


    ¡°Stop this madness, Lana. What else do you want to do to him? Can¡¯t you see that you¡¯ve already killed him?¡± I yelled at her but she didn¡¯t even act like I had just spoken to her.


    She just giggled like a demented person before she discarded the wood and disappeared again.


    I wept bitterly when Roman coughed up blood. ¡°No, my love. Please don¡¯t close your eyes yet. Please fight for me. Fight for us. The baby and I need you. We can¡¯t live without you, Roman.¡±


    At that moment, a stray tear rolled down his cheek as he looked at me.


    I could see the effort to stay awake in his eyes. He also wanted to fight but time was rapidly going and help was still yet to arrive.


    It was obvious even to the dumbest of persons that Roman was fighting a lost battle to stay alive.


    But just like him, I was not about to give up.


    ¡°Snap out of it, Roman!¡± I yelled when his eyes started to close again, and slowly, he forced them open.


    I was about to tell him how proud I was of him when I heard the sound of sirens rapidly approaching.


    That reinvigorated my hope and I darted him a smile. ¡°Do you hear that, Roman? They¡¯reing. You¡¯re going to be fine, do you hear me?¡±


    He just groaned again in response.


    My smile instantly evaporated when Lana came back. By then, the sound of the sirens had gotten much louder.


    ¡°Have fun getting married to his corpse.¡± She spat before picking up an empty flower vase nearby and smashing it on Roman.


    Roman choked out a cough before his eyes flickered shut and his body went still.


    I saw my life sh right in front of my eyes as I watched his motionless body.


    ¡°Get up, Roman. They¡¯re almost here.¡± I screamed but he remained lifeless.


    Lana scoffed before quickly scampering out of the building.


    Three of her men were still left in the building including the guy that had forced me into the van that day.


    ¡°Enjoy a happy married life with President Giovanni.¡± He said, and the other two menughed.


    Just as they were also about to scurry out of the building, multiple gunshots rang from behind me and in a twinkle of an eye, they had been gunned down to the ground.


    I looked to my right and saw a couple of armed policemen, some paramedics who were carrying a stretcher and Damien.


    ¡°They¡¯re not dead. We still need to interrogate them.¡± One of the cops said.


    ¡°Roman.¡± I said, motioning to his bloodied form on the floor.


    ¡°He¡¯s not breathing anymore. He was breathing earlier before she came a-and struck him with that vase. Please do something, I can¡¯t lose him.¡± I wept as the policemen unshackled me from the pole.


    ¡°Calm down, Sofie.¡± Damien said, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around my shoulders.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°If not for yourself, then do it for your baby.¡± He retorted. ¡°Or do you want to kill them?¡±


    ¡°I-err,¡± I stuttered, watching the paramedics attempt to resuscitate Roman.


    ¡°Look at me, Sofie and take a deep breath.¡± Damien grabbed my shoulders and looked into my eyes.


    I obliged him and inhaled shakily. ¡°I¡¯ve done that.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not easy but please calm down. Let them do their job.¡± He said, leading me to sit on a pile of bricks.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sit down, Damien. I need to know what¡¯s going on with him. Is he going to make it?¡± I asked, my voice shaking at the end.


    ¡°Definitely. Roman is a fighter. He survived a ghastly car ident when he was young without a single scratch. I know he¡¯ll surelye out of this healthy.¡± Damien attempted to reassure me.


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t get shot, did he?¡± I whispered and inhaled again.


    Damien just sighed.


    ¡°I saw everything happen, Damien. I watched that evil wench shoot him thrice in the chest, and I couldn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯m so fucking useless.¡± I shook my head as tears blurred my vision.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Damien was about to say something when we heard a loud thud followed by rushed conversations among the paramedics.


    I watched, with my heart hammering against my ribs as more paramedics crowded Roman.


    ¡°Please, let me see him.¡± I screamed, as I pushed through the cops and team of paramedics.


    ¡°Sofie, don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone, Damien. I can¡¯t take this anymore.¡± I red at the man before I webbed my way through the tightly-knitted circle.


    I fell to my knees as a strangled sob escaped my throat when I saw him.


    His shirt had been unbuttoned, his face and lips were ghostly pallor and a defibritor was being used to attempt to revive him.


    I could tell they had been at it for a while and it didn¡¯t seem to be working.


    My vision became fuzzy as my legs quivered with dread.


    Various dimmed-out voices floated into my head, as I watched them pack up the defibritor solemnly before a white cloth was drawn over Roman.


    I shook my head as I desperately wished that moment to be a nightmare.


    ¡°No, this can¡¯t be happening.¡± That was thest thing I said before my legs finally gave in under me and I slipped into unconsciousness.

 An unreal world

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I squeezed my eyes open and found myself drenched in my own sweat.


    It seemed as though I had been running from something or someone but I just couldn¡¯t remember whoever or whatever it was.


    With a dissatisfied groan, I yanked myself up from the bed, made my bed before trekking to the bathroom to take a quick shower.


    I didn¡¯t even know what day of the week today was.


    It felt as though I had slept for eighty years instead of eight hours.


    Afterward, I threw on a pair of denim pants and a ck t-shirt before heading downstairs for breakfast.


    My lips curved upward in a smile when I saw my mum dishing out breakfast for that morning.


    ¡°Good morning, mum.¡± I said, pressing a peck to her cheek.


    She turned to face me as she mirrored my smile. Hope you had a lovely night, baby?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mum.¡± I nodded, before retrieving some clean eating utensils and bringing them to the table.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a good boy, Roman unlike thatzy being called Rachel.¡± Mum patted my back and shook her head.


    ¡°Rachel? Who is that?¡± I asked, confused.


    She gave me a look. ¡°Rachel is your little sister. The both of you never had the opportunity to meet over there but this world will give you a second chance to meet properly.¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I meet her? Did she go somewhere? How old is she?¡±


    Mum just sighed and squeezed my shoulder. ¡°Yes, baby. She went somewhere. She went somewhere far with your dad and I. Also, she doesn¡¯t have an age because our world is an illusion.¡±


    ¡°An illusion?¡± I asked, to which she nodded.


    I decided to let it be for that moment, so I asked her another question. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I go with you guys?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t yet time for you to go with us. It still isn¡¯t time for you to be with us right now. So you¡¯ll have to go back soon.¡± She replied.


    ¡°I have to go back where?¡± I inquired as her hand dropped from my shoulder.


    She was about to answer me when a pretty, teenage brte girl who I presumed was Rachel, walked down the stairs, holding a novel.


    ¡°Hey, family.¡± She greeted before kissing mum on the cheek.


    ¡°Hi, angel. Did you sleep well?¡± Mum asked, and she sighed.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t, ma. I was up all night streaming the new song my favorite band, CIX dropped. We should stream it togetherter today, mum.¡± She said.


    Mum just scoffed fondly at her. ¡°Sit down and eat before your food gets cold.¡±


    Rachel finally seemed to realize that I was also in the room as she gazed up at me with a smile, and an outstretched hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, big brother. You are so tall.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just stared nkly at her as we shook hands.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Or more like she shook my hand.


    ¡°Wait, I shouldn¡¯t be shaking hands with my big brother.¡± Rachel mumbled, and without warning, she pulled me into a tight hug.


    I remained as stiff as a robot, as her hands rubbed my back in gentle circles.


    ¡°Why are you so stiff, Roman?¡± She scoffed when we disengaged from the one-sided hug.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I truthfully admitted.


    She just shook her head before taking her seat at the dining table.


    Another strange thing was the fact that I didn¡¯t have memories of other people apart from that of my parents. And even the memory I had of my parents was a blurry image of their bloody bodies in a burning car.


    I didn¡¯t have the slightest idea of what was happening.


    Hell, I couldn¡¯t even remember how I had gotten here.


    Then, the doorbell rang, putting a temporary end to the whirlwind of thoughts swirling inside me.


    I scarfed down the rest of my food as my dad walked in with a briefcase in one hand, and a box of cake in the other hand.


    He darted me a weird stare as mum collected the box from him and ced it on the table.


    ¡°Dad, you bought it!¡± Rachel squealed in excitement when mum ced the cake on the dining table.


    ¡°Yes, my princess.¡± He replied with a smile.


    ¡°Wee home, dad.¡± I said, trying to will the fuzzy memory of his bloody body behind the steering wheel out of my mind.


    I had no idea why that morbid image were hellbent on encroaching my mind.


    ¡°Romano, you are still here with us.¡± He said with an underlying tone of despondence.


    ¡°I guess I am.¡± I replied, with a tone set between the lines of a question and a statement.


    He didn¡¯t seem too happy that I was there.


    Was he mad at me or something?


    ¡°What are you still doing here, Roman? You shouldn¡¯t be here with us at all.¡± Rachel said, darting me a strange look.


    I frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why shouldn¡¯t I be here with you guys?¡±


    ¡°The longer you stay here with us, the shorter your chances of ever going back will be.¡± She said, gazing directly into my eyes.


    The atmosphere suddenly became tense as I stared at my family. My parents were staring pitifully at me while Rachel was back to reading her novel.


    ¡°Where am I going? Am I supposed to be somewhere else right now?¡± I asked, with a raised voice.


    ¡°Yes, honey. Everyone is already starting to lose hope. You¡¯ve been here with us for a month now.¡± Mum answered.


    ¡°Everyone? Who are they, and why are they losing hope? Shouldn¡¯t I be here with my family?¡± I inquired.


    It seemed as if no one really wanted me there. Not even my mum. But she was at least polite with it unlike Rachel and my dad.


    ¡°You will see all of them soon. You just have to keep pushing for now. You can¡¯t let her down, she hopes you wake up soon.¡± Dad said.


    ¡°Her? Who is she? Why can¡¯t I remember anything? This is so frustrating!¡± I gritted out, hitting the table angrily.


    I nced from mum and dad to Rachel, and watched them exchange awkward nces among themselves.


    It was then an eerie thought floated into my mind.


    ¡°Am I dead?¡± I blurted out.


    Mum sighed and said. ¡°Not yet, baby. That¡¯s why you have to keep moving because it¡¯s not yet time for you to join us.¡±


    My jaw cked as I stammered. ¡°W-what?¡±

 When is soon?

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I woke up with a start and a choked gasp.


    sping my hand over my chest, I looked down at my hand, and saw that my wrist was cannted with a pack of saline solution embedded into the cann.


    I fixated my gaze on the window for some minutes, trying to recall what must have happened, for me to have ended up in an hospital.


    I squinted when the illuminating rays of sunlight seeped through the window blinds and struck my eyes.


    ¡°Thank goodness you are finally awake, Sofie. I was so worried.¡± I was startled when a familiar, feminine voice from beside me spoke.


    I looked in the direction of the voice and a shocked gasp escaped my throat as tears pooled in my eyes.


    It was Amy, my best friend who I hadst seen six months ago, and she was here with me in the hospital room with a tired smile curving her lips.


    As I wordlessly gaped at her, the gory memories of everything that happened before I fainted suddenly descended on me with force, and I burst into bitter tears.


    I had watched Roman die right in front of me.


    She got up with a sigh and made her way over to pull me into a warm hug.


    ¡°Babe, don¡¯t cry, hmm? Everything will be fine. I just want you to know that it was never your fault, okay?¡± She said, softly carding her fingers through my hair.


    I cried harder as I violently shook my head. ¡°N-No, Amy. Y-You don¡¯t understand. If only I had never angered Lana, then he¡¯d still be alive. I killed him, Amy. I¡¯m just as guilty as she is.¡±


    Amy gently withdrew herself from the hug to dart me a confused look. ¡°Who is dead?¡±


    ¡°Roman. I watched him die right in front of me. I watched as they pulled the cloth over his body. I couldn¡¯t even do anything to save him yet he got killed because of me.¡± I wept bitterly.


    ¡°Babe, who told you that? President Giovanni is not dead.¡± She revealed, and instantly I stopped weeping, and just stared at her.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re only saying this to make me feel better, you know you don¡¯t have to lie to me because I¡¯d eventually know the truth.¡± I said.


    Her frown deepened as she replied. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not lying to you, Sofie. Wait, the doctor wille over soon, and she will exin everything to you.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not lying? My Roman is truly not dead?¡± Tears welled up my eyes as I asked her.


    Amy nodded as she beamed at me. ¡°I¡¯m positive.¡±


    I released the breath I wasn¡¯t even aware I was holding as my shoulders unclenched, and my chest felt lighter.


    It felt as if I had been carrying the burden of the whole world on my shoulders before.


    ¡°When can I see him? Which room is he in? Can the doctor hurry up?¡± I babbled, excitedly.


    ¡°The doctor will tell you everything you need to know. You should be able to see him soon.¡± Amy replied.


    A thought suddenly urred to me as I stared at my best friend¡¯s smiley face.


    ¡°By the way, how did you even get here? How do you know Roman?¡± I rambled out, to which she huffed.


    ¡°I took a flight here as soon when I watched the news three days ago. I¡¯ve known President Giovanni for about a month now, he reached out to me and told me he was your boyfriend. He told me that he just wanted to know you had someone other than himself to rely on if something happened.¡± Amy exined, and I felt hot tears burn my vision.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost like he knew this would happen.¡± I whispered, and Amy gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She agreed.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be on a work trip?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Fuck my job. You are way more important.¡± She huffed, which made me smile.


    ¡°So Roman didn¡¯t tell you anything other than that, right?¡± I inquired from her, to make sure she didn¡¯t know about the true contractual rtionship that Roman and I had from the start.


    ¡°Yes, he didn¡¯t.¡± She confirmed. ¡°Wait, should he have told me something else?¡±


    ¡°No, what else would he tell you?¡± Iughed but the soundcked humor.


    Amy just stared pointedly at me with her hands akimbo. ¡°So there really is something else. I knew something was up when the youngest billionaire in the whole of the United States sent me an email introducing himself as my best friend¡¯s man.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you trying to insinuate that I can¡¯t snag a billionaire?¡± I tried to divert her attention from the topic by feigning annoyance.


    Amy scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the topic, Sof. We both know that you can snag any man on earth. Have you seen how gorgeous you are? Now, start telling me everything before I force it out of you.¡±


    As I opened my mouth to fib again, someone knocked on the door.


    Amy and I exchanged nces before she said, ¡°That must be the doctor.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Come in.¡± She said, covering me properly with the nket.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    The doctor, a petite woman who I presumed was in her early thirties walked in, holding a notepad with a smile arching her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back, Miss Diaz.¡± She said, going over to check my cannted hand.


    ¡°How long was I gone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Three days.¡± She replied, and I gasped as I looked from the doctor to Amy.


    ¡°No way.¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes way.¡± Amy said, in a sing-song tone.


    ¡°What matters now is that the coast is clear. You and your baby are doing great.¡± The doctor informed, and I heaved a sigh of relief as I clutched my abdomen, ignoring Amy¡¯s inquisitive gaze.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. So when can I see Roman? Has he been transferred to his own room?¡± I asked, and both Amy and the doctor shared a look.


    I immediately knew something bad was up.


    ¡°The thing is we also don¡¯t know when you can see him, Miss Diaz.¡± The doctor responded.


    ¡°Why? What is going on?¡± I asked impatiently.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break it to you, Miss Diaz but I have no options but to anyway. President Giovanni is in aa, and we don¡¯t know when or if he¡¯s ever going to wake up.¡± She said, and although I was sitting on the bed, I felt my feet grow limp.


    ¡°No, t-this can¡¯t be.¡± I stuttered, fervently shaking my head as tears rolled down my cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss Diaz. I wish I had better news.¡± She said with an underlying tone of sympathy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, babe.¡± Amy whispered, taking me into her arms.


    ¡°So I can¡¯t even get a glimpse of him from afar.¡± I sobbed, fisting at my best friend¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°We will see how things go but right now, you can¡¯t.¡± The doctor answered.


    ¡°I have to be on my way now, excuse me.¡± She said, and exited the room.


