Chapter 8 Murder Her Husband
Sophia lowered the corn onto the plate beside the lasagna, carefully adjusting its position. She fussed over the presentation for a moment, then reached for the second plate, lifting both with care to walk back to the dining table.
“Does it really take you the whole day just to serve food?”
Magnus’s voice sounded suddenly right by her ear.
Sophia jolted. The plates clattered back onto the counter with a sharp crash, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest. She spun around, eyes wide, breath uneven.
“Are you a ghost?” she snapped. “Why are you walking so silently in your own house?”
The corner of Magnus’s mouth curved upward, a hint of mischief glinting in his eyes.
“Did I scare you?” he asked lightly. “Sorry.”
Sophia narrowed her eyes at him, studying his face as if trying to find the trick.
“What’s wrong with you today?” she demanded. “Have you lost your mind? Why are you suddenly so…” She paused, eyeing him from head to toe. “…well-behaved?”
Instead of getting annoyed, Magnus smiled.
The unexpected curve of his lips unsettled her more than anger ever could. Before she could react, he stepped closer and reached out, his fingers petting the back of her head.
Then he turned and walked away as if nothing strange had happened.
“Hurry and bring the food to the table,” he added over his shoulder. “I’m hungry.”
Sophia stood frozen, eyes fixed on his retreating back.
“What is wrong with him?” she muttered under her breath.
She drew in a sharp breath, pressing her lips together as if holding herself back, silently begging the universe for patience. Then she bent down and picked up both plates, the cool ceramic pressing against her palms. Turning, she carried them to the dining table.
One by one, she set the plates down, the soft clink of porcelain cutting through the quiet. Pulling out a chair, she sat, trying to focus on her meal.
They were nearly finished when Magnus finally broke the silence.
“Are you busy today?” he asked casually, lifting his glass for a sip of water. “Come with me to the swimming court.”
Sophia paused, her fork hovering midair. She lifted her eyes to him only for a second before answering flatly,
“No. I won’t.”
Magnus lifted his gaze to her, momentarily caught off guard.
A faint frown crept onto his face.
Still, he lowered his eyes and continued eating, his movements measured.
“Why?” he asked evenly. “Afraid of being defeated by me?”
That made her look at him sharply.
Her eyes narrowed. She pushed her chair back with a soft scrape against the floor and rose to her feet.
“You’re too arrogant.”
She walked around the table, passing behind him. As she went by, her fingers reached out, patting his back lightly. “Let’s go, Mr. Graves,” she muttered.
Magnus’s lips curved into a small, dangerous smirk. He set his cutlery aside and rose to his feet, turning to follow her as she walked out of the house.
Outside, a car waited at the entrance, its headlights cutting through the dusk.
Timothy stood beside the Rolls-Royce, scrolling through Instagram when a message from Magnus flashed across his screen.
‘Go home. I will drive.’
Timothy stared at it, blinking in disbelief.
“Mr. Graves is driving himself? Doesn’t he hate driving at night?” he muttered. “What’s gotten into him today?”
Still, he followed orders. He slipped into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and drove away.
***
The vast space echoed softly with their footsteps as Magnus and Sophia walked inside. Along the right side stretched a long swimming pool.
The swimming court was entirely private.
A dark-stone pursuit pool ran the length of the room, the water perfectly still—almost black beneath the soft underwater lights.
Warm air brushed against her skin, balanced by the coolness rising from the pool, carrying a faint mineral scent.
Marble and concrete walls absorbed sound, leaving only the muted echo of their steps and the faint lap of water when they moved.
Floor-to-ceiling glass overlooked a landscaped garden, the outside world deliberately shut out. A single lounger waited near the pool, folded robes and heated towels placed neatly beside it.
There were no clocks. No staff. No visible controls.
Everything answered to him without being asked.
Sophia walked beside Magnus, her gaze wandering across the empty, controlled space, taking it all in.
“Did you bring me here to murder me?” she asked casually. “Fair warning—I’ll kill you first.”
Magnus stopped and turned sharply toward her, surprise flashing across his face.
She grinned at him.
“Don’t worry,” she added. “I won’t. Unless you start it first.”
Magnus narrowed his eyes at her cheeky remark, then turned away without a word. Sophia bit her lip, fighting the laugh threatening to escape.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the swimming court as the main doors opened behind them.
