Page 49 of His Grip

“I can’t keep doing this with you, Sofia,” he said, his pitch low but rough, as though the words themselves were being torn from him. His eyes hardened, his body still betraying his own desires. "You don’t get to come into my life and play these games, not anymore."

Sofia stood still, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Slowly, she reached out, her fingers brushing the side of his face.

“I’m not playing games with you, Viktor,” she whispered. “I never was.”

Viktor’s jaw clenched, and he pushed her hand away gently, as if her touch burned him. “You’ve been hiding the truth fromme. About your father. About everything. I can’t just forgive that, no matter what’s between us.”

Before Sofia could reply, Viktor turned away, looking at the scattered papers across his desk. He could feel the weight of his decisions pressing down on him, suffocating him with their implications. He had work to do, and right now, he couldn’t afford to be consumed by her, by the desire she stirred in him. He had to put that aside—focus on something more important.

As he turned his attention to the documents, a familiar, thick ledger caught his eye. It was one of Konstantin’s, old and dusty, but it immediately piqued his interest. Viktor had been combing through his father’s records for weeks now, trying to get a sense of the financial network Konstantin had been running before the inevitable fall. He needed leverage over Alexei, and Konstantin had always been more than a financial aid—he had ties, far-reaching connections that could aid in Viktor’s war.

Flipping through the pages with a practiced hand, Viktor’s eyes narrowed as he found what he had been searching for: a coded entry, a set of numbers and symbols that made no sense on the surface. His heart began to race as he recognized the patterns—this wasn’t just a random ledger. This was evidence. Evidence of Konstantin’s deep involvement with Alexei, his ties to the rival mafia leader stretching back years.

The realization hit Viktor hard. His father had been more than just a traitor; he had actively aided Alexei in his schemes. His blood ran cold as the full weight of the discovery settled over him. Konstantin wasn’t just an innocent pawn in the game—he was complicit, an active player. It was a blow Viktor hadn’t been ready for, one that would change everything.

Sofia’s earlier confession now took on an entirely new layer of complexity. It wasn’t just about her; it was about the choices her father had made, the choices that had shattered everything Viktor had known. The rage inside him flared again, but now itwas different. Now, it wasn’t just her betrayal—it was everything she represented. If he could expose Konstantin, he could cripple Alexei, take away his power, and secure his own reign. But at what cost?

Turning back to Sofia, Viktor’s heart clenched at the thought of her involvement. She had known all this—her father’s manipulation, his ties to Alexei—and she had hidden it from him. His instincts screamed at him to confront her, to demand answers, but the calm, calculating part of him knew it wasn’t the time. Not yet. Not when he still had so much left to unravel.

“You…” Viktor started, “You have no idea what you’ve just unleashed.” He was talking to her now, but his eyes were fixed on the ledger. His fingers traced the coded message once more, but there was no denying the conflict that simmered just below the surface. His vendetta against Alexei had just become more personal, more dangerous, and now Sofia’s safety was tied to everything he was about to do.

Sofia got closer, sensing the shift in his mood. “Viktor,” she said softly, but he cut her off.

“Stay back,” he warned, sounding hard as steel, even as his body longed to pull her close again. He couldn't afford weakness, not now. “You don’t get to play the victim here. Your father’s the one who’s been playing all of us.”

Her eyes darkened, and the energy in the room thickened again, this time with a sense of impending catastrophe.

CHAPTER 19

Sofia

Sofia’s heart raced as she sat in the dimly lit room of the safe house, the weight of the decision she’d just made pressing down on her. The meeting with Alexei had gone as she expected—calculated, cold, and to the point. She’d offered herself as leverage in exchange for Ivan’s safety, knowing full well what that could mean. She could feel Alexei’s eyes on her, always measuring, always thinking several steps ahead. But she’d held her ground.

She wasn’t some fragile woman to be manipulated. Her brother’s life was at stake, and she would do whatever it took to keep him safe.

“I’ll give you what you want,” Sofia had said, despite the storm brewing inside her. “But Ivan stays out of this. He’s not part of your game.”

Alexei’s lips had curled into a wicked grin. “Of course, Sofia. You have my word.”

But the lies behind his smile hadn’t escaped her. She knew he’d use her—he was always thinking about power, always scheming. But for now, this was the only way to protect Ivan.

She had left the meeting with Alexei feeling a mixture of relief and unease, her mind whirling with the implications of what she’d just done. She had to tell Viktor. She had to face the music. But as much as she feared his reaction, she knew there was no other choice.

Sofia paced the small room, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. She’d tried calling Viktor several times, but he hadn’t answered. Her stomach twisted in knots, anxiety mounting as she waited. What would he say when he found out what she had done? Would he see it as an act of betrayal, or would he understand that she was only trying to protect her family?

The door to the room finally opened, and Viktor walked in, his face a mask of cold indifference. His eyes scanned the room quickly, but when they landed on her, they narrowed with suspicion.

“What did you do, Sofia?” he demanded with barely contained anger. His presence filled the room like a storm, dark and ominous.

Sofia swallowed hard, meeting his stare with a mixture of defiance and regret. She had known this moment would come, but now that it was here, it felt like she was standing on the edge of a precipice.

“I met with Alexei.” She fought to hide the tremor in her hands. “I offered myself in exchange for Ivan’s safety.”

For a moment, Viktor was silent. He moved to a chair propped against the wall, crossing his legs. Then, without a word, he uncrossed them, and she realized he was trying to play it down, keep his cool, pretend she hadn’t just done somethingcatastrophically terrible. But she didn’t feel bad. No, she had done this for Ivan, and there was no going back now.

She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling heavily. “Say something, Viktor. Why won’t you say anything?”

“You do realize what you’ve just done, right?”

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