LOGINShare
Chapter 26 Whispers of betrayal
Last Updated:
2025-04-04 13:09:05Sophia’s heart was still racing as Rafael dragged her through the dimly lit alley, his grip like **iron** on her wrist.
He had just **killed a man** in front of her. Without hesitation. Without remorse. But it wasn’t just the violence that made her pulse quicken. It was the **rage in his eyes**—the sheer, raw **fear** behind it. For a second, she thought she saw something deeper beneath his fury. Something **fragile.** Something **dangerous.** But that was impossible. Because Rafael DeLuca wasn’t fragile. He was **a monster.** And **monsters didn’t break.** Only other people did. --- ### **The Storm Inside Rafael** He didn’t speak as they got into the car, his body radiating tension as he gripped the steering wheel. Sophia swallowed hard. She should be terrified of him. After all, she had just watched him **execute a man in cold blood.** But instead, she was **angry.** "You can’t keep treating me like a prisoner," she snapped. Rafael’s knuckles tightened. "You think this is a fucking game, Sophia?" His voice was low, dangerous. "You don’t just walk around alone in my world. That man—" he exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "He was waiting for you." Sophia’s stomach twisted. "But why?" she whispered. Rafael’s jaw clenched. "Because someone wants to use you to get to me." Her breath caught. She knew Rafael had **enemies.** But hearing it **confirmed** made her feel like the ground beneath her had just vanished. Someone wanted her as a **bargaining chip.** As a **weakness.** "Who?" she asked. Rafael’s silence was more telling than any words could be. Sophia narrowed her eyes. "You know, don’t you?" He didn’t respond. Her pulse hammered. "Rafael, if I’m in danger, I have a right to know who’s after me!" Finally, he turned to her, his gaze **burning.** "The Vasquez Cartel," he said. "And they don’t take prisoners, Sophia." --- ### **The Vasquez Cartel** Sophia had heard the name before. A rival syndicate—one that had been growing **too bold** lately. Rafael had crushed their expansion into his territory, cutting them off from the ports they had been using for their operations. Apparently, they weren’t taking the loss well. Sophia felt a chill creep up her spine. "If they wanted to kill me, they would have done it already," she said slowly. "So what do they really want?" Rafael’s fingers curled into fists. "To make me bleed," he muttered. Sophia shuddered. This wasn’t just about **power.** This was personal. --- ### **A Traitor Among Them** When they arrived back at the penthouse, Rafael’s second-in-command, **Luca Romano**, was already waiting. His sharp green eyes flickered between them, taking in the tension. "We have a problem," Luca said grimly. Rafael stiffened. "What now?" Luca hesitated. "There’s a leak in our ranks," he said. "Someone’s been feeding information to Vasquez." Sophia’s breath hitched. **A traitor.** The thought sent a shiver down her spine. Rafael’s expression turned lethal. "Who?" Luca shook his head. "Not sure yet. But the Vasquez men knew exactly where Sophia would be tonight." Sophia’s stomach dropped. That meant— Someone **inside Rafael’s inner circle** had betrayed them. --- ### **The Price of Loyalty** Rafael turned to her suddenly. "From now on, you don’t go anywhere without me, or one of my men," he said. Sophia bristled. "You can’t keep me locked up forever, Rafael." His eyes darkened. "Watch me." Sophia clenched her fists. She refused to be a **pawn** in this war. She had spent her whole life trying to be **strong.** Trying to **fight back.** And she wasn’t going to stop now. "I want to help," she said firmly. Rafael arched a brow. "You don’t belong in this world, Sophia." "Then maybe it’s time I learn," she shot back. Silence stretched between them. Then, to her surprise— Rafael smirked. Dark. Sinister. Like the idea of her **becoming like him** was something that thrilled him. "You have no idea what you’re asking for," he murmured, stepping closer, his fingers brushing down her arm. Sophia shivered. But she didn’t back down. "Then show me." Rafael’s eyes **burned.** And in that moment, she knew— She had just **sealed her fate.** --- ### **The First Lesson** Rafael didn’t waste time. "Come with me," he ordered. Sophia hesitated but followed. He led her downstairs, past the grand halls of the penthouse, until they reached a room she had never seen before. The moment he opened the door, she understood. It was a **weapons vault.