Chapter 5: Her Place in His World
1099 Words
The following day, Sofia Carter awoke with a dull ache in her chest and more questions than answers. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her thoughts cycling back to Dominic’s late-night visit and the words he’d spoken.
“This doesn’t change anything.”
His words echoed in her mind, colder than they’d sounded last night. It shouldn’t have stung—after all, she’d known what this was from the start. A contract. A façade. A game of power and image. And yet, the disappointment was real.
She finally pulled herself out of bed and showered, dressing in a simple blue blouse and cream trousers. Ava had mentioned breakfast would be served in the dining room at nine. She wasn’t hungry, but she showed up out of habit—or perhaps to avoid seeming weak.
To her surprise, Dominic was already seated, nursing a black coffee and skimming his phone. He looked up when she entered.
“Morning,” he said, setting his phone aside.
“Morning,” she replied, cautiously taking her seat across from him. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I thought we could go over a few things before I head to the office.”
She nodded. “Work things?”
“Life things.”
Sofia blinked, caught off guard.
He continued, calm and methodical. “We need to establish a few boundaries and rules. Expectations for how we’ll live together moving forward.”
Her heart clenched. Here it was. The framework to keep them distant, mechanical, safe. She nodded slowly, waiting for him to continue.
“First,” he said, “we attend events together when necessary, but we maintain the public illusion that you work for me. Nothing more.”
“Understood.”
“Second, you have full access to the penthouse, but stay out of my private office unless invited.”
“Okay.”
“Third…” He hesitated for a moment, then met her eyes. “If anyone asks about us, you deflect. Discreetly. No interviews. No photos posted. No friends invited here.”
Sofia bristled. “So I’m supposed to hide from the world?”
“No. Just from my world.” His voice softened slightly. “It’s not safe for you otherwise. Not everyone I deal with is aboveboard.”
She pressed her lips together. It made sense, in a twisted sort of way. But it still felt like he was locking her in a gilded cage.
“Anything else?” she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.
“One more thing.” He leaned back in his chair. “You’re free to do what you want with your time—read, take classes, explore the city. I’m not here to control your life.”
Sofia blinked. That part surprised her.
“But…” he added, “you must always have security with you. No exceptions.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“It’s not negotiable.”
Their eyes clashed. For a moment, the tension returned—electric, heavy.
“I’ll consider it,” she said finally.
Dominic didn’t argue, but she saw the flicker of irritation in his eyes. It was the first time she’d pushed back. She’d probably pay for it later.
After breakfast, he left for the office with a brisk goodbye, vanishing behind tinted windows and a fleet of black cars.
Sofia wandered back to her room, wondering what to do with herself. She had no job, no friends in this world, and nowhere to be. It was unsettling, like being a ghost in someone else’s life.
Eventually, she pulled out her laptop and began researching graduate programs. She’d always wanted to pursue a degree in psychology, maybe even open a practice one day. Her mother used to call her an “old soul with a curious mind.”
Maybe now was the time.
Just as she started filling out an inquiry form for Columbia’s part-time program, her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number lit up the screen.
Unknown: “You looked beautiful last night. Too beautiful for someone like him.”
Sofia’s stomach twisted. She stared at the message, her heart pounding.
Was it a prank? A stalker? Someone from the gala?
A second message followed.
Unknown: “Careful, Sofia. Being his wife doesn’t make you safe. It makes you a target.”
She stood up abruptly, pulse racing. Who knew? How did they know her name?
Grabbing the phone, she hurried down the hallway and knocked on Ava’s office door.
Ava opened it quickly. “Mrs. Stone?”
“I need to speak to Dominic. Now.”
“He’s in meetings—”
“I don’t care,” Sofia said, holding up the phone. “Someone’s threatening me.”
Ava’s eyes darkened. “Come with me.”
Within fifteen minutes, Sofia was seated in Dominic’s private office at Stone Enterprises, waiting in a leather chair while his assistant ushered him in.
He entered with the calm of a man who rarely rushed—but his eyes narrowed when he saw her face.
“What happened?”
She handed him the phone. “Messages. Two of them.”
He read them carefully, then looked up. “Did you respond?”
“No.”
He pressed a button on his desk. “Get Marcus in here.”
Within seconds, a tall man in a black suit appeared. His expression was grim.
Dominic handed him the phone. “Track it. Find out who sent it and where they’re based. I want a report by the end of the day.”
“Yes, sir.”
Once they were alone again, Dominic turned to her. “You okay?”
She nodded, though her voice shook slightly. “A little shaken, that’s all.”
“I told you,” he said quietly, “being near me has consequences.”
“Who would do this?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Plenty of people hate me. Business rivals, jilted investors, old enemies. Some of them are subtle. Others… not so much.”
“Is this going to keep happening?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he walked to the window, staring out over the city. Then he turned back.
“I don’t know. But I will protect you.”
Sofia met his gaze, something deep and unfamiliar stirring in her chest.
“Even if it’s just a contract?” she asked softly.
His eyes darkened. “Especially then.”
And for the first time, she wasn’t sure where the contract ended… and where something more dangerous might begin.
- Writer
