Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
Viktor
F inding out about Andrei’s betrayal filled Viktor with both anger and sadness. He had considered Andrei more than just a soldier; he had thought of him as a friend. But Andrei had taken that trust and tossed it in the trash. To make matters worse, this revelation came at a time when Viktor needed to be strong, keeping his empire on solid ground. Was he doing a great job of that? No. But he was more determined than ever. He had faced worse and come out stronger.
He sauntered away from his office, where he had been stuck all morning, buried in plans and intel to infiltrate high-risk places and take them down. As he made his way to the kitchen, he slowly began to brew a pot of coffee—one for himself and another for Sofia.
Fuck.
They were finally in a good place. He liked her more than he cared to admit, and things were going great. He wanted it to remain that way, but there were pressing issues within his empire that needed his attention first. With the coffee percolating in the corner, Viktor’s eyes landed on a book left discarded on the island. His gaze narrowed instinctively. With everything going on around him, he couldn’t trust a book just lying there.
He walked over, picked it up, and opened it. The handwriting was spectacularly bad, and he couldn’t help but laugh. Sofia. He recognized it immediately—her notebook, marked by her hurried, messy scrawl. He should drop it. But as he made to do just that, he saw his name, and his breath hitched.
His fingers brushed against the page, but his body stiffened as he took in her notes—observations, names, and details.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm brewing inside him. It was everything he had feared. Sofia was gathering information about him, his business, and his moves. She had been watching, analyzing, and yet he had never seen it coming.
This wasn’t just a few scattered thoughts; it was methodical. Calculated. His heart twisted in his chest. She had been keeping secrets from him. She had been spying on him.
The notebook felt heavy in his hands as he opened it, each page only deepening the betrayal he felt. He had allowed himself to trust her, to believe that she was a partner in this. But she wasn’t just his wife. She was a threat.
His mind raced. Why was she doing this? What did it mean? Was she working with someone else? Alexei, perhaps? The very thought of it made Viktor’s blood boil.
When Sofia finally walked into the room, Viktor’s eyes locked onto hers, the tension palpable. She froze as she took in the notebook on the desk. She already knew. Her face betrayed her.
"Viktor," her pitch faltered, unsure.
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he lifted the notebook, holding it out to her. Sofia stilled herself, her hands trembling as she reached for it. The color drained from her face as she took in the words on the page.
“Explain this,” Viktor’s words were low but cutting.
Sofia’s eyes met his, guilt flashing in them, but there was something else—a hesitation. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out at first. Finally, she whispered, “I… I didn’t mean for you to find that.”
“You’ve been keeping secrets from me,” Viktor growled, his patience fraying with every passing second. “You’ve been watching, studying me like a… like a target.”
Sofia flinched, her head hanging in the direction of the floor. She clenched her fists at her sides, trying to gather the courage to face him.
“I thought I needed to understand you,” she said softly. “I thought I needed to know what you were hiding. Why you kept things from me.”
A muscle worked in Viktor’s jaw as his mind processed her words. He had never expected this. She had never seemed like a threat, but now, the realization burned in him. She had been playing a dangerous game. She hadn’t trusted him from the start, had kept her own counsel.
“I trusted you,” Viktor spat, cutting through the silence. “I brought you into this world, Sofia. I showed you everything. And this is how you repay me?”
Her eyes glistened, but she stood firm, refusing to back down. “I didn’t want to betray you. I just… I had to know. About you, about everything.”
The room felt too small, the space thick with unspoken words. Viktor’s hands clenched at his sides, and for a moment, he wanted to yell at her, to tear into her. But he held back. He couldn’t let this unravel him. Not yet.
For a long time, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was deafening, and Viktor couldn’t tell if Sofia was ashamed or if she was only trying to explain herself in a way that made sense to her.
"Do you really think I’d hurt you?"
“You’ve already hurt me, Sofia,” he answered, full of quiet anger.
Sofia’s shoulders sagged. She looked away, pain stretching across her face. “I’m sorry. I should have trusted you. I just… I didn’t know how else to protect myself.”
