Page 26 of His Grip

Sofia moved softly through the hall, the stillness in the atmosphere thick and uneasy. Her eyes flicked to the shadows at the edge of the room, but nothing moved. Yet, there was something about the atmosphere tonight. Something off.

Andrei had always been unpredictable — burly, always scowling, always too eager to prove his strength. But tonight, something in his posture had caught her attention. It was subtle at first, just a momentary flash of something unfamiliar as he stood in Viktor’s office, eyes scanning the room like a man looking for something he shouldn’t. He seemed… too aware of the space around him, as if he were calculating each step, weighing the risks. And that was unusual. Andrei was impulsive, brash, never one to hide his movements. But this was different.

Sofia’s pulse raced as she edged closer to the crack in the door, peering through the small opening. She wasn’t supposed to be listening in on Viktor’s conversations—especially not with Andrei. But the words that filtered through the thick wood of the door were too compelling to ignore.

“Alexei is making moves.” Viktor spoke to Andrei in low, almost growling tones, the atmosphere darkening. “He’s pushing for a foothold in the city. It’s not just talk this time. He’s coming for us.”

Andrei’s response was a clipped grunt, the sound like a mere acknowledgment. “He’s been making noise for years, Viktor. This time, it’s different.”

Sofia felt her pulse race. The name Alexei had been whispered around the house, always in the context of Viktor’s enemies, the ones who challenged his power. Alexei Markov was not a name that should be spoken lightly, but hearing it now, in such an intimate context, stirred something dangerous in Sofia’s gut.

“You think it’s time?” Andrei’s tone, low and calculating, made her quiver. “To end it?”

There was a hushness that followed, the kind that hung heavy with unspoken intentions. Then, Viktor broke through it, harder than before.

“Not yet. But when the time comes…” Viktor paused. “I’ll make sure it’s final.”

The conversation fell into a murmur, the words too indistinct for Sofia to catch, but the implication was clear. Alexei was planning something—and Andrei, standing there so coolly, seemed too eager to deal with it. But what bothered Sofia the most wasn’t just Andrei’s interest. It was the strange undercurrent of agreement between him and Viktor. As if Viktor trusted him more than she had realized.

Sofia recoiled, her mind racing with the fragments she had overheard… Alexei was Viktor’s enemy, but what role was Andrei playing in this? Was he loyal to Viktor—or was there something else? Something she hadn’t fully understood about the man who was supposed to be Viktor’s closest ally.

She turned and walked down the hallway, her thoughts a tangled mess of suspicion and uncertainty. If Andrei was involved in whatever plot was brewing, it would mean danger. Viktor trusted him. Sofia knew that. And if Andrei was betraying Viktor, it would tear everything apart.

A chill ran down her spine.

Sofia’s mind was still reeling when she entered Viktor’s private study hours later. The weight of what she had overheard sat heavily on her, pressing down on her chest like a fist. She wasn’t supposed to be poking around in Viktor’s things, not without a good reason. But the journal—she couldn’t ignore it any longer.

The leather-bound book sat on the top shelf of the bookshelf, tucked away where it looked like no one would bother. It was the same journal Viktor had been carrying with him in recent weeks, one she had glimpsed only in passing, its pages always hidden from her eyes. The intrigue had been building for days now, and tonight, she couldn’t hold herself back. If Viktor had secrets, she needed to know them.

Her fingers glided over the edges of the journal, her pulse quickening. She pulled it down carefully, the heavy weight of it more ominous than it appeared. The lock on the front of the book was simple—a thin brass clasp, but when Sofia tested it, it didn’t budge.

Damn it.

She bit her lip in frustration, scanning the room, desperate for a way in. Viktor’s office was dimly lit, the only light coming from a single desk lamp that cast long shadows across the room. Her eyes shifted to the drawer beneath his desk, and a thought crossed her mind.

There had to be something in there that would help.

Sofia approached the desk cautiously, opening the drawer with a slow, deliberate motion. She shifted through papers—contracts, bills, notes—until her fingers landed on a small silver key. A key that matched the lock of the journal perfectly.

A feeling of triumph surged through her as she took the key, hurriedly walking back to the bookshelf. Her hands shook as she slid the key into the lock, turning it with a soft click. The journal opened, its pages rustling softly as Sofia flipped through them.

She gasped.

The entries were written in Viktor’s handwriting, but they weren’t just business notes or financial plans. They were detailed observations, not just about the family’s operations, but about Sofia herself. Her mannerisms, her reactions, her every move. Every word felt like a calculated observation, as if Viktor were studying her—analyzing her with the same intensity he applied to every part of his life.

Her chest squeezed. There was so much more to Viktor than she had realized.

The sound of the door opening behind her made her freeze.

“Sofia,” Viktor’s words had a smooth and dangerous tone, sounding close. Too close. “What do you think you’re doing?”

She spun around, heart hammering in her chest. Viktor stood there, his eyes dark with something unreadable as they locked on hers.

Before she could answer, he was upon her, his body pressing her back against the shelf with a force that made her mouth fall wide open. His hands were on her arms, seizing her tightly, his eyes never leaving hers.

“You shouldn’t have done this,” Viktor growled. His lips were only a hair away from hers, the charge between them crackling.

Sofia swallowed, her throat dry. “I— I needed to know.”

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