Chapter 13 Choose Me
She let out a long, frustrated breath, dragging a hand through her hair before picking up her purse from the table.
“Forget it.”
The house suddenly felt suffocating. She hadn’t eaten, and the thought of cooking only made her more irritated.
“I’ll just eat outside…” she murmured.
Turning on her heel, she strode straight for the door, her steps quick and sharp. Her fingers closed around the handle, yanking it open with more force than necessary.
Then she stepped out.
The door shut behind her with a dull thud.
She headed toward the main road at a steady pace.
The evening had deepened, the street dim under scattered lights, the cool air brushing against her skin.
Adjusting her purse on her shoulder, she headed toward a nearby restaurant.
The street wasn’t crowded—just passing cars now and then.
She had barely reached the roadside when suddenly, a woman came thundering toward her.
Her heels struck the ground hard, fast, each step sharp with anger. She was dressed in expensive clothes, polished and elegant—clearly someone from a wealthy background.
But her face was burning with anger.
Fury twisted her features, her eyes blazing as she closed the distance in seconds and stopped right in front of Sophia.
Sophia instinctively stopped mid-step, her body going rigid.
The woman stopped right in front of her—so close that Sophia had to tilt her head slightly back to meet her eyes.
“You!” the woman snapped, her voice cutting through the quiet street as her hand shot up, pointing straight at Sophia. “I purchased these bangles from you at the auction last month and you gave me fake ones?”
Her fingers trembled. Her chest rose and fell quickly, her shoulders tight, her entire body shaking with unrestrained anger.
Sophia froze for a second, caught off guard.
Her brows knit slightly as she looked at the woman, trying to place her face but nothing came.
Her gaze flickered past her for a brief moment—
Cars passed by.
Headlights flashing.
But no one stopped.
No one noticed.
They were alone.
Sophia looked back at her, her posture straightening just a little despite the tension creeping into her body.
“I’m sorry… who are you?” she asked.
The reaction only made the woman angrier.
That only made the woman snap harder.
Her eyes widened in disbelief before narrowing sharply. She let out a harsh scoff and took a threatening step forward, closing the already small gap between them.
“You don’t even remember me?” she snapped. “I bought the gold bangles from you at the auction in Greece. The ones you claimed were from the 1800s!”
Her finger jabbed accusingly in Sophia’s face.
“I trusted you! You said they were authentic!” Her voice rose, almost cracking. “I took them to a luxury authentication store yesterday—and they told me they’re fake!”
She let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh, shaking her head.
“Are you kidding me?” the woman continued, her voice turning shrill with anger. “I spent a fortune on those! And you sold me fake goods, you bitch?!”
Sylvia flinched slightly at the insult, unease creeping up her spine as she took in the woman’s expression.
She looked… unhinged.
“I spent all the money I had on those bangles!” the woman went on, her voice trembling now, but no less aggressive. “I was going to resell them later and you ruined everything!”
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she glared at Sophia.
“What am I supposed to do now?” she demanded. “How dare you sell me fake products?”
“I didn’t sell you any fake products,” Sophia said, keeping her voice as calm as she could. “Everything is authenticated before it’s handed over.”
She held the woman’s gaze.
“You were there during the verification,” she added. “And you even brought your own expert to confirm it, didn’t you?”
For a moment, the woman faltered.
Just slightly.
Then her expression twisted again, anger taking over.
“I did,” she snapped, her voice dropping into something harsher.
She leaned slightly forward, her finger lifting again, almost jabbing toward Sophia.
“But you swapped them before handing them over to me!”
She stepped closer again, her presence pressing in.
“I know you did it. There’s no other explanation,” the woman continued, her eyes locked onto hers. “I locked them in my safe the moment I got home. No one else touched them.”
Her jaw tightened.
Her gaze sharpened, turning accusing again.
“So don’t try to lie,” she said, her voice low and firm. “I know for a fact that it was you.”
Sophia frowned, confusion clouding her face, but the woman only grew more agitated at her reaction. Her chest heaved, eyes blazing, and instead of calming down, she stormed forward.
Before Sophia could step back, the woman closed the distance in two quick strides and grabbed her arm. Her fingers clenched hard, nails digging into Sophia’s skin.
Sophia winced, her body tensing as she instinctively tried to pull away.
“Give me my money back!” the woman shrieked, her grip tightening even more. “I don’t know anything—I don’t want those fucking bangles anymore. I want my money back. Give it to me!”
