Chapter 44 Playing With Fire

• The night draped the penthouse in shadows, the city lights flickering like distant stars through the windows. The air was thick, tinged with the scent of leather, whiskey, and unspoken secrets. Marco was gone—off to deal with the aftermath of Bella's treachery—and Sofia welcomed the absence. The penthouse felt different without his looming presence, the chains of his dominance temporarily loosened.
• She stood by the balcony doors, the cool night breeze slipping over her skin, making the thin silk of her camisole ripple against her body. The rage and betrayal still simmered inside her, but now it was laced with a strange sense of liberation. The anger hadn’t gone cold—it had ignited something within her. A fire that refused to be extinguished.
• Soft footsteps echoed behind her, deliberate and measured. She didn’t turn around. She knew who it was.