Page 10 of His Grip

Sofia’s chest tightened like a vice. She wanted to scream, to throw herself at Konstantin and demand another way, any way, out of this. But the weight of his words settled over her like a lead blanket. There was no escape, no alternative. Ivan’s life was on the line, and her father would hand her over without hesitation if it meant preserving his empire.

“I don’t understand how you can do this, Papa. How you can look at me and see nothing but a piece on your chessboard.”

Konstantin straightened the sharp angles of his face hardening. “It’s not about understanding, Sofia. It’s about survival. Yours, Ivan’s, and this family’s.”

“And marrying me off to Viktor Ivanov is your brilliant solution?” Her voice cracked, her frustration spilling into the room like an electric current. “You think shackling me to a man like him will solve all your problems? That I’ll just quietly go along with this because you’ve decided it’s my fate?”

“You’ll do it because you don’t have a choice,” he shot back, his voice cutting through her defiance like a blade. “Viktor isn’t just dangerous—he’s powerful. He’s a man who values loyalty above all else. Your brother is reckless. This alliance will keephim in line and make our enemies think twice before they strike.”

Sofia let out a bitter laugh, the sound devoid of humor. “How noble of you,” she said, her words dripping with venom. “Sacrificing your daughter to keep your kingdom intact.”

Konstantin’s jaw tightened, his frustration barely contained. “Enough, Sofia. This isn’t about what you want. It’s about what you have to do. You’re strong—stronger than you know. And whether you like it or not, it’s time to show it.”

Her heart thudded heavily against her ribs, each beat echoing the crushing inevitability of it all. She felt trapped, suffocated by the web of power and desperation her father had spun around her. But she refused to give him the satisfaction of thinking he’d broken her.

“Fine,” she said after a long pause, the word slipping through clenched teeth. “I’ll do it. But don’t confuse my compliance with acceptance. I’m doing this for Ivan, not for you.”

Konstantin’s nod was curt, his face unreadable. “You may hate me now, but one day you’ll understand why it had to be this way.”

“I doubt that,” she muttered, turning her back on him. Her voice came quieter, edged with exhaustion. “When does he get here?”

“Tomorrow,” Konstantin replied. “Prepare yourself. Viktor is... a man of conviction. He’ll expect you to be cooperative. He doesn’t tolerate rebellion.”

Sofia’s gaze snapped back to him, her defiance undimmed. “Rebellion is the only thing keeping me from falling apart right now. Don’t expect me to hand it over to him.”

The next day, standing in her father’s office, Sofia tried to calm the storm raging inside her. Her heart wouldn’t stop pounding, and every instinct screamed for her to run. But it was too late for that. Viktor Ivanov was already on his way, and inmoments, she’d be face to face with the man who had kissed her like she was the last breath he’d ever take.

Her stomach churned as the memory resurfaced, vivid and unwelcome. She hated him. Hated the way he made her feel. Hated the way her body had betrayed her in that moment. He would be her husband soon, but it would be nothing more than a performance, a façade.

No. Don’t think about it. Don’t let him get inside your head, she told herself.

And yet, even as she tried to steel herself, her body betrayed her. The memory of his lips on hers, the heat that had surged between them, made her pulse quicken. She remembered the taste of him—bitter, demanding, and so utterly consuming. He had kissed her as if he wanted to own her, as if he already knew that one kiss was only the beginning. And somehow, she had let him.

A sudden jolt ran through her as the door opened with a smooth creak, and his sharp eyes swept over her, taking in every inch, assessing, evaluating.

He was everything she hated about this world. Cold. Calculating. Unforgiving. And yet, there was something undeniably alluring about him. His power, the way he carried himself—like he owned every room he entered. He wasn’t just a man who commanded respect; he commandedsubmission.

Her chest constricted as his gaze met hers. She refused to show fear, even as the weight of his presence threatened to crush her. The truth was, she was terrified. Terrified of what he might ask of her, of how far he would push her once she was in his grasp. Terrified of how he made her feel.

Viktor took a deliberate step toward her, and her heart skipped a beat. The space between them crackled with an intensity that was impossible to ignore. She felt the weight of his stare on her, like it was touching her skin, searing it. He didn’tsay anything at first. Instead, his eyes traced the curve of her jaw, the line of her throat, lingering where her pulse beat wildly beneath her skin.

“Do you know why I’m here?” His voice was low, smooth, and laced with quiet authority.

Sofia tilted her chin up, her defiance sharp. “To seal this arranged marriage, I assume.”

“Still as bratty as I remember,” he drawled, his voice a low hum that set her nerves on edge.

Before she could respond, he moved closer, the heat of his body reaching her, and it made her pulse race. He didn’t touch her—not yet—but the closeness was enough to make her body react. She could feel the passion coiling between them, the unspoken spark that danced in the space where their bodies nearly touched.

“Well, you can be as bratty as you want, but it’s not going to help your situation,” Viktor said, his voice steady yet laced with an undercurrent of authority. “The way I see it, you have only two choices: to behave or to rebel. Either way, you’ll consent and comply with this marriage as I see fit.” He let the words hang in the air, a challenge wrapped in a promise.

Sofia lifted her chin defiantly, her spirit a lifeline against the magnetic pull of his presence. “Make all the rules you want, Viktor. Go ahead and shout from the mountaintops about how big your balls are; I won’t be your pawn,” she shot back, each word a dagger, even as a flutter of fear danced in her chest. “And I never will be.”

His jaw tightened, the muscle ticking like a clock counting down to an explosion. Before she could take a step back, his hand encircled her wrist—firm, yet not unkind—tethering her in place.

“You’re already in this world,” he said, his voice dropping to a quieter, more intimate tone, though it remained commanding.His eyes bore into hers, and the dangerous edge in his voice made her breath hitch. “Every move you make, every word you speak—it’s all tied to me now.”

The closeness was suffocating, his heat and presence wrapping around her like a storm she couldn’t escape. But Sofia refused to falter. Even as her heart raced, even as his grip ignited an unwelcome spark she wished she could extinguish, she clung to her resistance like a shield, determined to stand her ground.

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