Setting: The Blackwood Estate – Midnight
The tension inside Alexander Blackwood's private office was suffocating.
The dim glow from the antique chandelier cast deep shadows over the mahogany walls, accentuating the gravity of the moment.
Alexander stood by the window, a whiskey glass in hand, his sharp blue eyes fixed on the city skyline.
Behind him, his most trusted men—Damien Cross, his right-hand man, and Marcus Steele, his enforcer—waited in silence.
The air crackled with unspoken threats and the lingering echoes of the evening's events.
Lorenzo Rosetti had openly declared war.
Nathaniel Carter had not backed down.
And Sophia was at the center of it all.
Alexander took a slow sip of his whiskey before finally speaking.
"Reports." His voice was cold, commanding.
Damien, ever composed, stepped forward.
"Nathaniel Carter hasn't left the Rosetti Estate yet," he informed him. "Our men say he's been meeting with Lorenzo privately. They're forming an alliance."
Alexander expected as much.
Nathaniel was too prideful to let tonight's humiliation go unanswered.
And Lorenzo?
That bastard thrived on chaos.
Marcus, the brute of the group, crossed his arms, his expression unreadable.
"This isn't just a petty fight over a woman anymore," he said. "This is a full-scale power struggle. Lorenzo's been waiting for an excuse to challenge you, and you just gave it to him."
Alexander exhaled slowly.
"So, what's Nathaniel's next move?" he asked.
Damien hesitated. "Our sources say he's planning to take Sophia back."
A deadly silence filled the room.
Marcus let out a low chuckle, but there was nothing humorous about it.
"If Carter thinks he can just walk in and take your woman, he's dumber than I thought."
Alexander's grip on his glass tightened.
Nathaniel Carter had already lost.
And yet, he was still playing a game he had no chance of winning.
Alexander turned, his expression fierce, unwavering.
"Double the security around Sophia," he ordered. "No one gets near her. Not Nathaniel. Not Lorenzo. No one."
Damien nodded. "Understood."
Marcus smirked. "And if Carter does try?"
Alexander set his whiskey down, his voice laced with pure, lethal intent.
"If Nathaniel so much as breathes in her direction—he dies."
---
Sophia's Quarters – A Dangerous Proposal
Sophia sat on the edge of her bed, wrapped in a silk robe, staring at the storm raging outside the window.
Her world had changed in a single night.
She was no longer just Sophia Monroe, the woman caught between two dangerous men.
She was now Alexander Blackwood's possession.
Or at least, that's what everyone believed.
A knock at the door made her jump.
She turned just as the door opened, revealing Alexander.
Dressed in a crisp black shirt with the top buttons undone, sleeves rolled up, he looked every bit the powerful man he was.
The air in the room shifted the moment he stepped inside.
Sophia swallowed. "It's late."
He smirked, closing the door behind him. "And yet, you're still awake."
She hated how easily he read her.
Alexander walked toward her, his movements slow, deliberate.
When he reached her, he gently brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.
"You're thinking about Nathaniel," he murmured.
Sophia stiffened.
She wouldn't deny it.
Nathaniel wasn't just another man from her past.
He was once someone she had trusted, cared for.
And now?
Now he was her enemy.
Alexander tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"You're mine now, Sophia." His voice was dangerously soft. "I don't care what history you had with Carter. He no longer has any claim over you."
Sophia's heart hammered.
"You can't just decide that," she whispered.
Alexander smirked. "I already have."
Her fingers clenched at the silk of her robe.
"You act like this is a game."
His expression darkened.
"This isn't a game," he said, stepping even closer. "Nathaniel wants you back. Lorenzo wants to use you as leverage. And I—"
He paused, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
"I want you safe."
Sophia's breath hitched.
His intensity was suffocating, but there was something in his eyes—something she didn't expect.
Genuine possession.
Not just over her body, but over her safety, her choices, her future.
She should be terrified.
Instead, she felt a traitorous warmth spread through her.
Alexander leaned in, his breath hot against her ear.
"You have two options, sweetheart."
Sophia swallowed hard. "What options?"
His fingers traced along her jaw.
"You let me protect you… or you fight me on this, and I force your hand."
Her eyes widened. "You wouldn't—"
His smirk deepened.
"I always get what I want."
Sophia trembled, but not from fear.
From something far more dangerous.
And she hated how much a part of her wanted to surrender.
---
The Betrayal – Nathaniel's Next Move
Meanwhile, across the city, inside Lorenzo Rosetti's underground club, Nathaniel Carter sat at the VIP lounge, swirling his drink.
Lorenzo leaned back against the plush leather couch, watching him with amusement.
"So," Lorenzo drawled, "how do you plan on getting your woman back?"
Nathaniel's grip on his glass tightened.
"She was never his." His voice was ice.
Lorenzo chuckled. "And yet, she's sleeping under his roof as we speak."
Nathaniel's jaw clenched.
Lorenzo studied him for a moment before smirking.
"I have an idea," he said, taking a slow sip of his drink. "A way to take everything from Blackwood, starting with Sophia."
Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. "I'm listening."
Lorenzo leaned forward, a predatory glint in his eyes.
"We don't need to steal Sophia." His lips curled. "We make her come to us."
Nathaniel stilled. "And how do you suggest we do that?"
Lorenzo's smirk was pure devilry.
"We take the one thing she truly cares about."
A pause.
Then, Nathaniel's lips curled into a dark, knowing smile.
Sophia would come running.
And when she did…
She'd never go back to Alexander Blackwood.
Not by choice.
---
End of Chapter 8