Chapter 3 Messing with the Man

Sophia's POV

"Drugged?"

I fiercely broke free from Luca's iron grip. "Luca Vittorio, you are seriously reaching."

"If I wanted to hurt you, why would I wait until now? Don't pin this on me."

Luca instantly narrowed his grey-blue eyes. His hot breath brushed my neck; the drug was quickly eroding his control.

He leaned forward, pressing me closer. His rock-hard chest muscles met my collarbone, and the friction sent a shiver through me.

"Then your appearance here, right now, is an incredibly convenient coincidence."

With a dismissive chuckle, Luca released my wrist and slid his hand down my waistline, his rough palm easily catching the hem of my dress.

With a single, rough tug, the lower fabric was mercilessly shredded.

Before I could cry out, Luca leaned in again, biting my earlobe—not hard, but with a clear sense of punishment.

"Or did you plan to take advantage of my state to cement your position as Mrs. Vittorio?"

The sudden chill below made my eyes water uncontrollably, and a surge of humiliation washed over me.

Out of spite and rage, I lashed out and bit his approaching lip hard.

The metallic taste of blood instantly flooded my mouth.

Luca muffled a grunt of pain, and the force holding me slackened abruptly.

I seized the chance, shoved him away, and stumbled back a few steps, crimson blood staining my lips.

"You make me sick."

The next second, I didn't hesitate. I turned and ran for the stairs, desperate to escape this contaminated place.

Before I took a full stride, a cold, rational thought struck me.

If anything serious happened to Luca, both I and the Klein family would be buried with him.

I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists, and turned back to face the man who was wiping the blood from his mouth.

"Come with me. We need to cool you down."

I reluctantly pulled on his arm to lead him downstairs. To my surprise, Luca was compliant, allowing me to half-support, half-drag him out of the hotel.

Once inside the car, however, he suddenly turned and forcefully pinned me beneath him.

"Baby, I don't mind doing this in the car, you know."

He bit my ear, his hot breath making his words slur.

The thick scent of pheromones completely enveloped me. Failing to push him off, I forced a smile and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Let's go back. There's a hotel nearby. It won't take long."

His smile widened. He lowered his head and bit my mouth again. "Fine. Your wish is my command."

As the atmosphere grew heavy with tension, I urged the driver to speed up.

A familiar figure, Anna, was on the roadside. As we passed, Anna's eyes went wide as saucers, staring at me.

Her expression was one of shocked, excited discovery.

But I couldn't worry about her now.

The moment we got out of the car, I dragged Luca's arm into the top-floor suite, rushed to the bathroom, and turned on the cold shower, trying to push him in.

"Get in the cold water now. Snap out of it."

Luca abruptly grabbed my wrist, pulling me close. "Is this a new twist on playing hard-to-get? I really can't figure you out."

"Stop overthinking. Just wash up. I'm leaving."

I struggled to pull my hand back, but his grip only tightened.

"Leaving already? The main event hasn't started."

He wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing me flush against him.

Cold water steam filled the bathroom, blurring my vision.

Through the mist, he reached out, pinching my chin to force me to look up at him. The blood from my lip was still dry. He towered over me.

"No one else is here now. So, little wildcat, tell me the truth. What is your game?"

I turned my face away, wanting no further contact.

"You're delusional. I just don't want you dying here."

He forcefully turned my face back, his fingers tracing my lower lip. "A pathetic excuse. Not good enough. Tell me the truth, and I might spare your life."

I decided to hell with it and let out a frustrated sigh. "What do you want to hear? I know you're hurting right now. If you need a release, I can call Anna to satisfy you. After all, you two are already well-acquainted, aren't you?"

Luca's movements paused. He released my chin and took a step back. "What's this? Is my little wildcat jealous?"

"Jealous?" I immediately countered. "You flatter yourself. We're a business arrangement. We should avoid wasting each other's time."

"Wasting time?" His large arms caged me against the sink, making the space feel suffocatingly small.

"Then why did you come back? The Klein family's profits? Or have you fallen for me, and you're just too stubborn to admit it?"

His breath swept across my cheek, carrying faint scents of tobacco and cool mint.

I was so close I could clearly see his thick eyelashes and the turmoil swirling in his grey-blue eyes.

"Arrogant fool," I forced my gaze away.

"I don't care who you sleep with outside. If it weren't for my family, I'd find looking at you repulsive."

Luca's eyes turned completely cold. He stared at me for a long time, then suddenly squeezed my cheek, the force clearly punitive.

"Repulsive?" He leaned in, his lips almost touching mine. "Then why didn't you just leave earlier? Sophia, you better tell me the truth. What is your objective in approaching me?"

His fingers pressed hard, making me wince, but I stubbornly met his gaze.

"Objective? My objective is to complete the alliance, get what I'm owed, and then we go our separate ways. Who you sleep with has nothing to do with me!"

Luca looked at the defiance in my eyes and suddenly laughed, though the sound held zero warmth.

"So you want to go your separate ways?"

He abruptly let go of my cheek, his fingers stroking my lips, rubbing hard.

"Well, you might be disappointed, my little wildcat."

My heart suddenly began to pound violently, threatening to burst from my chest.

Just as I thought Luca was about to do something, he suddenly lost interest, stepped back a few paces, and leaned casually against the wall, looking bored.

"What a tedious game," he said, half-smiling. "But sometimes overacting isn't a good thing for you."

I was shaking with anger and about to speak when a sudden commotion—a rush of footsteps mixed with Anna's high-pitched shouting—erupted outside the door.

"I saw Sophia enter this room myself! She must be cheating with some random man right now. Get your cameras ready, boys."