Page 8 of His Grip

Viktor leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk. “If I agree to this—if—don’t mistake my charity for weakness. This is business. Nothing more.”

Konstantin’s shoulders relaxed slightly, though his face betrayed the relief he felt. “Of course. Business.”

The room fell silent, the weight of the conversation pressing down on both men. Viktor broke the tension first, standing to his full height and adjusting his jacket.

“Tell me about her,” he said, his tone even but with an edge that promised this wasn’t over.

Konstantin exhaled, a hint of satisfaction creeping into his expression. “She’s not a liability, Viktor. She’s a gift—a way for both of us to come out ahead.”

Viktor’s eyes darkened, his thoughts shifting.A gift?No. Sofia wasn’t something to be exchanged like a trinket. She was fire and steel, and if she ever found out about this arrangement, she’d burn them both to the ground.

Still, he couldn’t shake the thought of her—the woman who’d left a mark on him in a single night. He wasn’t in the habit of taking what wasn’t freely offered, but Sofia? She wasn’t an offer. She was a challenge.

And Viktor never backed down from a challenge.

Konstantin’s lips curled into a grim smile. “She’s not like the others, Viktor. She’s…different. Smart. Independent. Knows how to get under your skin, but loyal when it counts.”

Loyal. The word coiled in Viktor's chest like a snake. Loyalty wasn’t something he trusted. It was too easily bought and too often betrayed. He’d learned that lesson young, courtesy of his father’s ruthlessness. Loyalty was a currency, and Viktor hadn’t traded in it for years.

But there was something in Konstantin’s tone that held Viktor’s attention. The way he spoke about Sofia—not just as a bargaining chip, but as a force. The idea of a woman who wouldn’t crumble under his gaze, who could challenge him without breaking—it was...intriguing. Dangerous, even. And Viktor liked danger.

Viktor tilted his glass slightly, watching the liquid swirl. “She sounds like more trouble than she’s worth,” he said, his voice casual, but his eyes sharp.

Konstantin’s laugh was dry, a brittle sound that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “She can be. But trouble keeps things interesting, doesn’t it?”

Viktor smirked, but it didn’t reach his eyes either. “Interesting isn’t always good.”

Konstantin leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his expression serious now. “She has fire. She won’t just stand by and watch the world burn—she’ll make sure she controls the flames.”

The room fell into a heavy silence, Konstantin’s words hanging in the air like smoke. Viktor’s mind raced with possibilities. A woman like Sofia wasn’t just an asset; she was a risk. A risk that could either tip the scales in his favor or topple everything he’d built.

Sofia would be his to exert influence.

The mood between Viktor and Konstantin was thick, laden with the stiffness of a deal struck under duress, but Viktor felt none of it. He was always in charge—always.

“I’ll take her,” Viktor said with an edge to his tone, a finality to it that left no room for debate. His eyes locked onto Konstantin’s, challenging, daring him to offer any more resistance. Konstantin’s face flickered with something between relief and calculation. Viktor could sense that Konstantin was already thinking of how he would use this to his advantage, butthat was a game Viktor was already playing, and he intended to win.

“Good,” Konstantin replied, his lips curling with a hint of satisfaction. “You’ll have her at your disposal within the week.”

Viktor regarded Andrei, who stood by the door for a flitting second. He wore a stoic expression, the one Viktor was used to by now from the many years they'd been together. The man was fiercely loyal and unreadable, but Viktor still held back. In his world, it was easy for anyone to betray you, even a family member. A friend like Andrei fell into that category a little too easily. Viktor’s gaze flicked back to Konstantin. “And one more thing. If she causes any problems... I deal with it.”

Konstantin’s smile faltered for the briefest second before he regained his composure. “Of course. She won’t be a problem.”

Viktor nodded sharply, but his mind wasn’t on Konstantin anymore. It was on Sofia. The image of her soft skin, her dark eyes, the way she had moved in that moment the night before—it haunted him. He could still feel the heat of her, the promise of submission in her every glance. But more than that, he could feel something else—something far more dangerous—a stirring of possessiveness that Viktor rarely allowed himself to acknowledge.

He’d been in control of everything for so long—his business, his empire, his life.But Sofia was different. He could already feel how she would slip under his skin, how every part of him would want to break her, mold her into something that bent to his will. But it wouldn’t be easy. It wouldn’t be quick. And it would be far more... pleasurable than anything he had ever done before.

Andrei broke into his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. “Don’t make a mistake with her, Viktor,” he said, his tone casual, almost too innocent.

Viktor’s eyes flashed to his. “What do you mean?”

Andrei’s lips curled into something that resembled a smirk, but there was no warmth in it. “You can’t order her around the way you think you can. She’s not like the others. Women like her—” he paused, leaning closer, reducing to a whisper, “they don’t bow to men like you.”

The words hit Viktor suddenly. Andrei’s implication was clear. Sofia would be more than a challenge. She would defy him, she would resist, and that, in itself, made her a prize Viktor couldn’t walk away from.

The words weren’t just a warning—they were a promise. A promise of power, of domination, of bending her to his will in ways that would consume her entirely. The idea of it—of making her his in every possible way—sent a thrill through Viktor’s veins that was almost too heightened to bear. He would crush her resistance and mold her to his desires. She would become just another pawn in his game.

Andrei didn’t speak, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sensed the change in Viktor. He had known Viktor long enough to understand when something was stirring beneath the surface. But Viktor wasn’t concerned with Andrei’s reaction.He was focused on Sofia—and how she would respond to him.

---