Chapter 4
1825 Words
The silence in the room hung heavy, punctuated only by the rapid thrumming of my pulse. The words Logan had just uttered felt like a blow to the chest, leaving me breathless and confused.
"And why can't I marry him?" I repeated, my voice tight with barely contained emotion.
Logan took a measured step towards me, his gaze unwavering. "You know why, Sophia," he said, his voice low and gravelly.
"No, I don't," I retorted, my chin lifting in defiance. "So why don’t you enlighten me?" My words were clipped, each syllable like a tiny shard hurled across the room.
He stopped mere inches from me, his golden eyes boring into mine with an intensity that made my legs wobble. My heart hammered against my ribs, a wild counterpoint to the silence. My body instinctively wanted to shrink away, seek refuge in the distance, but I pressed myself to stand firm.
"Because, Precious," he finally murmured, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. The name sent a jolt through me, a prickle of something unwanted under my skin. "You were mine first."
I took a sharp breath, the word "precious" grating on me like nails on a chalkboard. "First of all," I spat, taking a step back, "my name is Sophia, not Precious. And I'm not some prize to be won or lost. I don't belong to anyone." My voice shook with a mix of indignation and fear, a fear of what might happen if I gave in to the pull I still felt towards him.
Logan's lips curved into a smile, devoid of warmth or humor. "Is that so?" he drawled, a dangerous edge creeping into his tone.
I met his gaze unflinchingly. "Yes, and now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to my fiancé." I emphasized the word fiancé, hoping to dispel the unwanted power he still held over me.
His eyes darkened at the mention of Mason, a flicker of something unreadable swirling within their depths. "You won't marry him," he stated, his voice dropping to a dangerous calm.
I squared my shoulders, refusing to be cowed. "And what are you going to do about it? Tell him all about our little…history?" I challenged, my voice a low, simmering fire.
He moved closer again, his breath warm against my ear. My breath hitched, my senses screaming at me to retreat. "I don't kiss and tell," he whispered, his lips brushing against my skin. The words sent shivers down my spine, igniting a familiar heat that warred with the steely resolve I was trying to maintain.
The memory slammed into me like a tidal wave, drowning out the present with its raw intensity.
I saw him then, at that dimly lit bar years ago, the way his hand gripped the glass, knuckles white making me wonder how they would feel around my neck. His voice, laced with desire and a dangerous edge, sent an exhilarating chill down my spine.
"Let's take this somewhere else, sweetheart," he'd breathed, his eyes burning into mine. "I'm dying to see what's hidden beneath that little red dress."
The air thickened with unspoken promises and danger. His voice, now echoing in our present confrontation, sounded even more tempting, more lethal.
"Stop it, Logan," I choked out, my voice barely a tremor.
A cruel smile twisted his lips as he leaned closer, his breath searing my ear. Panic clawed at my throat, but I steeled myself. "I'm marrying your brother in two weeks, Logan. This is beyond inappropriate."
"Inappropriate?" he scoffed, his eyes glinting with a perverse amusement. "You didn't seem to think it was inappropriate when you had my—"
”Stop it,” I said, finally pushing him away, “whatever happened was in the past and like I said back then, it was a mistake and I forgot you existed the moment I stepped into that elevator.”
He laughed, the sound hollow in my ear, “I never pictured you as a liar, I guess I was wrong. Makes me wonder though, do you have a knack for families? Brothers specifically? You realized you couldn’t get to me, so you went after my brother instead, are you really that eager for—”
The word lodged in his throat, choked off by the resounding slap that echoed through the room. I stood rigid, my palm stinging from the impact, my eyes blazing with a fiery mix of anger and hurt.
Logan staggered back, stunned into silence. His hand flew to his burning cheek, disbelief etched on his face.
"Don't you dare insult me," I hissed, my voice shaking with barely contained fury. "Don't you ever dare. I had no idea who you were then, and I love Mason with every fiber of my being."
With a trembling hand, I wiped away the tears that threatened to spill over. The room seemed to tilt, the air suffocatingly thick.
"Tell Mason if you want," I spat, my voice gaining strength with each word. "But make no mistake, you will not stop me from marrying the man I love. Now stay away from me… stay away from us."
I didn't wait for his response. I marched towards the door, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. My hand hovered over the handle, then paused.
Logan's voice, rough and laced with an unfamiliar emotion, sliced through the silence. "Sophia," he called.