    ¡°What am I going to do now, Amy? Where do I go from here? What if he never wakes up?¡± I wept bitterly.


    Amy continued patting my back in constion as she spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t think negatively, Sof. He¡¯lle around sooner than expected, and I¡¯ll always be here for you whenever you need me. Don¡¯t worry too much, everything will be fine very soon.¡±


    ¡°But how soon? Just how soon would everything be fine?¡± I sobbed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, babe. But I know it¡¯ll eventually happen.¡± She replied.


    For the rest of that day, I cried my eyes out and when my eyes couldn¡¯t produce tears again, I just stared nkly into space, with one prominent thought weighing down my mind.


    What if soon never came?

 Please wake up

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Thanks a lot, doctor.¡± I said as my obstetrician handed me a packet of vitamins.


    She just smiled and waved me off. ¡°Please, Sofie. When will you stop addressing me so formally? Please call me Kylie.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Miss Kylie.¡± I replied, mirroring her smile.


    She just shook her head and sighed. ¡°You are insufferable. By the way, did my brother tell you when he¡¯sing over today?¡±


    ¡°He told me he has work throughout today but he¡¯d surelye by tomorrow.¡± I supplied, to which she nodded.


    ¡°How are you holding up by the way? I can¡¯t even imagine how hard everything must be right now for you.¡± She said, throwing me a sympathetic stare.


    I shrugged, in a bid to seem strong to her. ¡°I¡¯m holding up well. Thanks for your concern, Miss Kylie.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Sofie. Also, don¡¯t forget that if you need anything, I mean anything at all, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I whispered as tears clogged my throat, making it impossible for me to speak properly.


    ¡°Alright then, Sofie. Have a nice day.¡± She smiled, patting my back.


    I inwardly scoffed at the possibility of the day being nice to me, but I smiled back at the doctor.


    ¡°Yes, I will. You too.¡± I said, and exited her office.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I stood outside her office for a few minutes to properly gather myself before I went to see Roman.


    It had been a month since everything happened, and he was still yet to show the tiniest signs of waking up.


    Thankfully, he was moved to a private roomst week since his external wounds had almost healed up.


    Although the doctors couldn¡¯t say it to my face, I knew they were gradually starting to lose hope that Roman would ever wake up.


    Some days ago, I overheard two of the doctors conversing with each other while I was in the bathroom. They said that Roman¡¯s brain signals were gradually diminishing, and it was a matter of time before he was dered brain dead.


    They probably thought I had gone home because they didn¡¯t even have the initiative to speak in hushed tones.


    I wasn¡¯t going to allow their negativity get through to me because I knew my Roman woulde back to me.


    He¡¯de back to our baby and I.


    With a sigh, I made a right turn to Roman¡¯s room as I balled my sweaty hands into fists, to suppress the nervous trembling.


    ¡°Miss Sofie, you are here again today.¡± One of the two doctors I had overheard that day said, as I stepped into the room.


    I repressed the urge to scoff and tell him to fuck off by nodding wordlessly as I made my way over to Roman¡¯s bed.


    Everytime Iid my eyes on Roman¡¯satose form, my heart always lurched with guilt.


    Multiple beeping machines were connected to him, he had a nasal cann inserted into his nostrils, his forehead was bandaged, and he also had multiple healed cuts all over his face.


    I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to see his gunshot wounds, so I didn¡¯t know what they looked like. But based on what a kind nurse told me yesterday, they were also healing rapidly withoutplication.


    ¡°Hi, my love.¡± I whispered, before kissing his deathly pale lips.


    The doctor cleared his throat but I ignored him as I tenderly stroked Roman¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Erm, Miss Diaz. I¡¯ll be in my office if you need me for anything. Please excuse me.¡± He rambled out, before scurrying out of the room.


    I hissed at the shut door, before averting my focus back on Roman.


    I took his uncannted hand into mine as I began a one-sided conversation with him. ¡°I miss you, Roman. I really do. I haven¡¯t had the time to sit with you like this, and tell you everything on my mind. But now, I do.¡±


    I sniffled as tears rolled down my cheeks. ¡°Everyone thinks you will leave the baby and I but I know you won¡¯t. Why? Because you¡¯re everything but a coward. You won¡¯t leave us like this, would you?¡±


    ¡°I have so much to say to you but I don¡¯t even know where to begin from.¡± I paused to weep for a moment before continuing.


    ¡°I just want you to open those eyes, Roman. Please just do it for us. I¡¯ve been acting strong for the past couple of weeks but I can¡¯t anymore. I-I just can¡¯t. It feels as if there¡¯s a huge load pressing down on my chest. It¡¯s so hard to breathe properly without you here, my love.¡± I whispered, gazing up at his motionless form.


    I sighed, and wiped the tears off my face. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be doing this here. The doctors told me to surround you with lively and cheerful stuff but I can¡¯t even do that. I¡¯m so worthless.¡±


    Silence enveloped the room as I resumed stroking Roman¡¯s hand.


    I gazed down at my still-t belly, and a smile curved my lips. ¡°By the way, I had an appointment for a checkup today. I am now two months gone, and about to enter the second trimester. I really hope you¡¯ll apany me to my next appointment.¡±


    The door was knocked, and I sighed before answering reluctantly. ¡°Come in.¡±


    A nurse walked in pushing a trolley, with a kind smile.


    ¡°Good day, Miss Diaz. It¡¯s time for his daily clean up.¡±


    ¡°Can I clean him instead today? I¡¯ve watched you do it several times, and I¡¯m sure I can wing it.¡± I said.


    The nurse stopped in her steps, and stared at me. I could tell that she was clearly hesitant to oblige my request.


    ¡°You can stay and guide me if I¡¯m not doing it right.¡± I negotiated which made her sigh.


    ¡°Very well then. You can do it. I¡¯ll go get his medication.¡± She muttered, before leaving the room.


    I dipped the face towel on the trolley into a bowl of water, and used it to gently wipe his face, his neck, his hands, his legs and his feet.


    I cleaned him thrice and in about thirty minutes, I was done.


    Momentster, the nurse returned with his medication. She gave me an impressed look as she assessed Roman.


    ¡°You did a great job of cleaning him. One would think a professional nurse did it.¡± She said, to which I smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±


    Afterward, she administered the medication to him and left.


    I spent the night ufortably snuggled next to him, with my head ced on his chest to hear the soft rising and falling rhythm of his heart, and reassure myself that he was still very much alive.


    Those doctors were just pathological liars.

 Back to life

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I stared at my mum with my mouth hanging open in shock.


    ¡°So I¡¯m dead.¡± I reiterated, and mum shook her head with a sigh.


    ¡°No, honey. You are not dead yet but if you keep staying with us, it is a matter of time before you fully join us here.¡± She exined.


    ¡°So you guys are dead then.¡± I said.


    ¡°You hit the nail right on the head.¡± Rachel nodded.


    ¡°Wait, do you know what happened to me? Was I in a sort of ident or something? Why can¡¯t I remember anything?¡± I rambled out.


    ¡°You were shot by a psychopathic bitch.¡± Rachel chipped in.


    ¡°Language, princess. Language.¡± Dad chided her.


    ¡°What? I may not be alive but if I were to be, I¡¯d punch the bitch in the guts. How dare she do this to my brother?¡± Rachel spat angrily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Roman. You can¡¯t remember anything because that is how the universe works. When you are in this world, you won¡¯t remember anything from that world and vice versa.¡± Mum exined, and I nodded.


    ¡°So what is going to happen to me now? How do I go back to that world? Will I ever be able to go back to that world?¡± I asked in a jabber.


    ¡°You will go back to your world, my dear. Don¡¯t worry about it, you just need to keep moving. You have a lot of people waiting for you to wake up. You can¡¯t let any of them down, plus you also have to punish the wench who did this to you.¡± Mum uttered.


    ¡°Calm down, Julia.¡± Dad said, ncing through a business magazine on the dining table.


    ¡°I really wish I had the ability to take revenge on her by myself. I¡¯d do it without thinking. No one dares to harm my child, and go scot-free.¡± She gritted out, clenching her hands into fists.


    ¡°Then you¡¯d be a demon and your soul will never rest. Do you want that?¡± Dad lectured.


    Mum heaved a deep sigh. ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t want to be a demon. But I sure hope the universe is on our side, so that the wench will rot in jail forever.¡±


    ¡°The universe is always on the victim¡¯s side, so it definitely is on our side.¡± Dad reassured her, taking her clenched fist into his hand over the table.


    ¡°I hope so, Ro.¡± She sighed.


    ¡°By the way, baby. Would you like to go on an evening stroll with me?¡± Mum asked, after some minutes had passed.


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯d like to.¡±


    Soon, we were out of the house and on a stroll to only where the heavens knew.


    ¡°You made a good choice with her. I mean, the woman who is after your heart. I hope you both stay together forever. I wish to properly meet her someday, and thank her for thawing my boy¡¯s frozen heart.¡± Mum chuckled, reaching downward to intertwine our hands.


    ¡°She must be a really good person.¡± I said, to which she nodded in agreement.


    ¡°She¡¯s the best. I¡¯m d your paths crossed.¡± Mum said before pointing toward a bench that seemed to have magically spawned out of nowhere.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there.¡± She muttered.


    I didn¡¯t question the bench because I knew everything in that world was an illusion, and I didn¡¯t want to further confuse myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m really proud of you, son. Your Nana did a great job in raising you. You turned out to be such a perfect gentleman.¡± Mum uttered, after we had both sat down on the bench.


    ¡°Thanks, ma.¡± I replied.


    ¡°One more thing before you leave, Roman.¡± Mum said which made my brows furrow in a frown.


    ¡°Am I leaving now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, you are. You can¡¯t stay here for too long because this is not where you should be.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So I¡¯m in aa over there right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Mum said. ¡°Back to what I was saying, you need to stop ming yourself for what happened to me, your father and Rachel because there was absolutely nothing you could have done to stop the ident on that day.¡±


    So they had all gotten here due to a car crash.


    That exined the gory image of my parents¡¯ bloody bodies that kept floating into my mind.


    ¡°I was pregnant with Rachel and you had just clocked three some days ago when the ident happened.¡± She said, as if reading my mind.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I mumbled, not sure of what else to say.


    ¡°You need to go now. Don¡¯t evere here again until it¡¯s your time, okay? Your parents and your sister are always watching over you, never forget that. I love you, Romano. Till we meet again to part no more.¡± Mum sobbed, pulling me into a hug.


    +++


    I exhaled heavily as I flickered my eyes open.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I scanned through my surroundings, and quickly realized that I wasying on a hospital bed.


    I squinted as I racked my brain, in a bid to recall how I had gotten to a hospital, but my efforts were futile because my mind was a nk sheet.


    I groaned, and instantly a strange but pretty, petite woman whose eyes were as wide as saucers hovered over me.


    ¡°Roman! Oh my goodness! You are finally awake, my love!¡± She shrieked, and hugged me.


    I gazed down at her auburn mop of hair as she squirmed against me. ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    ¡°Stop trying to scare me, Roman.¡± She scoffed but made no attempt to get off me.


    ¡°How do you know my name?¡± I asked, to which she huffed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny, Roman. Don¡¯t scare me like that.¡± She said, tightening the hug.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you, woman. Why would I want to scare you?¡± I croaked harshly.


    My throat was very dry, so I couldn¡¯t yell.


    She instantly withdrew herself from the hug and looked into my eyes. ¡°Tell me this is a joke.¡±


    ¡°You are not really making any sense here. What is going on? How do you know me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°T-This can¡¯t be happening, Roman. I-I¡¯m Sofie, your Sofie.¡± She said, smacking her chest harshly as her eyes became misty with tears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any Sofie.¡± I confessed, and that seemed to be thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.


    For some weird reason, my heart broke when I saw the first teardrop roll down her face.


    ¡°Wait, why are you crying?¡± I inquired, confused.


    She only wept harder in response.

 She is back

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    No. I¡¯d never believe it.


    He was probably traumatized by everything that happened to him, so his memory wasn¡¯t that good at the moment.


    Yes, that was it. That was the only logical exnation for whatever was happening.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry I can¡¯t seem to remember you, ma¡¯am.¡± Roman began.


    I stopped sobbing and just stared at him.


    He gazed nkly at me, and my heart broke again for the umpteenth time that day.


    Those eyes that used to hold so much love and adoration for me were now staring at me in confusion, as if I was a stranger.


    Those lips that used to call me all sorts of endearing pet names now called me ¡®ma¡¯am.¡¯


    ¡°C-Can you remember anything else?¡± I asked, cleaving onto thest bit of hope in my heart.


    ¡°Like the name of yourpany, your grandmother and your close friend.¡± I added.


    To my utter despair, he nodded and started counting them off his fingers. ¡°Giovanni group ofpanies. My grandmother¡¯s name is Benedicta, and my close friend¡¯s name is Damien Mauricio.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m the only person you can¡¯t remember then.¡± I muttered underneath my breath but he seemed to have heard it, as his face contorted into a frown.


    He was about to say something when a doctor closely followed by three nurses trekked into the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to finally have you back, President Giovanni.¡± He said.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Roman said. ¡°By the way, how did I even get here? Was I in an ident or something?¡±


    The doctor and I exchanged perplexed nces.


    ¡°What is thest thing you can remember, sir?¡± The doctor asked.


    Roman squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°The day I broke up with my ex girlfriend, Lana. Everything after that ispletely fuzzy.¡±


    My lips trembled as my heart fell to the pit of my belly.


    Lana? How could he remember her, and not me?


    ¡°Do you know who she is?¡± The doctor asked, gesturing to me.


    Just as I expected, Roman shook his head in negation and he looked me up and down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t. Am I supposed to know her? Who is she to me?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your girl-¡±


    I interrupted the doctor and said. ¡°I¡¯m someone dear to you. Very dear to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He mumbled.


    ¡°We are going to run some tests now, Miss Sofie.¡± He said, bringing out a penlight and shing it into Roman¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Everything seems fine.¡± He said. ¡°Can you ball your hand into a fist?¡±


    Roman obliged, and the doctor wrote something down in his note pad before steering his focus to me.


    ¡°Kindly meet me in my office, Miss Diaz. I have something important to tell you.¡± He supplied.


    ¡°Okay. I will.¡± I muttered.


    Awkward silence enveloped the atmosphere of the room, as the nurses kept stealing nces at me while they drew up blood from Roman, and gave him more medication.


    I was tempted to snap at them to do their work properly instead of gawking at me, but I repressed my anger.


    ¡°I will be in the doctor¡¯s office. He said he has important information for me.¡± I exined to Roman as if he hadn¡¯t heard the doctor talk to me.


    ¡°Uhm, okay.¡± He nodded, and withdrew his attention from me.


    I inhaled deeply to keep the tears suppressed as I walked morosely to the doctor¡¯s office.


    ¡°Have a seat, Miss Diaz.¡± The doctor said, as I entered his office.


    I nodded, and silently sat down on the chair facing him.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t sugarcoat anything for me. Don¡¯t give me false hope. Just tell me everything as it is.¡± I said, to which the doctor nodded.


    ¡°It is against my professional and personal ethics to sugarcoat a patient¡¯s diagnosis for them.¡± He replied.


    ¡°So what do you have to tell me?¡±


    ¡°President Giovanni has selective amnesia.¡± He started.


    I exhaled heavily as I clutched my thighs harshly.


    Hearing it made it real.


    Tears clouded my vision as I tried to gather reasonable words in my mind.


    At that moment, I badly wanted to run away.


    I wanted to hurl all the curses I knew at the universe.


    I wanted to ask why it was so cruel to me.


    I wanted to ask if I didn¡¯t deserve to be happy for at least once in my life.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why he can¡¯t remember me.¡± I whispered, and the doctor nodded.


    ¡°Exactly. And it¡¯s not just you he can¡¯t remember. You also heard him, his mind seems to be stuck in the past. His brain is trying to filter everyone and everything rted to the traumatic experience he recently underwent.¡± He said, and I huffed.