Viktor took a slow, deliberate step closer to her. The weight of their shared history, of everything that had brought them here, hung between them. He reached out, his hand brushing against her cheek, his thumb sweeping over the softness of her skin. It wasn’t the touch of a man filled with anger. It was the touch of someone still caught between the desire to punish and the need to protect.
“You’ve made me doubt you, Sofia,” Viktor said quietly, the words laced with both anger and something deeper, something harder to admit. “And I don’t know if I can trust you again.”
She closed her eyes, her lips trembling as she fought to maintain her composure. “I understand,” she whispered. “I deserve that. But I promise you, I didn’t mean to betray you. I thought I was doing what was best.”
Viktor didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he moved away, his hand falling to his side. He didn’t know what to do with this feeling. Trust had always been a fragile thing for him, and now it felt shattered beyond repair. But Sofia was still standing before him, her eyes pleading for something he couldn’t give. Not yet.
“Maybe we need time,” he muttered. “Maybe we need space to figure out where we stand.”
Sofia nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’ll do whatever it takes, Viktor. I swear.”
Viktor turned away from her, the anger inside him still simmering, but there was something else too—something he couldn’t quite name. He needed to think. To process. But above all, he needed to make sure that both Sofia and Andrei knew who truly controlled this empire.
Viktor stood motionless by the window, staring out at the sprawling city below. He felt the weight of everything—Sofia's betrayal, Andrei's deception—pressing on him, and it was suffocating. His mind ran in circles, analyzing, calculating, and yet, no clear answers emerged. What was he supposed to do with this? What was the right move?
Sofia had stayed silent for a long while, but he could feel her eyes on him, that familiar sizzling between them. She had made her choice, and now he had to decide what came next.
He finally turned back to her, hard and calculating. “I’m done with secrets, Sofia. I’m done with not knowing where we stand.” He was cold and distant. He wanted to punish her for her deception, to make her feel the weight of her choices. But there was something else underneath his anger. Something he wasn’t ready to confront.
Sofia walked forward steadily, though he could see the hurt in her eyes. “I’m not asking for forgiveness, Viktor. But I am asking for a chance to explain. If you’d listen.”
He wanted to scoff at that. After everything, she wanted a chance to explain. But he held himself back, his jaw clenched tight. “You’re asking for a chance to explain? After everything? After you’ve been keeping tabs on me, spying on me like some kind of enemy?” His tone dropped into a low growl. “Do you really think I’m that foolish?”
Sofia’s face flushed, but she didn’t back down. “I didn’t want to spy on you. I didn’t want to betray you, but I needed to know. I had to know who you were, what you were hiding. You’ve always kept me at a distance, Viktor. You’ve always treated me like I’m just another piece in your game.” She quivered at the end, though she quickly masked it with defiance.
“Is that what you think of me?” Viktor sauntered closer, towering over her. “That I’m playing you?” He could feel the heat radiating off of her, the pulse of her heartbeat as it matched his own. The urge to push her, to break through that wall she’d built between them, was overwhelming. But instead, he held back, staring down at her with intensity. “You think this all this is some kind of scheme? This life? My empire?”
Sofia took a breath, her eyes unwavering. “I don’t know what this is anymore, Viktor. I don’t. I’ve been trying to understand it. Trying to understand you. But every time I think I get close, you pull away. You won’t let me in.”
Her words hit him harder than he expected, the raw honesty behind them unsettling. Viktor’s heart beat faster, a rush of emotions stirring within him that he wasn’t ready to face. He didn’t want to feel anything for her. He didn’t want to care. And yet, everything she said made him question that.
“You really think I want to keep you out?” Viktor whispered now, the anger beginning to subside. There was a vulnerability there he wasn’t ready to confront. “I never asked you to be a part of this world, Sofia. I never wanted to drag you into this mess. But you’re here. And you chose to stay. That means something, whether you like it or not.”
