Chapter 9 : His officially

Antonio

Sofia was mine. She always had been, from the moment I first laid eyes on her.As I stood there, holding her in my arms, the reality of what Venditti had done to her hit me like a punch to the gut."Che cosa hai fatto?" I snarled at him, my voice low and dangerous. "Che cosa le hai fatto?"Venditti's eyes widened in fear, his lips parted as if to speak. But I cut him off.

"What have you done?" I snarled in Italian. "What have you done to her?"Venditti's fear was palpable, his face pale and drawn. "I—I was only disciplining her," he stammered. "She had to be taught a lesson.""A lesson?" I spat, my grip on Sofia tightening. "You beat her, tortured her. That is not discipline, Venditti. That is cruelty."

"Sofia is mine," I continued, my voice like ice. "She is my wife, my partner in this life. And I will not tolerate any harm coming to her."I stepped closer to Venditti, my men fanning out behind me. "Do you understand me, Venditti? If you ever harm her again, I will show you what true cruelty is."Venditti paled, his eyes darting to the ground. "I understand," he whispered.

I turned away, wrapping Sofia more securely in my arms. "We're leaving," I said to Venditti, my voice firm. "And we're taking her with us."With a nod to my men, I began walking back to my car, Sofia's head resting against my chest. As I passed Venditti, I paused, turning to meet his gaze."She's better off with me," I said, my eyes cold and merciless. "And if you try to stop us, you will get a bullet right in the middle of your head

I climbed into the car, still holding Sofia close. As my driver pulled away, I gazed down at her sleeping face, a protectiveness rising within me like a rising tide.She was my Sofia now. Mine to protect, mine to love, mine to cherish. And I would do whatever it took to keep her safe.I pressed my lips to her forehead, my heart swelling with an emotion I'd never experienced before."Ti amo, Sofia," I whispered.

I carried Sofia inside my mansion, fury burning in my veins as I took in the injuries covering her body. Bruises. Burns. Cuts. How could her father have done this to her?"Cavalieri!" I barked, my trusted doctor stepping out of the shadows. "Take care of Sofia. Do whatever you can for her."He nodded, his expression grave as he took Sofia from my arms.I clenched my fists, rage building within me. Venditti would pay for this.

"He will pay for what he's done," I muttered, my voice a low growl. "I will see to it personally."I turned on my heel, marching towards my office. But I barely made it two steps before Vincenzo appeared at my side, his eyes gleaming with an understanding of what had to be done."Boss," he murmured, falling into step beside me. "What are your orders?"

I stopped, my hands gripping the back of a chair so hard it creaked. "Venditti will pay for this, Vincenzo. But we need to be smart about it."I turned to face him, my eyes dark and dangerous. "Send a message to Venditti. Tell him that Sofia is under my protection now, and that any further attempts to harm her will be met with swift and severe retaliation. And tell him that he has three days to respond."Vincenzo nodded, his jaw tightening with determination.

Sofia

I woke in a hazy blur, the pain returning like a lightning bolt. My vision was blurry, my body shaking."Antonio?" I called out, my voice weak and broken. "Where are you?"The sound of my own voice was like a reminder of my weakness, my vulnerability. I hated it. I wanted to be strong.But the tears came anyway, spilling down my cheeks in silent streams. "Please," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Please come to me."

I felt him before I saw him. His warmth, his scent. Antonio."Sofia." His voice was low and gentle, like a lullaby.I turned my head, tears still streaming down my face. "Antonio," I whispered. "I'm so sorry."He shook his head, his expression unreadable. "Shh. Don't apologize," he murmured, his fingers brushing away my tears. "You did nothing wrong, Sofia. I

"I should have taken you home that night," he continued, his voice tight with emotion. "If I had, you wouldn't have suffered like this."I closed my eyes, willing the tears to stop. "No," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "This isn't your fault. It was Father's anger that did this to me."Antonio's eyes blazed with a fierce intensity. "I should have protected you," he whispered.

"Antonio, no," I pleaded, my Italian pouring out of me in a torrent of emotion. "Non è la tua colpa. Non è la tua colpa." (It's not your fault. Not your fault.)His eyes searched my face, his expression tight with pain. "Sofia," he said, his voice catching. "Ti amo. Mi dispiace." (I love you. I'm sorry.)

I reached out, my fingers curling around his hand. "Antonio," I whispered. "Please, don't blame yourself. You've done so much for me already."His gaze softened, the intensity giving way to something softer, more vulnerable. "Ti voglio bene, Sofia," he said, his voice filled with emotion. (I love you, Sofia.)I sighed, my heart feeling lighter for the first time in weeks.

"Stay with me," I murmured, my voice barely audible. "Stay with me, and I'll be okay."Antonio smiled, the warmth of his presence wrapping around me like a blanket."Sì, Sofia," he whispered. "Ti prometto che non mi allontanerò più." (Yes, Sofia. I promise I won't leave you again.)

And as I drifted off to sleep, my hand still clasped in Antonio's, I knew that, no matter what happened next, I wasn't alone anymore.Antonio would protect me.Antonio would love me.Antonio was mine.And I was his.