** Guns. Knives. Tactical gear. Everything a man like Rafael would need to run his empire. Sophia’s heart pounded. Rafael turned to her, his expression unreadable. "You wanted to learn?" he said softly. "Then start by holding this." He handed her a sleek, cold pistol. Sophia’s fingers trembled slightly as she took it. It was **heavier** than she expected. Rafael moved behind her, his arms wrapping around her as he adjusted her grip. "Relax," he murmured in her ear. "If you’re going to be in my world, you need to learn how to survive it." Sophia swallowed hard. His breath was warm against her skin. His body **heat** against her back sent a very different kind of shiver through her. He wasn’t just teaching her how to shoot. He was **marking her.** Molding her into something else. Something **his.** And God help her— She wasn’t sure if she wanted to resist it anymore. --- ### **A War Begins** Later that night, as Rafael lay beside her, his fingers lazily tracing patterns on her bare back, a thought struck her. "Rafael," she murmured. "Hmm?" "What if the traitor isn’t just feeding Vasquez information?" Rafael’s hand stilled. She turned to face him. "What if someone inside your own ranks wants you dead?" Rafael’s expression darkened. And in that moment— Sophia knew she had just **made things worse.** Because Rafael DeLuca wasn’t just going to find the traitor. He was going to **tear his entire empire apart** until he did. And God help whoever was on the other side of his wrath. ---
Related chapters
Torn by Obsession Chapter 27 The Shadow Within
Rafael stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of his penthouse, staring out over the city he controlled. The skyline glowed with a thousand artificial lights, but he wasn’t looking at them. He was **thinking.** Somewhere in his empire, a **traitor** was hiding in plain sight. Someone who had **sold him out.** And that someone had nearly gotten **Sophia killed.** His fingers curled into fists. He was going to find them. And when he did— **They would beg for death.** --- ### **Sophia’s Awakening** Sophia watched Rafael from across the room. There was a storm brewing in him. One she wasn’t sure she wanted to see unleashed. He had already killed one man tonight. How many more bodies would fall before this war was over? She swallowed hard. A week ago, she would have been **horrified** by the violence. Now, she wasn’t sure what she felt. Fear? Or something darker? Because when Rafael had pressed that gun into her hands earlier, guiding her fingers over
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Torn by Obsession Chapter 28 Baptized in Blood
The night air was thick with smoke and the acrid scent of gunpowder. Rafael **pulled Sophia through the alley**, his grip firm on her wrist as gunfire erupted behind them. Her breath was ragged, her heart hammering against her ribs. They had barely escaped. The shootout at **The Snake Pit** had been unexpected—an ambush. Someone had **set them up.** Someone **inside** Rafael’s organization. But that wasn’t what had Sophia’s head spinning. No. It was the weight of the gun still in her trembling hands. The way her fingers had curled around the trigger. The deafening **crack** as she fired. The man she had shot **staggering back**, blood darkening his shirt. Her first kill. Her breath hitched, nausea rising in her throat. She had been trained to shoot, had gone to the range countless times, but this… This was **real.** This was **death.** And there was no taking it back. --- ### **A Desperate Escape** Rafael yanked her into an abandoned warehouse
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Torn by Obsession Chapter 29 Blood Ties and Betrayal
The warehouse door groaned as Rafael pushed it open. Cold night air rushed in, carrying the distant echoes of sirens and gunfire. Sophia hesitated at the threshold. This was it. The moment she truly stepped into **his world.** She wasn’t just the woman Rafael had stolen anymore. She wasn’t just his captive. She was **something else.** Something **darker.** And Rafael **knew it.** His hand reached back, fingers curling around her wrist. "Come," he murmured. And she **did.** She followed him into the night, into the world of blood, vengeance, and ruthless power. --- ### **A City That Bleeds** The black SUV idled near the alley, engine humming softly. Inside, Rafael’s second-in-command, **Javier**, waited. His dark eyes flicked to Sophia as they climbed in. "She’s coming?" Javier asked, brows raising slightly. Rafael slid into the seat, his tone **lethal.** "She’s already here." Sophia didn’t know if he meant the car or something deeper. But
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Torn by Obsession Chapter 30 A Lesson in Loyalty