    ¡°But Lana is also part of that traumatic experience. She literally shot him in the chest and bludgeoned his head. How can he remember her?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea either, Miss. In my twenty one years of experience, I have never seen something like this.¡± The doctor said.


    I sighed deeply and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Thanks for everything, doctor.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me for doing my job, Miss. ¡± He responded, as we shook hands.


    Afterward, I exited his office and trekked into Roman¡¯s room with various despondent thoughts, wing at my mind.


    The sight that greeted me when I walked in fizzled out my despair and instantly reced it with rage.


    Roman was asleep, and Lana was standing at the foot of his bed, in flesh and blood.


    She didn¡¯t even bother to use a disguise.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here, Lana? Are you here to finish your job?¡± I hollered, pushing her to the floor.


    Sheughed manically as she got up and dusted her skimpy gown. ¡°I don¡¯t owe you an exnation. Now get out of my face.¡±


    ¡°The fucking audacity you have to be here when there¡¯s a search party for you. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be caught and sent to jail today. I don¡¯t need to argue with a criminal.¡± I spat at her in anger.


    In response, she folded in half as she burst into a peal ofughter. ¡°You are really stupid, Sofie. The police can¡¯t do anything to me, why? Because there¡¯s no proof I was ever there. The gun I used has been destroyed, and the same goes for my phones.¡±


    I froze speechless as I pondered on her word.


    She moved closer to me, and I stood my ground as I red at her.


    ¡°And now, Roman has lost his memory of you and the incident. Even the universe is not working in your favor, you are all alone now. It will be easy for me to get rid of both you and your bastard.¡± She giggled.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°I overheard the nurses gossiping among themselves on my way in. This is the best news I¡¯ve heard in a long time. Today is the best day of my life.¡± She squealed and pped her hands in excitement.


    Hot tears streamed down my face as I fell to the floor in dejection.


    Lana had won.

 An unsettling feeling

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you¡¯ve finally epted defeat. You will never be able to beat me, Sofie. Not in this life or the next. You will always be a wretched lowlife.¡±


    That was the reel of insults I woke up to.


    I slowly blinked my eyes open, only for me to see the strange woman¨CSofie kneeling on the floor with her hands sped to her chest as she wept.


    ¡°You better go back to wherever your stupid self came from, because you are not, and will never be needed here.¡± The voice from earlier said again.


    I knew who that voice belonged to.


    I would always be able to decipher that obnoxiously loud and chirpy voice even in a room filled with thousands of women.


    Lana. A voice in my mind unhelpfully supplied as she finally came within my vision.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s starting to wake up.¡± She said, leaning over to stroke my forehead.


    Sofie also stood up and stood on the other side of the bed, watching me silently.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Lana?¡± I asked, as she smiled down at me.


    Thest time I had seen that smile was when I went to her apartment and found her on top of that bastard, whom she had lied to me was her cousin.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re finally awake, Roman. I missed you so much, babe.¡± She sniffled, although not a single drop of tear rolled down her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, Lana.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°You are still here, Miss Sofie. Are you waiting for someone?¡± I asked the petite brte, and she just smiled and shook her head.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m about to leave. I wanted to see you one more time before I leave.¡± She replied softly.


    ¡°Oh. Thanks for your concern.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me, Roman. I will always be here for you whenever you need me.¡± Sofie darted me a sad smile which tugged at my heartstrings.


    For an unknown reason, I badly wanted to cross the distance between us and pull her into a hug.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I just felt this inexplicable urge to apologize to her.


    ¡°Be careful with that woman, Roman.¡± She red at Lana who just scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to that bitch, babe. She¡¯s trying to brainwash you. She needs to be locked up in a mental facility for the rest of her life. She¡¯s nothing b-¡±


    ¡°And when did I ask for your damn opinion, Lana?¡± I thundered, and she instantly mped her mouth shut.


    ¡°Lana made you like this. She tried to kill you but you survived, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to try to do it again but be rest assured that there aretv cameras everywhere. Both visible and hidden ones.¡± She threw a pointed look at Lana.


    Sofie¡¯s words sounded both crazy and believable at the same time.


    Lana tried to kill me? How would she even do that?


    But I had also heard how she had dished out horrendous and condescending insults to Sofie.


    At that point, I didn¡¯t even know who I was supposed to believe.


    Sofie fixed me a wistful look before she grabbed her bag and left, without darting me a backward nce.


    ¡°What was that about? Who is she, and where exactly did shee from? And don¡¯t you dare say you don¡¯t know, because I heard you cussing her out.¡± I uttered.


    ¡°You dated her after we broke up, andter on, you eventually broke up with her and we resumed dating. But being the delusional golddigger that she is, she still thinks you¡¯re in love with her, and is trying to break us apart like she did before.¡± Lana sobbed, intecing our hands together.


    ¡°Howe I don¡¯t remember ever getting back together with you? Why would I even get back with you when you cheated on me?¡± I spat, yanking my hand out of her hold.


    ¡°I never cheated on you, Roman. Where did you even get that from?¡± Lana gasped, cing a hand over her chest.


    ¡°We both know you cheated, Lana. And I don¡¯t really care whether youe clean or not because I have no business with you anymore. Don¡¯t think youring to visit me in the hospital will change anything because it won¡¯t. I have never loved you, and I don¡¯t see myself loving you in the future either.¡± I gritted out.


    ¡°You are such a fucking heartless scumbag, Roman. I have no idea why I had to fall for an arrogant asshole like you. As if you not paying enough attention to me while we dated was not enough, you¡¯re still trying to-¡±


    ¡°Just shut the hell up, Lana. Shut that fucking mouth up for goodness sake, dammit! Do you want me to get the nurses to ask you to leave?¡± I bellowed, infuriated.


    ¡°Why do you despise me so much? Why can¡¯t you even pretend to love me?¡± She cried.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this with you, Lana. I have a migraine and raising my voice intensifies it. I want you to leave.¡±I retorted, and she wiped her crocodile tears off her face.


    ¡°So you still can¡¯t recall anything that happened recently, right?¡± She asked, with an hopeful glint shing across her eyes.


    ¡°Why? Is there something you don¡¯t want me to remember?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°No. Of course not.¡± She feigned hurt. ¡°I¡¯d never wish that on you. I want you to recover fully and get your memory back as soon as possible, so you¡¯d remember your promise to marry me.¡±


    I snorted out a mirthless huff. ¡°Just leave. I¡¯ve heard enough of your lies.¡±


    She just giggled, put on a pair of sunsses and blew me a flying kiss before she left.


    It was obvious she was hiding something from me.


    Maybe Sofie was right.


    What if Lana has actually tried to kill me?


    I instantly shrugged the thought away just as it floated into my mind.


    She wouldn¡¯t be that confident if that was the case. I concluded within myself, ignoring the tiny voice in my head disagreeing with me.

 Raw frustration

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Or should we just forgo cooking dinner tonight? For some reason, I have a craving for pasta today. Should we order from the new Italian restaurant across the street? That¡¯s it, I¡¯m ordering.¡± Amy¡¯s voice drifted into my ears as I nkly stared at the moving figures on the television screen.


    Somehow, I blurred her voice out instead of giving her a reply which earned me a shoulder smack from her.


    ¡°What did you do that for?¡± I winced, rubbing my shoulder.


    ¡°To bring you back to the world. What are you thinking so deeply about? I¡¯ve beeno asking for your opinion on what to eat for dinner and you¡¯ve just been staring into space. What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling pains anywhere?¡± She asked, her voice softening as she eyed me.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± I pointed to my heart.


    ¡°Oh, Sofie.¡± She muttered, and hugged me.


    ¡°I love you but you reek of potato chips, and it¡¯s making me nauseous.¡± I said, barely managing to suppress my tears.


    Whenever she hugged me, I always felt so vulnerable that it was easy for me to tear up.


    I had already cried five times that day and I wasn¡¯t nning on crying for the sixth time.


    She disengaged from the hug, and sniffed herself before scampering upstairs. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot about the little potato apathy you have going on. Let me go wash up and change into something else.¡±


    I justughed. ¡°Alright. Be fast about it, or else I¡¯ll finish eating your pasta before you get back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, you glutton.¡± She yelled from upstairs which made meugh harder.


    After I was discharged from the hospital, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to go back home to Roman¡¯s mansion.


    I had initially slept there for a night but I had nightmares about Roman dying which badly scared me, so I decided to get an apartment with Amy.


    I also couldn¡¯t stand living in that big house without Roman being there. The house felt too suffocating for me without him.


    Momentster, the doorbell rang and I quickly went to answer the door.


    ¡°These people are fast.¡± I muttered to myself as I opened the door.


    I didn¡¯t expect to see Damien smiling down at me with a takeout bag dangling from his hand.


    ¡°Damien.¡± I said. ¡°Come in. We weren¡¯t expecting you at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t n oning here today either. I had some work to do nearby, so I decided to stop by.¡± He said, setting the takeout on the table.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to bother with this.¡± I motioned to the food.


    Damien just huffed and waved me off. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do. By the way, is Amy in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s upstairs. I nodded. ¡°She should-oh there shees.¡±


    ¡°What do you think about this? Do I still smell like potatoes?¡± She scoffed as she trudged downstairs.


    ¡°I can¡¯t smell you from up there.¡± I joked. ¡°You¡¯d have to cancel your order from the Italian restaurant because Damien brought us some pasta.¡±


    ¡°Damien, oh my goodness! I didn¡¯t even notice you were here!¡± Amy panicked, as her entire face flushed with embarrassment.


    I had been watching both of them for the past couple of weeks, and I knew they¡¯d both have something to address sooner orter.


    ¡°Good day, Amy.¡± Damien smiled, and I watched Amy be more flustered.


    ¡°H-Hi.¡± She stuttered.


    ¡°You have to cancel the order, babe. You can gawk at him after you do that.¡± I teased, and she red at me before wiping out her phone.


    The humourous atmosphere dissolved into a tense one as we all sat down.


    ¡°So have you gone to visit Roman yet?¡± I asked.


    Damien nodded, handing me a fork. ¡°You should eat. You look leaner than you did when Ist saw you.¡±


    ¡°So he still doesn¡¯t remember me then.¡± I smiled sadly as I collected the fork.


    ¡°The doctors are proposing psychotherapy. I will try to convince him to go for it. He¡¯ll regain his lost memories in no time when he starts.¡± Damien said.


    ¡°I hope so.¡± I muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get my hopes up.¡±


    ¡°Have faith, Sofie.¡± He replied before steering the conversation to Amy.


    ¡°Amy, is the carbonara to your liking?¡± He asked.


    My best friend blushed and nodded. ¡°Yes, it is. Thanks.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to interrupt their little moment with my worries, so I just kept quiet as I brooded heavily on what Lana said to me the other day, pertaining to evidence.


    ¡°A dor for your thoughts, babe?¡± Amy inquired, cing a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m just really worried about Roman. We have no idea what ns Lana has up her evil sleeves. I just want her to go to jail, and get out of our lives forever.¡± I confessed.


    Amy nodded in silent agreement, and patted my shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m working on gathering the evidence, Sofie. She can¡¯t hide from thew forever. Sooner orter, somebody will rat her out, and we¡¯ll send her to jail as soon as possible.¡± Damien reassured me.


    ¡°By the way, has Alexander Guilon said anything yet?¡± I asked.


    Some days after I regained consciousness, Damien had briefed me on the true rtionship Lana had with Alexander Guilon.


    I had expected them to be everything but father and daughter.


    But somehow, it made sense.


    They were both psychopathic in nature.


    I guessed it ran in their family.


    ¡°He¡¯s still refusing to talk. He said he¡¯d never betray his dear daughter. We¡¯ve cajoled him with all sorts of appealing offers yet he still remains adamant. We even told him he had a chance of getting out in six months if he testified against her but he remained unperturbed. The cops are eventually going to torture him to confess.¡± Damien divulged.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I sighed in frustration as I forked my hands through my hair.


    ¡°There just doesn¡¯t seem to be a way out. What if Roman never regains his memory? What will be of me and our baby?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I can assure you that we will get that evidence either by hook or by crook. You just have to rx and don¡¯t strain your health and that of the baby¡¯s.¡± He elucidated.


    A million thoughts and questions raced through my mind but all I said was, ¡°Okay.¡±

 Desperation

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I watched with ire boiling inside me as Lana walked into the room with a smile stered to her face.


    ¡°Hi, babe.¡± Her voice wafted into my ears, and I scoffed in annoyance as I picked up a book from the nightstand, and decided to pretend I was reading it.


    I was not in the mood to argue with her at that moment.


    For an unknown reason, I felt emptier that day. And everything seemed to irk me.


    I hadn¡¯t seen Sofie for the past three days.


    I couldn¡¯t make out why her absence seemed to be affecting me so much.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you even going to acknowledge my presence?¡± She whined, cing the gift bag in her hold on the nightstand.


    ¡°What are you here for?¡± I asked, without steering my concentration from the book.


    ¡°I came to apologize for how I acted thest time I was here. I¡¯m sorry, Roman.¡± She pouted, staring at me.


    I huffed. ¡°Since you¡¯re done apologizing, you may leave.¡±


    ¡°I have a fashion show in Paris in two weeks, so I¡¯d have to leave New York soon. ¡± She revealed, crossing her arms over her chest.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re telling me this.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Even if you continue to hate me till the world ends, I¡¯d never dream of excluding you from my life. You mean the world to me, Roman. Without you, everything is just so fucking meaningless, can¡¯t you see how crazy I am for your love? Why do you keep pushing me away?¡± She hissed, clenching her hands into fists.


    I ignored her and made to press the nurse call button when Sofie and Damien walked in.


    I didn¡¯t know why but seeing them stand together side by side caused rage to simmer inside me.


    ¡°I see you brought your boyfriend over today.¡± Lana said, picking her purse.


    ¡°You are doomed, Lana. Just keep enjoying your freedom for the time being because when you¡¯re caught, you¡¯d never be able to smell the air outside the prison walls.¡± Damien hollered, and in response, Lana just snorted.


    ¡°Who keeps letting her in anyway?¡± I hurled, and she darted me a shocked stare.


    ¡°I have no idea either. But it¡¯s going to stop today. From today henceforth, if you ever dare to step foot in this hospital as a whole, I¡¯ll deal with you mercilessly.¡± Damien barked.


    ¡°Are you just going to let him continue talking to me like that?¡± Lana sobbed.


    ¡°You said you came to apologize. And you did that moments ago, I have no idea why you¡¯re still here. Get the hell out of my sight, Lana!¡± I spat.


    She darted me a re but said nothing before storming out of the room.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did she bring these?¡± Sofie spoke for the first time since she entered the room, and before I could answer, Damien nodded.


    I decided to let it go instead of darting him a re.


    ¡°She probably did, Sof. It¡¯s shocking how obnoxious and stupid she can be. I mean, who gives a hospital patient a box of perfume?¡±


    It felt unsettling to hear Damien talk to her in such an endearing manner.


    He had even called her ¡®Sof.¡± I wondered how close they must be for him to call her by a nickname.


    Sofie didn¡¯t say anything. She just took the gift bag from the nightstand and threw it out of the window.


    Damien and I exchanged stunned nces as she calmly closed the window and turned to us.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if she infused the perfume with poison. There¡¯s nothing she can¡¯t do. We always have to be careful with her.¡± She exined, and I nodded.


    ¡°Right. That¡¯s smart of you.¡± Imended, and her cheeks flushed as she smiled shyly.


    My lips involuntarily quivered in a smile as I watched her smile prettily.


    I was greatly entranced by her. I just wanted to keep talking to her about things that even I had no idea of.


    ¡°You should sit down, Sofie. You¡¯ve been moving around since the day began.¡± Damien just had to interrupt our little, blissful moment.


    I didn¡¯t attempt to hide my disdain at all and I just scoffed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have work today?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I do. But my junior attorneys can take care of it. Have you forgotten that I own aw firm?¡± Heughed but I really didn¡¯t find it funny.


