Chapter 12
“Sophia, of course.”
The moment the words left Vincent’s mouth, Marco slammed on the brakes. The tires screeched against the pavement.
“Sorry, Boss!” Marco apologized hastily, his back slick with a cold sweat.
To his surprise, Vincent wasn’t angry. He just lifted his cold gaze, studying his assistant in the rearview mirror. “Does my answer shock you that much?”
Marco’s hands trembled on the wheel. Shocked was an understatement. It turned everything he thought he knew on its head.
He didn’t dare say it aloud, opting for a more tactful response. “But… I’ve seen you treat Miss Isabella so well, even better than you treat Miss Sophia…”
“That’s because she took a bullet forseat.
Vincent pressed his long fingers to his temples and leaned back into the leather
The Chicago nightscape flashed across his sharp profile, and his usually controlled eyes showed a rare trace of fatigue.
He closed his eyes, memories flooding back.
In high school, he was known at St. Louis Preparatory Academy as the “Ice Prince.” As the Marcelli heir, daughters from every major family vied for his attention daily. The most extreme incident involved the Torrino family’s daughter arranging roses in a heart shape at the school gate to declare her feelings.
“Young master, perhaps you should pretend I to be close with one of the young ladies,” his head of security had suggested.
“It would make the others back off.”
He conceded it was a practical solution.
But who?
His gaze swept across the courtyard and landed on Isabella, reading in the library. The sunlight was perfect that day. wore a white dress, and her absorption in classic literature gave her an air of pure innocence.
Her, then.
From then on, he started singling her out. He let her rest her head on his shoulder in class, had her accompany him everywhere, and tacitly allowed the high–society rumors about them to circulate. The effect was immediate. The other families backed off.
On graduation day, Isabella asked him to meet on the school roof. As they were leaving, an assassin from a rival family appeared, a dark gun barrel aimed right at him. In that critical moment, Isabella shoved him out of the way.
Bang-
“Boss, we’re here.”
Marco’s voice pulled him back to reality. The car was already at the private airfield.
On the plane, he forewent his usual work, choosing instead to savor his memories of Sophia. The warmth of her tears on his neck when he carried her home; the way she’d secretly leave a glass of warm water by his bed when his stomach hurt, despite being furious with him; the softness of her body as she threw herself into his arms, always in a red dress, every he returned.
His throat tightened. For the first time, Vincent understood what it meant to be desperate to get home.
The next evening, the plane landed in New York. Vincent walked down the familiar figure. Every time he came back, Sophia would be there in a red arms like a happy little bird.
“Vincent! I missed you!”
And time Ps, his eyes instinctively searching for that waving from a distance before flying into his every time, his eyes would darken, and he’d be unable to wait, pulling her into the car and fucking her until her legs gave out and she begged for mercy.
“Vincent!”
A familiar voice called out.
Vincent’s lips curved into a smile, but as he turned, the smile froze on his face.

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