The chilly wind of a winter night blanketed the city, creating a mesmerizing and atmospheric vibe up on the rooftop. Sofia stood near the edge of the terrace, wearing a striking red silk night dress. Under the soft rooftop lighting, her tall, elegant frame with her hair left loose looked extraordinarily mysterious and captivating in the cold night air.
Holding her phone to her ear with one hand, she spoke in a low, hushed voice to the one person she trusted completely Artem.
With a slight curve of her lips, Sofia spoke in a soft, teasing tone
"What is it, Mr. Bodyguard? Are you standing guard under my building tonight, or have you actually gone to sleep?"
From the other end of the line, Artem's deep, steady voice came through "How could I sleep, Sofia? After witnessing your stunt at the ice rink, do you really think I can close my eyes easily? I have to keep watch, or who knows who you might decide to strike next."
A sweet, triumphant smile bloomed at the corner of Sofia's lips. Even in the freezing night air, the warmth of this phone call wrapped the entire rooftop in a lingering, intimate spell. Amidst the soft rooftop lighting and the silent winter night, right in the middle of her phone call, a sudden sound caught Sofia's attention. From the direction of the stairwell door behind her came the faint, cautious rustle of heavy footsteps. Someone was tip-toeing onto the roof with extreme stealth.
Sofia's expression shifted in a split second. Her inner vigilance and fiery instincts flared up instantly. Though she could still hear Artem on the other end of the line, she stopped speaking. The smile vanished from her lips, replaced by a hardened, serious look.
Stepping slowly away from the ledge, she turned toward the darker corner of the rooftop. Keeping the phone pressed to her ear, she whispered in a calm yet razor-sharp voice
"Artem... I think someone just made it up to the roof."
On the other end of the line, Artem's voice turned ice-cold and intensely alert in an instant "Don't move an inch, Sofia. I'm coming up." Hearing those unfamiliar footsteps on the rooftop, a cunning and sarcastic thought suddenly crossed Sofia's mind. Through the phone, she could hear Artem's anxious and fierce voice as he prepared to rush up from below through the stairwell door.
Instead of showing any fear, a mysterious and crooked smile played at the corner of Sofia's lips. Turning slowly away from the ledge with a calm and unbothered grace, she acted as though she knew precisely who dared to show up uninvited in the dead of night.
Keeping the phone to her ear, she whispered to stop Artem in his tracks
"No, Artem... stop. There's no need to come up."
Frowning with suspicion from the other end of the line, Artem asked"What do you mean? Whose footsteps are they, then?"
Narrowing her eyes with a hint of sardonic amusement, Sofia looked toward the dark stairwell door and replied I don't think it's a stranger... It's probably none other than my esteemed 'husband', Dimitri. Who else would have the pathetic urge to sneak around like a thief at this hour?"
There was no panic in her voice; instead, a strange mix of disdain and curiosity rippled through her tone as she watched Dimitri's antics. Her red silk dress fluttered slightly in the chilly night breeze, and right at that moment, a tall shadow slowly stepped forward from the dark corner of the rooftop.As Dimitri unleashed a continuous stream of foul and vicious curses at Sofia, the ugly insults pouring from his mouth included
"You whore... where the hell do you get this much audacity? Playing games with some low-life bodyguard behind my back? Today, I'm going to crush that arrogance and wipe those blue-eyed tricks right off your face! You think you can just do whatever you want and get away with it? I'll tear you apart piece by piece..."
Dimitri's violent shouting and vulgar profanities made the night air heavy. Yet, Sofia didn't flinch even a little. Wearing her red silk night dress, she leaned back slightly against the rooftop ledge. There was no fear or anger in her eyes only utter disdain and a cold, mocking smile.
Without saying a word in return, she simply stared calmly at Dimitri's frantic and unhinged state, as if his dirty insults held no power to touch her at all. Dimitri had completely lost his mind to rage. Sofia's cold indifference and mocking smile struck such a devastating blow to his fragile ego that he completely snapped.
In a blinding flash, he lunged closer to Sofia and swung his hand with all his might. With a resounding crack, a brutal, heavy slap landed straight across Sofia's pale cheek!
The sheer, vicious force of the impact jerked Sofia's head violently to the side. Her frame in the red silk night dress shuddered, and her loose hair flew wildly across her face. The force of the strike instantly left a burning, bright red mark blooming on her cheek, and she could faintly taste the metallic tang of blood.