    I was beyond annoyed when Sofie softlyughed along with him.


    What was so funny about his statement?


    I could make better jokes than the boring excuse of a joke he just uttered.


    ¡°Sit down, Sofie.¡± Damien reiterated, guiding her to the sofa beside my bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a nagger at times.¡± She grumbled but still obeyed and sat down.


    ¡°He can be so overbearing.¡± I mumbled in agreement, to which Sofie nodded.


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve countlessly told him that I¡¯m only pregnant, notme yet he keeps hovering over me.¡± She muttered.


    I instantly lowered my gaze to her t abdomen. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    She stiffened as she shared a quick look with Damien before answering. ¡°Yes, Roman. I¡¯m pregnant with your child.¡±


    The book fell off my hand as my jaw gaped in shock. ¡°What?¡±


    Sofie just smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a little above nine weeks gone now.¡±


    I felt inexplicable exuberance at her answer even though my mind held no memories of her. ¡°So we¡¯re married then.¡±


    To my disappointment, she shook her head. ¡°No. We are in a veryplicated rtionship. We are engaged and also dating.¡±


    My brows knitted in a befuddled frown. ¡°Oh. I-¡± I paused to look from Sofie to Damien who had a smile curving his lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± I confessed.


    ¡°That is understandable.¡±She reassured me. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been meaning to show you this for the past couple of weeks but things between us haven¡¯t exactly been rosy.¡±


    She stood up and handed me a picture of a pregnancy ultrasound scan.


    My chest felt ten times lighter than it had in days, as I stared at the ck and white blob in the picture.


    ¡°So this is our baby, huh?¡± I asked, tenderly caressing the blob.


    ¡°Yes, this is our baby.¡± She whispered, tilting her neck sideways.


    Our gaze met and at that moment, time seemed to stop, it felt as if Sofie and I were alone in our own world as we stared at each other.


    I had no idea how I could be so smitten with a woman whose name I only knew, even though she was carrying my child.


    I didn¡¯t believe in God but at that moment, I desperately said an inward prayer to him;


    I prayed to get my lost memories back, just so I could remember how in love I must have been with her.

 Subjected to ridicule

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Sofie Diaz, the stinky lowlife Roman Giovanni is engaged to?¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness! You¡¯re right, she¡¯s the one. Funny enough I¡¯ve seen her in one of my anatomy sses before. We take a few sses together and I never knew she was the one. That¡¯s so crazy!¡±


    ¡°How else could she have been able to afford a private college?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I never thought of that.¡±


    Those were the taunting words I heard as I retrieved my textbooks from my locker.


    The conversation was among three girls, who were standing idly beside an open locker behind me.


    I had noticed them ring at me at the cafeteria earlier that afternoon but I paid them no attention because they certainly didn¡¯t deserve it.


    I took a sharp inhale to control my ire and decided to ignore them. I had no idea who they were anyway.


    The only person I knew in the whole school was Katie, and she had moved to London during the period I was held captive by Lana.


    After I woke up in the hospital, I had switched on my phone to find a barrage of emails and voicemails from her.


    In some of them, she was worried I was not picking up and in the other ones, she was mad I didn¡¯t see her off to the airport.


    I finally managed to bring myself to respond to them two weeks ago.


    I apologized, and conjured up a lie that I had misced my phone and some of my vital information, so that was the reason I couldn¡¯t contact her.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Two weekster, and she was still yet to reply.


    ¡°I heard President Giovanni has finally regained his consciousness after five weeks of being in aa. Did you know Lana Hernandez went to see him at the hospital?¡± One of the girls asked aloud when I shut my locker.


    ¡°No fucking way!¡±


    ¡°Yes fucking way! The news have been trending everything for the past three days. I hope they get back together soon. If Lana going to visit him in the hospital, after their sudden breakup two years ago isn¡¯t true love, I don¡¯t know what else is.¡±


    I scoffed inwardly and shook my head.


    If only they knew Lana had shot ¡°her true love¡± and had left him to die.


    ¡°It certainly isn¡¯t leeching on someone¡¯s family generational wealth though.¡± One of the girls scoffed, and they allughed together.


    My anger finally reached its limit and I spun around to face them.


    ¡°Do you have something to tell me? If you do, I suggest you say it to my face and stop acting like fucking cowards. Or is it amon behavior for girls from wealthy homes like you guys to be all bites and no bark?¡± I mocked them.


    The tallest of the trio, who I suspected was the ringleader took three steps toward me as she eyed me up and down.


    ¡°I wonder what he saw in an ugly looking thing like you. Let me tell you something, you will never belong to Roman Giovanni¡¯s social circle, no matter how hard you try. You¡¯re just a ssless pest that he will use and dump soon. Let¡¯s go girls, we don¡¯t need to waste our time on a golddigger.¡± She scorned, and made to rudely brush past me when I gently pulled her back.


    I darted her a harmless smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get a response?¡±


    ¡°Get your dirty hands off me!¡± She yelled, and I obliged.


    ¡°I agree that I¡¯m ugly like you said but at least, he chose an ugly goldigger like me instead of a pretty and wealthy person like you and Lana Hernandez. You can bark all you want but you can¡¯t deny that Roman Giovanni is absolutely in love with me, can you?¡± I asked, batting my eyshes.


    She red at me and I waited patiently for her to utter another derogatory statement with my arms crossed over my chest.


    ¡°Girls, we have a ss in fifteen minutes, don¡¯t we?¡± She inquired, without looking away from me.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The shortest among the trip responded.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to runte because of this worthless thing, do we?¡± She muttered as she arrogantly brushed past me.


    I just stared at both her and underlings¡¯ retreating forms and hissed.


    I wondered why the rudest people always had the most wealth and power.


    Apart from Roman, his grandmother, and Damien, I was yet to meet a wealthy person who had manners.


    Later that day when I got home, I found a sticky note pasted to the refrigerator.


    I plucked it and in spite of my destion, I smiled as I read through it.


    ¡°Hi, babe. Damien and I are out for lunch. He stopped by this afternoon and asked me out to lunch and I just couldn¡¯t say no. I will give you the full story when I get back.


    P. S: I ordered the box of pineapple pizza you¡¯ve been craving since yesterday for you. It¡¯s in the refrigerator.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have an appetite, so I headed upstairs to my room to take a nap but somehow, I ended up with three of my fingers thrusting deep into my wet core.


    I had no idea how it happened either. All I remembered was that, one moment I had my nostrils pressed against Roman¡¯s grey sweatpants, which I had packed with the rest of my belongings, on the day I left the mansion.


    And in the next, my gown was bunched up at my waist and I had literally be wetter than an oasis.


    ¡°Oh, Roman.¡± I moaned when my fingers brushed my G-spot.


    At that moment, I needed him badly more than ever.


    I regretted not purchasing the dildo I had seen online two days ago.


    I wanted something longer and thicker than my fingers inside me. I wanted to be plowed by Roman until I became a wrecked, cum-leaking and moaning mess.


    I imagined him letting out a huge exhale as hepletely buried his cock inside me. I imagined his lips meeting mine in a passionate kiss, as I hooked my legs around his waist.


    I envisioned him hammering me into the bed with deep, long thrusts that would eventually bring me to the sweet heavens of erotic gratification.


    Then, we¡¯d reach the peak of our sexual fulfillment together.


    I would squirt my cum all over his rock hard abdomen and he¡¯de inside me, and I¡¯d feel the warm thickness of his cum slither out of me as he pulled out.


    Afterward, we¡¯d lie side by side as we both came down from our respective highs.


    When he made to stand up to clean me up, I¡¯d shake my head and tell him that I wanted to feel him inside me a little longer. He would then smile before pressing a kiss to my forehead.


    Tears clouded my vision as I pulled my fingers out of my pussy, and yanked myself back to the harsh reality of my life.


    Roman wasn¡¯t there with me, and he¡¯d probably never be for a long time or even forever.

 A dark pool of lost memories

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Howe Nana hasn¡¯te to see me yet?¡± I asked Damien as he cut up some apples for me.


    He halted, ced the half sliced apple, and knife on the te before exchanging nces with Nathan.


    Nathan hade to visit me earlier with some of my staff, but my staff had already left.


    ¡°I noticed something. Each time I ask you about her, you stylishly change the subject. Did something happen to her?¡± I darted Damien an usatory stare.


    I had asked him about my grandmother the first time he came to visit me after I regained consciousness, but somehow, he managed to change the topic to the rising stocks of mypany.


    Back then, I didn¡¯t really pay any attention to it.


    But when I asked him the question again a few days ago, he excused himself from the conversation and imed he had to take an emergency call, even though his phone hadn¡¯t rang in my presence.


    ¡°Is she dead?¡± I whispered, feeling a lump of bile clog my throat.


    ¡°She¡¯s not.¡± He replied, and I heaved a deep sigh of respite.


    However, my relief was short-lived when I noticed that he still had a solemn demeanor.


    ¡°What is going on, Nathan?¡± I hurled at my assistant who just ducked his head.


    ¡°The cancer metastasized again.¡± Damien chipped in.


    ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my ears.


    ¡°It metastasized to her stomach and colon. And the doctor has confined her to strict bed rest. She recently underwent surgery to get rid of the cancer but things don¡¯t seem to be improving. She can¡¯t even get up or breathe by herself, she¡¯s on life support, so she definitely can¡¯te to see you.¡± Damien spilled.


    I scrubbed my face with my palm as various unbridled thoughts and possibilities ravaged my mind.


    ¡°So she doesn¡¯t know about my situation then.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Exactly. The doctor advised us against telling her so. It¡¯s too risky and it may worsen her condition.¡±


    I just nodded because my mind was both nk and overstimted at the same time. ¡°When do I get discharged?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, sir.¡± Nathan responded.


    ¡°Have you gotten any evidence on Lana yet?¡± I asked Damien who shook his head in negation.


    Fiery, red-hot anger stirred up inside me as I clenched my hand into fists.


    ¡°That wench hasn¡¯t left the country yet, has she?¡±


    ¡°No, she hasn¡¯t. She¡¯s still a suspect in your case, so she¡¯s technically not allowed to leave until all charges against her have been dropped.¡±


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s good to hear.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Alexander Guilon still refuses to testify against his beloved daughter, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That old man just doesn¡¯t want to cave in. We¡¯ve offered him everything yet he still remains adamant. They¡¯ve even started torturing him but he said he¡¯d rather die in custody than to ruin his precious princess¡¯ life.¡± Damien made air quotes with his fingers.


    ¡°Who could have thought he was such a doting father?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°We are also looking into each and every move of his business associates. They could also be hiding something but be rest assured, Roman. You have the best team of detectives and prosecutors on this case. We just need to find a loophole.¡± Damien said.


    I just nodded before swerving my attention to Nathan. ¡°Why are you still here? Do you have something to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Damien looked from Nathan to me before grabbing his bag. ¡°I almost forgot I had somewhere else to visit. I¡¯ll be on my way now, Roman. Take care of yourself, man.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thanks for everything.¡± I said as he pped my shoulder.


    Afterward, he left.


    ¡°So what is the problem?¡± I narrowed my stare at my assistant.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really a problem, sir. You just have to sign on some documents.¡± He said, unzipping his briefcase.


    I sighed in dissatisfaction. ¡°You could have just used my seal, you know? Instead of bringing them all the way here.¡±


    ¡°I know, sir. But you stringently instructed me to always bring the documents over for you to do a final review before I use your seal, sir.¡± He replied, bringing out a huge pile of paperwork.


    I scowled at him. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d be able to review all these today?¡± I watched him retrieve more and I shook my head.


    ¡°You really brought a truckload of paperwork, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I reviewed them already, sir. And they all seem okay but you should assess them again because I may have missed some things.¡± He said.


    ¡°Give me a pen.¡± I said and he handed me my favorite silver pen.


    I never thought a day woulde that I¡¯d wholeheartedly admit that I had missed working but I guessed a person never knew what could happen next in their lives.


    ¡°When is Sofieing?¡± I asked, handing him the first pile of paperwork that I had just signed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯sing today, sir. She told me she has an exam this afternoon.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Wait, is she in college?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Howe I never knew about it?¡± I mumbled to myself.


    ¡°She said she didn¡¯t want to bother telling you about something so trivial.¡± I felt a sense of betrayal at Nathan¡¯s answer.


    How could she think of anything rted to herself as trivial? Even though I currently had no idea who she really was, she was still important to me.


    Both her and our baby.


    The both of them filled up a void in my heart.


    ¡°I want to go for a walk.¡± I dered, after I had finished signing the paperwork.


    ¡°Let me get a nurse, sir.¡± He said, and made to leave the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother doing that. I¡¯m not going for a long walk. I will just walk from here to the lobby. I don¡¯t need a nurse, you can escort me.¡± I uttered.


    He nodded and put the signed documents away beforeing over to help me onto a wheelchair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a wheelchair either. I can walk on my own two feet.¡± I scoffed, slowly getting up on my feet.


    He watched in awe as I took two tentative steps toward him.


    ¡°You just have to help me with that.¡± I motioned to the IV pole.


    ¡°Alright, sir.¡±


    Afterward, we headed out of the ward and made our way to the reception.


    I stopped in my tracks when I suddenly heard the rming sound of a gunshot,ing from the television which was mounted against the wall of the lobby.


    A sharp agonizing headache suddenly gripped my temple which caused me to lose strength in my legs and fall to the ground.


    ¡°Are you okay, sir?¡± Nathan¡¯s rmed voice wafted into my ear but I just shook my head fervently as the ache in my temples intensified.


    I squeezed my eyes shut and sped my hands against my temples to alleviate the extreme anguish I was currently feeling.


    It felt as if my head was being pried apart with an axe.


    I gasped when my mind opened into a new world and I saw myself lying unconscious in a pool of blood, which I assumed was my own, while Sofie was tied to a pole and screaming at me to wake up, and Lana was holding a gun.


    In my mind¡¯s eye, I could also see Alexander Guilon smoking and smiling as he watched me writhe helplessly on the floor.


    Just as I was about to close my eyes and take myst breath, my mind rewinded back to the day Sofie and I met at the club, our one night stand, our contract and our first date.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Lanaing back into my life, me suspecting Sofie and Damien to be cheating on me, memitting the biggest mistake of my life by taking Sofie without her consent, Damien and I having a shout-out in my office, him revealing Sofie¡¯s pregnancy and Lana kidnapping Sofie.


    My lost memories instantly rushed back to me, and caused my headache to escte, to the point where my breathing becamebored and my chest felt tight.


    ¡°President Giovanni has copsed!¡± That was thest thing I heard before keeling over.

 Light at the end of the tunnel

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Amy asked, from where she was perched on the kitchen ind.


    I stared at the freshly rolled cinnamon roll on the baking sheet, and shook my head. ¡°No. It¡¯s alright, I can manage.¡±


    She nodded in response as she threw some popcorn into her mouth. ¡°You know we could have ordered in some cinnamon rolls instead of you stressing yourself.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been three weeks since I had home-made food, Amy and it¡¯s the baby craving for it, not me.¡±


    Amy raised her hands up in surrender. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯m sorry for asking.¡±


    I just scoffed before cing the cinnamon rolls into the preheated oven.


    ¡°By the way, you still haven¡¯t told me about how your lunch date with Damien went yesterday.¡± I said, taking a seat beside her on the kitchen ind.


    She blushed and I huffed in amusement.


    The effect Damien had on her was crazy.


    Her lips instantly curved into a coy smile as she fiddled with her fingers. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a date, Sofie. We just went out to get lunch.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I see.¡± I nodded in mockery. ¡°You just went to get lunch, didn¡¯t you? You came home with messy hair and hickeys all over your neck and back, at eight in the evening, but you went to get just lunch, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°The housekeeper failed to properly clean this ce again.¡± Amy grumbled, as she climbed off the kitchen ind and retrieved a rag from the countertop.