“You’re finally here?” Gregory’s voice rang out as he walked in, Harold following close at his side. Both men were dressed casually in T-shirts and jeans.
As they approached, Harold’s gaze landed on Sophia, surprise flashing across his face.
“Sophia came too?”
His eyes immediately shifted to Magnus. The surprise twisted into a sharp glare.
‘He definitely brought Sophia here on purpose.’ The thought burned hot in his mind, sharp and bitter, making his jaw tighten.
‘Last time, when he dragged me here straight from that restaurant, he didn’t even let me catch my breath.
He made me run a hundred laps until my lungs felt like they were on fire and my bones nearly broke—just to find an excuse to get revenge on me for having a crush on his wife.
And now he brought Sophia along, just so she can watch him defeat me all over again. ’
Harold stood off to the side, his shoulders stiff as stone. His hands curled slowly into fists at his sides, knuckles whitening as he glared daggers at Magnus. The anger simmered in his eyes, dark and restless, his jaw working as if he were grinding his teeth to keep himself quiet.
Sophia, completely oblivious to the silent war raging between the two men, suddenly spun around on her heel, her ponytail swaying with the movement.
“Alright,” she announced cheerfully, clapping her hands once. “I’m going to look around.”
Gregory shifted his weight and nodded easily, one hand slipping into his pocket. “Sure. The entire place belongs to Magnus. Feel free to roam around.”
Sophia froze mid-step. Her head snapped back toward Magnus, eyes widening as surprise flickered across her face.
“You own this entire place?”
Magnus leaned back slightly, posture relaxed, a slow, arrogant smirk tugging at his lips. “Why do you think you can’t find my naked pictures all over the internet?”
Sophia let out a short snicker, amused by both his words and the expression on his face.
“So Mr. Graves likes protecting his dignity that much?”
“I’m very protective about showing my body,” he replied calmly, voice smooth and unhurried. “Not everyone deserves to see this.”
As he spoke, his finger lifted and traced lazily from his chest down to his abs, the deliberate motion slow and teasing. Sophia’s lips curved into a grin, her gaze following the path of his finger without even trying to hide it.
She had to admit it—he was ridiculously sexy.
Even though she didn’t remember much from the night they had spent together, the memory of how it felt was still there. She remembered the heat of him under her palms, the way her hands had wandered freely, hungry and unrestrained, as if she hadn’t seen a man ever before.
She quickly turned away from him, pretending sudden interest in her surroundings, and began wandering around the space.
Her fingers brushed over cool marble surfaces, skimmed along a sleek glass railing overlooking the pool, and tapped lightly against a polished stone column.
A low table held a silver ice bucket with champagne resting inside, condensation sliding down the metal.
Through the glass wall at the far end, she could see a sauna and steam room glowing softly.
Harold instinctively started following Sophia, his steps quickening, a grin already spreading across his face, but then Gregory suddenly grabbed his arm and yanked him back.
“Do you want to die?” Gregory muttered under his breath. “It’s better you keep some distance from her before Magnus beats you up again.”
Harold shot him an annoyed glare, jerking his arm free, but he didn’t move again.
Magnus walked beside Sophia at an unhurried pace.
Whenever she picked something up—a crystal glass, a neatly folded towel, a decorative tray—or paused to look around, he explained its purpose in a low, even voice, occasionally reaching past her to adjust something, his presence pressing in close without actually touching her.
“Go into that room.”
His voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Sophia lifted her gaze and met his eyes. He was pointing behind her.
“There are swimsuits for you. Come back in five.”
Before she could respond, he turned on his heel and walked straight into the room opposite the one he had indicated.
“Aren’t they husband and wife?” Gregory leaned closer to Harold and muttered in a low voice, confusion creasing his brow. “Is he still shy about changing in front of his own wife?”
Harold glanced at Gregory and nodded in agreement.
“Weird.”
Sophia walked toward the room Magnus had pointed out and stepped inside. The door slid shut behind her with a soft sound, and she paused instinctively.
It was a private room. Her brows knit together as her gaze swept the space.
“There are swimsuits here? Why would his private place have women’s swimsuits?” she muttered under her breath, slowing her steps. “Does he… bring other women here?”
The thought alone made her stomach turn. Wearing someone else’s swimsuit felt instantly repulsive, her shoulders tensing as discomfort crept up her spine.