“Where’s the nearest empty bedroom?” she asks, her voice flat and emotionless.
I stare at her, stunned by this sudden shift in her demeanor. “What? Sofia, you can’t sleep in another room. We’re married now. We have to keep up appearances.”
She scoffs, her lip curling up in disdain. “I don’t give a damn about appearances, Dominico. And I certainly don’t care what the help think.”
I sit up, my heart sinking in my chest. “Sofia, please. Don’t do this. We were making progress, we were?—”
“Progress?” she cuts me off, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You think that just because we had sex, everything is magically fixed between us? That I’m just going to forget all the pain and betrayal and fall into your arms? You really think your dick is that good?”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me. “Sofia, I… I thought…”
“You thought wrong,” she snaps, her eyes flashing with anger. “This changes nothing, Dominico. I still hate you with every fiber of my being. And the only reason I let you touch me tonight was because I hoped it would get me pregnant so I won’t have to sleep with you again for at least another year.”
“Don’t say that. Don’t reduce what we just shared to some kind of… transaction.”
She laughs, the sound harsh and bitter. “But that’s exactly what it was, Dominico. A transaction. A business arrangement. You got what you wanted from me, and now I’m done with you.”
She turns to leave, but I lunge forward, grabbing her wrist. “Will you just talk to me? Let me explain, let me?—”
She wrenches her arm out of my grasp, her eyes burning with hatred. “There’s nothing to explain, Dominico. You made your choice all those years ago. Don’t you remember what you said to me? I haven’t forgotten. And now, you have to live with the consequences.”
Sofia’s words cut me deep, each one a sharp reminder of the pain I caused her all those years ago. I’m trying to be understanding, to give her space to work through her anger and resentment.
But there’s only so much a man can take before his patience runs out.
I feel my temper flare, hot and fierce, a match to the icy rage in Sofia’s eyes. “You know what, Sofia? I get it, okay? I fucked up. I broke your heart. But do you really need to keep bringing it up every five fucking minutes?”
She recoils as if I’ve slapped her, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. “Excuse me?”
I let out a harsh laugh, shaking my head. “You heard me. It’s been four years, Sofia.Four years, and you’re still holding onto this grudge like it’s the only thing that defines you.”
Her face flushes with anger, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “How dare you? You have no idea what you put me through, the pain you caused me?—”
“Oh,spareme the melodrama,” I snap, cutting her off. “You want to talk about pain? You want to talk about suffering? Try growing up in a family where your every move is scrutinized, where you’re constantly reminded of yourdutyand yourobligations. Try living with the weight of an entire empire on your shoulders, knowing that one wrong step could bring it all crashing down.”
I step closer to her, my eyes narrowed. “You think a little heartbreak is the worst thing that can happen to a person? It just shows how sheltered and immature you really are, Sofia. Grow the fuck up and get over it already.”
She stares at me, her mouth hanging open in shock. For a moment, I think she might slap me, or burst into tears, or both.
I snatch my pillow from the bed, my movements sharp and jerky.
“You know what? Fine. You can have the damn bedroom,” I snarl, my voice tight with barely controlled fury. “I’ll find somewhere else to sleep. Anywhere is better than being near you right now.”
Sofia flinches, but her expression remains hard and unyielding. “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page for once.”
I let out a harsh laugh, the sound devoid of any humor. I’ve had enough of this. “Oh, we’re on the same page, all right. In fact, I think it’s time we end this charade once and for all.”
Her eyes narrow, suspicion and confusion warring in their depths. “What are you talking about?”
I meet her gaze head-on, my jaw clenched tight. “In the morning, I’m going to speak to my father about getting our marriage annulled. Clearly, this was a mistake from the start.”
Sofia’s mouth falls open, shock and disbelief flashing across her face. “You–You can’t be serious. Our families, the alliance—my father’s wishes—you’d throw it away, just like that?”
I shrug, a bitter smile twisting my lips. “Why not? It’s not like this marriage means anything to you, anyway. You said it yourself, it’s just a transaction, a means to an end.”
She stares at me, her expression unreadable. For a moment, I think I see a flicker of something in her eyes… pain, regret, maybe even fear.
But it’s gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the same cold, hard mask she’s worn since the moment we said our vows.
