Page 54 of His Grip

Sofia

The weight of victory pressed down on them, but it wasn’t the kind of victory that brought satisfaction. Alexei had been defeated, his empire shattered, but Sofia knew the hardest part of this war wasn’t the battle—it was the fallout. And now, she had to face the man who had started it all.

Her father. Konstantin.

The man who had sold Viktor’s family to the wolves in exchange for his own survival. The man who had hidden in the shadows, pulling strings while claiming to be her protector.

Sofia’s hands folded into fists as she moved into the dimly lit room where Konstantin was being held. Viktor was standing beside her, silent but ever-present. He hadn’t said much, but she knew he was waiting for this moment—waiting for her to confront the man who had betrayed him so deeply.

Konstantin looked smaller now, crumpled and broken, his once imposing figure deflated. The arrogance that had defined him for years was gone, replaced by something far morevulnerable—fear. It was a look Sofia had never seen in him, and it twisted something inside her.

She had grown up admiring him, seeing him as her protector, her father, but now she saw him for what he truly was. A man who had sacrificed his own flesh and blood for power. A man who had sold Viktor’s family out, knowing the consequences but doing it anyway.

"Father," Sofia’s tone was steady, but the coldness in her tone was impossible to hide. "I know everything."

Konstantin flinched as if the words were a physical blow. His eyes darted to Viktor, and then back to Sofia, a whisper of guilt in his expression. "Sofia, please," he began. "I did what I had to do. You don’t understand. I did it for us... for our survival."

"Survival?" Sofia’s laugh was bitter. "You think betraying an entire family, selling them out to Alexei, was for survival? ?? You think you had a choice in that? You had no idea what you were doing—no idea what it would cost. You didn’t just destroy Viktor’s family—you destroyed mine."

Her words hit like a slap, but Konstantin didn’t flinch. Instead, he sank deeper into himself, the weight of his guilt evident in his slumped shoulders. He couldn’t hide from the truth anymore. "I never wanted to hurt you, Sofia," he whispered. "I didn’t want to hurt anyone. But I was weak. I let fear guide me. I thought... I thought if I gave Alexei what he wanted, he would spare us. I thought he would spare you."

"You thought wrong," Sofia replied coldly. "You thought you could protect us by selling Viktor’s family to their deaths. But you were wrong. And now, we all have to face the consequences."

Konstantin’s eyes welled with tears, but Sofia didn’t flinch. The anger that had built up inside her over the years—anger at her father, at Viktor, at herself—poured out in that moment. "I was a fool to think you cared about me. You sold me out just like you sold Viktor’s family."

"Sofia, please. I did it because I thought it was the only way out. I couldn’t see another way. Forgive me... please. I’ve made so many mistakes."

For a moment, Sofia faltered. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to feel nothing but rage, but something else gnawed at her. A small, almost imperceptible part of her that still wanted her father back, still wanted the man who had protected her as a child. But that man was gone.

And the man standing before her wasn’t worth her forgiveness. Not after everything he had done.

"You think I can forgive you?" she asked. "You think that after everything, you can just beg for forgiveness and it will fix everything? No, Konstantin. You don’t get that. Not from me. Not from anyone."

There was no satisfaction in her words, no relief in finally telling him the truth. She didn’t want him to die, not exactly, but he didn’t deserve her forgiveness.

Turning to Viktor, Sofia’s expression softened for a moment. She could see the pain in his eyes, the years of anger, the scars from the betrayal. But there was something else now—something different. They held no judgment. Instead, there was understanding.

"Do what you must," Sofia said quietly, but she could hear the tremor in her escaping. "Just... make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else."

Viktor’s eyes shifted to Konstantin, and then back to Sofia. The anger was still there, but it was tempered with something else—a recognition of her strength, her resolve.

"You’re not him," Viktor said quietly. "And you never will be."

Sofia didn’t know how to respond to that, but for the first time in their shared history, it didn’t matter. Viktor wasn’t angrywith her anymore—not in the way he had been before. And for that, she was grateful.

Turning to face her father one last time, Viktor’s pitch dropped to a cold, unforgiving tone. "Konstantin Mikhailov, you’re no longer welcome in this world. You’ve lost everything—your daughter, your place here. Leave and never return."

Konstantin didn’t resist. He didn’t speak. He simply nodded, the weight of his own guilt hanging above his head as he walked out of the room.

Sofia watched him leave, the finality of the moment settling over her like a heavy weight. She had done what needed to be done, but there was no sense of closure. Not really.

Viktor sauntered closer, his hand gently touching her arm. "You did well," he said quietly.

She looked up at him, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. With a deep breath, Sofia pulled Viktor into a kiss, a kiss that spoke of everything they had been through and everything they still had yet to face. It was soft at first, a gentle meeting of lips, but soon it deepened, the emotions of the moment overwhelming them both.

This wasn’t the end. It couldn’t be. But for the first time in a long while, Sofia felt like she had found a place where she belonged.

In Viktor’s arms.

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