CHAPTER 16SOPHIE A couple of hours later, I was dressed in one of the new outfits Scoot had brought me.I can't lie; everything about Vin is luxurious. I'm wearing the latest version of the Dolce and Gabbana design. My cheeks flushed as I nervously walked out to him, where he was already waiting for me.We were running late for work. He doesn't care about that, but I do. He says it is his company and we can do whatever we like, but I don’t want to be associated with him. I don't want people to think I got the job through nepotism, which is why I want to be very professional at work.I don't want to be in his shadow, where all my hard work will be attributed to sleeping with the boss. Yes, I want him, but I also want a normal life at work."I'm ready to leave," I said, and he flashed me a warm smile as he stood up. He stretched out his hand to me. "Shall we?"I intertwined my fingers with his and we walked out of his penthouse.When we got to his garage, my eyes widened at the exotic
CHAPTER 17SOPHIE I shook my head, my hands almost clasped together in a plea. “I'm sorry, ma'am, you misunderstood me. That was not what I meant when I said that.” I was just trying to say that I didn't reject the application. “I came right here after I got the employment letter in my email.” She frowned. “Look, young lady, I'm extremely busy and don't have time to chit-chat with you. A certain Sophie Forbes already declined the job, so if you say that you're missing Sophie, then we have no job for you here. You can leave right away before I call security.” My brows drew together as I stepped closer to her. “I'm sorry, ma'am, but could you check again to be sure? It might not be mine. I think you're mistaking me for another person.” The lady scoffed. “You're really something else.” She looked around as if trying to call for security. Suddenly, a man approached us. “What is it, Madam Aurora?” he asked in a stern voice. She quickly stood upright. “Good morning, sir. It's really
CHAPTER 18 SOPHIE The whole place was filled with people. They weren't too many, but Jenny's house was a cozy space, so it felt suffocating. Scanning the room, I couldn't help but feel the infectious energy of the party. The air was electric, filled with laughter, chatter, and music.My eyes narrowed when I saw Jacob and my mum in the corner conversing. My brows drew together in surprise. I couldn't figure out what my mum was doing at Jenny's house. Does she know that I live here, just a few kilometers away from where I rented them an apartment?Suddenly, the loud music stopped, and before I knew what was happening, Jenny and some other women rushed toward me, their faces filled with happiness as their eyes sparkled.“Congratulations on your new job, Sophie!” Jenny screamed at the top of her voice. “Girl, come on, smile! This party is for you!”My mum leaped into my arms, her face beaming with joy. “Congratulations, Sophie,” she whispered, and I hugged her, trying so hard to force a
CHAPTER 19.SOPHIE.I made my way inside, immediately taking the elevator to get to the intern office as soon as possible. When I got there, there were other interns present, whom I greeted, but none of them replied. They all ignored me and exchanged whispers. Their attitude was cold towards me, but I knew why. The answer wasn't far-fetched; I knew it was inevitable from the onset, but they could burn for all I cared.Right now, I'm more excited about my new car and my official first day at work. I’m going to be standing right next to the top journalist of the biggest media house to interview one of the richest entrepreneurs. That was a jackpot for any intern. If I weren't me, I would give myself a cold attitude, too. Locating my own table wasn't hard since my employment number was written boldly on it. As I approached the hall where the interview would be held, my heartbeat quickened. I wore a soft expression, knowing this was my first shot at getting back into the media and doing wh
CHAPTER 20 SOPHIE Vincenzo raised a brow as he fixed his gaze on me. He dragged the bottle of wine and refilled his cup again, sipping it slowly and allowing silence to envelop us both. It was awkward. I figured it might be a dark side of him that he never wanted to talk about.“Are you asking for yourself or as part of your job as a journalist when we get out there?” he asked. “I don't really want anything about my family put out there; not even my father or mother's name is on the internet.”My lips pursed, and I gave a shaky nod. I wasn't going to discuss anything about his family outside anyway. I contemplated his question about whether I was asking for myself or one of the questions I might want to ask out there. But the truth is, a part of me wanted to stay away from him, while another part was a little curious about him, especially now that we had a stupid submissive and dominant deal to fulfill.I looked up at him, summoning deep courage. “I'm asking for myself.” I sat up an
CHAPTER 21VINCENZO.“You should have asked for permission,” I said, my voice husky as my arousal increased with each spank on her ass. “You should have known better than to break any rules, dear.” Chills ran down my body, and the adrenaline rushed to my dick. She struggled to break free from my grasp, but I held her firm, making sure my grip was unyielding. The way she swallowed the pain and yelped, as if whispering, mingled into a strange pleasure. My dick was hard and erect, and I wanted to let it go. I wanted to push it inside her, but we had a world-class interview to attend. I knew it might be painful for her right now, but she’d get used to it. Her butt was now shining red, but I didn’t stop. My hand paused for a moment, hovering over her skin before it came down again. The rhythm continued, each recent strike building on the last, and soon enough, she began to feel her body relax and surrender to the sensation. A satisfying smirk curled my lips as I noticed she was beginn