I turned back, my face a mask of icy resolve. He met my gaze, his eyes cold enough to freeze molten lava.
"If you were anyone else," he snarled, his voice barely a whisper, "You would be dead for what you just did.”
The air crackled with the unspoken threat hanging heavy between us. I blinked, walked out then slammed the door shut behind me, the chilling echo of his words floating in the air and even worse, the chilling certainty that he meant them.
My knees buckled, and I crumpled against the wall, the weight of what just happened pressing down on me like a mountain. The carefully constructed dam of my emotions finally broke, tears streaming down my face as I let out a choked sob.
The future I'd envisioned, the life I'd built with Mason, suddenly felt far away. What had I just unleashed? How much was Logan willing to do to stop me from marrying his brother?
Taking a shaky breath, I wiped away my tears and forced myself to my feet. The show had to go on, at least until I figured out how to deal with the fallout from this explosive encounter. I found my way back to the table, my parents and Mason looking at me with concerned expressions.
"Are you okay?" Mason asked, his voice laced with worry, “Your parents just returned and I was just about to come look for you.”
I plastered on a smile, brittle and thin. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine," I murmured, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue.
But as I met Mason's trusting gaze, the memory of Logan's icy stare sent another shiver down my spine. The facade I'd built was starting to crumble, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the truth came crashing down, shattering everything I held dear.
Dinner stretched on like an eternity, each bite tasting like ashes in my mouth. Finally, Logan returned. The silence in the room grew even thicker as he took his seat, his eyes resolutely avoiding mine. The air crackled with hostility, a storm brewing just beneath the surface.
He cleared his throat, the sound raspy in the charged atmosphere. "I have an announcement to make," he declared, his voice clipped and cold. "Since we're all here – and Sophia is practically family," he said, the last word dripping with sarcasm. "I'm moving the company headquarters here."
Mason's jaw clenched tight. "You are what?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief and a hint of simmering anger.
"Do you have hearing problems, Mason?" Logan retorted, his eyes flashing with challenge. "Or are you just slow on the uptake?"
"I know you're a child, you don't need to act like one," Mason snapped back. "And you're not moving the headquarters to my city. You stay where you are and I'll run everything from here."
"Last time I checked," Logan drawled, his voice dripping with disdain, "I was the CEO of the company. You answer to me, not the other way around."
Fiona attempted to intervene. "Stop it both of you.” But they both ignored her.
"I don't answer to you," Mason bellowed, his face flushed with anger. "And you're not moving the company here. It's not your decision."
Logan smirked, a cruel twist of his lips. "It's already in motion, Mason. There's nothing you can do about it. You'll work under me here, and I'm taking over the entire operation."
Mason turned to our father, his eyes pleading. "Dad, are you really just going to let him do this?"
Richard shrugged indifferently. "He runs the company, Mason. He can do what he thinks is best."
The air hung heavy with the weight of Richard's unspoken favoritism, a truth that stung Mason deeply.
"You should have given the company to me, Dad," Mason spat, his voice choked with bitterness. "I'm the older son."
Logan let out a harsh laugh. "Don't start that again, Mason. You're just embarrassing yourself in front of our guests."
As if on cue, Mason glanced around the room, taking in the stunned expressions on everyone’s faces. My heart twisted with sympathy and a fierce protectiveness for him. I wanted nothing more than to slap the smug smile off Logan's face, to wipe away the satisfaction glinting in his eyes.
Mason stood up abruptly, his jaw set with determination. "You're not moving the company here," he declared, his voice ringing with a newfound resolve. He turned to me, his eyes seeking my unwavering support. "We're leaving."
I met his gaze, my own emotions a turbulent mix of conflict and support. My parents watched us, their faces a study in unspoken curiosity and anticipation. Fiona clutched her pearl necklace, her face flushed with embarrassment. Richard remained aloof, seemingly unfazed by the unfolding drama.
Mason needed a win, a decisive move to reclaim his power and dignity. I knew that. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and took his hand, my own trembling slightly but firm. Every eye in the room turned toward us.
"I have an announcement," I said, my voice clear and confident, though my heart raced with the enormity of what I was about to say.
Logan's smile faltered, a flicker of concern momentarily replacing his smug satisfaction. I knew, in that instant, that I had caught him off guard.
"The wedding isn't happening in two weeks anymore," I declared, my voice steady despite the storm of em
otions inside me. "Mason and I… we're getting married tomorrow."
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