The drive back to Rafael’s penthouse was **silent**. Sophia sat beside him in the SUV, her body still tense from what she had witnessed. She wasn’t the same woman Rafael had stolen from her quiet, ordinary life. **Not anymore.** She had watched a man beg for mercy. Watched **Rafael give none.** And instead of fear… **She felt something else.** A dark curiosity. An understanding of why Rafael was the way he was. The world he ruled didn’t allow weakness. And if she wanted to survive in it—if she wanted to understand **him**—she had to embrace that truth. **No room for hesitation.** No room for **mercy.** --- ### **The Penthouse: A Kingdom of Sin** The elevator doors slid open. Sophia stepped inside, Rafael right behind her. The moment they entered the penthouse, she felt the tension shift. This wasn’t just a home. It was **his throne.** A place built for a king who ruled in the shadows. Everything here was **sharp, cold, and expensive.** Lik
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Torn by Obsession Chapter 31 The cost of Submission
The city sprawled beneath them, the lights casting shadows that danced on the cold glass of the penthouse windows. Sophia’s breath was shallow, her heart pounding as Rafael’s presence loomed over her. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, could hear the low, dangerous beat of his pulse in the silence between them. Her back was pressed against the glass, the world outside distant, muted—like another life, another time. Inside the penthouse, however, there was nothing but the intensity of Rafael’s touch, the overwhelming power of his gaze. Sophia’s body betrayed her, responding to his every movement, every shift of his weight. She could feel his power, the way he commanded the room without lifting a finger. "Tell me," he whispered, his breath warm against her ear, "do you like this, angel?" Sophia clenched her fists by her side. She was no longer the frightened woman who had been taken from her life and thrown into his world. She was something else now—something d
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Torn by Obsession Chapter 32 The Devil's Bargain
The car ride was silent, the city lights flashing past in a blur of color, like the memories of everything she had left behind. Each passing second felt heavier than the last, the weight of what had happened, what was still happening, pressing down on Sophia like a vice. Her mind raced, thoughts spinning like a whirlpool. The events of the night—the raw, unrelenting passion, the dark lessons—were still fresh in her memory, etched into her skin. It was more than just sex. It was a claim. A statement. Rafael was making her his, in every possible way. The soft hum of the car’s engine was the only sound, broken only by Rafael’s occasional, clipped orders to the driver. He was a man of few words, his presence dominating the space between them. Sophia couldn’t help but glance at him, at the cold, calculating man who had taken her, who had shaped her into something else entirely. His jaw was clenched, his eyes narrowed as he stared out the window, deep in thought. His silence was unn
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Torn by Obsession Chapter 33 The Price of Loyalty
Sophia stood frozen in place as Rafael emerged from the office. His dark, brooding figure filled the doorway, and the weight of the silence between them felt suffocating. The dim light from the hallway cast harsh shadows across his face, but it didn’t mask the severity in his eyes. She didn’t need to ask what had happened behind those closed doors. The air around him seemed to crackle with a coldness she hadn’t seen before, an unyielding finality that sent a chill through her bones. His gaze met hers, and for a brief moment, there was a flicker of something almost... human. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the same cold indifference that had defined him from the start. “What did you do?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Rafael didn’t respond immediately. He stepped forward, his long strides purposeful and confident, and her heart skipped a beat as he came closer. His presence was overwhelming, and the magnetic pull between them seemed to grow strong
Last Updated : 2025-04-04Torn by Obsession Chapter 34 The Weight of the Throne
Sophia’s life had already been upended, thrown into a whirlwind of danger, secrets, and desires that she could neither control nor understand. But as the days passed, it became increasingly clear that this life—this world Rafael had pulled her into—was a never-ending storm. It had been a week since her presence at the table with Rafael and his men. She had attended more meetings, more dangerous conversations that she barely understood, her mind racing as she tried to keep up. Rafael kept her close, but never once let her in on the secrets that lay behind his cold, calculating eyes. The more she saw, the more she realized the depths of Rafael’s power. He controlled everything from the shadows. He had built an empire, not just through violence and intimidation, but with intelligence, manipulation, and strategy. Sophia felt small in his world, insignificant even, and yet, every time he looked at her, she felt herself crumbling under the weight of his gaze. There was no escaping the
