Mihai
MIHAI
I march after Sofia, my blood still running hot from the scene in the driveway. The slap, the screaming—I didn’t expect any of it, though I probably should have. Sofia’s never been the type to handle her emotions quietly, especially not when it’s about her family. Santiago was everything to her, and now he’s gone.
But damn it, I didn’t expect her to take it out on Madison like that.
When I reach her door, I don’t bother knocking. I push it open and step inside, finding her just as I knew I would—collapsed on the edge of her bed, her shoulders shaking as she sobs into her hands. The sight of her hits me harder than I want to admit.
Sofia’s is fire and fury, so seeing her like this—broken and raw—twists something in me.
We were together once, and I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t still a spark there. From the moment we first got together, I knew she was the kind of woman who could own me if I let her. But it’s more complicated than just desire.
Our legacies pulled us in different directions, and I made the choice to step back. It doesn’t mean the feelings aren’t still there.
“Sofia,” I say quietly, closing the door behind me.
She doesn’t look up. She just keeps sobbing, her thick blonde hair falling in loose waves around her face, her whole body trembling from the force of it.
I take a step closer, my fists clenched at my sides, wanting nothing more than to pull her into my arms and make it all stop. But I know her too well for that.
“Sofia,” I repeat with a softer tone.
She snaps her head up, her piercing gaze locking onto mine with a fury that sends a chill down my spine.
“Get out.”
I stay rooted where I am, refusing to back down.
“We need to talk.”
Her full lips curl in a sneer, and she wipes the tears from her face, but it does nothing to soften the anger simmering behind her gaze.
“Talk? You want to talk? After what you did?” she exclaims.
I grind my teeth, trying to keep my voice calm. “What I did? What the fuck are you talking about?”
She stands up, her hands balled into fists at her sides as she steps toward me.
“You stood there and let that woman walk away! You didn’t even look at her the way she deserves to be looked at. You didn’t make her talk. You—” She cuts herself off, her voice cracking with emotion. “You’re taking her side, !”
I exhale sharply, taking a step closer to her. “Sofia, that’s not what’s happening. I’m not taking her side. I’m trying to protect you.”
“Protect me?” She laughs bitterly, shaking her head. “I don’t need protection. I need answers! I need to know who killed my father, and that woman is the only one who knows!” Her voice is rising again, her temper flaring how it always does when she’s hurt—when someone she loves is hurt.
I reach out, and grab her arms gently, forcing her to look at me.
“Listen to me, Sofia. I know you’re angry, but you need to understand what’s happening. Madison lost her family that day too. Her mother and sister were killed in that restaurant. She has no one left.”
She flinches at my words, her eyes flashing with pain and disbelief. “No one?”
“No one,” I confirm, my grip tightening just slightly. “You’re not the only one who’s grieving, Sofia. She’s carrying the same weight you are, maybe worse. And she hasn’t spoken a word since it happened. She’s not the enemy. She’s just … broken.”
Sofia stares at me, her chest rising and falling with the effort of holding back more tears. For a moment, I see the cracks in her armor, the vulnerability she tries so hard to hide. It’s the same look she had the night we ended things—when we both knew we had to walk away, even if it tore us apart.
I feel the tension between us crackling like electricity, the space between us shrinking as we face off. Sofia’s temper is legendary, but right now, that fire is burning out of control.
“But you’re protecting her,” she whispers, her voice softer now, but still filled with hurt. “You’re protecting the woman who holds the answers I need?”
I release her arms, running a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface.
“I’m protecting her because that’s my job. You know as well as I do, if she dies, we lose everything—your father’s murder stays unsolved, and the killers win. Is that what you want?”
Her lips tremble, and she looks away, blinking back the tears threatening to fall again. “No… no, of course not. But it feels like you’ve chosen her over me. Over my family.”
I take a deep breath, stepping closer, lowering my voice. “Sofia, that’s not true. I’m doing this for you, and for your father’s legacy. If Madison survives, if we keep her safe, she’ll talk. And when she does, we’ll get the truth. I promise you.”