    ¡°See, you¡¯re avoiding the question.¡± I taunted her, with a wicked smile arching my lips.


    ¡°I need to reprimand the housekeeper when next shees here. Everywhere is just so dusty.¡± Amy muttered, deliberately dusting my hands with the tag.


    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She imed, to which I just snorted.


    I was about to tease her again when my phone vibrated with an iing call from Damien.


    Damien rarely called me. Whenever he had something to tell me, he always came over to the house.


    Something serious must have happened for him to have called me, and the thought caused me to feel uneasy.


    I felt my heart thump with nervousness as I roamed my thumb over the screen.


    Inhaling deeply, I mustered up enough courage and clicked on the answer button and pressed my phone against my ear.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± I asked, feigning a cheerful tone.


    ¡°I have good news for you. Our efforts have finally paid off.¡± He supplied, and my anxiety instantly fizzled out, and got reced with tion.


    ¡°You have good news for me? That¡¯s great to hear. What is it?¡± I asked.


    Amy stopped cleaning, and moved closer to sit beside me on the kitchen counter.


    I put my phone on speaker before cing it on the countertop.


    ¡°Alexander Guilon has agreed to testify against Lana Hernandez, and he has also confessed to aiding and abetting her in carrying out her crimes. The search warrant is currently being processed, it should be ready by eitherter today or tomorrow morning.¡± Damien revealed, which caused Amy and I to gasp in unison.


    ¡°Oh my goodness! Finally, babe! Fucking finally!¡± Amy shrieked, pulling me into a hug.


    I went limp in her arms as tears of relief welled up in my eyes at the unexpected yet joyful news.


    ¡°Sofie, are you still there?¡± Damien¡¯s voice rang out from the other end.


    I could only nod because my voice was clogged up by tears.


    ¡°She¡¯s still here. She¡¯s just using a moment to take everything in.¡± Amy replied to him, being the sweetheart she was.


    ¡°Oh, I can understand. It also sounded unreal to me when the detective told me earlier today. It was only when I read through his written confession and listened to his recorded voice confession that I also believed it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for everything, Damien. You¡¯ve done so much for us that I don¡¯t even know whether I¡¯d be able to reward you in this life or the next.¡± I sobbed.


    ¡°Now is not the moment to cry, Sofie. This is a time for jubtion because Roman has also agreed to start psychotherapy tomorrow. It¡¯s only a matter of time before everything goes back to how it used to be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I have to get back to work now. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± He replied before hanging up.


    ¡°Pinch me.¡± I said, outstretching my arm to Amy.


    She hesitated before giving me a hard, nasty pinch on my forearm.


    When I darted her a re, she just shrugged.


    ¡°You asked for it.¡± She imed.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it. What could have brought about the sudden change of heart? What if this is just one of Lana¡¯s ns? What if they¡¯re plotting to finish Roman off this time? Wh-¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough.¡± Amy cut my anxiety-induced rant off, as she led me away from the kitchen to the living room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is all happening too fast?¡± I asked her, to which she sighed.


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s not happening too fast. The detectives have been on this case for almost eight weeks now. That¡¯s more than enough time for them to get a fruitful response.¡± She responded, holding my hands.


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°Yes, babe. Stop overthinking and jubte just like Damien told you to.¡±


    ¡°I just want to give my child a happy, and loving home without having them worry about anything. Knowing Lana is still out there greatly unnerves me.¡± I confessed.


    ¡°By this time tomorrow, she¡¯d have been locked up and vo, you will have that life and family you¡¯ve always dreamed of.¡± Amy reassured me with a soft smile which I mirrored.


    I was surprised when my phone suddenly vibrated with an iing call from Damien for the second time.


    Amy and I shared a look before I answered the call, with my heart mming against my ribs.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Sofie, he¡¯s back. Information reaching me right now is that Roman has just regained his lost memory and he¡¯s asking for you. Also, Lana has just been arrested at the hospital.¡± Damien disclosed.


    If the grip I had on my phone at that moment had been slightly weaker, my phone would have ended up on the floor with a cracked screen.

 Taking matters into my own hands

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I inwardly groaned as I squeezed my eyes open.


    I groaned again when I realized that my head still throbbed with an excruciating headache.


    I steered my gaze sideways and immense anger siphoned through my veins, when I set my eyes on the bane of my existence.


    The obsessive leech who had caused Sofie and I so much problems in the short span of two months.


    I wondered how she managed to enter the hospital despite the fact that I had already instructed the hospital¡¯s director not to allow her in.


    I guessed it was time for me to withdraw my investment in the hospital, since they couldn¡¯t even protect one of their major shareholders.


    As I stared at her, my ire intensified and I suddenly had the urge tomit murder.


    Before my logical reasoning could gain control of my senses, I snapped the cann off my wrist and stormed toward Lana.


    She gasped as I yanked her off the chair and mmed her against the hard wall.


    I wrapped my hands around her throat as I red murderously at her.


    The desire tomit murder intensified within me the more her wicked eyes stared back at me.


    She choked out a cough as she unsessfully tried to ease my grip on her throat.


    As her eyes turned watery with tears, I tightened my grip on her throat.


    ¡°You are a fucking bitch and I will kill you today.¡± I hollered, squeezing her head against the wall.


    She helplessly thrashed in my hold as she coughed uncontrobly. ¡°P-Please let me go. What hase over you today?¡±


    ¡°My lost memories havee over me, you fucking jezebel incarnate.¡± I gritted out, digging my thumb into her Adam¡¯s apple which made her gasp for breath.


    I watched in a mixture of manic satisfaction and thrill as her face reddened, before gradually bing deathly pallor.


    I wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until I watched life leave her eyes.


    Her smacks on my hands stopped as she sputtered. ¡°I-I should have killed you that day. I should have made sure you had stopped breathing before leaving that ce. I should have buried you with my own damn hands.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You should have.¡± I agreed. ¡°But since you didn¡¯t, I will make sure to kill you today, Lana. I will make sure you stop breathing before I let you go. You fucking tried to ruin my life. Both you and that old bastard you call your dad!¡±


    ¡°H-He¡¯s not my dad. I-I-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your psychopathic family tree nor do I care about your damn family affairs.¡± I cut her short as she panted.


    ¡°I will murder you, and then go to jail to murder your father before killing myself. And then, we will reunite in hell and I¡¯ll murder the both of you again.¡± I seethed furiously.


    I wasn¡¯t thinking at all but at that moment, I had thrown my logical train of thoughts out of the window.


    I was hellbent on killing Lana.


    She nodded fervently as she huffed out augh. ¡°G-Good, do that. At least you will reunite with me in hell, and we will be demons together.¡±


    I pressed tighter on her Adam¡¯s apple, emanating a dry cough from her. ¡°You think this is a joke, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t care. I-I¡¯d rather die by your hands, and have you convicted with murder, so that Sofie will never end up with you.¡±


    Right.


    Sofie. I had to think of both Sofie and our child.


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if Sofie hated me, and left my life.


    My life had no meaning without her in it.


    But at the same time, I badly wanted to punish Lana.


    A knock on the door suddenly came and in a twinkle of an eye, five armed cops, apanied by two men who I had now recalled were the private investigators I hired before losing my memory, strolled in.


    ¡°Get away from her, President Giovanni. We will take care of everything.¡± One of the cops said, as another cop tentatively moved toward me.


    I snapped out of it and released her, just in time for the cop to hook a pair of handcuffs around her wrists as he read her the Miranda rights.


    ¡°How?¡± I asked the private investigators. ¡°How did you finally manage to get evidence?¡±


    ¡°Alexander Guilon testified against her. He also gave us a USB sh drive containing a video clip of Lana Hernandez, Sofie Diaz and you in the abandoned building. There¡¯s also a voice recording of Lana telling him about all her ns.¡± One of them revealed.


    ¡°T-That fucking coward couldn¡¯t even protect his own daughter.¡± Lana wheezed, ring at the investigator.


    I just shook my head as I stared at her.


    I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around the fact that I had willingly dated her in the past.


    I wondered what I must have been thinking back then, to have fallen into her trap.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the end, Roman. We will never end. I will be back to make you mine. I will never allow you to get back together with that gold digger. I w-¡±


    I had finally had enough of her rants.


    ¡°Take her away.¡± I motioned to the cops, who nodded before dragging her out of the room.


    ¡°I won¡¯t rest until you be mine, Romano Giovanni!¡± That was thest utterance she yelled before one of the private investigators mmed the door in her face.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Thank you so much for your efforts.¡± I said as I shook hands with the private investigators.


    ¡°No need to thank us, sir.¡± They bowed. ¡°We were just doing our jobs.¡±


    ¡°You deserve all my appreciation because you all did a splendid job.¡± I responded, to which they grinned.


    ¡°Thanks for your kind words, sir. We will be on our way now.¡± The taller of the two said.


    ¡°Have a nice trip.¡± I supplied, before they left.


    Momentster, Nathan sauntered in with a gift bag.


    ¡°I figured you may want to head over to Miss Sofie¡¯s ce.¡± He said, before I could question him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I pped his shoulder as I collected the bag before trekking to the bathroom.


    I smiled to myself, as water from the showerhead drizzled down my body.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to be reunited with Sofie and our unborn child.

 Paranoia

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I remained mute like a dummy as I nkly stared into space.


    I had desperately yearned for good news like this, but I had no idea how I was supposed to act when it finally happened.


    ¡°Sofie, are you still there? Did you hang up on me?¡± Damien¡¯s voice wafted through my line of hearing.


    I forced myself out of the mini trance I was, to give him a response.


    ¡°I¡¯m still here. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just trying to process it. So they got the warrant earlier then.¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. They did. Thankfully. By the way, Roman just got discharged right now. I just got the message from my assistant. So you should see him soon. I have to get back to work. We need to have Lana sentenced to jail as soon as possible.¡± Damien exined.


    ¡°Right. You should. Thanks for everything, Damien.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me, Sofie. Take care of yourself, and have a nice day.¡± He said, and hung up.


    I mindlessly stared at my phone for a while as various unhinged thoughts assailed my mind, with the most prominent one being what Roman was currently up to.


    Amy scooted closer to me, and ced a hand on my shoulder. ¡°What happened, babe? You look pale. Did Lana do something again?¡±


    I shook my head in negation. ¡°No. She didn¡¯t. She shouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to us forever if the trial goes well. Damien just called to inform me that she has been arrested.¡±


    ¡°Finally, thank goodness!¡± Amy shrieked in excitement, expecting me to join her.


    Her excitement fizzled out when I didn¡¯t, and she fixated a scrutinizing gaze on me.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why do you look miserable after hearing this wonderful news? Or is there something else you aren¡¯t telling me?¡±


    ¡°H-He-¡± I paused, as tears hitched my throat and fuzzied my vision.


    ¡°Take it easy, Sofie. Tell me slowly, what happened?¡± She asked, rubbing my back in soothing circles.


    ¡°Roman has regained his memory, Amy. H-he can remember me now, and he¡¯s asking for me but he just got discharged. What should I do?¡± I spurted, and Amy¡¯s eyesically widened into saucers.


    ¡°What? Oh my goodness, today is such a great day for you, Sofie. I¡¯m so happy for you, babe.¡± She screeched, as she pulled me into a bear hug.


    I allowed myself to be hugged as I quietly wept on her shoulder.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    It felt like I was hallucinating.


    Too many good things were happening to me today, and I was scared that they¡¯d all turn out to be a dream.


    ¡°Or do you want me to pinch you again? You look really spaced out.¡± Amy teased, as she withdrew from the hug.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± I huffed, and wiped the tears off my face.


    ¡°So are you going to leave for the mansion today? Or will you go tomorrow? Would you like me to go with you? You look anxious. Will you be okay by yourself? I m-¡±


    I ced my hand over hers to stop her rambling. ¡°I¡¯m not meeting a stranger, remember? I¡¯m meeting Roman, my boyfriend. I don¡¯t know even when I¡¯m going to see him at the mansion. Everything still feels like an illusion.¡±


    Amy was about to say something when a knock came on the door.


    We exchanged befuddled nces with each other before we both averted our gaze to the door at the same time.


    I don¡¯t know why but for an odd reason, I feltpelled to answer the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer it. Please check on the cinnamon rolls. Hopefully they haven¡¯t turned into roasted cinnamon rolls by now.¡± I joked, and sheughed before nodding and scurrying away to the kitchen.


    I got up, and inhaled deeply as I rubbed my mmy hands against the back pockets of my jeans, before I walked to the door and opened it.


    A gasp escaped my lips when I saw Roman standing right in front of me, on the threshold of the apartment, with a soft smile ying on his lips.


    ¡°Cuore mio.¡± He whispered, as he longingly stared at me.


    I willed my mouth to say something, to say anything in response.


    But my mouth just noiselessly pped open and close as I stared at him.


    Hearing the nickname smoothly roll off his tongue made me weak in the knees, like a simp.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the pain and misery you had to go through because of me. I want us to start all over again, cara mia.¡± He muttered, and widened his arms to hug me.


    But I just stood there frozen like a mutt as I stared at him.


    Roman just chuckled before pulling me into a warm hug.


    I let the tears fall, as I inhaled lungfuls of his musky masculine scent which smelled like home.


    I didn¡¯t hug him back and just remained still in his hold, as I cried my eyes out.


    ¡°I missed you, cara. Even if I couldn¡¯t remember you, I just knew something was missing.¡± He muttered against my ear.


    I tried to respond again but my mouth remained mped shut, as the image of him almost dying in that abandoned building resurfaced in my mind.


    As if a demon suddenly possessed me, I pushed him off me.


    He looked confused, as he stared down at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sweetheart?¡±


    I kept my gaze averted to the floor as I began. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you. I¡¯m happy to learn that you are finally yourself again. The engagement contract between us was meant to have ended two weeks ago, but I haven¡¯t been myselftely, so it escaped my memory.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, amore? Did I do something wrong? Is it about the baby? Don¡¯t worry about anything, you and the baby mean the most to me. I will never dream of letting either of you go.¡± Roman said, and made to hold my hand but I just folded my arms across my chest.


    ¡°I will try to sign the contract termination letter before the week ends, and have it delivered to your residence as soon as possible. Have a nice trip back home.¡± I said, and mmed the door in his shocked face.


    I rested my back against the door, as I ced a hand over my chest, to make my breathing steady.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Amy asked, walking over toward me.


    ¡°No one.¡± I lied.


    She clearly didn¡¯t seem to believe me but she let it go, and headed back to the kitchen.


    I darted the mmed door a wistful stare before trekking to the kitchen, with my heart violently hammering against my ribs.


    I had no idea why I panicked, and did something as dense as that, like someone with a pea-sized brain.

 Despondency and zeal

    Roman¡¯s POV


    I gazed at the shut door with my mouth gaped in a mixture of shock, confusion and devastation.


    I racked through my memory to figure out whether I had unknowingly said something wrong to Sofie.


    But I couldn¡¯t ce a finger on one wrong thing that I had said.


    Something must have happened for her to have suddenly brought up the issue of the contract termination letter out of nowhere.


    I sighed as i inwardly debated within myself on whether to ring the doorbell again or not.


    Eventually, I settled on thetter option because I didn¡¯t want to further ruin our rtionship, so I just dejectedly walked back to the car.


    Nathan darted me a scrutinizing stare, as I approached the car.


    Thankfully, he noticed my mncholic demeanor, and he didn¡¯t bother to utter a word to me, as he opened the back door of the car.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading to my grandmother¡¯s ce.¡± I revealed, as he swerved the car away from the apartmentplex.


    I threw the apartment building a final, wistful look before it totally diminished from my line of sight.


    ¡°When is Miss Sofie moving back to the mansion, sir?¡±


    If I had deduced Nathan had suddenly changed his nosy lifestyle in the past couple of weeks just because he let me be earlier, his sudden question surely made me rethink my deduction.


