Chapter 4 Relationships
The early morning sun slipped through the curtains and landed right on Sophia’s face. The warmth made her stir. Her brows knit together as she tried to hide from the light, lashes fluttering before her eyes finally opened.
A slow breath brushed against the side of her neck.
A ticklish sensation followed.
Her body stiffened.
Sophia tilted her head down.
Magnus’s face was buried in the crook of her shoulder, his nose pressed to her skin, his breath warm and damp.
Every exhale skimmed her throat, sending a faint, helpless shiver down her spine.
His body was sprawled over hers. His one leg was hooked over both of hers, locking her in place, and his arm lay heavy across her waist, trapping her beneath him.
His fingers twitched slightly against her side, tightening unconsciously.
Her heart began to pound.
They were skin to skin. Completely naked. His chest against hers. The sheet tangled low around their hips, barely covering anything, rising and falling with their uneven breaths.
A sharp gasp burst from her mouth. She shot upright so fast the mattress bounced, the blanket sliding away. The sudden motion made her sway, her hand flying to the bed for support as panic exploded in her head.
Beside her, Magnus groaned at the disturbance, a deep, displeased sound pulled from his chest. His brows drew together, irritation flashing across his face as sleep was dragged away from him.
He shifted, muscles flexing, then lifted his head from the pillow and looked at her through heavy, half-lidded eyes.
Their gazes met.
Sophia looked horrified, frozen, breathing fast, arms trembling at her sides.
Magnus looked… bothered. Annoyed. As if she had woken him for no good reason.
He ran a hand through his messy hair, pushing it back, jaw tight, voice rough and low from sleep. “Why are you staring at me like that?” he muttered. “You’re the one who attacked me last night.”
Sophia gasped. Her lips parted but no words came out at first. Her head shook wildly in denial.
“How can I do… this to you?! You did it to me!” she snapped, her voice cracking at the end, half anger, half panic.
Magnus’s eyes dropped lazily from her face to her chest.
Instinctively, Sophia followed his gaze.
She was sitting straight up. The blanket had slipped to her lap. Her upper body was completely exposed, morning light pouring over her bare skin.
Her face burned red.
She crossed her arms over her chest at lightning speed, shoulders curling inward, but it was too late—he had already seen. His eyes had darkened, sleep vanishing from them.
Before she could even move away, Magnus suddenly reached out.
His hand clamped around her waist, hot, fingers digging into her skin, and in one swift motion he dragged her back down onto the mattress.
The bed dipped hard beneath them.
A startled cry left her lips as her hair fanned over the pillow. The air rushed from her lungs.
He followed her instantly, bracing himself above her, one arm beside her head, the other still holding her at the waist. His body caged hers in, heat surrounding her. A strand of his hair fell over his forehead, his expression sharp now, fully awake.
“Did you forget already?” he asked, leaning close, his voice low, almost dangerous. His breath brushed her cheek. “How you jumped on me in the bathtub? Forced yourself on me? Wouldn’t let me leave? Kissed me senseless?”
Every word made her burn deeper.
“Stop talking!”
Sophia squeezed her eyes shut and slapped both hands over her ears.
Her cheeks felt like they were on fire.
She had done that.
Oh God.
Magnus lowered his head, his lips hovering close to her ear, his voice dropping into a heated whisper that vibrated through her.
“Did you also forget how you climbed over me again after we got out of the tub?”
“Shut up!” she snapped again, shoving at his shoulders.
Her palms pushed hard against him, but it was like trying to move a wall.
He barely budged.
If anything, he only sank closer, hovering above her, his arms braced on either side of her head. The mattress dipped deeper under his weight. His shadow fell across her face, trapping her beneath his gaze.
“I wasn’t in my senses last night,” she said through her teeth, her eyes darting away, refusing to meet his.
Magnus’s lips curled slowly, amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“You were the one who pinned me down,” he said. “You wouldn’t let me leave. You kept kissing me.”
His voice was calm, almost lazy, but the look in his eyes was anything but.
His mouth curved with mocking amusement.
“Why do you always forget your crimes every time?”
Her breath caught.
Heat rushed up her neck. Images flashed in her head, messy and hot, tangled limbs, desperate kisses, hands grabbing. Her stomach twisted violently.
“You didn’t have to be so fucking kind to let me do it to you then,” she shot back, though the words came out weaker than she wanted.
Magnus’s hand slid from her waist to her hip, settling there, as he shifted slightly between her legs.
