Bound by the Devil's Deal

Chapter 5 "Already Ruined"

~ Author’s POV

~ The Next Morning

Sophia stood in front of her bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection as she brushed her hair. Dark circles around her green eyes were evidence of a sleepless night spent dreading her decision. She barely felt like herself anymore.

Her phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Dante: "Be ready at 8 p.m. for dinner. We need to discuss the terms of our arrangement."

The audacity of the man. No greeting, no pleasantries, just another command, as if he already owned her. Her anger flared again, but she quickly pushed it down. She couldn’t afford to let her emotions control her, not now.

Around 8 p.m., a knock on the door erupted her chaos of finding what to wear. She opened the door only to reveal a man in a suit holding a box in his hands.

“Mr. Cross sent this for you. Your transport also awaits you downstairs, Ma’am, “ He said, leaving Sophia shocked and bewildered as she took his box from the man, who then walked away. Sophia closed the door and opened the box, revealing a full-length black dress that slit open at the end. Her eyes widened as she picked up the note and read it.

“As my fiancée, you represent me. Wear this and have my driver drive you to the restaurant

Dante Cross,“

Sophia rolled her eyes when she realized this was just a show for the public to maintain his image. Reluctantly, she changes into the dress and gets ready quickly before making her way out of the apartment and thanking god that her brother wasn’t at home at the moment, not knowing how to break the news to him.

~At The Restaurant

Sophia found herself seated across from Dante at an exclusive restaurant. The air between them was as tense as it had been in his office.

“You could at least pretend to enjoy this,” Dante remarked as their first course arrived. “People are watching.”

Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t agree to play the doting fiancée. If you wanted a trophy wife, you should have picked someone else.”

Dante’s lips twitched in amusement. “And miss out on your charming personality? Never.” She glared at him, but her retort was cut off as their waiter approached with a bottle of wine. Dante waved the man off with a simple gesture, his focus never leaving Sophia.

“Tell me something,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Why are you so determined to save your father’s company? From what I’ve heard, Hayes Industries hasn’t been profitable in years.”

Sophia stiffened. “It’s my family’s legacy. My father built that company from the ground up. I won’t let it crumble.”

“Even if it means sacrificing your own life in the process?” Dante asked, his tone intensely casual.

“Yes,” she said firmly. “Some things are worth fighting for.”

Dante studied her for a long moment, his expression inscrutable. “You’re a rare breed, Sophia. Most people would have given up by now.”

“Well, I’m not most people,” she shot back.

“No,” he agreed, a hint of admiration in his voice. “You’re not.”

For a brief moment, the tension between them softened, and Sophia felt a flicker of something she couldn’t quite name. But just as quickly as it came, it was gone, replaced by the cold, domineering man she had come to know.

“This arrangement will only work if we’re both honest with each other,” Dante said, his tone all business once again. “If you have any doubts or hesitations, now is the time to voice them.”

Sophia hesitated, her mind swirling with unspoken fears and unanswered questions. But she knew that showing weakness now would only give him more power over her.

“Why did you lend my father money?” she asked, lifting her chin with hope. “What did he use it for?” As soon as she asked him, she saw him flinch, her eyes depicting an emotion she saw for the first time.

“Don’t dig into where you don’t belong, “ He answered, any emotion displayed vanished as quickly as it appeared. Sophia sighed in frustration and let the topic go, moving on to what they were supposed to do at the dinner.

~The Next Day

The door to the apartment creaked open, and Liam stepped inside, his backpack slung over one shoulder. His eyes immediately found Sophia sitting at the small kitchen table, her fingers nervously twisting a napkin.

"Hey, Sis," Liam greeted, dropping his bag onto the floor and kicking off his shoes as he sat across her. "How’s your day been?"

Sophia gave him a small, forced smile, but he could tell something was off. His sister, his strong, independent sister, looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Liam’s instincts kicked in immediately. "What’s going on?" he asked, walking over to her, concern lacing his voice.