    ¡°Whenever she wants.¡± I said, and he shot me a weird stare through the rearview mirror but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Which may be never. I thought to myself, as the imposing structure of my grandmother¡¯s mansion came into my line of sight.


    Nathan came around to open the door before we both walked into the mansion together.


    ¡°It¡¯s so nice to see you again, young master.¡± Daniel, the butler greeted, as he bowed to me.


    ¡°It goes both ways, Daniel.¡± I shook his hands as my eyes roamed around the medieval themed interior of the house, and the huge, framed picture of my parents and I at my christening which was mounted atop the firece.


    For the first time in twenty seven years, I stared at the picture but didn¡¯t feel guilty for their deaths.


    Instead, I felt a strange sort of relief.


    I halted in my tracks, and looked from Daniel to the rest of the staff. ¡°I hope none of you told Nana about what happened to me.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, sir. We would never. Mr Damien and the doctor strictly warned us against doing so.¡± Daniel responded.


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Are you fully well now, sir?¡± The elder man asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am. Thanks for your concern.¡± I responded, before motioning Nathan to continue moving.


    My hand wavered on the door to my grandmother¡¯s bedroom, as I tried but failed to prepare myself to see a more emaciated version of her.


    ¡°I have to make an important call, sir.¡± Nathan uttered, and I just nodded absentmindedly as he walked away.


    Inhaling deeply, I knocked thrice, not really expecting to get a reply.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Come in.¡± I was half stunned, and half relieved when Nana¡¯s weak voice came from behind the door.


    ¡°Nonna.¡± I called, assessing her pale, macilent form lying on the bed.


    She was connected to multiple machines that beeped at the same time, and created a peaceful yet sad rhythm, a nasal cann was also inserted into her nostrils, and she was also wearing a beanie.


    I crouched beside her, and held one of her frail, bony hands in both of mine.


    ¡°Romano, you finally came, huh? I was thinking I would never see you before I meet my end.¡± She croaked out, shakily stretching her other hand toward me.


    I closed my eyes when she weakly cupped my face.


    I knew the time to bid my grandmother farewell was slowly but surely approaching, and no amount of money could prolong it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nana. I was on a work trip that I couldn¡¯t help but attend.¡± I fibbed, as I pped my eyes open.


    She just smiled feebly, and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I know. You couldn¡¯t help but be there even if you wanted toe see me. Sono felice di rivederti, nipote mio.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to see you too, Nana.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°How is my nipotina doing? Tell her that I¡¯d like to see her one of these days. Tell her toe soon because I don¡¯t have enough time left.¡± She said.


    ¡°Alright, Nonna.¡± I nodded, even though I didn¡¯t have the slightest idea of how I was supposed to convince Sofie toe with me.


    She has certainly made it clear to me that afternoon, that she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with me again.


    ¡°Good. You look thinner, figlio. Haven¡¯t you been eating at all? Call Daniel over here, have him prepare anything you¡¯d like to eat before you leave, okay?¡± She said, to which I nodded.


    ¡°Very well, Nonna. You should also hang in there a little longer for me, please. Or don¡¯t you want to see your great-grandchild?¡± I divulged, and watched my grandmother¡¯s eyes slowly widen.


    ¡°Is nipotina acquisito pregnant? Does that mean I¡¯m going to see my pronipote or pronipotina before I leave?¡± She asked, her eyes twinkling with hope.


    ¡°Yes, nonna. Sofie is pregnant.¡± I responded, and she gasped.


    ¡°You have no idea how happy and hopeful this news has made me, Romano. I hope the heavens don¡¯t take me soon because I also want to see my great-grandchild before I take myst breath.¡± She spurted in excitement.


    She seemed to suddenly gotten a random burst of energy, as her eyes now glistened with tion.


    ¡°I will leave you to rest now. I will be back soon with Sofie. Take care, Nonna. I love you.¡± I said, before pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.


    ¡°Anch¡¯io ti amo, nipote mio. I¡¯ll see you again.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Definitely.¡± I agreed, and gave her hand onest squeeze before exiting her room.


    On the way home to my mansion, I pondered over the next line of action to take to win Sofie¡¯s heart back but for some odd reasons, my head was devoid of any reasonable idea.


    Despite that, when I stepped out of the car momentster, I firmly resolved within myself to do whatever it took to win her heart back.


    I¡¯d do anything to have her back in my life, even if anything meant I had to ridicule myself in the worst ways possible.

 Done with him

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    I scoffed as I watched the deliveryman set the basket of gifts down before handing me a notepad and a pen.


    ¡°I need your signature right here, Miss Diaz.¡± He said, motioning to the dotted line at the bottom of the notepad.


    ¡°I know where I need to sign on. This is the fifth time I¡¯ve received this unwanted package this week.¡± I spat, shoving the notepad at him.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He just bowed before getting on his bike and zooming off.


    I sighed as I darted the basket a cursory look.


    The day after I mmed the door in Roman¡¯s face, I had started getting daily deliveries of huge baskets of gifts.


    The gifts ranged from boxes of choctes, packets of marshmallows, a handwritten apology from him, a bottle of non alcoholic red wine, a huge teddy bear, to a dainty bracelet, which Amy hadter informed me was a two carat diamond bracelet that cost somewhere between three thousand to five thousand grand.


    Now I had five diamond bracelets which were worth about twenty five thousand grand, that I nned on never wearing.


    I ced the basket on the table and shook my head as I retrieved the now familiar leather box, which usually encased a diamond bracelet from the basket.


    And sure enough, it contained another dainty, diamond bracelet.


    ¡°Roman again?¡± Amy¡¯s voice came from behind me, causing me to exhale heavily and nod.


    ¡°That man is loaded, damn! For him to have bought you six Bvlgari bracelets in a week. He is really something.¡± She said, as I took out the rest of the basket¡¯s contents.


    ¡°Even this chocte can¡¯t be found in malls.¡± She said, motioning to the box of dessert in my hold.


    I gazed at the chocte with a perplexed frown. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It is made by that renowned celebrity confectioner, I forgot what his name is. But I know you need to be on a waiting list for about three weeks before you can order just a box of chocte from him.¡± She exined.


    I huffed, and shook my head.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine waiting for three weeks to order a box of chocte from someone, just because they were a celebrity confectioner.


    ¡°That is just borderline ridiculous. Imagine craving for choctes, and having to wait for days before you get it. When you can just go into he nearest mall to get varieties of choctes within an hour.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s the effort that counts, Sofie. These choctes are not like the usual ones we consume. They cost about a hundred and fifty bucks for just a packet, and a box of these choctes contains five packets. I heard it¡¯s because they are handmade by the confectioner.¡± Amy said, and shook her head in awe.


    ¡°That is nothing more than capitalism. Imagine buying a box of choctes for almost eight hundred dors.¡± I snorted.


    The mere thought enraged me.


    Rather than impressing me, Roman¡¯s extravagant, and ostentatious gifts greatly infuriated me.


    At first, I was touched by his religious devotion to the baby and I, but now it just felt like a huge waste of money.


    I had no idea what he thought he¡¯d achieve by buying me stuff that I didn¡¯t even need.


    I mean I had just two hands, yet in the short span of five days, he had gotten me six bracelets.


    ¡°Roman Giovanni is truly a billionaire. You¡¯re right, I really can¡¯t imagine being on a waiting list for a mere box of overpriced chocte. Wealthy people are really different from us.¡± Amy said.


    ¡°Yeah, they are truly different from us and more wasteful than we are. At least, we have basic saving etiquette.¡± I uttered, and she nodded.


    ¡°True. That¡¯s apt but they also have investments that are worth far more than our savings. They just love to spend money on unnecessary stuffs.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t it strange that he hasn¡¯te to see you after he got discharged from the hospital?¡± Amy queried, and I stealthily steered my gaze away from her to myp.


    I still hadn¡¯t told her that Roman visited on the day he was discharged, and I honestly didn¡¯t think I was ever going to.


    ¡°Yeah. It sure is strange. He¡¯s probably taking his time or something.¡± I replied.


    ¡°He¡¯s taking his time yet he keeps sending gifts, huh? Did something happen between you both?¡± She threw me a scrutinizing gaze.


    I managed not to cower under her intense gaze, as I forced out an awkwardugh.


    ¡°What could possibly happen between us? I haven¡¯t even see him since he got discharged.¡± I fibbed, avoiding her stare.


    ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s almost five!¡± Amy suddenly shrieked, as she nced down at her wristwatch.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening by five?¡± I questioned, befuddled but relieved that the subject of our conversation had been changed.


    ¡°I have a movie date with Damien.¡± She replied, keeping her gaze fixated on her wristwatch.


    ¡°Really? And you didn¡¯t even think of telling me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. It must have escaped my mind. Nowadays, I keep forgetting important stuff.


    ¡°Right. It must have surely escaped your mind.¡± I jeered.


    Without ncing in my direction, she picked up her purse, and said. ¡°I will be back before midnight. Take care of yourself, and my godbaby.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I grinned.


    Afterward, she exited the apartment.


    Leaving me to stare at the clutter of gifts that were piled up on the table.


    I reached out for the familiar envelope which bore both Roman¡¯s signature and stamp.


    Then, I tore it open, and retrieved the letter inside it.


    With a sigh, I perused the letter which read;


    ¡°Hi, cuore mio. How are you doing today? I hope our baby is not stressing you too much. I¡¯ve been reading a couple of parenting books for new parents, and boy am I intrigued. I also learned from one of the books that eating choctes in moderation helps to regte your blood sugar. How great is that?¡±


    I pursed my lips to suppress the smile that threatened to creep onto my face, as I read through the note, before proceeding.


    ¡°I will stop here for today. We need to talk about whatever is going on between us one day. But I will patiently wait for you until you are ready to talk things out with me. Don¡¯t forget that I will always love you, no matter what.


    Love,


    Your Roman.¡±


    I huffed as I ced the letter on the table, before retracting my phone from my pocket.


    Then, I typed in a message, and sent it to Roman before I could think too much of it.


    He was right.


    We needed to talk, for me to properly break up with him, so we could both move on with our respective lives, as soon as possible.

 An unexpected change of events

    Roman¡¯s POV


    ¡°Did Sofie say anything to the delivery man?¡± I asked Nathan as he walked into my office.


    ¡°No, sir.¡± He replied, bursting my bubble of hope.


    I concealed my disappointment, and nodded. ¡°Okay then. You may leave.¡±


    In response, he bowed before exiting my office.


    I raked my hands through my hair, as an exasperated sigh escaped my lips.


    It had been five days since Ist saw Sofie, and nothing seemed to be hopeful anymore.


    It seemed as if she had blocked my number because I could neither send a message to her, nor could ce a call to her line.


    And that made me resort to sending her handwritten notes everyday.


    I was hellbent on persevering through her cold treatment toward me.


    I consoled myself with the faint possibility of her epting me back into her life.


    Suddenly, my phone vibrated with a message which made me scowl.


    The scowl instantly dissipated off my face when I saw who the sender was.


    It was from Sofie.


    It seemed as though she had finally unblocked me.


    Immense mirth coursed through my veins as I digested the contents of the message, which read;


    ¡°Good day, Roman. If you are not too busy this afternoon, can you perhaps make some time to have lunch with me?


    You are right. We need to talk about where our rtionship is going. I¡¯m also sorry for mming the door in your face that say. I still can¡¯t exin what came over me. I hope you don¡¯t hold it against me.


    I¡¯ll see you this afternoon, if you are chanced to meet up.


    Let¡¯s meet at Cindy¡¯s restaurant.¡±


    My lips quirked up in a grin as I read through the text again for the umpteenth time.


    Before I could forget, I quickly sent her a reply, stating that I was chanced at that moment, and couldn¡¯t wait to see her.


    I resisted the urge to add that I had also badly missed her, and was eager to wrap my arms around her, to hold her and feel her heartbeat rhyming with mine.


    That¡¯d be too over the top. I thought.


    So I just left it at that. Concise and direct.


    I nced down at my wristwatch. The time was about ten minutes to one.


    ¡°Come over to my office right now, Nathan.¡± I said, into the inte before getting up, and shrugging on my coat.


    Nathan trekked in almost instantly. ¡°You sent for me, sir.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. Cancel all my appointments today. But make sure you attend the charity ball tonight, on my behalf. You should take your wife with you. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± I said, as I pped his shoulder.


    ¡°Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.¡± He bowed.


    I just hummed, as I grabbed by car keys from the drawer and headed out of my office.


    I took long, confident strides to the parking lot while also smiling, and waving at my employees who stopped to curtsey to me.


    I was in a jubnt mood that day.


    As I drove to the our meeting ce, I pondered over the car brand I would use to go pick up Sofie¡¯s luggages from the apartment she shared with her friend.


    Iter decided on taking the Maserati, thetest car that I had recently added to my collection.


    I wanted us to start our rtionship afresh, so using a new car to pick her up was the right thing to do.


    After about thirty minutes, I got to the restaurant, and strolled in.


    I had barely taken my seat when a group of waiters and waitresses immediately mored over to my side.


    ¡°You are wee to Cindy¡¯s restaurant, sir. Would you like us to get you the menu, or would you like our special monday appetizer?¡± One of them asked.


    ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m waiting for my girlfriend. When she gets here, we will order together.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Very well then, sir. If you need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to let either of us know, sir.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Thanks.¡± I nodded.


    Then, they dispersed and went on their separate ways.


    I was about to nce down at my wristwatch, to check the time, when the familiar scent of strawberries tinged with vani wafted through my nostrils.


    The scent of Sofie¡¯s perfume.


    Dazedly, I gazed up and beheld her gorgeous face, and pretty smile.


    My gaze dropped to her glossy lips, and I unconsciously ran my tongue over my lower lip.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I badly wanted to pull her close, and passionately kiss her but I repressed my perverted mindset, and motioned her to sit.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I camete.¡± Sofie said, as she sat down.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologize. I got here too early.¡± Iughed, to soften the awkward ambiance between us.


    ¡°Right.¡± Sheughed along.


    ¡°Would you like to order anything now?¡± I asked, letting my stare lower to her hand.


    ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m fine.¡± Sofie replied.


    She wasn¡¯t wearing neither of the bracelets I had bought her, nor was she wearing the sham engagement ring.


    I felt an inexplicable emotion as I stared at her empty hand, but I quickly shifted my focus to her face, as I consoled myself with the thought that she¡¯d have be mine again by the end of today.


    I frowned as I watched her ce a brown envelope on the table.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°The contract termination letter. I have already signed my part, now it¡¯s left for you to sign yours.¡±


    My heart pummeled to my stomach in shock.


    I huffed out a cheerless chuckle, as I nced at the envelope.


    ¡°What is this supposed to mean, Sofie?¡±


    ¡°I meant what I said that day, Roman. Our contract ended weeks ago, and now it¡¯s time for us to go our separate ways. You don¡¯t have to pay me the rest of the money because we both had a beneficial arrangement tow-¡±


    ¡°So you were being serious.¡± I muttered, to which she nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I was.¡±


    ¡°I will sign the contract termination letter, but I won¡¯t let you go. We both know that this isn¡¯ting from your heart, Sofie. What is going on? Did someone threaten you to do this?¡± I calmly asked.


    She scoffed. ¡°I am doing this for me, Roman. We were never meant to be. We both belong to totally different worlds, trying to make this work will ruin us. Plus, I want you to live your life without being disturbed by a child. You never wanted one from the start after all.¡±


    ¡°I have had more than enough time to think about it. And sincerely, there¡¯s nothing I need to think about. My child is not a disturbance to me. I I may have made some mistakes in my utterance in the past but-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear it. Just give the signed documents to Damien.¡± She cut me short, with a pointed look.


    ¡°Look, I said those things because I didn¡¯t want to put you in danger. But now that the baby is here, there¡¯s nothing either of us can do other than to hope for the best. I will t-¡±


    I was interrupted yet again by the sound of the chair screeching against the floor as Sofie got up. ¡°I have to go now. Goodbye, Roman Giovanni.¡±


    Without a backward nce, she turned around and left the restaurant.