Yet, astonishingly, Sofia didn't collapse or cower in pain. She remained still for a fraction of a second with her face turned, then slowly, deliberately straightened her head. The deep blue irises in her eyes grew infinitely colder, fiercer, and more dangerous.
Ignoring the throbbing pain and burning heat on her face, Sofia locked her gaze directly into Dimitri's eyes without an ounce of fear. Even with a drop of blood staining the corner of her lips from the blow, a chilling, cruel smile curved across her mouth. Ignoring the burning pain and the faint taste of blood on her cheek, Sofia didn't step back an inch. The cold, piercing gaze in her deep blue eyes was enough to make even Dimitri shiver down to his core.
Tilting her head slightly and wiping away the drop of blood with her tongue, she broke into a terrifying, venomous smile. Then, in a slow, calm yet razor-sharp voice, she hurled her words right back at Dimitri
"Rushing to use physical force, aren't you, coward? Your pathetic habit of throwing tantrums and bullying with brute strength hasn't changed a bit. You think a single slap saved your fragile, dead ego? You're nothing more than a gutter-rat, Dimitri... a bloodthirsty beast, and that's all you'll ever be!"
Hearing Sofia's sharp, mocking insults, Dimitri's pale face distorted even further with blind rage. Yet, Sofia remained entirely unfazed, staring straight into his eyes with an even fiercer, unyielding disdain. Giving Sofia no chance to retaliate with more words, Dimitri snapped completely like a wild beast. Violently grabbing her arm, he dragged her off the rooftop straight into his bedroom. The moment they entered, he shoved her hard, hurling her down onto the soft mattress of the bed. Her red silk night dress sprawled across the bedding, but the blazing fire in her blue eyes didn't dim for even a second.
Dimitri rushed over to the mini-fridge in the corner of the room and flung the door open. He pulled out a container or specialized vial from inside and popped the lid off. From it, a strange, thick white liquid dripped down slowly.
Twisting his face into a savage grin, Dimitri shoved the container right in front of Sofia's face and barked in a harsh, commanding tone
"You've played enough games and shown enough of that blue-eyed arrogance! Drink this right now... let's see where that stubborn pride of yours goes!"
Reclining back on the bed, Sofia tilted her head slightly away, casting a cold, intensely defiant glare at the white liquid. A deathly, chilling stubbornness still lingered across her face. Though she had been violently tossed onto the bed, Sofia didn't show an ounce of fear. Turning her head, she fixed a piercing, ice-cold stare at the bottle of thick white liquid and asked
"What is this, Dimitri?"
Hearing her question, a foul, twisted laugh broke from Dimitri's throat. Leaning in closer, he mocked her with a brutally insulting and condescending tone
"You don't recognize it? A 'high-class' woman like you doesn't know what this is? Go out into the market and ask what people use to spend the night! You can sleep... there's no better medicine to crush that arrogance of yours. Are you going to drink this yourself, or do I need to force it down your throat?"
Hearing Dimitri's filthy and degrading insinuation, a surge of burning disgust and rage flared within Sofia. Yet, she crushed down every emotion, turning her resolve into absolute stone. Her deep blue irises locked onto Dimitri with such venomous intensity that it felt as though she wanted to burn him alive right where he stood. Sofia didn't budge an inch. Her blue eyes radiated pure disgust and stubborn defiance. In a firm, unyielding voice, she flatly refused
"I won't drink it. I wouldn't touch this filthy thing of yours even if I died."
Hearing such a direct rejection, Dimitri completely snapped. The blow to his fragile ego and toxic masculinity drove him into a wild, feral frenzy.
Without wasting a single second, he yanked a heavy metal chain out from a drawer. Before Sofia could mount any defense, he brutally wrapped the cold metal chain around her neck, pulling it tight with cruel, sadistic precision.
Griping the other end of the chain tightly in his fist, Dimitri bared his teeth in a distorted grin and barked down at her
"What do you mean you won't?! Acting like a tigress in this room, are you? Now you'll obey like a chained animal! I said drink it... or I'll pull this chain and choke the life right out of you!"