Last Updated : 2025-04-04
Latest chapter
Torn by Obsession Chapter 46: Blood and Fire
The war raged quietly beneath their feet. Sophia stood in the living room, hands clenched around a glass of whiskey, her eyes fixed on the window overlooking the city. The soft hum of the city, the distant sirens, the occasional helicopter, everything seemed so far removed from what was about to unfold. She felt it in her bones. The world was about to burn.Across the room, Rafael was pacing, his jaw clenched tight. His eyes, cold and calculating, never left her.“They’re coming for us,” he said, his voice low and heavy with the weight of a promise. “And this time, we don’t wait.”Sophia nodded, the weight of their next move pressing down on her chest. “We burn their world first. Every piece of it. Destroy them from the inside out.”The intensity of his gaze locked with hers. He didn’t need to ask if she was ready. She always had been.“I’ll make sure the streets are covered,” Rafael continued, his voice hardening, the usual calm now replaced by an undeniable fury. “Luciana is gettin
Torn by Obsession Chapter 45: A Trap for Traitors
The following morning began with the taste of vengeance and bitter espresso.Sophia stood at the sleek marble kitchen counter, her bare legs crossed beneath Rafael’s white dress shirt. The bruises on her hips were a reminder of last night—of their shared violence, their power. Her body still ached, gloriously, from being claimed against the window.But her mind?Sharper than ever.Rafael leaned beside her, sipping coffee, shirtless, tattoos sprawling like shadows across his chest.“We can’t just hit back blindly,” she said, staring at the files they'd recovered from the warehouse. “Luciana has eyes everywhere. If she knows we’ve found these, she’ll vanish.”“She won’t run,” Rafael said, voice low. “She thinks she has Salvatore’s protection.”Sophia tapped a folder. “Then we make her believe that protection has failed.”**By midday, they were in the war room.Mateo paced like a caged wolf. Zara had her laptop open, hacking into surveillance grids. Xander leaned against the wall, loadi
Torn by Obsession Chapter 44: The Heir of Shadows
The morning after was a cruel illusion of peace.Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains of the penthouse, casting golden streaks across the tangled sheets. Sophia lay curled in Rafael’s arms, his chest rising and falling beneath her cheek. For the first time in days, there was stillness.But her mind refused to rest.Luciana’s betrayal wasn’t just personal—it was *strategic.* If she gave Salvatore more than just blueprints… he might know about the weapons cache. Or the off-grid bunker. Or *Dimitri.*Her pulse spiked.She sat up.Rafael stirred. “What is it?”“We need to move Dimitri,” she whispered. “If Luciana gave away locations—”“She wouldn’t know about him,” Rafael said. “You and I are the only ones with that intel.”Sophia stood, slipping into a silk robe. “She lived in my house. She could’ve seen something, heard something.”Rafael’s gaze followed her, sharp and assessing.“She underestimated you,” he murmured. “Just like they all did.”She turned to him, eyes blazing. “L
Torn by Obsession Chapter 43: Bloodlines and Betrayals
The choker hugged Sophia’s neck like a second skin—dark, glinting, and symbolic. A mark of ownership to the world. A mark of *power* to Rafael.She stood before a towering mirror in the estate’s dressing chamber, her red dress molded to every curve, her lips a deeper scarlet than blood. The ruby at her throat pulsed like a heartbeat.Behind her, Rafael leaned in, lips brushing her ear. “When they see you tonight, they’ll see the woman who burned empires to the ground.”Sophia met his eyes in the mirror. “And you’ll be the man who handed me the torch.”He smirked, pulling her hips back into him. “They’ll never see the knife you keep under your smile.”She smiled, sharp and seductive.Tonight was the DeLuca gala.And she was going in as bait.**The ballroom of the DeLuca estate glistened like something from a twisted fairytale—golden chandeliers, velvet drapes, and a sea of black suits and glittering gowns.But beneath the glamor was rot.Sophia could feel it.Every smile was forced. E
Torn by Obsession Chapter 42: The Queen's Awakening
