His body slumped lazily on the couch, a crystal glass in one hand, and a lit cigar in the other.
Puffing his cigar, he released a cloud of smoke that scattered around him, relishing the solitude and silence of his private parlor.
For minutes, he stared at the golden liquid that sparkled against the chandelier’s light but saw only one thing.
Sophia Maddison.
Yes, the woman who had recently occupied most of his waking and sleeping hours.
His wife.
Suddenly, the image of her earlier by the pool flooded his mind.
He could not stop thinking about how her breasts filled her flimsy bra to the brim. And how that teeny weeny bikini she wore left not much to the imagination.
Of course, he had seen hundreds of gorgeous bodies before, but those won never caught his attention.
But when he first saw her, lying still, peacefully slipping in nothing but her skimpy swimsuit, he could not deny that she definitely stirred his carnal instinct.
When his fingers touched her bare skin as he applied the ointnt, there was nothing else he wanted but to tear her clothing and let his fingers explore the rest of her body.
But he hesitated, not because he didn’t want to sleep with her, but because he felt like she was not ready.
No! He was not about to force himself on her.
Sophia might be acting like she was skilled in the ways of seduction and sex, but her body told him otherwise. The way her body trembled under his touch revealed the truth behind her facade.
"What was she hiding? What was her real motive for marrying him?" That remained an unsolved mystery.
Anyway, it took everything in him not to go after her when she ran into the bathroom. Instead, he left the room before he did sothing that he might regret later on.
"Who are you, Sophia?" Again, that question haunted him.
But the more important question was.
"What are you doing to , Sophia?" He had never felt like this for a long ti.
No woman had been able to stir this fierce desire, this intense possessiveness, this insane obsession to own her, the way that she could.
At least not since—
"Alia..."
"Where are you?" He whispered in the air, wondering if sohow, his voice could finally reach her. "Will you ever co back?"
When she vanished six years ago, he swore all he wanted was to find her and make her pay.
For hurting him.
For betraying him.
For taking their child.
But to be honest, there were also tis, those few monts of weakness, when he just wished she would co back and tell him that she still loved him.
Without a second thought, he knew he would take her back and forgive her. He would forget everything she had done, and then they could start all over again.
However, as soon as the alcohol wore off, reality would set in, and sanity would return.
Eventually, he would say that it was just a ntal lapse. A temporary madness.
A woman like her didn’t deserve his pity and rcy.
But despite his strong resolve, once the alcohol kicked in again, the toxic cycle continued.
But now, was he ready to let go of her? To actually move on.
Why? Why now?
Because of her.
Sophia Maddison.
Reading people was one of his strongest suits. He could easily spot a liar and a fake.
In her case, there was no way her actions had been all an act.
Her sweetness. Her kindness.
It couldn’t be just a performance.
Seeing his family interact with his wife, he could tell that they absolutely adored her, especially Dianne and Caleb.
On the other hand, the way Sophia took care of Caleb. The way she had protected his mother. There was no doubt, it was genuine affection.
Although he suspected that she was still hiding sothing from him, he was certain that she ant no harm to his family.
With that said, what about him? How did he feel about her?
Was it just lust, admiration, or fascination? Or was he starting to catch feelings for her?
"Hayz!" He sighed out of frustration, knowing it could be any of those reasons or all of the above.
"What are you doing here alone, Oliver, drinking by yourself?"
Looking up, he saw his sister by the door, with a visible large frown on her forehead, seemingly concerned.
"Marianne, do you need anything?" He asked. Although he was not expecting her presence, he was not surprised to see his little sister.
Marianne had always loved to sneak into his room or his office. She just liked to show up at the most unexpected tis.
His sister could be sweet and adorable, but she could also be annoying as hell.
"Actually, I just ca to check up on you." Marianne walked into the room and sat on the edge of the desk, dangling her legs to the side. "It seems it’s you who might be needing my help."
Her hands reached out to his face, taking his cheeks between her fingers and then squeezing them tight.
"There... that’s better." Her sister said when she forced his lips to curve into a smile. "So, tell . Why are you sulking here when your wife is outside, playing with your son?"
How to answer that question?
"And don’t say that it’s work, because it clearly is not." She shut down his excuse even before he could formulate another one. "If I have to guess... I’ll say it is trouble in paradise."
"Where is my little sister, and what did you do to her?" He jokingly said as he avoided answering her questions.
As he looked at his sister, he suddenly realized sothing.
"Well, if you haven’t noticed, I’ve done so growing up." She abruptly jumped off the desk and stood up before him. "I’m not so little anymore. Besides, I’m a grown ass woman now." Showing off her tall and slender figure.
Frankly, his sister was right. He hadn’t been paying attention to her.
Since Alia left, he had buried himself in his work, proving to his father that he could handle being the CEO and the Mafia Don. At the sa ti, it was his way of distracting himself from any thoughts of the woman who broke his heart.
He had barely had ti to actually be present in his family’s lives. Even his ti with Caleb had been limited because of his many obligations.
"Of course, I noticed." He lied, but he knew his sister could easily see through his deception. Between Benjamin and Marianne, he was closer to her. "But you will always be our little princess."
No matter what Marianne said, in his eyes, she would always be this lovely kid that he had to protect.
"And if any man tried to touch your hand, he should be ready to catch my bullet." He said, but it was not just a threat but a promise.
"As if I would ever let you shoot him." She countered, snatching a paper from the table and throwing it at him. "But enough about , we are here to talk about you."
"Are you still thinking about her?" Instantly, her mood shifted from playfulness to a solemn look. "What about any leads to your child?" She continued, but he just shrugged his shoulders.
In his family, Marianne was the only one who knew about Alia. But he didn’t actually tell his sister about her or her pregnancy, but Marianne discovered his secret by accident when she snooped through his things.
So, when his father learned about Alia, he knew it was Marianne who must have told him about her.
"Maybe it’s ti to forget about her or your child. After all, you have Sophia and Caleb." She suggested. "I really like her... Sophia."
"I think she’s nothing like Hazel." She added, clearly showing her bias between the two won.
It was not a surprise to him that Marianne never liked his first wife. Although they had shared a few common friends, his sister and his ex never truly saw eye to eye.
Moreover, Marianne hated his ex-wife for leaving him, and especially Caleb.
Truthfully, he thought his ex-wife leaving him and his son was more a blessing than a curse. In fact, he would never have married her if not for his son.
"But you barely know Sophia. How do you know that she would not end up like Hazel?" He asked, curious what his sister had seen in his wife.
"I just know," Marianne said, giving him not much of an explanation. "I really have a good feeling about her."
Again, another one fell into Sophia’s web, he thought.
But was it really that bad? Or was her coming to their lives really a good thing?
"So, if I were you, I would buy the most beautiful red roses you can find and ask your wife for a date." She proposed. "After all, you owed it to her after ruining your honeymoon."
His sister had a point. He did ruin their honeymoon by cutting it short.
"A date?"
When was the last ti he wooed a woman and asked her out on a date?
Damn, he’s rusty.
Although he had dated several won before, it was all set up by his mother. He didn’t exactly ask them to go out with him.
The only woman he actually courted was Alia. The only woman he actually loved.
But what about Sophia?
"Don’t worry, big bro, I got this. Just sit tight and just get your ass ready."
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