Sophia's heart pounded in her chest, the sound echoing in her ears as Alexander's words hung in the air.
"Good girl." His voice was low, almost a murmur, but it carried a weight that made her insides twist. His dark eyes locked on hers, filled with an intensity that made her skin prickle. He was close, too close, his tall frame looming over her. The scent of his cologne—rich and intoxicating—lingered between them.
She swallowed hard, trying to shake off the strange sensation crawling up her spine.
"And Sophia," Alexander's voice took on a hard edge now, snapping her back to reality, "house rule number one—my office is off-limits. I don't care how curious you are, *Sophia*. You step in here again, and there will be consequences. Understood?"
Her gaze faltered under the heat of his stare. She nodded quickly, desperate to escape the thick tension suffocating the air around them. "I understand."
Sophia swallowed, her throat tight. She wasn't sure if it was fear or something else that made her feel like her skin was too tight, too hot. His eyes never left hers, and for a moment, she thought he might step forward, might do something more than just stare her down.
But he didn't. Instead, he stepped back, his lips curling into a thin smile. It wasn't a kind smile. It wasn't meant to comfort her. It was meant to remind her who was in charge here.
"Go on, now go enjoy your evening." he said, his voice soft but firm. "I'll let this one slide. But don't make me repeat myself."
Sophia turned on her heel, her breath catching as she made her way into the living room. Her legs felt shaky, her mind racing in circles as she tried to calm the fluttering in her chest. She flopped onto the oversized couch, grabbing the remote with trembling fingers and flipping the TV on. The screen flickered to life, some mindless reality show filling the silence of the penthouse.
But she wasn't really watching.
Her thoughts kept drifting back to that damn office—Alexander's office—and the file with her father's business name stamped across the cover. Why would he have that? What was he keeping from her? And why the hell did he care so much about keeping her out?
Sophia bit her lip, glancing toward the hallway that led to his forbidden office. She tried to focus on the blaring TV, but her mind kept circling back to the same question: *What was in that file?*
Her father's business was the whole reason she had agreed to this charade in the first place, and now Alexander had something related to it locked away in that pristine, cold office of his? The curiosity gnawed at her, refusing to let go.
She threw the remote down on the couch, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface. *What the hell is going on?*
Just then, the soft ding of the elevator echoed through the penthouse, followed by the quiet sound of the doors sliding shut. Her head snapped up, her breath catching in her throat. He was gone.
It was a reckless thought, but it was the only thing on her mind. The idea pulsed through her, intoxicating and dangerous. She didn't have much time. He could be gone for minutes or hours, but this was her chance. If she didn't look now, the questions would eat her alive.
Without giving herself time to second-guess, Sophia slipped off the couch and tiptoed toward the hallway.
*Don't do it. Don't even think about it.*
But the urge was too strong. The more she thought about it, the more her legs seemed to move on their own, carrying her down the hallway toward the door that led to Alexander's office.
The door to his office stood slightly ajar, almost as if it was waiting for her. She hesitated at the threshold, her fingers brushing the smooth wood. A voice in the back of her mind screamed at her to turn around, to leave, but it was too late for that. She'd come too far.
Her fingers hovered over it for a moment, hesitation clawing at her. But then she heard Lily's voice in her head—"He's controlling you"—and that was enough to push her over the edge.
She walked in slowly. The office was pristine, just as she'd seen it earlier. Too perfect, too sterile. It was as though it had been untouched for hours. It was a reflection of Alexander himself—calculated, cold, impenetrable.
Her gaze swept over the room before landing on the desk. There it was—the folder. Her father's business name stared back at her like a challenge, daring her to come closer.
Sophia's heart raced as she tiptoed to the desk, her pulse hammering in her ears. The air felt thicker here, like she was stepping into dangerous territory, and deep down, she knew she was.
*Just take a quick look,* she told herself. *No one will know.*
Her fingers brushed the edge of the folder, but before she could lift it, Alexander's voice filled the room.
"What did I say about breaking rules, Sophia?"
Her blood turned to ice.
She whipped around, her wide eyes searching the empty office. There was no one there, but his voice… his voice had come from somewhere. Her heart slammed against her ribs as she spotted a small camera nestled in the corner of the room. CCTV. Of course. He'd been watching her this whole time.
"I-I wasn't—" She stammered, taking a shaky step back.
"You weren't *what*? Sneaking into my office?" His voice was calm, too calm, but laced with a dark amusement that made her stomach twist.
She swallowed hard, feeling her palms grow clammy. "I just… I wanted to see—"
"Ah, but that's the problem, isn't it? You want too much." His voice echoed through the intercom, low and authoritative. "Curiosity can be dangerous, Sophia. Especially when it comes to things you shouldn't be touching."
Her breath hitched in her throat as her gaze flicked back to the folder. She hadn't even opened it, but the guilt was already wrapping around her like a noose. What was she thinking? She knew better than to cross Alexander.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, though she wasn't sure if she was apologizing to him or herself.
"I don't need your apology," he said, his tone still infuriatingly calm. "But you will need to learn a lesson about obedience."
A chill ran down her spine.
Obedience? Lesson?
"What… what do you mean?" she asked, her voice trembling as she took another step back from the desk, from the folder, from the suffocating pressure of his words.
There was a pause—too long, too heavy—before Alexander finally spoke again, his voice dropping to a near growl.
"You'll find out soon enough."
Sophia's heart thudded painfully in her chest as the intercom cut off, leaving her in eerie silence. She stared at the camera, her pulse racing, a mixture of fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins.
She was trapped. Caught.
And she had no idea what kind of punishment Alexander had in store for her...