Chapter 6 My Choice #3
Inside the auction hall, the auctioneer announced the end of the event. People began to rise, mingling and exchanging words as the crowd slowly dispersed.
At that moment, Elias’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, listening for a moment, then leaned closer to Sophia.
“I need to leave,” he murmured softly. “Something urgent has come up.”
Sophia nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Alright,” she said quietly.
Elias gave her a brief nod in return and turned, slipping out of the hall.
Meanwhile, Magnus returned to the auction hall. The moment he stepped inside, his brows knitted tightly. A large crowd had gathered near the center, pressing in around Sophia.
Reporters and journalists jostled forward, microphones and cameras aimed at her from all angles.
“Sylvia?” one shouted. “What kind of relationship do you have with Mr. Magnus Graves?”
“People are saying that the two of you are very close. Is that true?”
“Why did you refuse his claim that you two are friends?”
“Is there something special between you two?”
Questions flew at her from every direction.
Sophia tried to push politely through the crowd, but the reporters closed in, leaving barely any room to move. Every step forward was met with shoulders, microphones, and flashes. She could hardly take a single step without bumping into someone.
Her brows knitted slightly as she tried to maintain her composure.
Magnus watched from a distance. Seeing her trapped in the middle of the crowd, he didn’t hesitate. He strode forward, his movements precise and commanding.
The crowd was so focused on Sylvia that no one noticed him approach. In one fluid motion, he reached in, grasped her hand firmly, and pulled her out of the circle.
Sylvia gasped softly, startled by the sudden movement. Before she could react, Magnus was already guiding her along. The reporters surged forward, but she had no choice but to follow as he led her swiftly away.
Magnus veered sharply down a hallway and slipped into a nearby room, shutting the door behind them. The sudden darkness swallowed them, and for a long moment, there was only silence.
He backed her gently against the wall and stepped in front of her, hands pressing against the wall on either side of her head. His body loomed over hers, shielding her from the chaos outside.
Her brows knitted slightly as she tried to maintain her composure.
Magnus watched from a distance. Seeing her trapped in the middle of the crowd, he immediately strode forward.
The crowd was so focused on Sophia that no one noticed him approach. In one fluid motion, he reached in, grasped her hand firmly, and pulled her out of the circle.
Sylvia gasped softly, startled by the sudden movement. Before she could react, Magnus grabbed her hand and sprinted through the crowd. The reporters surged forward, shouting questions, but she had no choice but to run with him as he hurriedly made their escape.
Magnus veered sharply down a hallway and slipped into a nearby room, shutting the door behind them. The sudden darkness swallowed them, and for a long moment, there was only silence.
He backed her gently against the wall and stepped in front of her, hands pressing against the wall on either side of her head. His body loomed over hers, shielding her from the chaos outside.
Footsteps and voices echoed in the hallway.
“Where did they go?”
“They were just here!”
The journalists searched nearby, their frustration audible.
Inside the room, Magnus and Sylvia stood pressed close together. Her back was against the wall, his chest aligned with hers. Her hands clutched his shirt at his waist, trembling slightly as she listened to the fading voices outside.
Magnus’s arm wrapped around her, holding her close, while his other hand steadied her head against the wall.
Their bodies were pressed together so tightly that every subtle movement was felt.
His chest rose and fell against hers, his presence overwhelming.
The only thing he could sense was her scent, intoxicating in the quiet.
Minutes passed in silence. Gradually, the footsteps outside faded, and the hallway grew still.
Sophia finally looked up. In the darkness, Magnus’s face was inches from hers. Her eyes widened at the closeness, a jolt of awareness shooting through her. She pushed against his chest, trying to create space.
“Move,” she demanded, voice sharp.
Magnus didn’t flinch. Instead, his arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. His face lowered slightly, breath brushing hers. His voice dropped, low and commanding.
“Enough games,” he murmured, eyes locking onto hers. “What is your relationship with Elias?”
“It’s none of your business,” Sophia snapped, her voice sharp as she looked up at him.
She shoved against his chest, trying to push him away. “Mr. Graves, you should focus on your relationship with your own girlfriend instead of cornering me in a dark room.”
She stepped back, bracing herself to move past him, her heels clicking lightly against the floor.
