s words carried weight, but Sophia refused to be cowed by them. Her he

thickening in the air. "You may think you can control everyt

g with interest. "You think you're different? You

e could feel the storm building between them, the unspoken battle for control. She wasn't foo

d, a darker energy radiating from him. "You're in my wor

willing to back down. "I'll play your game for no

loomed over her, casting a shadow that made the room feel even smaller. When he spoke again, his voice

y, charged with both defiance and something else-something more dangerous, more primal. She could feel it

s he tilted her face up to meet his gaze fully. "You m

uch, her skin burning where his fing

second, but he quickly recovered, his composure as sh

he vast estate. The mansion's grounds stretched out in an endless maze of gardens and pathways, but the beauty of the vi

moved closer. "Your mother's treatment has a

nte finished, his voice soft, almost coax

ords when all she could feel was the suffocating weight of his presence. "And what ab

Sophia, you and I both know that this is a negotiation, whether you

urled around the phrase like a possessive whisper. A shiver slid down her spine, but sh

id, her voice edged with defiance. "What y

r skin prickle with unease. "Everything has a price, Sophia.

he fear his words provoked. "You may have control over my circums

en them, his hand brushing against her arm, the contact sending an unwanted thrill through her. "You're strong.

er rising to the surface. "I'll never be yours. You think you

licker of something like frustration in his expression. "You will learn, So

apped, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew she was playing

behind her defiant words. Then, unexpectedly, he stepped back, his face unreadable on

ts and promises. But then he turned, walking toward the door as if their conversation was done

glancing back at her over his shoulder. "We'

, her brow furrowing.

w of a smile, a hint of misc

thing she thought she could control was slipping through her fingers. She'd made her position clear-she wouldn't be his, not in the way he want

was a whirl of thoughts-her mother, her own trapped future, and the inescapable

state. She had to stay sharp. Dante DeLuca might think he had her co

t

ev