She turned abruptly, leaving the dining room behind. The butler's concerned voice followed her.
"Miss, you haven't eaten your dinner yet."
Sofia's response was curt. "I'm not hungry."
She walked away, her footsteps echoing up the stairs. The butler's eyes watched her go, his expression thoughtful.
Liam stood at the window of his room, gazing out into the night sky. The stars twinkled like diamonds scattered across the velvet expanse, but his eyes weren't drawn to their beauty. Instead, he stared at the dark clouds, their ominous shadows reflecting the turmoil within.
His expression was etched with pain and heartbreak, the lines on his face deepening as memories flooded his mind. The past swirled around him, a maelstrom of emotions he thought he'd long buried.
Sofia's face haunted him, her laughter echoing through his thoughts. He remembered the way she'd once looked at him, with eyes full of promise and love. But also, the way she'd chosen Julian over him, shattering his heart into a million pieces.
Liam's jaw clenched, his fists tightening as the old wound throbbed anew. The darkness outside seemed to closing in, suffocating him. He felt trapped, unable to escape the ghosts of his past.
The stars shone brightly, but their light couldn't penetrate the shadows within him. Liam's eyes burned, his gaze fixed on the darkness, as if searching for answers to questions he'd never dared ask.
The silence was oppressive, heavy with the weight of unspoken words. Liam's chest heaved, his breathing ragged, as he struggled to contain the emotions threatening to consume him.
In that moment, he was transported back to the day Sofia had walked away, leaving him shattered and broken. The pain was still raw, still festering, and Liam knew he'd never fully healed.
The night air whispered secrets, reminding him of the love he'd lost, and the love he still held onto, despite the danger it posed to his very existence. Liam's heart ached, torn between the past and the present, between the love he'd lost and the love he couldn't let go of.
The darkness closed in, a suffocating shroud, and Liam felt himself drowning in the depths of his own despair.
Liam's door creaked open, the sound echoing through the silence of his room. He turned around, his expression disapproving, expecting one of his staff to have entered unannounced.
But instead, he was met with a sight that made his frown deepen.
Sofia stood in the doorway, her eyes blazing with a fierce intensity. Her gaze was red-rimmed, her eyelids puffy from crying. Her face was pale, her skin drawn taut over her cheekbones.
Liam's face turned cold, his features hardening into a mask of granite. His eyes froze, their warmth extinguished by a glacial chill.
"little evil," he said, his voice low and detached.
Sofia's eyes flashed with determination her jaw clenched. She took a step forward, her movements fluid and deliberate.
Liam's gaze didn't waver, his expression unyielding. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone devoid of emotion.
The air seemed to vibrate with tension as Sofia's eyes locked onto Liam's, her presence crackling with electricity.
Sofia stood frozen, her eyes locked onto Liam's imposing figure. He stood tall, his broad shoulders and chiseled chest evident beneath the black bathrobe that clung to his damp skin. Water droplets glistened on his snow-white complexion, trickling down his neck and chest, disappearing beneath the robe's edges.
Liam's black eyes pierced through her, their intensity making Sofia's heart race. His gaze seemed to bore into her very soul, as if searching for secrets she dared not reveal. His dark hair was mussed, tiny droplets clinging to the strands, framing his face with rugged elegance.
The bathrobe, loosely tied at his waist, revealed a tantalizing glimpse of his sculpted physique. Sofia's cheeks flushed as her eyes involuntarily drifted to the contours of his chest, the ridges of his abdomen, and the powerful legs visible beneath the robe.
"What are you doing in my room?" Liam's low, husky voice broke the spell, his words laced with a subtle warning.
Sofia's gaze snapped back to his face, her heart skipping a beat. Liam's eyes still probed hers, his expression unreadable. The air was charged with tension, the silence between them thick with unspoken emotions.
Sofia's voice barely above a whisper, "I...I needed to talk to you."
Liam's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched. "Talk?" he repeated, his tone dripping with skepticism.
Sofia's hands trembled as she hugged herself, her eyes locked onto Liam's. The distance between them seemed to shrink, the space charged with an electric attraction that neither dared acknowledge.
"The butler said you won't be eating in the estate tonight," Sofia said, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity.
Liam's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he nodded curtly.
"And you said the person is important to you," Sofia continued, her tone trembling slightly.
Liam's expression remained impassive, but he replied, "Yes."
Sofia's hands clenched into fists, her eyes blazing with a mix of emotions. "Can't you not go tonight?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Liam's brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing. "Why shouldn't I?" he countered.
Sofia's face twisted in anguish. "Because I don't want you to," she admitted.
Liam's gaze intensified, his eyes probing hers. "Sofia, what's going on?" he demanded.
"I know you want to go and see that Emilia girl," Sofia said, her voice trembling.
A smile of amusement flashed across Liam's face, but Sofia didn't notice.
"Can you stay with me for tonight?" Sofia pleaded, tears falling down her face like moonlight. "I know I wronged you and hurt you badly, but the truth is I was manipulated by my stepsister and others. You are the first person I truly loved in the past."
Liam's expression turned cold, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Do you know the meaning of love?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You don't know how it feels to love someone, so don't talk about love in front of me."
Liam's smile grew wider. "As for me going out tonight, it's not your business who I meet or what I do with them."
Sofia's determination hardened, her jaw clenched. "You won't see her tonight," she said, locking and blocking the door way.
Liam looked at Sofia with amusement in his eyes, his gaze lingering on her fiery spirit. "Do you think you can stop me from meeting her? You can't do what she does for me."
Sofia's heart skipped a beat as Liam licked his seductive lips. She felt a flutter in her chest.
"She's better than you," Liam said, his words piercing Sofia's heart like needles.
Sofia's face twisted in anguish. "No, she's not!" Sofia protested.
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Jealous?"
Sofia's eyes blazed with fury. "I won't let you go to her!"
Liam chuckled slightly. "We'll see about that."
He walked towards his wardrobe to pick out his outfit , indifferently.
Sofia hugged him from the back, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist.
Liam's hands paused mid-motion as Sofia's arms wrapped around his waist, her body pressing against his back.
"Please, Liam," Sofia whispered, her voice trembling. "Don't go. Stay with me."
she won't let her stepsisters to come in between her and Liam anymore.
Liam's expression remained impassive, but his eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't respond, didn't react, as if Sofia's plea was insignificant.
I can see you have forgotten your punishment earlier, he said seriously in his mind.
Sofia's grip tightened, her face buried in his back. "I love you, Liam. I'm sorry for everything. Please forgive me."
Liam's shoulders tensed, his jaw clenched. He slowly turned around, Sofia's arms still wrapped around him.
she tiptoed Their faces inches apart, Liam's gaze pierced Sofia's. His eyes were cold, unyielding.
"Let go, Sofia," he said, his voice low and detached.
Sofia's eyes welled up with tears, her lips trembling. "No," she whispered.
Liam's expression didn't change, but his voice took on a hint of warning. "Sofia, don't make me - "
Sofia's lips brushed against his, a desperate attempt to reignite the flame between them.
Liam's eyes flashed with surprise, but he didn't respond. He stood frozen, his lips unmoving.
Sofia's kiss deepened, her passion and desperation pouring into it.