Sophia’s hands trembled as she placed the napkin down, her gaze avoiding his. She took a deep breath before finally meeting his eyes. "Liam, there’s something I need to tell you. Something I should’ve told you sooner."

Liam frowned. "You’re scaring me, Sophia. What’s wrong?"

"It’s Dante," she finally blurted out, her voice quieter than she intended as she rambled on about the past days’ events and how she was now engaged to the most merciless billionaire in the city.

Liam froze, his face contorting with confusion and anger. "What are you talking about?"

Sophia’s voice wavered. "I-I had to do this, Liam. We owe him a $500 million debt. There’s nothing left to sell to pay it off."

Liam’s expression darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. "I— Why didn’t you tell me?”

"You still have a bright future ahead of you. I don’t want to burden you, but I promise you it’s only for a year, then we’ll get the Hayes Industry back," Sophia interjected, her voice shaking with emotion.

Liam paced back and forth, clearly seething with rage. He was a young man, just starting to find his way in the world, but his protective instincts for his sister had always been strong. "This is insane, Sophia—” He stopped when he saw the desperation in Sophia’s eyes, knowing that if his sister agreed to this, then it really must have been the last option.

"So, you’re telling me that you’re stuck in this marriage because of... because of him, because of the company?" Liam finally started to process again.

Sophia nodded, her eyes full of sadness as Liam walked up to her and enveloped her in a warm hug. After a long moment, they pulled away, and Liam sat back.

~After a Few Weeks

The day of the ceremony arrived faster than Sophia had expected, and as she prepared for the wedding, she was reminded again of how little control she had over her own life. The invitations were out, the venue chosen, and the details, everything, had been finalized without her input. Even the dress she would wear had been chosen by Dante.

Sophia stood at the altar next to him, her hands clenched around her bouquet. She couldn’t believe this was happening, that she was marrying a man she barely knew, someone who had forced her into this arrangement to save her father’s company. Dante, standing next to her, barely spared her a glance, his eyes distant, as though this whole thing was just a transaction to him.

Finally, when the moment came, Dante turned to her, his voice low but firm. "Focus, Sophia."

She looked up at him, his gray eyes cold and unmoving, and for a brief moment, she felt as though everything that had led to this moment was out of her control.

The vows came and went. "I do," Sophia murmured, her voice barely audible.

"I do," Dante echoed, his tone sharp.

As they sat at the reception, Dante leaned closer, his voice cutting through the noise. "You need to eat," he told her, his tone colder than before.

Sophia glared at him, her patience worn thin. "I’m not hungry."

"You’ll be no use to anyone if you pass out," he said with a hint of annoyance.

Sophia rolled her eyes but reluctantly picked up her fork. Dante’s cold, calculating presence was suffocating, but she had no choice. She had to play along.

When the reception was finally over and the last of the guests had left, Dante caught her wrist as she turned to walk away. "Not yet. We have one more thing to discuss."

Sophia’s irritation flared. "Can it wait? Or is controlling every moment of my life part of the deal too?"

Dante’s gaze darkened. "Don’t push me, Sophia."

She met his gaze head-on. "Or what? You’ll ruin my family’s life? Newsflash, Dante, I’m already trapped."

The tension between them hung in the air, thick and charged. But Dante sighed, rubbing his temples. "This isn’t a game, Sophia. You agreed to this arrangement. Now you need to uphold your end of the deal."

Sophia’s voice shook as she demanded, "And what about your end of the deal?"

Dante’s gray eyes grew colder. "I don’t break my promises."

Sophia’s lip curled bitterly. "Funny. Because it feels like I’m the only one losing here."

Dante stepped closer; his presence was overwhelming. "You think I enjoy this?" he asked, his voice dark. "You think I wanted to marry someone who fights me at every turn?"

Sophia didn’t back down. "Then why did you? Why force me into this?"

Dante’s eyes softened for a brief moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Because it was necessary."

Sophia frowned. "Necessary for who?"

"For both of us," he replied, his voice devoid of emotion.

Sophia’s heart raced, but she couldn’t bring herself to respond. She was stuck, and Dante had made it clear that this was only the beginning.