    Just as she left, one of the waiters from earlier reappeared in front of me.


    ¡°Would you like us to bring the menu now, sir?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Do you see anyone sitting with me? I fucking told you that we¡¯d order together when she gets here!¡± I spat, as I got up, causing the waiter to flinch.


    I inhaled deeply when the other inhabitants of the restaurant steered their focus in my direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for yelling.¡± I apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, sir.¡±


    ¡°This should be enough for taking up space here.¡± I said, handing him some dor bills.


    He gasped. ¡°This is too much sir. Y-¡±


    I cut him short. ¡°Thanks for the warm reception. I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡±


    On getting into my car, I heaved a deep breath before cing a call to Damien.


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet up at our usual spot tonight. I need to get wasted.¡± I said, when the line clicked.


    ¡°Oh. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything to you when we meet. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± I muttered, before flinging my foor to the backseat.


    I had no idea what Sofie thought she was doing, but if she thought I¡¯d back down without putting up a fight, then she was wrong.


    Utterly wrong.

 Stubborn

    Sofie¡¯s POV


    ¡°What do you think you are doing right now, Sofie?¡± Amy hollered, as she stormed into my room.


    I sighed, as I calmly retrieved a suitcase from my wardrobe and ced it on the bed.


    ¡°What do you want, Amy? As you can see, I am organizing my clothes. I told you yesterday that I was leaving America, didn¡¯t I?¡± I scoffed.


    I had decided to stick to my initial ns to move away from America when the contract engagement ended.


    I wanted to live my life away from Roman.


    It had been a week since I met him at the restaurant, to hand him the contract termination letter.


    The daily basket of luxurious gifts had also stopped sincest week.


    Initially, I had thought I¡¯d feel an immense sense of relief when they stopped but I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit saddened.


    Roman had looked so defiant when I told him I wanted out, but for the past couple of days, I hadn¡¯t even received a text from him.


    Maybe he had gotten fed up with my antics, and ending things with me made him realize that he didn¡¯t need me after all.


    He probably hated me now but it was good that way.


    He had been in so much grave danger because he was in love with me.


    So making him hate me by not giving him a logical reason as to why I was leaving his life was the best n.


    He¡¯d probably find a new woman within a year, and he¡¯s forget about the poor woman who harbored so much bad luck that nearly killed him.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me Roman was here the other day?¡± She spat, looking me in the eyes.


    I sighed regretfully, as I began folding my clothes into my suitcase.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you talk anymore? Why the hell are you doing this?¡± She hurled, which infuriated me.


    I flung my half folded pile of clothes on the bed, and red at her.


    ¡°Why are you so obsessed with my life? I will do whatever the fuck I want. You don¡¯t have to bother yourself with what doesn¡¯t concern you, do you understand me?¡± I retorted.


    I watched with a heavy heart as hurt crossed her eyes for a brief moment.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s be logical and calm about this. Sofie, what is wrong? Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you doing this to Roman and your unborn child?¡± She asked, in a calmer tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this because this is what I want to do. This is how I want to live my life. Roman and I will never fit in each other¡¯s world, so there¡¯s no use pushing it. My mind is made up.¡± I replied, avoiding her fixated gaze on me.


    ¡°You and I know that everything that just came out of your mouth right now, is nothing but a big, fat lie. Do you think I¡¯m stupid or what? So you want to tell me that you spent so many sleepless nights, taking care of Roman while he was in aa just to push him away, now that he¡¯s hale and hearty. Are you even listening to yourself?¡± Amy¡¯s calmposure had been thrown out of the window again.


    ¡°Amy, please. Stop interfering with my life. Kindly focus on your rtionship with Damien. I don¡¯t need to exin anything to you. If you don¡¯t want to believe me, then that¡¯s good for you.¡± I retorted, as I zipped the suitcase close, after cing thest of my folded clothes inside it.


    ¡°So everything you said about wanting your child to grow up in aplete, and loving family was nothing but a lie, huh? Do you want them to grow up and hate you for uwfully keeping them away from their father? Come back to your senses, Sofie! This is wrong, so fucking wrong!¡± She fumed, pacing the room.


    ¡°Like I said earlier, mind your business, Amy. If you can¡¯t support my decision, then leave me the fuck alone!¡± I shouted.


    She sighed, and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being nosy. You¡¯re right. It¡¯s your life, and I should leave you to follow your heart. But don¡¯t you daree back to cry in my arms when you get the consequences of your stupid actions.¡±


    After casting me a final re, she left my room and shut the door with a violent m.


    I plopped on the bed, as tears welled up in my eyes.


    Maybe this n of mine wasn¡¯t so good after all.


    What the hell is wrong with you, Sofie? A voice within me yelled, as uncontroble tears rolled down my cheeks.


    I had chosen to do this, and it was toote to back down.


    I had already booked a flight to London, which was scheduled to take off by tomorrow morning.


    At that moment, it was toote to have a rethink about my decision.


    But what about Roman¡¯s grandmother? What would the poor, old woman think of you? Another voice inside my head asked.


    I heaved a deep sigh as I retracted the small velvet box Roman had given me at the beginning of our contract, from the nightstand drawer.


    My tears freely flowed like a broken dam, as I took out the diamond ring enclosed inside it.


    Was I really doing that right thing by running away from my problems? I thought, as I put the ring back into the box.


    I instantly banished the thought out of my mind, just as it sneaked in.


    It was toote to have second thoughts.


    A knock came on the door, as I ced the box back into the drawer.


    ¡°Come in.¡± I croaked, wiping off my tears.


    Amy walked in, with red, swollen eyes. I could tell that she must have also been crying like me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s watch some movies at least, before you leave. Maybe then, I¡¯d try to understand the reason behind this stupid decision of yours.¡± She muttered.


    I nodded. ¡°Okay. I will join you in a bit.¡±


    ¡°I have already ordered a box of your favorite pineapple pizza. It should get here soon.¡± She said, before leaving my room.


    I just shook my head as tears blurred my vision once more.


    I could only hope I would nevere to regret my decision to leave Roman¡¯s life, in the future.

 Buy the airport

    Chapter 97 Buy the airport


    Roman


    ¡°Good day, President Giovanni.¡± My staff greeted in unison, as I walked into the conference room.


    I just nodded and took my seat at the head of the table, before they also did.


    ¡°I heard you have something important to tell me. What is it?¡± I asked, flipping through the pages of the business proposal on the table.


    ¡°Uhm, well sir.¡± One of them, a short, stubby, middle-aged man began.


    I raised an irritated brow, as I watched him exchange nces with his colleagues.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the whole day. What is going on? Why are you exchanging nces with them like a trapped rat?¡± I asked, doing my best to suppress the ire boiling within me.


    Nowadays, I easily got irritated.


    And as much as I¡¯d like to im that it wasn¡¯t because of the unresolved issues between Sofie and I, deep down I knew it was.


    Thest time I spoke to her was five days ago, when we met at the restaurant, and she handed me the stupid contract termination letter, which I had burned with a lighter immediately I got home that day.


    She probably needed some space, and I had given her just that.


    I had stopped sending those gifts to her, and I had also stopped sending texts and cing calls to her line because I wanted to give her some breathing space.


    I wanted her to properly think about us, because I couldn¡¯t see myself living without her by my side.


    She kept me alive in many ways, and also gave meaning to my existence.


    ¡°President Giovanni?¡± I felt a tap on my shoulder from beside me, and I looked sideways to see Nathan looking at me with concern evident in his gaze.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The finance team is ready, sir.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I muttered to myself, as I averted my concentration to my staff.


    ¡°We are ready, sir.¡± The man from earlier said.


    I nodded. ¡°Go on. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what suddenly went wrong, sir. But T and K corporation have suddenly decided to back out of the merger.¡± He exined, to which I huffed.


    ¡°Good for them. Merging their bankruptedpany will benefit them more than it¡¯d benefit me anyway. What else?¡±


    My staff exchanged nces again, and I scoffed.


    ¡°My time is very precious to me. Have you forgotten that I¡¯m a businessman?¡±


    ¡°We are sorry, sir. Mr Carlitos of Federer softwares has also decided to opt out of the business coboration, sir. Sources have told us that he is coborating with Alexander Guilon¡¯s winery instead.¡± He divulged.


    I snorted. ¡°That¡¯s great news, and good riddance to trash like both him and hispany. I wish him good luck on his future coboration with a criminal¡¯spany. Doesn¡¯t he watch the news or something?¡±


    ¡°We have no idea, sir.¡±


    I just shook my head. ¡°Does his father know about this?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. President Federer is bedridden, as he is in thest stage of prostate cancer, and rumors have it that he¡¯s also showing early onset alzheimer¡¯s symptoms.¡±


    As he talked, my grandmother¡¯s deteriorating health crossed my mind, causing me to heave a huge sigh.


    I had promised to take Sofie to see her sincest week, yet I still hadn¡¯t.


    Sofie didn¡¯t even want to talk to me.


    ¡°Carlitos is hellbent on ruining thepany his old man worked so hard to build from the scratch.¡± I muttered. ¡°Is that all you have to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. That is all.¡±


    ¡°One of you could have brought this to my office. Instead of having mee all the way here.¡± I chided.


    ¡°We are sorry, sir. We just didn¡¯t know how you¡¯d take the news, sir.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to news like these. If you want to prosper in this unpredictable world of business, you have to put your emotions aside, to think smartly.¡± I lectured, getting up from the chair.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°You may leave.¡± I dismissed them, and they bowed before exiting the room.


    Rapid bouts of harsh knocks suddenly came on the door, and I exchanged nces with Nathan.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Who is there?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°No idea, sir.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Who is there? Do you want to uproot the damn door?¡± I hollered.


    To my surprise, Damien breezed in panting like he was being chased by the military.


    ¡°Damien?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes as he went to the water dispenser to pour himself a cup of water, which he drank in one gulp.


    ¡°We have a problem, man. A huge problem.¡± He panted, and my heart sank.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Sofie is leaving the country. She is already on her way to the airport, she is moving to London today, Roman. I had no idea about it until now. She didn¡¯t even want me to know because she was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it from you.¡± He rambled out in one breath.


    I huffed out a dry chuckle as I shook my head in self-pity.


    My head went nk for a brief moment, as I mulled over Damien¡¯s utterance.


    So she really hated me to the point that she was even migrating from America, just because of me.


    ¡°How did you know then? Since she didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Those were the first words that left my mouth when I finally got a grip on myself and reality.


    ¡°Her best friend, Amy called to inform me some minutes ago. She told me Sofie made her swear not to tell me but she couldn¡¯t do it. I came here as soon as I got off the phone with her.¡± Damien revealed.


    An idea suddenly struck me, as I racked my brain for a possible solution to this dilemma.


    ¡°Nathan, you still have the contact information of the managing director of the federal airports authority, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked, to which he nodded.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He nodded, already bringing out his phone.


    ¡°Good. Do whatever you can to make sure that no  flight takes off before I get there, even if that means you have to buy the airport.¡± I said.


    Nathan stared at me like I had gone mad. ¡°But that¡¯s a lot of money, sir.¡±


    ¡°Does it look like I care?¡± I thundered. ¡°This is thest chance I have to save our rtionship, and you are talking about money. Who cares about money? Of what use is my wealth to me if I can¡¯t even have the woman I love? Now go, and do as I instructed!¡±


    Nathan nodded before scurrying out of the room.


    ¡°I owe you one, man. Thanks.¡± I said, to Damien


    He pped my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me now. Thank me with a drink when all these is over.¡±


    Afterward, I took the elevator to my office, retrieved my car keys and scampered to the parking lot, ignoring the many stares and mumbles, trailing behind me.


    The only thing that mattered to me at that moment, was getting the love of my life back.

 Making a choice

    Chapter 98 Making a choice


    Sofie


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I uttered to the driver, as he helped me take out my luggages from the trunk of his taxi.


    ¡°No problem, ma¡¯am.¡± He nodded, handing me my change.


    I shook my head, as I waved. ¡°No, no. Please take it.¡±


    He looked shocked, before swiftly pocketing the cash. ¡°Thanks a lot, ma¡¯am. I really appreciate it. I hope you have a safe and hitch free flight.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too.¡± I muttered, more to myself than to him.


    I was finally leaving America but I still didn¡¯t feel eager to leave.


    Amy and I had gotten into an argument earlier that morning, she had vowed to cut me off for good if I continued with my ¡®stupid disy of foolishness,¡± and in my anger, I had asked her to do so.


    She had stormed out of our apartment before I left to heaven knows where.


    I heaved a deep sigh of despondence, as I trekked into the airport while dragging my luggage along.


    My eyes roamed around the waiting area as I walked in further.


    The airport was strangely scanty.


    Most of the seats in the waiting area were unupied, and there was no staff standing at the checkpoint.


    The whole thing seemed strange.


    Regardless, I sat down on an empty seat and nervously fiddled with my fingers as I looked around.


    Now that I thought of it, it didn¡¯t seem as if any flight had taken off that day, because I didn¡¯t see neither air hostesses nor air hosts parading the vicinity.


    Maybe there was an internal problem. I thought to myself.


    ¡°Do you ask have a flight scheduled for this morning?¡± An elderly man sitting beside me asked.


    I tilted my head sideways and nodded. ¡°Yes. In an hour.¡±


    ¡°Great. My flight was scheduled for an hour ago but it suddenly got postponed. It was after I got to the airport that an apology email was sent to me by the airport management. Apparently, there¡¯s an internal issue.¡± He exined.


    I fished out my phone, and scrolled through my emails but surprisingly, I hadn¡¯t received anything like that.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get one though.¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Have you checked your spam messages?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I have. There¡¯s nothing rted to that here.¡±


    The man frowned before shrugging. ¡°The issue has probably been resolved. I guess it won¡¯t affect your flight then. Since they didn¡¯t send anything to you.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± I said, in agreement.


    ¡°You came with a lot of baggage.¡± Heughed, gesturing to my suitcases.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. I did.¡±


    ¡°I guess you are permanently leaving the country then. Or are you going on a very long visit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving the country for good.¡± I replied.


    ¡°I see.¡± He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going back to Italy. I came here for myte wife¡¯s funeral.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I  muttered. ¡°My sincere condolences.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He smiled. ¡°Are you married?¡±


    My heart lurched with inexplicable guilt, as I shook my head in negation. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So why are you leaving? Are you leaving to advance your studies?¡±


    ¡°Yes that too. But not solely because of that. It¡¯s veryplicated.¡± I divulged, to which he nodded.


    ¡°Your loved ones didn¡¯te to see you off.¡±


    Bile clogged my throat like a heavy pill as I nodded. ¡°Yes. They didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t have anybody like that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know whether I still had parents.


    My best friend had sworn to never speak to me again.


    My ex boyfriend cum ex fianc¨¦ also didn¡¯t give a damn about me anymore.


    ¡°I need to visit the restroom. I¡¯ll be right back in a few.¡± He said, as he stood up.


    I wiped away the tears clinging to myshes, as I smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    As soon as the man left, there was suddenmotion in the airport.


    Just as I was about to ask a girl, who was sitting in front of me, what themotion was all about, she screeched. ¡°He is here! Roman Giovanni is here!¡±


    A mixture of both anger and tion coursed through me, as I whispered. ¡°What?¡±


    He hade for us,


    ¡°Excuse me. I need to take a picture of him. This is his first public appearance since his ident happened.¡± The girl said, pushing past me.


    I was about to grab my baggage, and dip out of the airport when I saw himing from afar, with his gaze fixated on me.


    I sighed in resignation, as I got up and crossed my arms over my chest.


    ¡°No matter what you say or do, my decision is final, Roman.¡± I began, as he stopped a few steps away from me.


    Murmurings began around me but I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to care.