She closes her eyes, and for a moment, all I hear is the sound of her breathing, ragged and uneven. When she opens them again, the anger is still there but it’s softened.
“I just… I don’t know what to do, ,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “I don’t know how to be without him.”
Her bottom lip trembles and she looks away, her arms still crossed tightly over her chest like she’s trying to hold herself together. The sobs she was trying so hard to bury rise up again, and before I can think twice, I reach out and pull her toward me.
At first, she resists, her body stiff in my arms. But then she breaks. Her arms wrap around my waist, and she leans into me, her sobs muffled against my chest. The familiar scent of her perfume grips my heart in a vice as I hold her tightly, feeling the tension drain out of her as she cries, her body trembling against mine.
“I miss him,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “I miss him so much, .”
“I know,” I murmur, resting my chin on top of her head. “I know you do.”
She’s always been tough, but underneath that fire, there’s a softness to her she rarely lets anyone see. But I’ve seen it. I’ve always seen it.
We stand there for a long time—her sobbing quietly, me holding her like I used to when we were younger, when things were simpler. There was a time when I thought we’d be together forever. But life doesn’t work like that. Not for people like us.
After a few moments, she pulls back slightly, wiping at her tear-streaked face.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, her voice barely audible. “I just… I don’t know what to do, .”
I cup her face gently, forcing her to look at me. “You don’t have to do anything right now, but you do have to trust me, Sofia. You have to let me do my job.”
She sniffs, nodding slightly, her eyes searching mine. “Do you want her?”
The question hits me like a knock to the head and I blink, taken off guard by her words. “What?”
“Madison,” she says, her voice shaky. “Do you want her? Is that why you’re protecting her?”
I shake my head, letting out a bitter laugh. “No, Sofia. This isn’t about her, this is about what I have to do. What my father instructed me to do; I have no choice in this.”
She stares at me for a long time like she’s trying to decide if she believes me. And then, finally, she nods, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Okay.”
I let out a breath, pulling her back into my arms. She doesn’t resist this time, just leans into me, her breathing steadying as the last of her sobs fade away.
There are so many things I want to say, so many things I could say, but none of them feel right. None of them will change what’s already happened.
“Sofia,” I murmur, my voice low. “I’m going to find out who did this. I promise you.”
She pulls back, her green eyes locking onto mine. There’s still that fire in them, but it’s tempered now, softened by the grief she’s trying so hard to push down.
“I know you will,” she whispers. “I just… I want them to pay, .”
“They will,” I say firmly, my hand still resting on her shoulder. “But we have to be smart. We can’t let this spiral out of control.”
She nods again, her lips pressed into a tight line. “I know.”
I let go of her, taking a step back, trying to regain some semblance of control. Being this close to Sofia always makes things… complicated. The feelings I thought I’d buried long ago are still there, lingering just beneath the surface. But I can’t afford to think like that right now. There’s too much at stake.
“We’ll get through this,” I say, my voice steady. “But you need to keep it together. No more slapping people.”
A small, tired smile tugs at the corner of her lips, and for a second, I see a glimpse of the old Sofia—the one who used to laugh at everything, who didn’t carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“Fine,” she mutters, wiping at her eyes. “No more slapping. For now.”
I chuckle softly, shaking my head. “Good.”
As I turn to leave, she stops me with a soft voice. “?”
I glance back, meeting her gaze. “Yeah?”
“Thank you,” she says in a small voice.
I nod, the words catching in my throat. “Always.”
I turn to leave, my hand resting on the doorknob, but before I open it, I glance back at her one last time.
“Sofia… I’m sorry for everything. For not being there when you needed me.”
Her eyes soften, and she nods, her voice quiet. “I know. Just… don’t let her die, . Don’t let them win.”
I nod once, then step out of the room, closing the door behind me. As I walk down the hallway, my chest feels tight, like I’m carrying the weight of her pain along with my own.
Sofia. Madison. Two women tied to the same nightmare, and I’m caught in the middle.