CHAPTER 22.SOPHIE I sat down inside Niko's office after the interview to pick the institutions I would love to interview their CEOs as well. In less than twenty-four hours, I have a lot on my plate, and I'm now trending across different social media platforms. I didn't expect it to be this way, but either way, my hands are now full with different jobs, and I'm forced to pick the best ones since I can't attend to each and every one.Niko helped me pick the best ones that he believes might bring traction to my name. According to him, some of the CEOs were insufferable, and some were controversial, so they would always be at the top of the trending list. That day, I left home very late, quite tired and also famished, but I was extremely happy. All of this is happening so fast, and I'm grateful for it.I squealed, "I can't wait to get home and give Jenny the full details of everything that just happened."I'm sure she won't believe that I interviewed her Vincenzo and would be doing the
CHAPTER 23 SOPHIE I sat next to Jenny, hugging her warmly, not caring that I was running late for work. It's usually hard when you have expectations, and then they get shattered at the last minute. I closed my eyes, gently patting her shoulders, trying to calm her down while she poured tears all over my dress. I didn’t try to tell her, but sometimes crying is the best option to alleviate pain and disappointment. Since I stepped foot in her house, she had always talked about how she was going to be the face of Jerald magazine this season, side by side with Vincenzo. Now, she said her source just called and informed her that she could only feature as a minor face for the magazine and not the major one she had always dreamed of. It was quite heartbreaking for her to hear that Vincenzo chose someone else to star on the magazine cover with him. I wished I could help her in this situation and maybe talk to Vincenzo, but that would mean overstepping and giving him a clue that I had told
CHAPTER 75.SOPHIE The world seemed to pause. The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by gasps. Vincenzo wasn’t lying; everyone was holding their breath as they stared at me. I froze for a moment, his eyes piercing into mine—both shocked and amused.“Oh my goodness!” The MC’s voice snapped everyone back to the stage. “That was spectacular! Is there anyone who can do better than this?”He looked around before continuing, “Okay then, it’s sold to the damsel sitting over there.”The room erupted into applause, and I felt a thrilling twist of excitement in my stomach. It felt exhilarating to have so many eyes on me, and bargaining at the auction was thrilling.But Vincenzo's face twisted into a frown as he leaned closer. “You’re making a lot of people aware of who you are. Right now, I feel like punishing you!”I smiled and rolled my eyes. “Go ahead and do it. I want to be punished for acting like a child.”He scoffed and looked away for a moment before grabbing my arm. “Let’s go
CHAPTER 74 SOPHIE This place exudes wealth and luxury. I feel so nervous that I can barely breathe. Just looking at the cars parked in the driveway tells me how many dignitaries are inside. The driveway is lined with sleek, high-end vehicles that gleam in the soft light of the setting sun. I spotted a Bentley, a Rolls-Royce, and even a Lamborghini, each perfectly polished.As I stepped out right after Vincenzo, the mansion itself was a sight to behold. Its exterior is flawless, made of honey-colored stone.Vin turned to me, squeezing my hands reassuringly. “Don’t worry, you’re safe with me. We own this place; there’s no need to be nervous, okay?”I nodded and managed a smile, trying to hide the fact that my heart was pounding in my chest.As we approached the entrance, the men at the door bowed their heads respectfully and greeted him, while others shook hands with Scott and Niko, who were trailing behind us.Everywhere I looked, there was clear evidence of the Bianchi family's incr
CHAPTER 73.SOPHIE.Since we came back from the salon, he hasn't replied to my text message. At first, I was pissed that he hadn't seen it, but now I'm relieved that he hasn't. I already deleted it. I have to calm down; it seems like something is fishy. The last time I asked, he said he didn't know who she was, but now I saw them talking and smiling. She even patted his back. I try so hard to act like nothing happened and that I didn't see them, but I just can't help it. I have a feeling that, deep down, something is wrong.The only question that lingers in my mind is: Who is she to Vincenzo?He didn't want me to know he knew her, so I'll find out my own way without telling him.But for now, I choose to pretend I didn't see them and enjoy the groove of attending his parents' ball party. That is all that really matters right now.The next minute, Vincenzo wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck. “I'm ready….”I turned around, forcing a smile as I looked at him. I was met wi