Her voice rose to a furious pitch, drawing attention around them. Then, without warning, she lifted her hand, her arm swinging back.
Sophia’s eyes widened. She reacted on instinct, quickly raising her hands between them, trying to block it.
Before the slap could land, another hand shot in.
Strong fingers caught the woman’s wrist mid-air.
Sophia froze.
The force of the impact never came.
She turned her head sharply to the side, breath catching, only to see Magnus standing beside her.
His expression was cold, dangerous.
With one hand, he held the woman’s wrist in a tight grip, stopping the slap. With the other, he pushed her back, forcing distance between her and Sophia.
“What the hell are you doing?” he snapped, his voice sharp and cutting.
He stepped forward, placing himself directly between them, his body shielding Sophia completely. One arm remained slightly outstretched behind him, making sure she stayed back.
His hard gaze locked onto the woman.
“Did you just try to assault her?”
The woman seemed stunned for a second by his sudden appearance. But the shock quickly burned away, replaced by anger.
“This bitch stole my gold!” she shouted, pointing past him at Sophia. “It has nothing to do with you. Move out of my way. I’ll deal with her myself!”
She lunged again.
Magnus reacted instantly.
He stepped forward, blocking her path completely, his hand shooting out to shove her back hard enough to stop her momentum.
His face darkened, jaw tightening as his voice dropped into something colder.
“Do you have proof of what you’re accusing her of?”
The woman faltered slightly.
Magnus’s brows lifted, his tone turning cutting, almost mocking. “Or is this just the first time you’ve ever bought something from an auction house?”
Her face shifted just for a second.
Magnus didn’t miss it.
He took another step forward, his presence alone forcing her back.
“If you touch a single hair on her,” he said, his voice low and lethal, “I’ll have you thrown in jail for the rest of your life.”
The woman’s lips trembled, fury still burning, but now mixed with something else.
Fear.
“Go home and check your own house,” Magnus continued sharply. “Auction houses don’t hand over expensive items without authentication. You get legal certificates. If something was stolen, it didn’t happen there. It happened after.”
The woman’s breathing grew uneven. Her fists clenched at her sides.
“You’re lying,” she snapped, though her voice wavered. “You’re her accomplice. You're trying to steal from me!”
Her eyes darted between them, paranoia creeping in.
“I’ll kill her—”
“I’ve already called the police.”
The voice cut cleanly through the chaos.
All three of them turned.
Neymar stood a few steps away, dressed sharply in a suit, his posture calm but firm. His gaze moved from the woman to Sophia, and he gave Sophia a small, reassuring smile.
Then he looked back at the woman.
“If you’re so sure,” he said evenly, “the police can help sort it out. No need to handle it like this.”
The effect was immediate.
The woman froze.
The anger on her face flickered… then cracked.
Her bravado crumbled almost instantly.
She took a step back. Then another.
Her lips moved under her breath, muttering to herself, her expression twisting with unease.
Then, suddenly—
she turned and ran.
Her steps were hurried, almost frantic, her earlier fury now laced with panic.
“I’ll find out what happened!” she shouted over her shoulder. “You can’t fool me!”
And just like that, she disappeared.
Silence followed.
Sophia let out a shaky breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her shoulders dropped slightly as the tension left her body.
After a moment, she turned toward Neymar, offering him a grateful smile.
“Thank you so much for helping me.”
“Of course,” Neymar replied calmly, his voice gentle and reassuring. “It’s not a big deal. I know you would never be at fault.”
Magnus’s gaze snapped toward him.
Then they shifted to Sophia.
Something dark flickered there.
He stepped forward without hesitation, moving right in front of her, his broad frame blocking her entire view of Neymar. His jaw was tight, his expression hard as he snapped, “I’m the one who helped you. Why are you thanking him?”
Sophia blinked, caught off guard for a second… then her expression cooled.
“Because he also helped me,” she said flatly, her tone dismissive. “And I’m thankful to him.”
Without waiting for his reaction, she stepped sideways, brushing past him. Her shoulder almost grazed his arm as she moved, deliberately placing distance between them—then walked straight back into Neymar’s line of sight.
Magnus’s face darkened instantly.
His eyes locked onto her, then flicked to Neymar.
The way she was looking at him—
He didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
Jealousy flashed across his face before he quickly masked it with a cold stare.