ph

so's

call. His voice was sharp, controlled rage simmering beneath the su

o the words he said. Ho

y a whisper. "I haven't even seen it myself.

ed, and with that, the call beeped to an end.

**

d, my voice laced with disbelief, my fac

a glance even though I ma

if my words were just background noise to him. The rhythmic tapping of his fingers aga

worry and a lot of curiosity. Was he ignoring me on pu

time, pleading for an answer to my question. I c

unwavering. "You're stop

y heart pounded so high in m

came out; a whisper of s

ngers moving across the keyboard as i

was controlled, cold even, like

id he think he was to stop me from doing what

his desk now, blocking his view of the screen. "Yo

lly looking up at me. His eyes,

s intense gaze that made my skin crawl. "You

, exhaling as if he were de

happens around me?" His voice dropped lower, laced with so

p my spine. He kn

anger boiling over. "That jo

ilar to a smile. "Try working without safety

to each other. The tension between

nd enigmatic, but my instincts told me he knew more than

e sense of it all. "Who told y

studying me as if deciding

me. His rudeness and dismissive attitude irked me. I w

t care what you think you know.

y breath hitch. "Not on my watch, Sophia," he said,

I knew Ricci was powerful, but this... this was dif

" He stated in a low voice that made my skin cra

my life. I'm just your paid bride, not even your real wife. This is an arranged marriage, get that t

en prison that he called home, the chains of this forced marriage, and then the cold, calculatin

e, making me lean b

inance and the way he moved like the world belonged to hi

s he leaned back against the sleek marble desk. His dark, pierci

started, his voice

t him finish th

ands clenched into fists. "I don't care what you have to say, Ricci! You can contro

tched as if my words we

ly low, sending chills down my spine. "You think this

tract. One that ends the moment I decide I'v

darkening. He stood up straight

phia." His voice was totally calm but ha

in. "Then make

t. It was something else. Something that made my s

ng is not an option." He leaned closer until there was no space between us. His rich, intoxicating mu

s I stared at him. His eyes were o

, wife... then you're the most naive woman I've eve