Sophia felt it.
A sharp breath tore from her throat, her fingers tightening in the sheets, but he only watched her reaction closely, eyes darkening with interest.
He held her gaze, unblinking.
His other hand moved upward, fingers slipping behind her ear, warm against her skin. His thumb began drawing slow, lazy circles beneath it, gentle, unhurried, yet it sent tiny shivers spreading helplessly across her body.
“You’re right,” he murmured. “Being too kind is a bad trait nowadays.”
Sophia glared at him, flustered, and pushed his chest again, harder this time.
“Move!”
He didn’t.
Not even an inch.
She huffed in frustration, chest rising and falling quickly, breath uneven, her face still burning no matter how much she tried to calm down.
“Fine,” she said at last, forcing her voice to sound firm, gathering whatever dignity she had left. “Let’s call it another mistake.”
Her chin lifted stubbornly, even though her eyes trembled.
“Name your price.”
Magnus stilled.
The movement of his thumb stopped.
The air between them changed in an instant.
His eyes sharpened.
“A thousand dollars?” she added, trying to sound cold, businesslike, like this didn’t affect her at all. “You did pretty well, so I won't be cheap.”
For a heartbeat, there was silence.
Then his expression darkened.
The teasing warmth disappeared, replaced by something heavy, offended, dangerous.
‘Does she think I’m some bar gigolo she can pay by the hour?’
His jaw tightened hard enough to show the line of muscle along it.
“What exactly do you take me for?” he demanded, his voice dropping, losing all amusement.
Sophia swallowed. Her throat felt dry, but she forced herself to keep going.
“Even though we’re married, there’s no real relationship between us,” she said. “We shouldn’t owe each other anything.”
Magnus’s eyes burned instantly.
Whatever playfulness had remained vanished completely. A muscle ticked in his cheek. The hand on her hip flexed once, almost painfully, before he pulled it away.
He stared down at her like she had struck him.
Without another word, he suddenly pushed himself off her.
The sudden loss of his weight made the bed dip and then rise. Cold air rushed over her skin, making her shiver.
Sophia stayed where she was, stunned, heart hammering.
She watched as he swung his legs off the bed and stood.
His back was rigid, shoulders tight, every movement rough, sharp, impatient. He dragged a hand through his hair again, breathing heavier than before, like he was holding something violent inside himself.
He crossed the room in long, furious strides. He snatched the T-shirt and trousers thrown over the table and yanked them on. The fabric dragged over his skin in rushed, angry motions.
He strode to the door and yanked it open with force. It crashed against the wall with a sharp bang.
Without looking back, he stepped out and slammed it shut behind him, the impact echoing through the suite and making the windows tremble in their frames.
Sophia flinched.
Silence swallowed the space he left behind.
Sophia stared at the empty doorway, stunned, heart still beating too fast. The echo of the slam rang in her ears.
She kept clutching the blanket to her chest like armor.
Several seconds passed.
Nothing.
No footsteps. No return.
She finally let out an irritated huff and dropped back onto the pillow, hair spilling around her face.
“What’s wrong with him now…” she muttered under her breath, frowning at the ceiling. “He keeps saying I forced him, and when I try to settle it, he gets angry again. Unbelievable!”
With a frustrated sigh, she rolled onto her side, tugging the blanket higher around herself.
That was when she noticed her phone lying near the pillow, almost tucked beneath the edge of the mattress.
Her eyes sharpened a little.
She quickly reached for it and unlocked the screen to check the messages—but before she could open anything, a flood of notifications exploded across the display.
Messages.
News alerts.
Trending topics.
The number kept climbing.
Her brows pulled together.
“What the hell…?”
She read one of the headlines.
“Violet King, the daughter of the CTO of Perfect Wardrobe—”
The last trace of sleep vanished from her face.
“What the hell is going on?”
Her finger pressed the alert.
The news page opened immediately.
‘Violet King, the daughter of the CTO of Perfect Wardrobe, caught in public indecency with three men at a bus stand.’
Sophia’s eyes widened.
Her grip tightened around the phone.
There was a video attached.
Her heart began to beat faster for a completely different reason now.
She hesitated only a fraction of a second before pressing play.
The footage showed Violet at a bus stop, her face clearly visible. Three men stood behind her, taking turns. Even though their private parts were blurred and blacked out, what they were doing left absolutely no room for misunderstanding.