Page 25 of His Grip

Viktor’s heart skipped a beat, though his face remained unreadable. Was she right? The question lingered, unspoken,but present. He didn’t want to admit it, not to himself or anyone else. But he couldn’t ignore the truth that was slowly creeping in—Sofia was becoming more than just a distraction. She was making him question his decisions, his next move. She was changing something in him that he wasn’t ready to face.

Before he could answer, Kat turned and walked to the door, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. “Just remember what’s at stake, Viktor,” she said over her shoulder, with a note of finality. “Don’t let her destroy everything you’ve built. She’ll betray you,” Kat added in a near whisper. “You know she will. She’s just like every other person in this world, using you to get what she wants.”

Viktor said nothing because he didn’t know what to say, which was a first. A part of him wanted to dismiss Kat, to argue that Sofia was different. But deep down, he knew that the temptation of power, of survival, could push anyone to betrayal.

She won’t be any different.

Yet his mind couldn’t quite let go of the image of Sofia—her innocence and strength pulling at him in a way nothing else ever had.

Leaning back in his chair, Viktor tapped his fingers against the surface. “I’ll deal with it.”

Kat didn’t respond, but the look in her eyes said everything. She knew this was a battle he might not win. He followed her outside for some fresh air. When she left him, he walked alone, trying to relieve his mind of the internal struggle that was so clearly brewing.

By the time Viktor returned home, night had fully set in. The cold, crisp breeze of the city pressed against the windows of his penthouse, and the weight of his conversation with Kat still clung to him—a constant reminder of the delicate balance he had to maintain. His mind was tangled with the same thoughts thathad been plaguing him for days: Andrei’s erratic behavior, the faulty intel, and Kat’s words about Sofia.

His shoes clicked against the polished floors as he entered the penthouse, the emptiness of the space echoing his thoughts. But when he entered the living room, all those worries came to a sudden halt.

There she was. Sofia.

She was curled up on the couch, her small frame draped in one of his shirts, the fabric falling loosely around her like a shield. Her long, dark hair fanned out over the cushions, a few strands caught by the soft glow of the lamp. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, the peacefulness of her sleep a stark contrast to the chaos swirling around him. The rise and fall of her chest, slow and gentle, seemed almost like a heartbeat in the otherwise quiet room.

For a moment, Viktor just stood there, watching her. The sight of her—so unguarded, so fragile—pulled something in him he couldn’t explain. A feeling he hated and craved in equal measure. She was his responsibility now, and yet, she was so much more than that.

He watched as her chest rose and fell rhythmically, her eyelashes fluttering in her sleep. The vulnerability she exuded in that moment was nothing like the fierce woman who challenged him daily.

A strange sense of protectiveness blinked inside him. It was a weakness, and Viktor despised it. This is not how it’s supposed to be, he thought. He was the one who decided everything. But when it came to Sofia, something inside him wavered.

Her body shifted slightly, and her head rolled against the armrest, her cheek caressing the cool leather. Viktor peered at her, lingering for a beat too long. Her innocence in that moment—her complete lack of awareness about the world she had entered—gnawed at him.

She shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t be sleeping so peacefully, so trusting, in his world. He knew the dangers she faced, and yet here she was, a delicate thread in his web, vulnerable in a way that made him reel with frustration and confusion.

Viktor sighed, his walls shaky for a moment as he took a step toward her. The weight of the day, the strain with Andrei, the warnings from Kat—all of it felt like it was crashing in on him at once.

But even so, he couldn’t bring himself to leave her there. He couldn’t shake the impulse to move closer.

With a soft exhale, he crouched down next to her, careful not to disturb her sleep. He reached out, pushing a stray lock of hair from her face, his fingers lightly grazing her soft skin. Her warmth seeped into him, and he felt an urge to protect her—not just because she was his responsibility, but because there was something about her that called to him.

Her being there was steady, soothing almost, and it brought a strange sense of calm to Viktor’s stormy mind. But he wasn’t fooled. This is dangerous, he reminded himself. He couldn’t let her get too close. She was a distraction. A beautiful, vulnerable distraction—but a distraction nonetheless.

Sofia stirred again, her lips parting as she let out a soft, contented sigh. Viktor watched her, mesmerized. She was so unaware of him, so unaware of the fact that his world was one of violence and treachery. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen if she ever realized how deep she was in.

He felt a strange pull—an instinct to pull her away from all of it, to shield her from the darkness that surrounded him. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t protect her from everything. Not from what he had created.

Before he could lose himself in that thought, Viktor gently scooped her up into his arms, careful not to wake her. She didn’tstir as he lifted her, her body soft and pliant in his hold. It was a stark contrast to the power he wielded, the iron grip he maintained on his empire. And yet, with her in his arms, he felt... vulnerable. As if the one thing he thought he had power over, his own emotions were slipping through his fingers.

Her face nestled against his chest as he carried her to the bedroom, and for a moment, he felt like an entirely different person. Not the ruthless mafia boss. Not the calculating leader. Just a man holding a woman who was everything he couldn’t afford.

He set her down gently on the bed, her body soft against the cool sheets. Viktor stood there for a moment, looking at her, trying to banish the thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him. But it was no use. She was a complication. A beautiful, infuriating, and unpredictable complication.

Viktor put his fingers through her hair one more time, a gentle touch that lingered far too long. What are you doing to me? He thought.

As he turned to leave the room, his mind was already back on the problems he’d been avoiding: Andrei, Alexei, the lies and betrayal creeping into his world. But even as he walked out, a part of him remained rooted to Sofia, to the way she looked in the dim light, to the warmth of her body still fresh in his mind.

She’s not safe here. And neither am I, Viktor thought grimly, but it didn’t stop the ache in his chest from growing.

CHAPTER 10

Sofia

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