Sophia's POV."Yes, my name is Micheal, and like an angel, I'm here to save you," He uttered, his voice lacing with mischief.My eyebrows furrowed in suspicion."Micheal..." I muttered, finding the name a bit familiar. But I couldn't recall where I had heard it. "I don't know anyone named Micheal. I think you've got the wrong number," I said nervously and tried to hang up."Sophia," His voice boomed through the phone's speaker. "I know you're suspicious and nervous that someone is suddenly offering help. But I genuinely have a way to save you from the hell you're experiencing.""I know what Alessandro is putting you through. That man is a monster," He said, spite dripping from his voice."How do you know Alessandro?" I questioned, refusing to let my guard down."I am a victim of his evil. I know the horrible things he's capable of," The man replied, his voice shaking with anger. "What...did he do to you?" I stammered."He...he killed the love of my life," He revealed, sending shiver
Sophia's POV.A chill ran through my spine at the sound of his voice. When did he get into my room? Why was he even here?"I asked a question," His cold voice resounded, his approaching footsteps now audible.I removed the phone from my ear, quickly swiping the number and deleting it. My fingers fumbled slightly, but I managed to get rid of it in time. I hoped he hadn't seen or heard anything. I turned to him, and his tall, muscular body towered over me. His piercing gaze made my throat tighten. He was so close that I could feel my heart hammering in my chest and sweat forming on my skin. "I...was talking to...a friend," I lied, my voice shaking and unconvincing. "A friend?" Alessandro scoffed, his voice filled with doubt. "Whose phone is that?" I glanced down at the phone in my hand, and stuttered, "It's one of the maid's. But I'm not going to tell you who lent it to me." "What friend were you talking to? And what were you talking about?" His sharp tone made my stomach churn. I
Alessandro's POV.As I left Sophia's room, I paused outside her door, staring.I was certain I'd heard her say Micheal's name. And the only Micheal I knew was that fool who's been a thorn in my side for years. Her excuse about calling a friend was nothing more than a weak cover.Why else would she and Micheal be in contact unless they were plotting against me? Was it revenge for everything I had done to her? Or had he convinced her to help him take me down? A bitter thought suddenly crossed my mind. Had everything that happened at the mall been an elaborate act?With a sharp sigh, I pushed my thoughts aside and headed for the mansion through the back door. My mind raced with questions as I walked. Was she planning to betray me again? How far was Micheal willing to go to see me fall?As I stepped into the house, I spotted Mary stepping out of the elevator."Alessandro, where have you been?" She questioned, her voice tinged with concern. "I just came from your office."We must hav
Alessandro's POV.My fists clenched at her response. I shouldn't be surprised, but I thought that her innocent face wasn't just a front—that she was truly honest."Damn her. I'm going to kill her," I sneered, my hand reaching the door."Yes, I want to poison him," her voice echoed suddenly, shaky. "But I can't. I won't." Her words made me pause, my grip tightening on the door as I listened. "He's been awful to me, to a lot of people. I understand that he deserves to die, but I can't make that decision.""Why? Your little conscience can't withstand the death of that monster?" Micheal retorted, his voice sharp. "Yes!" She snapped, her voice trembling. "I can't bear taking a life. What would make me different from him?""Sophia," Micheal began, his tone almost pitying. "I was once like you. I was scared of challenging him, but when he ended the life of my lover, I lost every bit of—""Micheal, stop..." She interrupted softly, silencing him. "I'm sorry about what happened to your love
Sophia's POV."What problem?" I stuttered, my voice shaking."It's your father," Alessandro said curtly, brushing past me."What happened to him?" I asked, panic creeping into my tone as I hurried after him.He didn't answer, instead he walked through the gate with long strides, leaving me struggling to keep up. Before I could catch up, I heard several gunshots echoing in the air. my breath fastened and I froze. "Oh my God..." I whispered, shivering. "What is he doing?"My mind raced with fear, but I forced myself to move. If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it already. No, he enjoyed watching me suffer, reveling in misery."Come out of there!" I heard his commanding voice, snapping me out of my thoughts. I hesitated, but eventually stepped out cautiously only for me to see some men shot dead on the floor. Terrified, I looked up and saw Alessandro already walking away. I meticulously followed, keeping a distance.By the time I reached his car, he was already inside I hesit
(Sophia’s POV).My heart pounded violently against my chest, each beat fast and excruciating. I strained my ears to catch the sound of slow claps and the deliberate click of heels against the floor.Someone was approaching. I struggled against the ropes binding me to the chair, a surge of panic making me want to scream. But to whom? My mouth was gagged so tightly, stuffed with a handkerchief to ensure I couldn't make a sound.My eyes were blindfolded, the fabric tied so securely that not even a sliver of light could seep through. I was engulfed in darkness, forced to rely solely on my ears to discern the sounds around me.From what I could gather, there were likely four men in the room with me. The ropes binding me were unyielding, ensuring I remained seated against my will.A chuckle shattered the silence, dripping with mockery at my feeble attempt to escape."What do you think you are doing? Trying to free yourself?" someone asked. I ignored the taunt, my hands still struggling agai
Sophia’s POV.Beep. Beep.The gentle sound of the machine beside me forced me back to consciousness, and as my eyes fluttered open slowly, it landed on the ceiling and it took a while of glancing around the room before I realized I was in a hospital and the memories came rushing back.“…take her far away and kill her.” The words of Ray that had played out of the recording filled my head and I felt a sharp pain twist my chest like something had just pierced through it.Ray sold me off so he wouldn't pay me back and his intentions were to kill me. How? That man said he loved me, he said he was willing to do anything for me and wanted me to be the mother of his children. I had given him all my money, trusting him when he mentioned his mother was dying. I believed it when I saw a video of her critically sick in the hospital. That money was the only money my father had left after his company went bankrupt years ago. He had sacrificed that money so I could fulfill my dream of hosting an Ar
Sophia’s POV.“I must say Sophia, you surpassed my expectations and this exhibition is the best I have seen so far. I would be making a donation at the end of the day to support you and if you don’t mind, my company would like to market some of your art pieces.” One of the men father invited said to me and a wide smile appeared on my face as I thanked him profusely.It’s been two whole weeks since the incident with the stranger and Ray’s disappearance. I had filed a report at the station and they said they would handle it but there was no development on the case and I knew better than to bank on the police to save me from the stranger.“I am someone you don’t want to cross paths with but when you do, it doesn’t end well for you.”Those words were my driving force over the weeks. I needed to raise his money and the only way to stand a chance was the exhibition. Father surpassed my expectations, I had no idea how he had managed to put together all the funds we needed but he did and sim