Semua Bab Gilded Hearts: Bab 61 - Bab 70

Sophia POVFor almost an entire hour...I hadn't thought about Damien.And somehow...That felt like the biggest relief of all.By the time Lorenzo and I stepped out of the café-, the sun had begun its slow descent, bathing the city in shades of orange and gold,."I should let you go-," Lorenzo said-, glancing at his watch,. "I've already stolen enough of your Saturday,."I smiled,."It wasn't stolen,.""No?"I shook my head,."I actually enjoyed it,."His lips curved into a genuine smile,."I'm glad,."For a moment-, neither of us moved,.Then he slipped one hand into his pocket,."I'd like to do this again sometime,."I hesitated,.Not because I didn't enjoy talking to him...But because I knew my life wasn't simple enough for this friendship to remain uncomplicated."I'd like that too," I admitted carefully.He extended his hand,."It was nice getting to know you-, Sophia,."Instead of shaking it immediately-, I looked at him for a second,.There was nothing calculating in his expr

Sophia POVThe morning light filtering through the curtains was cruelly bright,.I woke slowly, consciousness creeping in with a heavy dread that settled deep in my chest,. My body ached, an unfamiliar soreness between my thighs, tender marks on my wrists where he'd pinned me-, the ghost of his weight still pressing into my skin,.I stared at the ceiling-, the reality of last night crashing over me in waves,.I'd given him everything. My body. My virginity. And he didn't love me. He'd never even pretended to. I was a wife in name only, a relation in which he was forced to be.I squeezed my eyes shut-, humiliation burning hot behind my eyelids,. I'd begged him,. I'd actually begged him to take me, and he'd made me say the words—made me admit I was his,. And the worst part? Some traitorous part of me had meant it,.I needed to move. Needed to shower-, to scrub the evidence of last night from my skin-, to do something normal before this silence suffocated me,.I shifted carefully, tryi

Sophia POVI watched him disappear into the bathroom-, the door clicking shut with a finality that made me flinch. The sound of running water started—sharp, angry jets that matched the chaos in my chest,.I sat frozen as a half-eaten pancake turning cold on my plate,. My body ached in places I'd never known could ache, a persistent-, throbbing reminder of everything that had happened,. Everything he'd taken. Everything he'd been the first to touch,.I touched my lower lip where his thumb had brushed, still feeling the phantom pressure. I had no frame of reference for this.I'd never had a boyfriend. Never been on a real date unless you counted the one disastrous coffee outing with a guy from my economics study group sophomore year-, where he'd spent forty minutes explaining Bitcoin and then asked if I wanted to split the check,. I'd been too busy working-, too busy trying to keep my scholarship-, too busy making sure Nick had lunch money to think about romance,.And then-, suddenly-,

Sophia POV He kissed my inner thigh, his tongue tracing upward-, and then his mouth was on me, hot and wet and devastating,,. I cried out, my hand flying to his hair, gripping tight as he licked and sucked with desperate intensity,. "Damian—oh god—" He didn't stop,. He pushed two fingers inside me-, curling them-, finding that spot that made my vision blur,. I was panting, writhing, the conference table cold against my back-, his mouth relentless,. "Please," I sobbed-, not knowing what I was begging for,. He stood abruptly-, his mouth finding mine, his fingers still moving inside me,. I could taste myself on his lips, earthy and intimate-, and it made me dizzy,. "Tell me-," he growled against my mouth,. "Tell me you're mine. Tell me no one else gets this,." "I'm yours-," I gasped-, my hips bucking against his hand,. "Only yours—please—" He withdrew his fingers-, and I whimpered at the loss,. But he was already unbuckling his belt-, shoving his trousers down, freeing himself,. H

Sophia POVThe aroma of roasted garlic-, fresh herbs-, and butter filled every corner of our apartment, blending with the soft notes of instrumental jazz playing through the speakers,. I stood in the middle of the dining room, adjusting the cutlery for what had to be the fifth time-, before stepping back to inspect the table one last time,.Everything looked... perfect,.The dining table was decorated with white lilies-, simple candles, and elegant dinnerware that Damien insisted we use only for "important occasions,." The kitchen island behind me was already lined with serving platters, while the oven timer ticked softly in the background,.I let out a slow breath,.It still felt like a dream,.Just a month ago, if someone had told me that Damien and I would be standing in our home-, hosting dinner for both our families together-, I would have laughed in their face,.No...I would've assumed they had mistaken me for someone else.Because the Damien Hayes I had married wasn't this man