Despite the choking pressure of the heavy chain around her neck and the sheer brutality of the abuse, not a single cry of pain escaped Sofia's lips. Even as the metal bit against her skin, the fierce, unblinking fire in her blue eyes remained as ice-cold and defiant as ever. The unyielding stubbornness and ice-cold glare in Sofia's blue eyes only pushed Dimitri further into a frenzy. He didn't wait another second. Pulling the heavy chain taut with one hand, he forcefully tipped the mouth of the bottle directly against Sofia's tightly clamped lips.
Sofia thrashed her head from side to side, fighting back with every ounce of strength she had, but her resistance shattered against Dimitri's brute, sadistic force. That thick, unnatural white liquid was brutally forced down her throat. As the bitter, bizarre substance slid down, a sharp shudder wracked Sofia's entire frame. A spasm of coughing shook her chest, and a few drops spilled from the corner of her lips onto the bedding.
Collapsing back against the sheets, Sofia clutched at her throat with one hand. Her deep blue eyes welled up with the physical shock of the ordeal, yet deep within those eyes, there was not an ounce of fear only a profound, frozen hatred and a fire of vengeance deadlier than death itself.
Tossing the empty container aside, Dimitri panted heavily, breaking into a twisted, triumphant grin. Yanking the chain slightly, he sneered down at her
"How was the taste, Sofia? Let's see where that arrogance hides now!"Enduring the burning irritation and discomfort in her throat, Sofia gave a slight cough as she lay back on the bed. The heavy metal chain remained tightly coiled around her pale neck.
Without showing an ounce of weakness or fear, she sharpened her gaze even further. Disregarding the blood and liquid at the corner of her lips, she stared straight at Dimitri. Her deep blue eyes blazed with fury.
In a slow, cold voice brimming with intense disgust, Sofia asked
"What did you give me... poison?"
For a fraction of a second, Dimitri seemed to stall before Sofia's cold, unyielding gaze. But the very next moment, his sadistic smirk returned. Leaning in close to her face, he answered in a deeply mocking and condescending tone
"Poison? No, Sofia... why would I let you die that easily? I don't have the luxury of wasting expensive poison on you. That's not poison... it's something designed to crush that arrogance and wipe those blue-eyed tricks right out of you in an instant."
Dimitri pulled the chain a fraction tighter and whispered
"It's a specialized drug... one that will paralyze every drop of blood in your system, dulling that fierce head of yours for good. In just a little while, you'll realize what a 'gift' that was! You'll want to run crying to your precious bodyguard, but no one is going to save you!"
Sofia's body had already begun to feel a strange, creeping numbness and a burning heat rising from within. Yet, to mask any sign of physical weakness, her inner defiance multiplied a thousandfold. She didn't shiver an ounce; instead, the piercing glare in her blue eyes was cold enough to freeze Dimitri straight to his core. The effects of the drug had slowly begun to take root in Sofia's system. Her breathing grew slightly heavier, yet the ice-cold glare and fierce hatred in her eyes didn't wane for a single second. Bound by the chain on the bed, she remained rigid and unyielding.
Consumed by madness at Sofia's continued defiance and unbroken arrogance, Dimitri couldn't contain his frenzy any longer. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he directly dialed his older brother, Victor. Within moments, the call was answered on the other end.
A twisted wave of triumphant excitement and euphoria surged through Dimitri's voice. Pressing the phone to his ear, he began speaking with a savage grin
"Victor... do you know what I just did today? That arrogant bitch, Sofia she actually had the audacity to raise her hand against me! Did she think she'd get away with it? I've given her a proper lesson. I've chained her down to the bed in my room. Just a while ago, I forced a special drug down her throat with my own hands. The intoxication is already spreading through every vein in her body... and in a few moments, that blue-eyed pride of hers will be shattered to pieces. I've decided right now, right here in this room... I'm going to completely make her mine, completely break that fierce spirit of hers once and for all!"
From the other end of the line, Victor's deep, steady voice came through "Aren't you going too far, Dimitri? Artem is lurking somewhere around that girl. If things go south, it won't be easy to handle."
Dimitri burst into a wild laugh, his eyes blinded by a reckless obsession for vengeance "Artem? Is he a god that he can just waltz into my room and snatch Sofia away? Today, the doors of this room are locked, and Sofia belongs entirely to me. Tonight, I'm going to break her completely!"