    He sighed, before responding. ¡°Pleasee back to me, Sofie. I will do anything you want. My life without you in it is useless. Utterly useless. The moment you walked into my life, you gave my worthless existence a purpose. Being with you makes me forget the brutal reality of my life. You-


    I cut him short. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, Roman. I know you¡¯re behind this sudden airport shut down. Only you can do something as selfish as this.¡±


    ¡°Cara mia, please let me exin.¡± He started to say but I scoffed.


    ¡°Lana was right. I¡¯m nothing but a golddigger, and I¡¯m not ashamed to say it aloud. I was in love with your wealth and not you. I never loved you!¡± I spat, mustering the most sinister smile I could.


    To my utter surprise, Roman just chuckled. ¡°Okay then, but you know what? I don¡¯t care. I have enough money that canst us forever even if you spend a million dor per week. So please juste back to me, Sofie. You can take all my wealth as long as you be mine again.¡±


    The mumblings got louder as camera shes started going crazy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? Have you be deaf and dumb? I said I never loved you and only dated you for your wealth.¡± I retorted.


    He nodded. ¡°I heard you very clearly, and we both know that every word you just uttered is nothing but a lie.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± I spat in frustration.


    ¡°I want that too.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°Do you think this is a joke?¡± I hollered. ¡°I wish I never met you, Roman. Meeting you was the worst thing that ever happened to me.¡±


    The smile instantly evaporated from his face, as he stared at me. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. I won¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you believe me or not. That is your fucking problem. I hate you, and I just want you out of my life, yet you keep bothering me. Is that too much to ask for?¡± I hurled.


    ¡°You want me out of your life.¡± He muttered.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I fibbed, clenching my hands into fists.


    ¡°Then say it to my face. Look me in the eye, and tell me how much you hate me. Tell me you want me out of your life and I promise to disappear from your life forever.¡± He calmly replied.


    I could do this. I thought, as I inhaled deeply.


    I just had to put my natural acting skills into use, and he¡¯d be out of my life forever.


    Yes, I could do it.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I closed the distance between us, and looked him straight in the eye.


    ¡°I love you so much, Roman Giovanni. And you are right, every word that just came out of my mouth is nothing but a lie ¡± I rambled out in one breath.


    I watched his face morph into a shocked expression, with my heart violently mming against my chest.


    ¡°So-¡± I made him swallow the rest of his words, by tiptoeing, and pressing a kiss to his lips.

 The overdue gift

    Chapter 99 The overdue gift


    Roman


    Smirking against Sofie¡¯s lips, I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulled her closer to me, and easily slid my tongue into the warmness of her mouth.


    I basked in the harmonious melody of our heartbeats uniting, and beating as one, as our tongues moved in a satisfying rhythm.


    An uproar of cheers reverberated across the airport, with more cameras shing on us as we passionately kissed, without making any attempt to let go of each other anytime soon.


    Sofie moaned into my mouth, as I bit on her lower lip before breaking the kiss.


    We bopped foreheads, as we shared a meaningful gaze with each other, and smiled.


    ¡°I love you too, cuore mio. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. And now you¡¯ve given me another gift.¡± I whispered, caressing her abdomen.


    ¡°Roman.¡± She muttered.


    ¡°I was stupid to have said stuff like that to you. We both know that it takes two to make a baby. I should have at least be nicer with my choice of words. I¡¯m sorry, cara. Please forgive me, and give me a second andst chance to make it right. I swear on my life that I¡¯d make things work between us. I will never give you a reason to regreting back to me.¡± I made an heartfelt vow, as I ced a kiss on the back of her hand, without straying my gaze away from her.


    She pressed a soft kiss to my lips, and smiled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be kissing you if I haven¡¯t forgiven you. And honestly, there is nothing to forgive. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you from the beginning. I should havee clean about the baby, instead of being overly paranoid about how you¡¯d have responded.¡±


    ¡°We are not ying the me game here, tesoro mio. Let¡¯s put the past behind us, and start all over again. Just you and I. With neither a contract engagement nor keeping things away from each other. Regardless of how unimportant we may both think those things are.¡± I said, stroking her cheek.


    ¡°With our baby.¡± She added, and I nodded.


    ¡°Yes. With our baby.¡±


    Our baby.


    Those two simple words never failed to make me even more smitten with Sofie, whenever I heard them.


    If someone had told me about a year ago that I¡¯d be so happy, at the prospect of being a father, I¡¯d have scoffed at them and rebuked them.


    To think that I had been so against having kids since I was a young boy, and now a tiny, unborn being already had me wrapped around their fingers.


    The world could be extremely ironical at times.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Nathan should have arrived. He will take your luggage back home to our mansion.¡± I said.


    Sofie blushed. ¡°Our mansion?¡±


    ¡°Yes, cara mia. Our mansion, both my entire wealth and my heart are yours. I¡¯m yours forever, my darling.¡± I replied.


    Roman from a year ago, would cringe badly at the wordsing out of my mouth, but I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to care.


    Now, I would make the cheesiest confession to Sofie without feeling an ounce of shame inside me.


    As long as it made her flustered, and I also saw her beautiful smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine, and I¡¯m yours. I love you, Roman.¡± She said.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I love you more than words can describe, baby.¡± I confessed, and nted a kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°You know I thought you had really gotten fed up of me when I didn¡¯t get any call from you, for the past five days. I thought we were really over forever. I never wanted to leave, Roman. I was just really scared of a lot of things.¡± She rambled out, with tears rolling down her cheeks.


    I grinned at her, as I gently wiped the tears off. ¡°I know, my love. But you shouldn¡¯t be scared of anything. I¡¯m here for you, and our baby. I will never leave you.¡±


    ¡°I know. I was just scared of an ident like this happening all over again. I was scared of you losing your memories about me forever this time around. I was scared of really bing a single parent forever. I wasn¡¯t in my right senses at all.¡± She divulged.


    I captured her lips in a soft kiss, before saying. ¡°That will never happen again, Sofie. I will always be right by your side, my love. And even if my memories fail me, my heart will always know whom it belongs to.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I keep crying like a kid nowadays.¡± She said, cleaning her resurging tears off her face.


    I kissed her temple. ¡°You look beautiful even when you cry.¡±


    She scoffed, and smacked my biceps. ¡°Stop being cheesy. It doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. So what suits me then? Being cold and distant?¡± I fondly taunted her.


    ¡°Being mine suits you best.¡± She blushed.


    ¡°And I¡¯m the cheesy one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shush.¡±


    I just chuckled, as we trekked to the parking lot amidst the loud cheers, and murmurs, trailing behind us.


    ¡°Miss Sofie.¡± Nathan greeted, as he collected the luggage from Sofie and ced them into the car trunk.


    ¡°Nathan. It¡¯s been quite a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Sofie said.


    ¡°Indeed, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Take care of the meeting with the Espinoza¡¯s tomorrow. I¡¯m going on an indefinite leave.¡± I dered.


    Nathan just nodded. ¡°Very well, sir.¡±


    Afterward, Sofie and I left the airport in my Maserati.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the path that leads to the mansion.¡± Sofie noticed, her face contorting into a frown.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Where are we headed to?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise. An overdue surprise for you, my love.¡±


    ¡°Oh. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Telling you would ruin the surprise, won¡¯t it?¡± I snortled, and she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Patience is a virtue, my dear.¡± I added, as I squeezed her thigh.


    She just darted me a look, set in between a re and a sneer but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Momentster, I drove into an estate which housed the most luxurious buildings in New York City.


    ¡°We are here, baby.¡± I said.


    ¡°Are we here to visit someone?¡± She asked, casting me a confused stare.


    ¡°You will see.¡±


    Afterward, we walked into one of the buildings, and took an elevator to the ss penthouse, at the top of the building.


    ¡°It is empty.¡± Sofie said, as we walked into the penthouse.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± I smiled, taking her hands into mine. ¡°Because it is yours. You will sign some documents tomorrow, and the key will be given to you.¡±


    Her eyes widened theatrically as she gasped. ¡°No. This is too much. What have I done to deserve this? How am I worthy of such an expensive ce?¡±


    ¡°Your mere presence in my life makes you more than worthy of this ce. You deserve every gift in this world, both the ones money can buy and the ones it can¡¯t. If you want, I¡¯d build you an harem of gifts. You just have to say the word.¡± I said.


    ¡°You are so kind to me.¡± She cried, and I kissed her tears away.


    ¡°I could say the same thing about you.¡± I muttered, before closing the distance between us with a passionate kiss.


    Sofie moaning as I slid my hands down her back, and groped her ass cheeks was like music to my ears.


    As she swiftly unbuttoned my shirt, she withdrew from the kiss, and began trailing kisses down the crevice of my jaw.


    ¡°I want you to fuck me, Roman.¡± She whispered, against my jaw.


    Her statement instantly sent blood rushing to my groin, and before I knew it, my cock became painfully hard.


    It had been an extremely frustrating couple of weeks, since I hadst been inside the wet sce her pussy provided me with, and I had missed it so bad.


    ¡°Your wish is mymand, mdy.¡± I muttered, hoisting her up, and wrapping her legs around my waist.

 Overdue hardcore gift

    Chapter 100 Overdue hardcore sex


    Sofie


    My gown was the first thing Roman yanked off my body, as he set me against the wall of the master bedroom.


    ¡°You have no idea how crazy I am right now. I just want to rip your clothes into shreds, and so all sorts of things to you.¡± He gritted out, against my ear before nipping at my ear lobe.


    ¡°Then do it. I¡¯ve also been waiting for this moment forever.¡± I moaned, sliding his shirt off him.


    My hand came around his back, as he ripped my panties off before proceeding to do the same to my bra.


    I gasped in sensual ecstasy as he fondled with my boobs with one hand, and attached his lips to the other while his second hand firmly held me against the wall.


    I syed my hands on his muscled abdominal muscles, and grinned in sex-addled craze as I darted him ascivious stare.


    ¡°As hard as a washboard.¡± I muttered, and he chuckled.


    Just like I expected, the dark, rich timbre of his chuckle only made my pussy wetter.


    I was totally caught off guard when he suddenly circled two of his fingers around the entrance of my dripping pussy.


    ¡°So fucking wet for me. You even got tighter, fuck.¡± He muttered against my nipple, and I whimpered as I mercilessly grinded my wet cavern on his fingers.


    He was merely fucking me with two of his fingers, yet I could feel an iing climax budding within me.


    My pussy throbbed with scious deliciousness as his thumb brushed my sensitive clit.


    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯ming, Roman.¡± I barely managed to get the words out before a racy orgasm coursed through me.


    The orgasm was so powerful that it left me breathless and in a daze.


    Roman sensually sucking on my tit, as his fingers continued plowing my wet core yanked me back to my torrid reality.


    I moaned, discontent when he suddenly released my nipple, and gazed at me, with erotic desire glinting his sexy grey eyes.


    ¡°You came so quick, cara mia.¡± He said.


    ¡°Yeah. I told you I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment since forever.¡± I gritted out, as I grinded on the erect mound on his crotch, without breaking my stare from him.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡± He muttered, and before I had the chance to question his utterance, I was hoisted from against the wall, onto a bed.


    I watched, as my pussy burned with the fire of unquenched arousal, as Roman¡¯s sweat-zed triceps flexed when he unbuckled his pants.


    He darted me a smirk, as he stepped out of both his pants and boxers.


    ¡°You see something you like.¡± He teased, sliding in between my thighs on the bed.


    ¡°Yes. You.¡± I replied, unabashedly fixating my stare on his huge, hard cock.


    He just chuckled again, before raising my legs and cing both of my feet directly against his pecs.


    ¡°This is the best position for both you and our baby. I don¡¯t want you to strain your back.¡± He exined, cing tender kisses on each of my feet.


    ¡°I thought you had suddenly discovered your suppressed foot fetish.¡± I teased.


    ¡°Maybe I did.¡± He replied, pressing a kiss to the arch of my left foot.


    Before I could reply, he had slid three fingers into my puckered pussy, and the sudden yet amatory intrusion caused me to choke out a gasp.


    I dug my fingers into the pillow as he slowly thrusted his skillful digits inside me.


    ¡°I-I want more.¡± I whimpered, as his finger continually brushed my clit.


    ¡°More what?¡± He prodded, kissing my shin.


    ¡°M-more of you.¡± I moaned, feeling the familiar electrifying feeling of another impending orgasm course through me.


    He just smirked, withdrew his fingers, and swiftly reced it with his dick.


    I moaned, in sexual delectation, as my pussy got stretched to it¡¯s maximum width by his monster cock.


    But I wasn¡¯tining though, I was overjoyed to finally have my pussy ponded by him, after a long time.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need condoms, do we?¡± He asked, beginning his first series of deep, slow thrusts.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I pursed my lips into a thin line, and nodded as his thrusts reached the one ce I¡¯ve been aching to be touched for thest couple of weeks, the one ce my fingers couldn¡¯t reach no matter how hard I tried.


    My erogenous zone, that is, my G-spot.


    ¡°Right there. Please continue like that.¡± I cried, as I shook due to excessive sexual stimtion.


    ¡°Like this?¡± He asked, hammering harder and deeper into me.


    ¡°Fuck, Roman.¡± I choked out, tears of pleasure rolling down my cheeks.


    I had missed this much more than I initially thought.


    ¡°You like that?¡± He gritted out, staring into my eyes as he stroked my clit.


    ¡°I-I love it more than I can describe.¡± I confessed.


    ¡°I¡¯m d, doll.¡± He muttered, fastening the pace of his thrusts.


    The intensity of his ruthless yet electrifying thrusts sent my arousal-clouded mind into overdrive.


    I wanted to grip something other than the pillow. At that moment, I desperately wished to run my hands over Roman¡¯s washboard abs as he pummeled into me.


    Eventually, I settled on hooking my arms around my raised legs and burying my face into the crevice of my joined legs.


    Roman¡¯s lustful gaze never left my eyes for a second, as he pounded me but that only added to the electrifying thrill of being fucked so hard and good by him.


    He pounded me with such great fervor, as if that¡¯d be thest opportunity he¡¯d ever get to fuck me.


    Series of hardcore thrustster, Roman and I came together for the first time.


    He dumped his seeds inside me while I squirted my cum on the bed.


    Pants and grunts filled the room, as we both climbed down from our respective peaks of sexual gratification.


    We both basked in an euphoric, post orgasm bliss for a quiet moment before Roman pulled out of me, and spooned me from behind.


    ¡°You were amazing as always.¡± He whispered, and pressed a kiss to my forehead.


    ¡°The same goes for you.¡± I panted.


    ¡°I want you to be mine very soon.¡± Roman said, tracing light kisses down the crook of my shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m already yours, babe. I will always be yours.¡± I answered.


    ¡°I know, amore mio. I mean I want to put a ring on you, so you can legally be mine.¡± He said.


    An undescribable emotion flooded my insides, as I stiffened momentarily.


    I wasn¡¯t ready for marriage yet.


    ¡°But we have agreed to take it slow. I will wait until you¡¯re ready before I pop the question. I don¡¯t want to overwhelm you right now, or make you think I¡¯m getting married to you because of our baby.¡± He said, as if reading my thoughts.


    I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine by me. Let¡¯s take it slow.¡±


    In response, he pressed a feathery kiss behind my ear. ¡°Te amo, cuore mio.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Roman.¡± I said.


    ¡°I see you picked up some Italian in my absence.¡± He uttered, and I smiled.


    ¡°Did I tell you that recently, I started minoring in linguistics?¡±


    ¡°No. You didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I guess I forgot then. I¡¯ve decided to learn some Italian because I find thenguage sexy. Or maybe I just love the way you speak it.¡± I uttered, cheeks reddening bashfully.


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t let it get into your head.¡± I fondly scoffed.


    ¡°You always manage to find various ways to surprise me, tesoro.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I guess I¡¯m an enigma.¡±


    ¡°I can agree with that. You are my sexy enigma.¡± He said.


    I huffed in response, as a yawn escaped my mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep, baby. We had quite a long day.¡± Roman said, spooning me tighter to himself.


    I just hummed, before surrendering to the overpowering force of sleep.


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