CHAPTER SIX

The immense mansion loomed at the extreme edge of the city like a fortress, with its gray stone walls and iron gates jutting out seamlessly from the skyline. 

To the outer world, it was a palace, but for Sophia, it felt more akin to a precious-looking cage. 

A cage she found herself in. She had always felt alone from the start. Her father, who she was inseparable from, was now in the hospital, unaware of the time of recovery.

Now, she just felt worse. What made her worse was knowing that she lost her virginity to a cruel man like Logan. That was never part of what she had planned for her future.

Be it a mistake or not, every gentleman should know how to take responsibility for his actions. And she was not talking about marriage.

All she wanted was an apology. Only she knew how she felt when she woke up that morning, only to find her blood on the bed she lay on with a man she had never seen in her life.

The least he could have done was to say that he was sorry, but she soon figured out why everyone was so afraid of him.

People called home cruel and arrogant. Some even called him ugly, but all she could see for herself was his cruel side.

She wasn't the kind to judge people based on their looks but their personalities. And Logan confirmed that fact.

As her car reached the end of the long and pretty built driveway, Sophia leaned her forehead against the window, steaming the glass as her eyes traveled across the beautifully manicured lawns. The immaculate view of Logan's estate on all sides contributed to the crushing feeling of loneliness that rose in her throat.

This was her life nowadays.

She always came back from work to see this every day.

Sophia clutched at her upper arms some more, the pressure of the decision she had made hitting her quite abruptly.

It was only last week that the wedding blunder occurred—when she got married to Logan Steele, the distant billionaire who hardly knew her. 

It had been one huge miscalculation, a blunder that was quite easy to correct. But here she was, living in the mansion with him as his wife.

"Act the part," she recalled what Logan's grandmother told her at the wedding.

Shad tried to persuade her to keep the press at bay. But Sophia was wise to it—this was not about appearances. It was about power and the power of keeping everything in order in Logan's world, including herself, which meant she had to exist on the periphery of his.

She drew to a stop. Sophia hesitated for a second, her hand on the car door and her heart unsought brimming out with apprehension.

She had always been the kind of girl who embraced challenges, but not this—this was an exception. This was more than merely a new phase of her life; it was a whole period of her entire life.

After the whole encounter at the bar, everything seemed oblivious. Knowing that Logan overheard their conversation and still chose to behave that way made her sick.

The fresh and chilly air of autumn greeted her, along with the contact of warm cheeks, as she wrapped the coat around herself. She turned her gaze to the mansion, whose magnificent gothic design

There was no doubt that the design of the mansion was rich enough to befit a billionaire. 

Ornate crystal chandeliers were hanging from the trey ceilings, and there was not a single surface that did not seem polished to reflect wealth and all the privileges that came with it. 

However, despite all the magnificence, the entire place was devoid of human warmth; it was as if there had not been any real habitation in that place. The servants glided about the corridors without making noise, their feet barely touching the marble tiles. 

They were almost like shadows or spirits, and she was the newest ghost they had decided to add to their ranks.

Sophia's gaze wandered from the paintings that adorned the walls of the house to the ancient decor and then to a clock ticking somewhere far off within the house. It was all gorgeous, yes—but in an overwhelming way. It was as if she had been dealt a jarring dose of the over-embellished nature of her surroundings that were only but a facet of Logan's world.

They came to an impressive, spiraling staircase that led up to the second floor; the head servant turned to her, her shrewd face and gray hair twisted in a bun bearing the signs of age.

"Dinner will be at seven o'clock."

Sophia recoiled at the sound of that word. Mrs. Steele. It still seemed unreal, and the tone with which she had pronounced it made it apparent that the lady did not think even for a second that Sophia was supposed to be here.

"Thank you," Sophia answered rather softly, even though the lady had already walked away, leaving her to go up the stairs by herself.

Her bedchamber—no, her prison for the time being—was located at the end of a long and narrow corridor.

In Logan's workplace.

"You are," was Logan's curt response, though he still motioned for David to take a seat.

David raised a brow before positioning himself in front of Logan's desk. "You're still as delightful as ever."

"What do you want, David?" Logan asked, reclining in the chair and folding his arms over his chest.

David let out a small sigh before running his hand over the dark brown strands of his hair. "There is something that I wanted to talk to you about, and that is Sophia."

At the sound of her name, Logan's jaw clenched. "And?"

"You have to stop treating her like that, Logan. It's inhumane. She was part of the plan, so what? The seed had already been done."

Logan narrowed his eyes. "Inhumane? She's the one who shouldn't even be here. This was never meant to happen."

David leaned in, his voice steady but gentle. "That could be right, but it is. And now you have her as your spouse. She is in your house, Logan, and I can see that she is utterly isolated."

"She is not," Logan replied icily. "There is the staff."

David expelled an exasperated breath. "The staff? Logan, you're not an idiot. You understand well that they will only take their cues from you. If you are unwelcoming to her, so will they be."

Logan's eyes shifted towards the window, his jaw clenched as he fought his emotions. He loathed accepting orders, though he was aware, as always, that there was some merit to what David was saying. But to acknowledge that might suggest that he might have erred—and Logan Steele does not err.

"I didn't ask for this," Logan said under his breath, which was more to himself than directed to David.

"That's right, but you are in it now," David said calmly. "And so is she. Look, I know this is not what you planned, but punishing her is not going to make things better. All you do is cause her suffering."

Logan's drumming fingers stilled on the armrest of the chair he occupied. 

"She's alright." Logan offered, though the statement felt meaningless even to him.

David then got to his feet while resting his gaze on his friend, laced with empathy and frustration. "She's not alright. And if you continue like this, you will deeply regret it."

Without another word, David hopped off his chair and exited the office, leaving Logan to ponder about what just happened.

Her thoughts were too loud, echoing in her skull. Such was the reason why Sophia retreated to the dining room, taking a seat before an untouched plate of food. The elongated, rectangular, heavy wooden table that was in front of her glistened under the lighting from a chandelier hanging above. She was all alone at the table, and the vastness of the place intensified her feelings of loneliness.

The maids had cleared the drawers on the tables and decorated the tables to perfection by placing dishes that were more of art pieces than food and cubes of all sizes. 

But Sophia's stomach was empty, and she arranged the food on the table in front of her while remembering she was married.

Dinner was also had with him—no, for the umpteenth time. Not that I have been waiting for him. Since I was brought in here, he has been doing everything possible not to be in the same vicinity as me.

There she gazed out the large window next to her, resting her chin on her hand, and sighed. The outlines of the yards she was in were now well-lit—the sun was already down, and the yards were in the serenity of the moon. She liked it, but this only made her lonelier.

As she sat there in deep thought, the door of the dining room was opened, and someone entered the room.