She didn’t respond immediately, but the shift in her eyes was enough. There was something in them, something softening, something that spoke of understanding. She wasn’t the cold, calculating woman she’d been in the beginning. Not anymore.
“I didn’t choose to be in this world, Viktor,” Sofia said quietly. “I chose to be with you. That’s the difference.”
The words hung in the space between them, their weight settling heavily. Viktor inhaled sharply, fighting to maintain his composure. There was nothing he could say to that, nothing that would take back the past moments of confusion and hurt. But something was changing. Something was shifting inside of him.
He reached out, his fingers brushing against her arm, the touch almost tentative. His hand lingered there, just above her skin, his body fighting the desire to pull her closer, to erase the distance between them.
“I don’t know if I can trust you again,” Viktor said, his words coming out as a rasp. “But damn it, Sofia... I don’t know if I can let you go either.”
Sofia’s breath hitched, and for the first time since everything had started to unravel, she closed the gap between them. She wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t hesitant. She lifted her hand to his chest, her fingers tracing the lines of his shirt. “You don’t have to trust me right now. But I need you to understand, Viktor… this wasn’t about betraying you. It was about protecting my24 self, and understanding who you really are. And I?—”
Viktor's lips captured hers, silencing her words with a kiss that was pure, raw hunger. It was a kiss of need, of unspoken desires finally unleashed. His hand cradled her face, drawing her closer as he deepened the kiss, his teeth gently nipping her lower lip. The fire that had been smoldering between them erupted, their bodies pressing together as if seeking to merge into one.
Sofia's hands slid up his shoulders, her fingers digging into his skin, matching his feverish intensity. Every touch was electric, their movements desperate and demanding. Viktor's hands gripped her waist, pulling her flush against him, their bodies becoming a single, scorching entity.
He ground his hard cock against her, the evidence of his desire leaving no room for doubt. She could feel his length, thick and rigid, pressing into her softness, seeking entry, demanding surrender.
Moans and pleas escaped their lips, a chorus of unspoken need. He kissed her neck, sucking and biting, marking her as his own. His hands roamed her body, cupping and kneading her breasts, thumbs teasing her hardened nipples until she was writhing with pleasure.
When they finally broke apart, breathless and panting, Sofia’s eyes were wide, her pupils dilated with desire. Viktor could feel her heart racing, matching his own, and for a moment, everything else faded away. The anger, the betrayal—it didn’t matter. Not right now.
Viktor lifted her effortlessly, his hands sliding under her, and in one smooth motion, he carried her to the bed.
Viktor moved with purpose, his hands firm but careful as he undressed her. Each motion was deliberate as if he were trying to memorize the feel of her beneath his fingertips, each inch of skin exposed, sending a fire deep through him. Sofia’s breath quickened, the anticipation of what was to come swirling in the charged space between them.
Her body reacted instinctively, the heat of their closeness igniting a passion that had been building since the first moment they met. She didn’t pull away, didn’t question it—there was no time for hesitation now. She reached for him, her fingers slipping beneath his shirt, feeling the hard muscle of his chest, the roughness of his skin. The feeling of him, so solid and real, made her pulse race, her body urging her forward.
Viktor watched her with dark eyes, his lips barely curving into a smile. “I don’t need you to question this, Sofia,” he murmured, but there was no mistaking the intent in his words. His lips brushed against her neck, sending a shiver through her as he gently kissed the sensitive spot just beneath her ear.
“You think I’m questioning this?” Sofia’s breath was shaky, but her hands were steady, tracing the sharp edges of his jaw, the line of his throat. She could feel his pulse beneath her touch, matching hers. The raw energy between them was undeniable.
His eyes darkened, his hands sliding lower, cupping her body, pulling her against him. “I think you need to stop asking questions,” Viktor murmured, his bass like velvet over steel, “and let me show you how much you’ve underestimated me.”
With those words, he kissed her again, his lips firm and insistent. It was a kiss that spoke of need, of hunger. His tongue moved against hers, hot and deep, as his hands roamed over her body, no longer patient, no longer careful. Every inch of him pressed closer, his chest flushes against hers as he pulled her tighter.
