Sophia had barely settled at the dining table, laptop open and documents spread across the surface, when Liam's voice broke her concentration.
"Working already?" he asked, strolling in with his usual air of nonchalance, a glass of orange juice in hand.
"I don't have the luxury of lounging around all day," she replied coolly, not looking up from her screen.
Liam chuckled as he sat across from her. "If this is about proving you're more than a pretty face, you don't have to work so hard. I already know you're ruthless."
Her gaze snapped to his, sharp as a blade. "Don't pretend you know anything about me."
He leaned back, his smirk infuriatingly smug. "I know enough. You're a control freak who doesn't like being backed into a corner. But here's the thing, Sophia—this is my game. And I don't lose."
She slammed her laptop shut, her temper flaring. "Your game? Let's get one thing straight, Liam. You may have forced me into this marriage, but you don't control me. I don't play by your rules."
"Is that so?" he asked, his tone teasing yet dangerously calm. "Then tell me, how do you plan to win?"
Sophia's lips curved into a defiant smile. "By being smarter than you. Which, let's be honest, won't be hard."
Liam's eyes glinted with amusement, but there was an edge of challenge there, too. "I'm looking forward to seeing you try."
The tension crackled between them like an electric current, each unwilling to back down. Sophia stood, gathering her things.
"I don't have time for your games, Liam," she said, turning toward her room.
As she walked away, his voice followed her, low and deliberate. "You already started playing, Sophia. You just don't realize it yet."