CHAPTER 73 VINCENZO When I checked the time, I quickly hurried back to the salon. I was sure Sophie must be done. I had been at the bunker with Niko earlier. One of my deadbeat debtors was brought in, and I had to quickly teach him a lesson. I had given that bastard loans during one of his darkest times, and since then, he had avoided me and refused to pay me back. Well, now he had lost a few fingers as a warning. If after seventy-two hours he still hadn’t come back to pay his debts, I would have all ten of his fingers removed, along with his feet.After that, I hurried back; I didn’t want to keep her waiting. She was too beautiful for that, so I raced my best and quickly parked in the garage of the salon. But as I stepped out of my car, I heard the screech of a bike, which grabbed my attention. When I looked sideways, I saw Kitty on her bike.“Hey, Vin!” she smiled, turning over her bike once she saw me. “How’s your health? You need to call me back for another treatment, or are you
CHAPTER 72SOPHIE My body tensed up, and my jaw dropped as I took in the details of her face and body. The scar on her upper brow, the patch over her eye, and the little tattoo down her jawline? That was her! The same one who had been stalking me just days ago in Vincenzo's penthouse!I snapped away from her grip and clutched my hands tightly to the arms of my chair as I stared at her, my eyes trailing down her body. It was well-covered today, so I couldn't see all those tattoos I remembered.The lady washing my hair continued; she didn’t notice anything, but my heart was pounding in my chest at the sight of the woman who wanted to kill me in my dream a few nights ago. I mean, what are the odds that she doesn’t also want to kill me in real life?"I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, pretty," she said softly, her warm smile sending cold shivers down my spine. "I was just trying to greet you, dear."I stared blankly at her, my mouth dry, and nodded slowly, not bothering to speak. I
CHAPTER 71SOPHIE Two days have passed since that terrifying night.Well, not just two days, but out of those two days, I'm only very excited today because I will be attending Vincenzo's family ball dinner banquet. I can’t wait to meet his family, and most importantly, his mother again. Last time she came by the penthouse, she was all jovial and nice; her aura is quite contagious, even if I hate to admit it.She doesn’t really look like what the media says about her. It’s nice o’clock this morning, and the first thing on our schedule is going to the salon to get my hair done. Vincenzo requested that she bring me home, but I declined. Staying here in this penthouse is just so frustrating and boring. I want to go out more with him so a lot of people can see us together. I don’t know how to explain it, but it feels important that people back off if they have any motive of shooting their shot at him.He isn't always here with me, and I can’t monitor everywhere he goes, but most of the ti
CHAPTER 70SOPHIE The door creaked open, and a middle-aged woman walked in.Clad in a simple but shiny jumpsuit, with gold jewelry adorning her wrists and neck, she carried her Hermès bag with so much class. Her tattoos could be seen shining from a mile away.I froze in my steps as I watched her confidently walk inside the house. It was locked up with fingerprints and passwords, which meant she had either of them. We both stood, watching her walk up to the table; she dropped her bag and heaved a deep sigh of relief. Raising her gaze, only then did our eyes meet.“Oh my God?” She seemed a little surprised to see us. She chuckled. “I didn't know you were here.”Vincenzo sighed, approaching her. “Mum, what are you doing here?” he asked, and I almost gasped.That was his mother? Holy fuck!I didn’t know that; he had never shown me any of his family, so I wasn’t supposed to know, and they weren’t in the news either.“What do you mean by that?” she hissed, pushing past him. “Am I not suppo
CHAPTER 69SOPHIE I really don't know how we got here.I don't know how I let him kiss me and give in to him so quickly.My hands were on his crotch, and his dick was hard as hell!Yes, I wanted it. I wanted to taste it in my mouth. I wanted to feel it inside me.I wanted my hands tied to the bed frame. I wanted my legs chained to the frame while he fucked me.Yes, that is what I want right now. Each of his kisses and his tongue tangling made my clit wet.He slowly let me down onto the bed, as if he were scared I would get injured.I sat up and lunged for his belt immediately, undoing it hastily, but he stopped me.“Do you really want this?” he asked worriedly, and I stylishly nodded my head.He let his trousers down, and his cock twitched in front of my face.A satisfying feeling filled me, and I trailed my tongue along the sides, looking at him to gauge his reaction.I slowly took it all into my mouth and then let it out again. I poured some saliva over it and gagged on it, deep-th
CHAPTER 68VINCENZOI noticed Sophie hesitated to get out of the car and enter the penthouse. It seems she still believes a woman was watching her. Niko assured me that Kitty was nowhere near my penthouse last night; she visited her mother's husband down in Houston and couldn't return the same day. Sophie must be hallucinating. The dream she had must have been so vivid that it has left a lasting impact on her. I considered suggesting that I stay with her in the penthouse, but I didn't want it to seem like I was desperate. Truth be told, I am desperate for her since she came back into my life, but I need to hide that urge and maintain the appearance that I've changed in some ways. I've sent her flowers, taken her to dinner, and shared lunch with her. I plan to do even more if it helps win her back. “Don’t you think we should see a doctor?” I asked, concerned. She looked up at me, frowning. “You really think I’m losing my mind, right?” “Of course not!” I defended quickly, raising