Sofia's sudden protest shattered the tension. As Rachmaninov carried her, she pressed her hands against his bare chest and pushed him back. Her blue eyes were no longer filled with surrender; they burned with dignity.
Sofia: "No, Rachmaninov! This is... it's too much. You think you can discard me one day and then play with my emotions and my ribbons the next? I am not a doll you can pick up whenever you're lonely."
She slipped out of his arms and stood on the cold floor, clutching her damp dress tightly.
Sofia: "You insulted me four days ago. Why are you here now? Just to satisfy your own desires? If that's the case, you're wrong. This has gone too far."
Rachmaninov stood in the shadows, his grey eyes unreadable. For the first time, someone had challenged his control. He watched her as she turned to leave, her pride standing tall even while she trembled. Sofia's resistance was met with a sudden, violent reaction. Just as she turned to leave, Rachmaninov reached down and grabbed her leg, dragging her with a powerful yank.
With a loud splash, Sofia fell back into the deep water of the swimming pool. Before she could even gasp for air, Rachmaninov was over her, his hands locking around her waist beneath the surface.
Rachmaninov: "Too much, you say? I am the one who decides when we are finished, Sofia. I never gave you permission to walk away from my world."
He pinned her against the edge of the pool, his grip unyielding. Her blue eyes were wide with shock and a hint of fear as she stared into his cold grey eyes.
Rachmaninov: "Now tell me... is it still 'too much'? Or do you finally understand that you belong in this darkness with me?" The sound of the slap echoed through the room. Sofia's palm struck Rachmaninov's cheek with all the fury she possessed. For a second, time stood still.
Sofia (Screaming): "I am not your slave! You cannot do whatever you want with me!"
Rachmaninov's head turned to the side, but he didn't recoil. Instead, he slowly turned back, a dark, chilling smile playing on his lips. His grey eyes were devoid of mercy. He grabbed her wrist in a vice-like grip, pinning both her hands behind her back.
Rachmaninov (With a low hum): "Hummm... You think you can hurt me? You think you can escape? You can't."
He pressed his body against hers in the water, his sun tattoo brushing against her skin. He was no longer just a lover; he was a predator who had just found a challenge.Rachmaninov didn't flinch. He touched his reddened cheek and let out a low, dark chuckle. He pulled Sofia even closer, his naked, wet chest pressing against her damp skin.
Rachmaninov: "I was waiting for that fire, Sofia. But remember, when you play with fire, you get burned."
He lifted her out of the water and dragged her in front of the massive bathroom mirror. He stood behind her, his powerful, shirtless body casting a shadow over her trembling frame.
He took the loose ribbon of her dress and, with a swift movement, tied her wrists together. Sofia watched in the mirror as her own blue eyes betrayed her fear and desire.
Rachmaninov: "Look at yourself. You are no longer that innocent girl. You belong to the dark now."Sofia squeezed her blue eyes shut, refusing to look at him. Her voice was trembling but sharp.
Sofia: "Cover yourself! Fix your... your state before you talk to me! Get this indecency out of my sight, Rachmaninov!"
Rachmaninov paused, a dark smirk playing on his lips. He leaned in close, his breath hot against her ear.
Rachmaninov: "Does closing your eyes change the truth, Sofia? Even if you don't look, I know every part of you feels me."
He stepped back and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. He stood before her again, watching her face as she slowly opened her eyes.
Rachmaninov: "Open them. I don't need to be naked to control you. I only need to look into those blue eyes of yours." Sofia struggled in his arms, her bound hands useless against his strength. She kicked and shouted as he carried her through the dark hallways.
Sofia: "Let me go! Put me down right now, Rachmaninov! You have no right!"
He remained silent, his grip tightening. He reached the drawing room and dropped her onto the leather sofa. The only light came from the fireplace, casting a flickering glow on her blue eyes.
Rachmaninov leaned over her, his grey eyes intense. He pulled out a diary and the mysterious envelope from earlier.
Rachmaninov: "Stop screaming. No one can hear you out here. You wanted to know the truth? You wanted to know why I came back? Look at this."Sofia looked at the diary with disdain. "This is just an ordinary diary, Rachmaninov. Is this your great secret?"
Rachmaninov leaned in, his grey eyes glinting in the firelight.
Rachmaninov: "Ordinary? You have no idea, Sofia."
Rachmaninov (To himself): "She's right. The real diary is with Brother Victor. He has hidden it so deeply that even the shadows can't find it. If she knew what was written in those pages, she wouldn't be standing here."
He looked at her, his sun tattoo glowing in the orange light of the fireplace.
Rachmaninov: "Victor keeps his secrets well. But you are here with me now. Do you want to know what that real diary says about you?"The mention of 'Victor' made Rachmaninov go cold. He realized he had said too much. As Sofia pressed him for answers with her piercing blue eyes, he quickly changed the subject.
Sofia: "Victor? Who is Victor? What diary does he have?"
Rachmaninov: "Victor? You misheard me, Sofia. I said 'Victory'—my victory over this situation. It's late. Stop overthinking. Let's go, I'm tired."
He swept her up in his arms again, ignoring her protests. His grey eyes were now unreadable, masking the panic of his slip-up. He carried her back toward the bedroom, leaving the mystery of Victor hanging in the dark air of the drawing room.Sofia froze. She knew exactly who Victor was—her brother-in-law. The realization hit her like a physical blow.
Sofia (To herself): "Victor? Why would my sister's husband have the diary? Is my family involved in this madness?"
As Rachmaninov carried her into the bedroom, she stopped struggling and looked him dead in the eye.
Sofia: "Don't lie to me. Victor is my brother-in-law. Why did you mention him? What is he hiding from me?"
Rachmaninov's grip tightened. He looked away, his grey eyes darkening with a secret burden.
Rachmaninov: "Your brother-in-law isn't the saint you think he is, Sofia. Some truths are better left buried. Now, sleep. Tomorrow, Victor can answer your questions himself—if he's still breathing."
He untied her wrists and left her on the bed. Sofia stared into the darkness, her blue eyes wide with a new kind of fear. The man she once loved might be working with her own family to destroy her.As Sofia's hand trembled while holding the phone, Victor's cold, calculated laughter echoed through the line, shattering her world.
The Mafia's Dark Betrayal
Victor (laughing cruelly): "Shut up, Sofia! Stop the drama. Did you really think I was just your ordinary brother-in-law? I am a Mafia Lord in this underworld. And the man you are with, Rachmaninov, is the Mafia Boss—the man we all answer to."
Sofia felt the air leave her lungs. Her blue eyes filled with tears of shock as the betrayal cut deeper than any blade.
Victor: "And let's be clear—the physical relationship I had with you wasn't about love. It was a deal. Your own older sister arranged it. She pushed you toward me for her own reasons. And your husband? He knows everything. He is part of this syndicate too. You were sold out by your own blood."
Sofia dropped the phone. The realization that her sister, her husband, and her brother-in-law had conspired to hand her over to a predator like Rachmaninov was too much to bear.
She looked up to see Rachmaninov standing by the door. His grey eyes were fixed on her, cold and triumphant. He began to walk toward her, the sun tattoo on his neck gleaming like a mark of ownership.
Rachmaninov (in a low, gravelly voice): "Now you know the truth, Sofia. Your loved ones were the ones who sent you to my bed. There is no one left to run to. You are mine now."