Chapter one

Sophia’s POV

“There are only two rules Sophia,” Micheal said with his eyes fixed on mine “one, don't fall in love with me, two don't get pregnant !”

This words were on replay in my head each time I was with Mr Michael Mahone.

When I heard the news that he would be engaged to an heiress the following week, he was in my bed, buried deep inside me.

The television in my room had been murmuring in the background all evening, though I hadn’t paid much attention to it. But the words “Mahone Group,” spoken in the sharp voice of the anchor, caught my ear. I tilted my head toward the screen, my breathing still erratic from the exertion of our coupling.

“Michael Mahone, CEO of Mahone Group, is set to announce his engagement to heiress Cindy Berlick next week. This marks the merger of two major business empires, one of the most anticipated unions in the industry.”

After we finished, he sat at the edge of my bed, his shirt still unbuttoned, tie draped around his neck, only his belt was casually placed on the ground. The way he always looked after sex dressed, controlled, indifferent, he always looked like he just finished a pleasant conference.

I stared at the TV, my body tensed,my pulse quicken. I would be lying if I said I wasn't upset when I heard the news, but I knew full well that to Michael Mahone I was just a toy that could be discarded at any time.

He fixed his cufflinks as if the announcement were no more important than the weather. He has grey eyes, a high nose bridge, and clear facial features. If I didn't know that he was the owner of Mahone Group, I would have thought he had just walked out of a luxury brand fashion show. “I’ll be busy next week,” he said, his low voice as cold as ever.

Of course I understand the words "busy next week". The announcement continued, but the words blurred together in my ears.

He was here, with me. And yet, in a matter of days, he would belong to someone else.

Michael glanced down at me, noticing my distraction. His steel gray eyes, cold and impenetrable, I knew why. I’d pieced it together from whispers in the office, from the expensive suits he wore more frequently, from the distant way he’d been behaving.

I pulled the sheets tighter around me. “I see,” I said quietly.

“Don’t sulk, Sophia,” he said, “I was about to notify you but it won’t affect us.” he said in a cold voice, “So I suppose there was no need for you to know.”

I forced a smile, hating the way I cowered under his gaze. Our relationship was unspeakable, secret, and could not be public. I was a toy in the corner of Michael Mahone’s life. This was my last choice, even though there were countless girls out there who wanted to replace me.

He reached out, tracing a finger along my jawline. His touch was possessive, as always, a reminder that I belonged to him at least for now.

The truth was, I’d been tangled in this arrangement with Michael for 5 years now. It started with desperation. My mother abandoned me in the shackles of her debt after squandering all the money she loaned from different people, and I’d been drowning under the weight of the debt collectors.

When Michael approached me with his offer 5 years ago, I was about to be bought by my creditors into an underground casino and become a prostitute. Once thought he was my savior, but after so many years of companionship, I have long understood that he only cares about business, not love.

Five years have passed, and the "bonus" Michael gives me every month can only allow me to repay the interest on my mother's huge debt on time.

but I'm still in this mess, and perhaps I've gotten myself into a worse one because I let Michael get involved.

I looked straight into his deep eyes, I straightened my back as I forced the words out. “I want to stop this, Mr. Mahone.” I said, in a steady voice, only I knew I lied.

“Reason?” His said pinching my chin which hurt a little, but it also made it impossible for me to avoid his gaze.

““You know I had a boyfriend… in my college. He is back in the city.” It's really hard to lie under his gaze.

The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but I needed an excuse for me to leave with a little bit of dignity.

Michael didn’t respond right away. He simply studied me. Then, with a faint smirk, he leaned back against the pillows.

“Is that so?” he murmured, in an unreadable tone.

I nodded, avoiding his eyes. I knew he didn’t believe me. Michael had a way of seeing through people, of dismantling their defenses with a single glance. But he didn’t press the matter. He rarely did.

He headed for the door. “I was planning to give you another 200 thousand dollars per month, but now it seems that you don't need it anymore.,” he said without looking back on his way to the door.

I stood there for a long moment after he left, clutching the sheet to my chest.

When I returned to the bathroom to dress, I caught my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were flushed, my hair a mess, and my lips still swollen from his kisses. I “actually” hated the way I looked like a woman who’d been used.

I arrived at the office early the next morning, hoping to throw myself into work and avoid the heated small talks on Michael's engagement news from colleagues.

My desk was tucked away in a corner of the translation department, far from Michael’s expansive office on the top floor. It was a relief to be so removed from him during the day.

But no amount of physical distance could erase the knot of tension in my chest.

I powered on my computer, scrolling through the documents I needed to translate for the week. My mothers debt payment day was fast approaching again, and I couldn’t afford to slack off. This job no matter how suffocating it felt at times was my lifeline.

I had barely made a dent in my to-do list when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“Sophia?”

I turned, my heart sinking as I came face-to-face with Cindy Berlick, fiancee of the man who slept with me for 5 years.

She was even more stunning in person than in the photographs plastered across business magazines, she was tall and graceful, with perfect blonde curls and a warm smile that made her look almost approachable.

“You must be Sophia,” she said, her voice melodic and friendly.

“Yes, Ms. Berlick,” I said, standing quickly, reaching out my right hand.

She raised her hands, and I noticed that she was holding something in both of them, so I put my hands back with some embarrassment. “Please, call me Cindy. Michael speaks very highly of you.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I forced myself to smile politely. “That’s kind of him to say.”

“Yes,” she said, oblivious to my sudden tension. “I heard that you are in charge of important projects in the company's translation department and have made good achievements. I am really happy for Michael”.

Her words struck me like a punch to the gut. She had no idea, did she? No idea that the man she was about to marry had spent countless nights in my bed.

Cindy settled into the chair across from my desk, her gaze earnest. “I actually wanted to ask for a favor. I’ve heard you’re fluent in multiple languages, and I could really use your help.”

I frowned, caught off guard. “What kind of help?”

“There’s a business dinner next week with some foreign investors. I don’t speak their language, and I’d feel much more confident with a translator by my side. Would you mind?”

My instinct was to refuse. Spending an evening in her company knowing what I knew felt unbearable. But practicality won out. I needed the money, especially if I was serious about leaving this company and putting Michael behind me.

“I’d be happy to help,” I said finally.

Cindy beamed, her gratitude sincere. “Thank you, Sophia. I’ll make sure you’re compensated for your time.”

The irony of her kindness wasn’t lost on me. Here she was, offering me money to do a job, while I was desperately trying to distance myself from the man she loved.

As she left my office table, I leaned back in my chair, exhaling shakily.

Michael had chosen her, and I couldn’t blame him. She was everything I wasn’t beautiful, poised, and wealthy beyond measure. She was so kind, so genuine, and I hated myself for being part of this mess.

But that didn’t mean it hurt any less.

The day passed in a blur of meetings and paperwork, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Cindy's request.

When the office emptied out that evening, I lingered at my desk, staring at the city lights through the window. I thought about the life I “wanted”, a life free from my mother's debt and Michael’s shadow, free from the complications of this toxic relationship, free from my guilt and shame.

I would leave soon. I had to.