Chapter 7
1063 Words
Tobias lifted his head from the newspaper. "She’s tried on everything?"
"Yes, sir," the store clerk replied nervously.
"Pack everything that fits," he said, setting the newspaper aside. "Make sure not a single item is the wrong size.
If I find one thing that doesn’t fit, you can kiss your job goodbye."
"Yes, sir!" The store clerk quickly rushed off to pack everything.
Tobias stood up and gestured for Sophia to come closer. He brushed a strand of her hair aside, studying her face. "Tired?"
Sophia opened her mouth, wanting to say yes, but quickly thought better of it and shook her head instead.
"Good," he said, clearly pleased with her response. Wrapping an arm around her, he led her toward the exit.
"Have the clothes and the bill sent to my home," he instructed the clerk.
Next, Tobias brought Sophia to a shoe store, where he made her try on dozens of pairs.
Sophia didn’t want to accept these lavish gifts, but she didn’t dare refuse. The consequences of defying him were unknown, and she feared what he might do. If spending his money made him happy, maybe she could avoid more punishment.
After they left the shoe store, Tobias leaned close, his voice low as he whispered in her ear, "Now, let’s get you some jewelry. Cosmetics, lingerie, anything else you need—you can come back and buy this afternoon."
Sophia’s face flushed when he mentioned lingerie.
"Make sure you pick something sexy," he said with a smirk. "When you take your clothes off, I want a surprise. And get plenty—at least twenty sets, or you’ll regret it."
"I understand," she replied softly.
Satisfied, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before taking her to a jewelry store.
It was the first time Sophia had seen so much jewelry in one place. Her mother had owned a couple of valuable pieces, but they had been sold to pay for medical bills. Vivienne, on the other hand, bought jewelry for every holiday or whim. If Sophia had stayed with her father, she could have lived the same luxurious life, draped in jewels and riches.
"What are you thinking about?" Tobias’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
"I just think these earrings are really sparkly," she said.
"Jewelry is meant to sparkle," he replied.
"Right, I’ll take these," she said, taking off the earrings and suddenly wondering when she’d even get to wear them. Tobias didn’t let her leave the house, so was she supposed to dress up every day, waiting for him to come home and admire her?
Just then, Tobias’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, frowning as he answered, "What is it?"
"Mr. Tobias," a voice on the other end said, "the patient in bed 24 has woken up and is asking for her daughter."
"And what do you normally say when her daughter isn’t there?"
"She woke up last night and has been asking repeatedly, so…"
"Understood," Tobias cut off the conversation and hung up.
Sophia hadn’t heard the exchange, too focused on admiring a necklace in the mirror. "What do you think?" she asked, holding up the chain.
"It’s fine," Tobias said. He turned to the store clerk. "We’ll take these. Ring it up."
After paying, Tobias and Sophia exited the jewelry store. Tobias turned to her and said, "Your mother has woken up."
Sophia’s eyes lit up, and she quickly asked, "Then can I go see her...?"
Tobias leaned in, inhaling the scent at her neck, and whispered, "I'll allow you to visit her after lunch. Be back by two. That's plenty of time, isn't it?"
Sophia glanced at her watch—it was already 11:00 a.m. That left her just three hours, and factoring in travel time, it wasn’t much. "But could I...?"
Tobias’s expression darkened immediately, his voice laced with irritation. "Do you think you’re in any position to negotiate? If it weren’t for my good mood, I wouldn’t have even told you she woke up. Don’t push your luck!"
"Yes, of course," Sophia hurriedly replied. "I’ll be back on time, I promise."
Tobias scoffed, then turned to Rourke. "Take her to the hospital and make sure she’s back on time."
Sophia watched her reflection in the car window, her fingers tracing the fading love marks still visible on her neck. She couldn’t let her mother see them. Thinking quickly, she said to Rourke, "Can you take me home first?" She gave him the address of her house.
Rourke glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "The boss told me to take you to the hospital."
"I need to change clothes," Sophia said, raising her voice, desperate to make him understand.
Rourke hesitated, his hand moving toward his phone, likely to ask Tobias for permission.
Sophia panicked at the thought of Tobias refusing. "I’ll be back on time. I promise I won’t cause any trouble," she pleaded.
Rourke paused, weighing the situation. How could he possibly explain to the boss that she needed to change because of the love bites on her neck? He’d likely get fired. Finally, he withdrew his hand from the phone.
Sophia hurried home, quickly changing into a collared shirt to hide the marks before rushing to the hospital. When she entered the room, she saw her mother, Violet, awake.
"Mom," Sophia called softly.
"Sophia," Violet smiled, relief evident on her face. "What happened to your hand?"
"Oh," Sophia hesitated for a moment, then quickly made up an excuse. "I fell during gym class."
"You need to be more careful," Violet scolded gently, frowning. She couldn’t move much, but once Sophia reached her bedside, she grabbed her daughter’s hand. "Is it serious?"
"It’s fine now," Sophia reassured her, sitting down. "How are you feeling, Mom? I was so worried about you." Her emotions overwhelmed her, and she began to cry, unable to hold back her tears. All because Tobias wouldn’t let me see her, she thought.
"Why are you crying? I’m fine now," Violet said softly. "Just focus on your studies and take care of yourself. Don’t get hurt again; it pains me to see you like this."
"Okay," Sophia sniffed, wiping her tears.
"Are you not in class right now?" Violet asked, noticing the time.
"I took the day off," Sophia explained quickly. "But I need to go back soon. I have an exam this afternoon."
- Writer
