Chapter 3 Captive Desire

• Sofia barely registered what was happening as Marco dragged her out of the club. His grip was like iron around her wrist, unyielding and relentless. Behind her, Carmen's frantic voice pierced the air.
• "Sofia! No! Let her go!" Carmen screamed, her voice hoarse with panic.
• But Marco didn’t even glance back. His focus was entirely on Sofia, his expression a mix of impatience and cold determination. He pulled her through the back entrance of the club, the heavy door slamming shut behind them. Outside, the night was dark and silent, the neon lights of the club dimming behind them like fading embers.
• Sofia twisted her wrist, trying to break free, but Marco's hold only tightened. "Let go of me!" she shouted, her voice breaking with fear.
• “Not a chance,” Marco replied, his tone flat and unbothered, as if her struggles were nothing more than an inconvenience. He led her toward a sleek, black SUV parked nearby.
• Carmen stumbled out behind them, her eyes wide with terror. "Please, just let her go!" she begged, her voice desperate. But Marco’s men moved quickly, blocking Carmen’s path before she could reach them. One of them shot her a cold, dismissive look.
• “You don’t want to get involved,” he warned, his voice low and menacing.
• Carmen’s eyes filled with tears, helplessness etched on her face as she watched Sofia being forced into the car. "Sofia!" she called again, but her voice was swallowed by the slamming of the car door.
• Inside the SUV, Sofia’s heart raced, panic threatening to take over. Marco climbed in beside her, his presence dominating the confined space. The driver immediately hit the gas, and the SUV sped off into the darkness, the tires screeching against the pavement.
• The streets outside were a blur as the car swerved sharply, navigating through narrow alleys and empty intersections. Sofia felt her body pressed against the seat as the vehicle picked up speed, her breathing rapid and shallow. The reality of the situation crashed down on her—she was in the hands of the city’s most dangerous man, with no idea where they were headed.
• “Stop the car! Let me go!” Sofia cried, her voice trembling.
• Marco’s response was calm, almost clinical. “Shouting won’t help,” he said, his gaze fixed ahead. “And running isn’t an option.”
• Sofia’s fear deepened, but beneath it, a strange sense of safety crept in—an absurd notion that, despite everything, Marco wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She shook the thought away, focusing instead on the slim hope that Luca or her father would realize she was missing and come to her rescue.
• The distant sound of sirens grew louder, the flashing blue and red lights reflecting off the rear window. The police were closing in.
• Marco’s jaw clenched, a sign of his growing frustration. “Lose them,” he ordered the driver, his tone sharp and commanding.
• The driver nodded, making a sudden turn down a narrow alley. The car jolted, the rough road causing Sofia to grip the seat for balance. Her mind was a whirlwind of terror and confusion. Luca, her childhood friend and a rookie cop, would be searching for her by now. He’d never rest until he found her. And then there was her father, Chief David Reyes, who’d move heaven and earth to protect his only daughter.
• But would they get to her in time?
• The car swerved again, narrowly missing a parked car as it sped toward the outskirts of the city. Sofia’s fear was raw, her chest tight with panic. She had never imagined herself in a situation like this, trapped in a world she barely understood. Her mind struggled to comprehend the man sitting beside her—Marco Vitale, the Serpent King of the underworld.
• Marco seemed unaffected by the chaos. His eyes remained focused, a cold intensity that suggested he was entirely in control. He glanced sideways at Sofia, his expression unreadable.
• “Why were you there?” he asked suddenly, his tone sharp. “The club isn’t a place for someone like you.”
• Sofia’s voice shook as she replied. “I was just there with my friend. We didn’t know it was… one of your places.”
• Marco’s eyes narrowed, studying her carefully. “You expect me to believe you had no idea?”
• “Yes,” she insisted, meeting his gaze with as much resolve as she could muster. “I’m just a student. I don’t know anything about your world.”
• Marco’s skepticism was evident. He leaned closer, his eyes searching hers for any hint of deception. “You say that like it’s the truth,” he murmured, his voice low and almost mocking. “But people lie all the time, Sofia.”
• The way he said her name sent a shiver down her spine. It was both intimate and threatening, as if he already knew everything about her. Sofia felt a wave of anger rising beneath her fear—anger at being trapped, at being dragged into this darkness without warning.
• “I’m not lying,” she snapped, her fear momentarily overshadowed by defiance. “I have nothing to do with you or your business.”
• Marco’s gaze darkened, his lips curving into a faint, dangerous smile. “If that’s true, then you’re a very unlucky girl.”
• Sofia turned her face away, her eyes searching the dark streets outside for any sign of help. But the city was silent, the world beyond the window a blur of neon lights and shadows. Her mind raced, clinging to the hope that Luca or her father was on their way, that this nightmare would end soon.
• But there was also a part of her, a small, twisted part, that felt an inexplicable pull toward the man beside her. The way he commanded the space around him, the raw power that seemed to radiate from him—it was terrifying, but it was also undeniably magnetic.
• The police sirens grew fainter, and Sofia realized with a sinking feeling that they had lost the pursuit. The car’s speed decreased slightly, the adrenaline rush fading into a tense silence.
• Marco leaned back, his gaze still fixed on Sofia. “You’re not telling me everything,” he said quietly. “But I have time. And I’ll find out what I need to know.”
• Sofia’s fear returned in full force, her chest tightening as the weight of his words settled over her. She had no idea what lay ahead, but one thing was clear—she was in Marco’s world now, with no way out.
• The SUV continued through the dark streets, heading deeper into the unknown.