The days following the signing of the divorce papers were a blur for Sophie. She'd returned to her room in the Xie mansion, but it no longer felt like home. The walls that had once provided a sense of security now seemed oppressive. Everything about the mansion—its cold marble floors, the towering ceilings, the opulent furniture—felt like a cage, a reminder of a life she hadn't chosen.
Sophie had always been the dutiful wife, the perfect woman in Leo's world, never questioning the life he had built for them. But now, with the papers signed, her role was clear: she was nothing. He had made that perfectly evident, and that harsh truth echoed in her mind with every passing hour.
She tried to stay busy, to lose herself in the mundane tasks of running errands for the family, to push the ache in her chest aside. But everything brought her back to Victor. The way his eyes followed her every time they were near. The weight of his words. He had promised her power. Freedom. Choice.
And though she hadn't admitted it to herself, Sophie was beginning to wonder if he might offer her a way out of the suffocating life she had been trapped in. But there was also something darker in his presence. A shadow that followed him wherever he went, and Sophie wasn't sure if she was ready to dive into the unknown.
That evening, she stood by the window, watching the sunset paint the sky in shades of pink and gold, trying to escape her spiraling thoughts. She felt trapped in a life that no longer had any meaning, her future uncertain. Then, there was a soft knock at the door.
"Sophie," came a voice from the other side. It was Victor.
Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected him to come for her today. Not after their last conversation. Still, she opened the door, finding him standing in the hallway, his dark eyes watching her with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine.
He didn't speak right away. Instead, he just studied her, as though weighing something unspoken between them. Sophie didn't know how to read him. Was he here to comfort her? Or to continue to test her boundaries?
"I wasn't expecting you," Sophie said softly, stepping back to let him in. Her voice was more neutral than she wanted it to be, but she had no idea how to act around him.
Victor smiled faintly, his gaze moving from her to the room beyond. "I didn't think you'd be expecting me," he said smoothly, his voice carrying that same confident, yet dangerous edge. "But I thought it was time we had a more honest conversation."
Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Honest conversation?"
He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him with deliberate slowness. He was taller than her, his presence somehow filling the space, as though he didn't belong in this place at all.
"About your future," he said, his voice low. "And about us."
The words hung in the air, heavy with implications. Sophie swallowed, trying to steady the fluttering in her chest. She wasn't sure where this was headed, but she knew she had already crossed a line by allowing him in.
Victor took a few steps forward, stopping just in front of her. Sophie could feel the heat from his body, a sharp contrast to the cool air in the room. She didn't know what it was, but something about him made her heart race, her thoughts scatter.
"I know you're going through a lot right now," Victor continued, his voice softer, almost coaxing. "I saw how you signed those papers. How Leo didn't even look at you when you handed them back." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle between them. "But let me tell you something, Sophie. You don't have to be his second choice anymore."
Sophie flinched, the words cutting deeper than she expected. Second choice. That was exactly how she had always felt in their marriage. Leo had never truly seen her, not in the way she had hoped. But hearing Victor say it so bluntly made her feel raw.
"You think I care about that?" Sophie's voice was barely above a whisper, but there was a steel to it that she hadn't anticipated. "I'm done with Leo, Victor. I don't need you to tell me what I already know."
Victor stepped even closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "You say that now, but you don't understand. You think you've been freed, but Leo isn't the only cage you've been locked in. There's more waiting for you outside this house, Sophie. I can show you what real freedom looks like."
Sophie's breath caught in her throat as his words washed over her. She could see it in his eyes—the promise of something more. Something dangerous. And yet, despite herself, part of her wanted to reach out and take it. She wanted to feel something more than the numbness that had taken over her life.
Before she could speak, Victor reached forward, his fingers lightly brushing against her cheek. The touch was so tender, yet it sent a jolt of electricity through her skin. Sophie inhaled sharply, stepping back instinctively.
"Don't," she whispered, her pulse quickening.
Victor's smile deepened, but his touch remained gentle. "You're afraid of what might happen if you let go, aren't you?"
Sophie turned away from him, her heart hammering in her chest. She needed to think clearly. But all she could feel was the weight of his presence—the gravity pulling her toward him.
"I can't do this," she muttered, half to herself. "I don't even know who you are, Victor."
He didn't reply at first. Instead, he reached forward and cupped her chin, lifting her gaze back to his. His fingers were warm, and despite her reservations, Sophie couldn't look away from him.
"You will," he said softly, his voice like velvet. "In time, Sophie. You'll understand exactly who I am. And by then, you'll realize how much power you've been missing."
Sophie's lips parted, but before she could say anything more, Victor leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, "I'll be back for you, Sophie. When you're ready."
And with that, he was gone, slipping out of the room as quietly as he had entered, leaving Sophie standing there, her body trembling with the aftermath of his touch.
She stood motionless, staring at the door, her mind racing. What had just happened? What had he meant by "ready"?
The line between right and wrong was blurring. She was beginning to wonder if she had ever known the difference.