“It’s none of your business what I do.”
She took a step back immediately, putting space between them. Her chin lifted slightly, stubbornness flashing in her eyes.
“I can do whatever I want,” she added, her chin lifting slightly. “You don’t have the right to interfere.”
For a moment, he just stared at her.
Then his expression hardened further.
11 Say My Name
His jaw ticked, and he dragged a hand through his hair before placing both hands on his hips, fingers pressing against his belt. He turned slightly away, exhaling sharply through his nose like he was trying to hold himself back.
The silence stretched.
Heavy.
Tense.
Then he turned back to her again.
This time, his voice dropped.
“Come on,” he said, nodding toward the car. “I’ll drop you home.”
It wasn’t a question.
“No, thank you. I can go back on my own,” Sophia said quickly, barely taking a breath.
“You do realize,” he continued, moving another step closer until the distance between them shrank, “you won’t find a cab anywhere around here, right?” His eyes flicked briefly to the empty road before returning to her face. “Does this look like a neighborhood where people need to call cabs? They have garages full of cars.”
He tilted his head slightly, watching her reaction.
“Stop being stubborn.” His voice softened just a fraction, but the command in it remained. “Get in the car. I’ll drop you home.”
“I can just walk—”
Sophia turned sharply, clearly intending to leave.
But she barely managed two steps.
His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.
Her breath hitched.
Before she could react, his fingers slid down, threading firmly between hers, locking their hands together. The warmth of his grip sent a jolt up her arm as he tugged her back.
“Magnus—”
He didn’t let her finish.
With a steady pull, he turned her around and guided her toward the passenger side of his car. “Get in.”
“Magnus, I said I—”
“Get in.”
His voice left no room for argument.
