Semua Bab His Hired Lover: Bab 61 - Bab 70

Rios walked beside his wife and felt like he was leading a queen into the throng of people beneath the stairs. Her delicate hand rested lightly on his arm, and the mask simmering under the ballroom lights hid the bruises on her pretty face. He had managed to convince her to come with him to this last event of the annual tribunal, and he was prouder than ever to call her his. The silk of her gown clung beautifully to her curves, and—God, her eyes—were the only thing in the room that kept him grounded. He had seen many beautiful women. He had watched them crawl through diamonds and power, but Sofia had that gaze that automatically pulled every eye in the room. Just like what was happening now. As they stepped into the masquerade, everyone turned. Even the big Mafia bosses nodded at every step they took. They were looking at her. He felt proud of his wife, but his fingers still tensed against her arm. Every fucking one of them seemed to be undressing her—and not even pretending they we

SOFIA’s POVI didn’t wait for Rios after the flight. I went straight to my bedroom and hurled some clothes into the suitcase.I felt so mad inside, but I wasn’t going to say that in front of his face. I already told him I called Mina and the two of us were going somewhere. My clothes looked wrinkled and uneven, but I didn’t care. My passport sat open on the desk beside my phone. One word blinked at me from the itinerary email: Spain. I had to breathe. I had to remind myself to continue existing outside of him.The door swung open hard. Then Rios's voice cracked through the silence like glass. "You're going where?"I didn’t turn. "Spain."He stepped in, closing the door with a thud. "Now? After everything that just happened? We just came back from the Tribunal."I zipped the suitcase halfway. "Exactly because of everything that just happened.""Sofia, you can’t do this. You're still legally bound to me. And the contract—""Yes, I know," I snapped. "And I am not running away, okay? But y

The pounding of drums and the high-pitched trumpets signaled the affair that morning. For a moment, Mina Sotto observed the surroundings and felt disoriented. Two days ago, she and Sofia landed at the airport and separated as she was going to Sta. Lucia, Southern Leyte. A quiet coastal town that had been slowly wrapping itself in festive colors. “Find my step-sister, but do not tell her where I am. I have been sending money to her, but she doesn’t know where the money came from.” “W-why would you send her money in secret? Didn’t you want to see her anymore?” Sofia hesitated. “I have my reasons. J-just go and see how she’s doing. “Okay,” Mina replied with a sigh. “What’s the plan?” Mina trudged the narrow street below and blended with the excited crowd. People lined the sidewalks, and eager vendors waved here and there selling ice candy and kakanin. Upon looking up, Mina saw the fluttering and colorful banderitas, li

It was raining hard when Rios arrived at Rockwell Drive. Walking toward the building soaked his white polo shirt and had magically erased his drunkenness. It had been two weeks since he last heard from his wife, and while the first week was his way of understanding the situation, all he felt now was anger. Why had she not contacted him yet?He barely heard the receptionist's greeting as he climbed into the elevator. He wasn't planning to sleep in Sofia's unit, but he realized he missed her terribly.The unit greeted him with darkness, except for the sliver of warm light spilling from under Sofia’s bedroom door. Rios stood in the threshold, blinking against the glow. Maybe the whiskey was playing tricks on him. But there she stood barefoot on the polished floor, her silk robe clinging softly to her slender frame, as her head tilted toward the vanity mirror. With slow, practiced strokes, she dabbed moisturizer onto her cheeks, then along her jawline. Her eyes met his in the mirror. "Rio

SOFIA’s POVThey called it footwork with smiles on their faces.“It’s just a little tradition,” said Don Felix. It is a game we Alcarazs play when someone joins our blood.”“It’s like a game of tag,” Sasha said calmly. “A deadly tag.”Deadly? I should have asked more questions. I should have looked at Rios and demanded answers. But he only kissed my temple and whispered, “Trust the process, babe.”The moment I got into the van, my heart hammered loudly in my chest. Something about this initiation felt wrong. But what? Did I just walk on my own deathbed?“Babe,” Rios interrupted my overlapping thoughts. “I know you can survive this. Please, survive this.”I wanted to scream in his face, but words seemed to leave my subconscious. I only stared at him with confusion and anger, and Rios could only look away.We drove for over an hour, through the outskirts of the city, into a place that seemed not to exist on maps. It was already midnight when we set foot into a crumbling district.“This