But Magnus’s arm shot around her waist in an instant. He yanked her back toward him. This time, he didn’t let her hit the wall. He pinned her against his own body, chest against chest, his grip tight.
There was a storm in his eyes—anger he was struggling to control, barely contained beneath a veneer of restraint.
He leaned closer, his voice low and tense. “Why are you always so cold to me? Every time I come near you, you act like I’m your enemy. What have I done to you that you treat me this way? But with everyone else… you’re sweet, kind… polite. Why not me?”
“Because I don’t like you,” she said immediately, her gaze unwavering as she looked straight into his eyes. “Is that not enough? I don’t like you! I hate you.”
“But I like you!” he snapped, voice rough, raw with barely restrained intensity.
His jaw clenched, fingers pressing into her waist as if to hold himself back. His whole body radiated tension, vibrating with a force that seemed on the verge of breaking free.
His eyes bore into hers, full of fire and frustration. She had pushed him to the edge, forcing him to the point where he could barely control himself, and she could see it.
Sophia froze. Shock rooted her in place as she stared at him, taking in the heat and raw emotion on his face.
Magnus’s voice dropped to a harsh, urgent growl. “I’ve loved you from the very first moment I saw you! I’m in love with you, and it’s driving me insane that you don’t see it! Haven’t I made it clear enough?”
She stood stiffly, still processing his words, her eyes locked on his. Finally, she spoke, her tone edged with incredulity.
“Mr. Graves… you sound ridiculous. Shouldn’t you focus on the women you already have? Don’t you have your ex-wife and your new girlfriend to deal with? Why are you doing this?”
Magnus’s chest rose and fell rapidly, each breath coming a little too fast. His hands tightened around Sophia’s waist, his fingers pressing into the fabric of her clothes as if afraid she might pull away at any second.
“My Isabel is not my girlfriend,” he said quickly, his tone defensive yet earnest. His brows drew together as he shook his head. “I’ve said it so many times—I have nothing to do with her.”
As he spoke, his grip on her waist tightened again, pulling her a fraction closer as if trying to make her believe him through sheer closeness.
“She’s just my best friend’s sister. Nothing else. She’s like a little sister to me.”
He paused briefly, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration before looking back at her.
“And my ex-wife…” His jaw tightened. “She left the country once she got what she wanted from our contract. That marriage—it was a contract. Nothing more. She took the money and walked out.”
He inhaled sharply, his chest lifting as he forced himself to slow his racing breath. His fingers loosened slightly on her waist, though he didn’t let go. When he spoke again, his voice lowered, almost pleading.
“I can tell you everything,” he said, leaning down slightly so his eyes could meet hers. “Every detail about my past relationships.” His thumb unconsciously brushed against her side as he spoke. “I want you to understand that I have nothing to do with any of those women.”
His gaze locked onto hers, intense and unwavering.
“You are the only woman I’ve ever fallen in love with.” His voice softened, raw with sincerity. “I can explain everything… if you’ll let me.”
Sophia’s chest heaved with rapid breaths, her shoulders rising and falling sharply. The more he spoke, the tighter her jaw became. Her hands slowly clenched into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms.
Every time he said nothing to do with my ex-wife and contract marriage, her anger only grew.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she stared at him, disbelief burning in her eyes. The more he insisted that his past meant nothing, the more the injustice of his words clawed at her chest.
A sharp scoff escaped her lips.
She shook her head slowly, her eyes flashing with anger as she looked at him. Disbelief and fury twisted tightly in her chest.
“Three months,” she spat, her voice trembling with rage. “Three months of marriage, and you didn’t have feelings for the woman you lived with?” Her lips curled in cold mockery. “You really are a very good husband, aren’t you, Mr. Graves?”
Her eyes blazed, agitation radiating off her in waves. She tried to rein in the fury boiling inside her, trying to hide it behind a thin layer of composure—but the anger kept spilling out.
Magnus’s jaw tightened, the muscles along it flexing visibly.
“That marriage wasn’t my choice,” he said, his tone controlled but heavy. His hands lifted slightly, palms open as if trying to calm her. “My marriage to her… it was only to satisfy my family’s insistence.”
He exhaled slowly, shaking his head.
“My mother wanted me married. Her grandmother wanted her married. We were never in love.” His brows furrowed as he repeated firmly, “That marriage—it was never my choice!”