Sofia’s hands were on him, in his hair, down his back, everywhere she could reach. Her body ached for more, the connection between them igniting a fire that had been building for too long. She moaned into the kiss, a sound of surrender, of desperation. Her body was burning, her skin alive with the intensity of the moment, and nothing else mattered except the feeling of him, so close, so demanding.
When they finally broke the kiss, gasping, Sofia’s eyes met his, full of need and want. “I don’t know how much more I can take,” she whispered, her being immersed in desire. She could feel the heat radiating off him, and it was driving her wild.
Viktor didn’t respond with words. Instead, he moved with precision, his hands pushing the fabric of her clothes aside as he guided her back onto the bed. His body followed hers, and in one fluid motion, he was over her, the weight of him pressing her into the soft sheets beneath them.
Every touch, every movement was slow, drawn out, as if Viktor was savoring every second. He kissed her again, deeper this time, his hands sliding up her legs, his touch making her shiver as he explored every inch of her skin. Sofia moaned into the kiss, her body arching toward him, eager for the next step, for the release that had been building between them since their first touch.
“Do you want this?” Viktor asked, the words low but full of authority.
Sofia’s answer was immediate, her hands grazing his shoulders, pulling him closer. “Yes. I want you.”
That was all he needed. With a growl of his own, Viktor closed the gap between them, their bodies coming together in a rush of heat and need. He flipped her around so she was on her back, with her ass in the air. Pulling his hard dick out of his pants, Viktor buried it inside her pussy, already drenched and wet for him, despite the moment. Sofia moaned and grabbed a pillow, burying her face inside to keep her screams from getting out. Viktor's hands gripped her hips with possessive force, his movements fueled by anger and unspoken disappointment. Each thrust was a silent accusation, his body demanding what his words could not express. Sofia's body arched to meet his, her hands grasping his shoulders, leaving imprints of her desperation on his skin. He went deeper as he replayed what she had done in his head, fucking her harder, without any form of restraint. She thrashed and turned beneath him, a brutal sound escaping her lips when he hit her sweet spot. Her ass moved in the air as Viktor thrust, one hand holding her long hair and the other on her hips.
The intensity of their lovemaking escalated, each moment hotter, each touch harder, as if they were trying to outdo the other in a dance of unspoken emotions. “Call my name!” he instructed, feeling her pussy holding his dick tight, a tell that an orgasm was on its way.
“Viktor,” she moaned as her ass kept moving above him until she felt her knees weak. Her body trembled as the force of her release took hold. A cry, part pleasure, and part surrender, escaped her lips, her voice breaking on his name. He pulled out of her only for a fraction of a second and then pushed in again, allowing his anger to fuel his drive. Viktor's release was swift and primal. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his body stiffening as a wave of satisfaction washed over him, temporarily silencing his anger.
He held her tightly, their bodies still entwined, hearts racing. The air between them was thick with unspoken words, the aftermath of their passionate encounter leaving them both breathless and raw.
"You feel that?" he growled, his voice hoarse. "That's me, inside you. That's what you get for defying me."
Sofia's eyes flashed with defiance, even as her body still trembled from the aftershocks of pleasure. "I wanted you," she whispered, her voice laced with both challenge and surrender.
Viktor's hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear she hadn't even realized had fallen. "And I wanted you," he admitted, his anger dissipating into something softer, something they both knew they couldn't deny.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. They simply lay there, bodies pressed together, tangled in the sheets, breathing in time. It was the first moment of peace they had shared since everything had spiraled out of hand.
Viktor’s hand found hers, and he held it gently as if this moment—this brief, fragile silence—was all they could afford. And for the first time in a long time, Sofia felt safe, not because she was invulnerable, but because she was held.
His lips brushed against her forehead, his words low and almost tender. “You can’t leave, Sofia. Don’t ever forget that.”
Sofia didn’t respond with words. Instead, she let the silence fill the room. She didn’t need to say anything. Her body, her heart, already belonged to him.