CHAPTER 4

SOFIA JOHNSON

No.

It can’t be him.

But it is.

The man I slept with.

The most dangerous man in the country who controls an entire mafia.

Dante.

I stay seated when I see his blue eyes looking at me.

I see the surprise on his face. He didn’t know who I was either.

“Dad, this is my girlfriend, Sofia,” Lucas says proudly, as if presenting a newly won trophy.

I stand up, taking a few steps.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Dante says.

“Pleasure is mine,” I say, forcing firmness into my voice.

I extend my hand. I should pull back, but I can’t.

He holds my fingers firmly, and the electric current running through my body reminds me exactly of what we did. His gaze remembers it too.

Lucas frowns.

“Sofia, are you okay?”

“Of course,” I lie, squeezing his hand even tighter, as if trying to prove I’m perfectly comfortable.

He doesn’t blink.

He doesn’t let go first. Only when Lucas’s mother speaks does the grip break.

“Let’s continue with dinner,” she says in a tone that admits no objections.

We sit down. I beside Lucas; Dante right in front of me.

He looks relaxed, leaning back in the chair, as if nothing in the world could shake his calm.

But every time my eyes meet his, I see that gleam — a mix of curiosity, provocation, and dominance.

“So, Sofia,” he begins, his voice loaded with an interest that sounds innocent to everyone but me. “Do you work or just study?”

“I study. Business administration,” I reply, keeping a polite smile.

“Interesting.” He slowly twirls the wine glass between his fingers. “And what do you plan to do after graduating?”

“I’m still… deciding,” I say, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten.

He raises an eyebrow, as if savoring the word.

“Lucas, are you helping Sofia with these decisions?”

“Of course, Dad,” Lucas replies, laughing.

I force another smile, trying to look normal.

And then his mother drops the bomb:

“I hope you two are using condoms,” she says in a reproachful tone.

The wine goes down the wrong way and I start coughing.

Coughing hard.

The wine splashes, staining my whole dress.

Damn.

“Sofia!” Lucas leans toward me, worried, while I try to compose myself.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I say between coughs.

I grab the napkin, but it’s already ruined.

“The bathroom is down the hall,” Lucas’s mother points out, impassive.

I get up quickly, almost fleeing. I walk to the bathroom and start trying to clean my clothes.

I hear footsteps behind me.

“Lucas, give me a minute,” I say without looking, irritated. “Seriously, stay away right now.”

I look in the mirror and freeze.

It’s not Lucas.

It’s him.

Lucas’s father enters, closes the door behind him, and turns the key with a dry click.

My heart races.

“When were you going to tell me you’re dating my son?”

“I didn’t know who you were before that night at the hotel,” I rush to say, my voice trembling, as if I needed to justify myself before even being accused.

He smiles, but it’s not a friendly smile. It’s the kind of smile that makes my skin crawl.

“And now it seems everything has become… complicated,” he replies, his deep voice dripping with irony.

“So tell me, Sofia… is it true that my son cheated on you?”

I swallow hard, nodding slightly.

“Yes…” my voice comes out low, almost a whisper.

“Then why are you still here?”

“Because…” I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart, “…I only came to meet his parents.”

His smile widens, full of mockery. He takes a step forward.

“Ah… and what an introduction, isn’t it?”

I instinctively back away.

“Stay away from me.”

“That’s not what you told me several times yesterday when we were…”

“We can’t do that anymore.”

He tilts his head slightly, studying me as if he could see far beyond what I try to hide.

“Are you afraid my son will find out about our dirty little secret, Sofia?”

Before I can answer, he moves closer.

His hand lightly grips my arm, guiding me backward until my back hits the cold sink. I breathe fast, the feeling of being trapped putting me on edge.

“You think you can play with two men from the same family and walk away unscathed?” he murmurs, so close his warm breath brushes my face.

He grabs a napkin from the counter and begins wiping the wine stain on my dress.

But his hand slides between my breasts, rubbing slowly, as if each movement were calculated to provoke.

I feel the heat rising through my body, mixed with a strange dizziness.

“Stop…” I whisper, but without enough strength to push him away.

His gaze locks on mine, intense, almost hypnotic.

He leans in, so close his lips nearly touch mine. My heart beats so fast I’m sure he can hear it.

“I know you want this as much as I do, Sofia. We shouldn’t, but we can’t resist.”

Fuck. He’s right, but I don’t want to admit it.

“You can’t tell anyone about this,” I say suddenly, as if keeping the secret were more urgent than breathing itself.

“Why?” he asks, his voice dripping with provocation.

“Because…” I take a deep breath, my throat dry, “…my life would be over if they knew I slept with the mafia boss… and my ex’s father.”

For a second, his smile fades, replaced by something darker.

He presses his body harder against mine.

I look down and see a gun at his waist.

I tremble when his fingers trail up my neck and squeeze tightly.

I stop breathing again.

“I spent the whole time thinking about everything that happened between us, Sofia. My son cheated on you, he made a big mistake, but you can’t run from me, baby.”

I open my mouth to reply, but he kisses me.

I can’t resist and moan when I feel his tongue inside my mouth.

His hand slides up my legs until it finds my panties.

“Damn, I could fuck you right here. Hard, the way you like it, right?”

I nod my head.

He laughs, rubbing his fingers against my pussy.

“I shouldn’t be doing this, Sofia.”

I bite my lips hard to keep from moaning loudly.

I know I should push him away. That I should scream. But my fingers clutch his shirt as if I needed something to keep me standing.

A knock on the door makes me freeze.

“Sofia?” It’s Lucas’s voice, confused. “Are you okay in there?”

My eyes widen, but Dante doesn’t move away from me.

“I’m… I’m fine,” I answer quickly, trying to control my ragged breathing.

He steps closer, his body pressed to mine, and leans in until his lips nearly touch my ear.

“I won’t tell anyone about our secret… if we keep meeting in secret.”

A shiver runs down my spine.

It’s not just fear. It’s something I don’t want to name. Something I know will drag me deeper into this abyss.

Lucas knocks again, impatient.

His father smiles, as if the whole situation were a game he’s already winning.

He unlocks the door, but before opening it, he grabs my chin and forces me to look at him.

“Think carefully, princess… from now on, you belong to both of us.”