Chapter 12 Thee Price of Defiance

Sophia’s body still burned from Rafael’s touch, her lips swollen, her wrists tingling where he had pinned them down.

But as soon as the door clicked shut behind him, her mind snapped back into focus.

This was her chance.

She sat up, ignoring the way her legs felt unsteady beneath her as she scanned the dimly lit bedroom. She had to get out.

Her gaze darted to the massive windows overlooking the city skyline. They were locked—of course, they were.

The door? Guarded.

Sophia’s stomach twisted.

Rafael wasn’t just keeping her here—he had caged her.

But she would rather die than become his prisoner.

Her fingers trembled as she tiptoed toward the closet, hoping—**praying—**for something she could use. A weapon, a secret passage, anything.

But before she could even reach the handle—

The door swung open.

Rafael was back.

And he did not look pleased.

His Patience is Gone

Sophia froze as his emerald gaze locked onto her.

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a slow, deliberate click.

Her pulse skyrocketed.

He had barely been gone for five minutes—what the hell happened?

Rafael tilted his head, his expression unreadable as he studied her.

“Going somewhere, piccola?”

Sophia swallowed hard. Think. Think.

“I—I was looking for a bathroom,” she lied, forcing her expression into something innocent.

Rafael’s lips twitched.

She saw it—the flicker of amusement in his eyes.

But it didn’t last.

Because then he moved.

Fast.

Before she could react, he was on her.

Sophia gasped as Rafael spun her, pressing her back against the closet door.

One strong hand gripped her waist, while the other curled around her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Lying to me?” he murmured.

Sophia’s entire body tensed. “I wasn’t—”

His fingers tightened ever so slightly, just enough to make her stop talking.

“Do you think I don’t know you, Sophia?” His voice was low, dark, dangerous. “That I don’t see exactly what’s running through that pretty little head of yours?”

Heat flushed through her.

Not just from fear.

From something else.

“I told you,” he continued, his lips mere inches from hers. “You are mine. And you will learn that, one way or another.”

Sophia clenched her jaw. “I will never be yours.”

Rafael smirked. “Then I suppose I’ll just have to keep proving you wrong.”

His hand drifted lower, tracing the curve of her waist, pressing her tighter against the hard wood behind her.

Her breath hitched.

He was so close—too close.

His scent wrapped around her, intoxicating—leather, spice, danger.

And worst of all?

She didn’t want to move away.

A Dangerous Game

Rafael’s lips brushed over her jaw, soft but deliberate.

A test. A taunt.

A warning.

Sophia’s fingers curled into fists, her nails biting into her palms.

She would not melt.

She would not let him win.

But Rafael… he wasn’t playing fair.

His hand slid lower, too low, until her breath came in sharp, uneven gasps.

His lips ghosted over her ear. “Should I remind you who’s in control?”

Sophia shuddered.

Her body begged for more, but her mind screamed at her to fight.

So she did the only thing she could.

She bit him.

Rafael hissed as her teeth sank into the bare skin of his shoulder.

For a second, he tensed—but then he chuckled.

Low. Sinister. Thrilled.

“Feisty as ever,” he murmured, his breath hot against her neck.

Before she could react, he grabbed her wrists and spun her, pressing her front-first against the closet door.

Sophia gasped, her cheek against the cool wood, her heart hammering in her chest.

One of Rafael’s hands trapped both of hers above her head.

The other…

The other slid slowly down her spine.

Sophia trembled.

“I could punish you for that,” Rafael murmured, his tone almost lazy. “I should.”

His fingers skimmed the dip of her waist.

Sophia squeezed her eyes shut, her breath shuddering out of her.

This was a game to him. A game she was losing.

“Tell me,” he whispered, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. “Do you want me to?”

She hated him.

She hated how easily he made her burn.

She hated that she couldn’t answer.

Rafael’s grip on her wrists tightened. “Say it, Sophia.”

I want you.

The words sat on the tip of her tongue, taunting her.

She bit down hard, swallowing the truth, forcing her voice into something steady.

“You’re disgusting.”

Rafael laughed.

But this time, there was something darker beneath it.

Something dangerous.

He leaned in, his lips pressing against the pulse hammering in her throat.

“You’ll beg for me soon enough,” he murmured.

Then, just like that, he released her.

Sophia stumbled forward, whipping around to face him.

Her body still trembled, her heart still raced—and Rafael just stood there, watching her.

Smirking.

“Be ready,” he said, his voice smooth. “Tonight, I’m taking you somewhere special.”

Sophia frowned. “What?”

He turned toward the door, not bothering to explain.

“Dress nice,” he added before disappearing into the hallway.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Sophia let out a shaky breath, gripping the edge of the closet to steady herself.

Her mind screamed at her to run, to fight, to find a way out before it was too late.

But her body…

Her body was still burning.

And the worst part?

She didn’t know if she wanted the fire to stop.