The sunlight crept across the stone rooftop like a slow-burning fire, casting a golden glow over the sleeping city below. Birds chirped in the distance, but inside Sophia, a storm still raged. The adrenaline from the night before hadn't faded; if anything, it had carved itself deeper into her bones.She sat wrapped in Rafael’s discarded dress shirt, legs tucked beneath her, the buttons undone enough to reveal the bruises and bites he’d left across her chest and collar. Marks of possession. Marks of *pleasure*.Rafael stood a few feet away, shirtless, his body glistening with morning dew and the aftermath of war. He lit a cigarette, his jaw tight with thought.“Will there be retaliation?” Sophia asked, her voice still hoarse from moans and gunfire.“Yes.” Rafael didn’t sugarcoat it. “They’ll come harder next time. They’ve seen what you are now.”Sophia raised a brow. “What am I?”He turned to her, his gaze burning hotter than the rising sun. “My weapon. My weakness. My queen.”Her brea
Torn by Obsession Chapter 41: The Taste of Power
Sophia stood before the mirror in Rafael’s walk-in closet, wrapped in silk and shadows. The dress clung to her curves like a second skin—midnight black, with a slit that dared gravity and a neckline that commanded attention. Power looked good on her. It felt even better.Behind her, Rafael adjusted his cuffs, watching her through the mirror with a hunger that hadn’t dimmed since the day he took her. But tonight, there was something new in his gaze—respect.“You’re beautiful,” he said, voice low.Sophia turned, walking toward him with the grace of a queen who knew the weight of the crown she wore. “I’m dangerous.”Rafael smirked. “Even better.”Tonight, they weren’t just lovers. They were partners. Sophia had made her choice—if her father had drowned her in lies, then she’d rise from the truth with fire in her hands.And Rafael… Rafael would give her the world, or burn it with her.**The gala was a nest of venomous smiles and veiled threats. Politicians. Crime lords. Billionaire arms
Torn by Obsession Chapter 40: The Cost of Betrayal
Sophia paced the edge of the balcony, her silk robe fluttering in the salty breeze. Morning had just broken over the ocean, the sun creeping over the horizon with a deceptive calm that contradicted the chaos brewing inside her.Last night hadn’t just been sex. It hadn’t even been love. It had been a collision of pain and obsession, of secrets and need. Rafael had branded her with his mouth, his hands, his hunger—and now, she wasn’t sure what was hers anymore and what belonged to him.She had slept with the enemy. And worst of all… she had *wanted* to.“Still thinking about me?”His voice rolled in like thunder, lazy and lethal, and she turned to see Rafael leaning against the doorframe. Shirtless. Hair tousled. Eyes locked on her like a predator preparing to pounce.Sophia folded her arms. “You didn’t give me much choice.”Rafael walked toward her with the slow, confident grace of a man who owned everything he touched. Including her.“You had every choice,” he murmured, reaching for h
Torn by Obsession Chapter 39: Tangled Loyalties
Sophia woke with a start, her breath catching in her throat. The room was dimly lit, and the only sound was the ticking of the antique wall clock. Her heart was still racing, her body hot and aching from the night before. She hated herself for remembering the feel of Rafael’s mouth on her skin, the dominance in his hands, the way her body had responded like it had betrayed her.She sat up in the silk sheets, the expensive fabric a stark contrast to the turmoil raging inside her. Each passing day blurred the line between captivity and temptation. Rafael wasn’t just her captor anymore—he was her tormentor, her obsession, her addiction. And she hated that part of herself.A quiet knock interrupted her spiral.Before she could respond, the door opened, revealing Elena—Rafael’s trusted confidante. The older woman’s sharp features softened the moment she saw Sophia. She carried a tray of breakfast and herbal tea, placing it gently on the bedside table.“You didn’t eat last night,” Elena sai
Torn by Obsession Chapter 38 The Price of Power
The weight of Rafael’s words lingered in the air long after he had left the room. Sophia sat there, her mind swirling in a chaotic mix of disbelief and fear. She was still trying to process everything he had just told her. Her father—her own father—was a part of the very world she had tried so hard to avoid. She had always viewed him as a pillar of integrity, a man who worked tirelessly to provide for their family. But now, that image had shattered. In its place was the grim reality that he was entangled in the underworld, and that his ties to Rafael were far deeper than she could have ever imagined.Rafael’s words replayed in her head, each one cutting deeper than the last. *"You’re already in it, Sophia. Your father made sure of that."* He was right, of course. Her life had already been irrevocably changed the moment she stepped into this dangerous world, and now she had no choice but to follow the path Rafael had laid out for her.She was trapped. There was no escape.Her body trem
