Chapter 4

Sophia POV

“You slutty, whore-mongering thief!!” He sneered angrily at me.

“You think you can easily steal from me? I was ready to bring down the world in flames if I hadn’t found you.”

“You think you’re smart, huh? Trying to run away with my money and not holding your own end of the bargain? You must be a clown." He continued to yell angrily at me.

At that moment, a thousand questions ran through my mind.

How did he find me?

Who told him where I lived? 

Whoever said I was running with his money?

But I didn’t ask them out loud; instead, I apologized and tried to explain.

“Mr. Westwood, I’m truly sorry. I never had intentions of running from you; a lot has happened in the past week, and I was trying to take some time for myself.”.

“In fact...”

“Oh! Hush, you filth, there’s no flimsy excuse you can give to try and hide your act. I knew you were cheap, but are you trying to steal from me? Well, I shouldn’t have underestimated  you." He interrupted and spoke.

Now this man is really getting on my nerves.

“With all due respect, sir. My father died. I took time to grieve. I am human, and I am allowed to lock myself in and mourn my loss,” I said, my voice breaking with each word I spat out.

“I’m sorry I didn’t reach out to you and at least inform you. I was going to”

I continued, “No need calling me a thief; your money is intact; with my father dead, I have decided not to go ahead with the contract, your...”

I heard him chuckle, and, in a few seconds, it turned into full-blown laughter.

“Did I hear you say you’ve decided?” He said

His anger had turned into a calm demeanor, one I couldn’t fathom what thoughts were going on in his head

“You do not decide, Sophia.”

“You have no authority or will of your own to make decisions, especially one as stupid as this.”

“The moment you signed that contract, I made the decision. I own you. For the period you are to deliver my child, you do as I say and please.”

“That being said, get your things; we’re leaving.”

“Leaving? To where?” I asked.

“To where I can comfortably monitor you, so you don’t run off again. Get only the things you need,” he said, his eyes darting around the room were irritated by the mess I made.

I was embarrassed to let him see my place in this state, so I quickly gathered a few clothes and stopped to stare at him, wanting to say something.

With a puzzled look on his face, he arched his brow, indicating that I should speak.

“I need to freshen up." I spoke

“Get in the car, Sophia.”

I quickly exited my house and walked towards his car. That was the first time I noticed he didn’t come to my place alone; he had two guys dressed in black with no expression on their faces.

I thought to myself if he brought these men just in case I tried refusing to leave with him. Maybe they would have bundled me into the car.

One of them opened the door of the car for me. I entered and settled in. Ethan entered the other car, and they drove behind us.

I sat in silence as we headed to his house, wondering how I got myself into this uptight situation. I can’t even back out of this contract without facing the consequences. 

Consequences I feared to be deadly.

With no one to help or turn to, I decided to let the universe decide my fate.

******************************************************************************

We arrived at his house, and Ethan led me to the entrance of the room where I would be staying for the time being. 

"This will be your room," he explained, turning the doorknob and pushing it open.

I walked in and stood for a moment, taking in the surroundings. The walls were painted a soft blue, and the window overlooked the backyard, where a tall oak tree swayed gently in the breeze. The room felt serene, a perfect refuge for the time being. 

I took a deep breath and told myself, "This is my life now." I turned to see Ethan standing in the doorway, staring at me but lost in thought. 

For a brief moment, I noticed a look of pity on his face, as if he felt sorry for me. He immediately came to himself and said, "Freshen up; everything you require will be provided for. I'll be back. 

He left without waiting for my response. I found myself questioning his actions again. 

Did he simply express his emotions towards me, or did I misinterpret something?

Ethan is a mystery, and I am confident that over the next few months, I will learn a lot about him.

*************************************

I had just freshened up and settled into bed, thinking about my father. My Dad mentioned his partner was always sketchy and one to not be trusted. 

I thought to myself if he had anything to do with this, he had taken over the company after my father was imprisoned and not for once had he visited the man he called his friend. 

Had word gotten out that my dad was going for a retrial and he had an involvement in the case?

I needed to find out somehow. But not while locked up here

I thought about all of these and all the things I could have done to avoid the death of my father, when I heard a knock on the door and the knob turned. 

Ethan strode into the room with effortless confidence, as if he commanded the space around him.

"How are you?" "I see you've settled in," he inquired. 

"I am fine, thank you," I responded.

He sighed and said, "Sophia, I am sorry about your father's death. It was rather harsh of me to speak to you in the way I did." He spoke in a low and measured tone, choosing each word with the precision of a man used to being heard.

Surprised and taken aback by his words, I looked into his eyes to see if it was just sarcasm, but his eyes held sincere sympathy, and I felt myself loosen the defensive stance I had taken up when he walked into the room. 

"I completely understand your anger, Mr Westwood.."

Call me Ethan," he said. 

"I completely understand your outrage, Ethan," I added. "But like i said earlier, i never had intentions of running away with your money, i just needed time to grieve" 

"I see that now, I apologize" . He replied. 

I nodded and we sat silently for a while. 

Ethan sat across from me on the edge of the bed, his gaze meeting mine with such intensity that it seemed to draw the air from the room.

The silence between us was thick, filled with unspoken tension. Every glance felt like a touch, and every heartbeat was a silent conversation. His eyes, which were usually so calm, now held a depth of emotion that could not be ignored. 

My breath caught in my throat as I felt myself drawn into his gaze, the world around me fading into insignificance.

We moved closer together, the space between us shrinking until it was nearly nonexistent. Without saying anything, we leaned in. Our lips met in a soft, tentative kiss that quickly became more urgent and desperate. 

His hand cupped my face, his touch gentle but insistent, and my fingers tangled in his hair, drawing him closer. The kiss intensified, our tongues exploring with a hunger that had been building since the moment we met.

His lips traced a path down my neck, triggering a gasp that echoed through the quiet room. My hands moved over his back, feeling the ripple of muscles beneath his skin, the solid reality of him grounding me in this whirlwind of sensation.

Time seemed to blur as we moved together, a dance of passion and desire that felt both eternal and fleeting. 

We had a deep connection that grew stronger with each touch, kiss, and sigh. When we were finished, we spooned, the warmth of his embrace comforted me.

I felt a deep sense of peace nestled against him, ignorant of what laid ahead in waiting for me in the hands of Ethan.