The crowd was so focused on Sophia that no one noticed him approach. In one fluid motion, he reached in, grasped her hand firmly, and pulled her out of the circle.
Sylvia gasped softly, startled by the sudden movement. Before she could react, Magnus grabbed her hand and sprinted through the crowd. The reporters surged forward, shouting questions, but she had no choice but to run with him as he hurriedly made their escape.
Magnus veered sharply down a hallway and slipped into a nearby room, shutting the door behind them. The sudden darkness swallowed them, and for a long moment, there was only silence.
He backed her gently against the wall and stepped in front of her, hands pressing against the wall on either side of herhead. His body loomed over hers, shielding her from the chaos outside.
Footsteps and voices echoed in the hallway.
“Where did they go?”
“They were just here!”
The journalists searched nearby, their frustration audible.
Inside the room, Magnus and Sylvia stood pressed close together. Her back was against the wall, his chest aligned with hers. Her hands clutched his shirt at his waist, trembling slightly as she listened to the fading voices outside.
Magnus’s arm wrapped around her, holding her close, while his other hand steadied her head against the wall. Their bodies were pressed together so tightly that every subtle movement was felt. His chest rose and fell against hers, his presence overwhelming. The only thing he could sense was her scent, intoxicating in the quiet.
Minutes passed in silence. Gradually, the footsteps outside faded, and the hallway grew still.
Sophia finally looked up. In the darkness, Magnus’s face was inches from hers. Her eyes widened at the closeness, a jolt of awareness shooting through her. She pushed against his chest, trying to create space.
“Move,” she demanded, voice sharp.
Magnus didn’t flinch. Instead, his arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. His face lowered slightly, breath brushing hers. His voice dropped, low and commanding.
“Enough games,” he murmured, eyes locking onto hers. “What is your relationship with Elias?”
“It’s none of your business,” Sophia snapped, her voice sharp as she looked up at him.
She shoved against his chest, trying to push him away. “Mr. Graves, you should focus on your relationship with your own girlfriend instead of cornering me in a dark room.”
She stepped back, bracing herself to move past him, her heels clicking lightly against the floor.
But Magnus’s arm shot around her waist in an instant. He yanked her back toward him. This time, he didn’t let her hit the wall. He pinned her against his own body, chest against chest, his grip tight.
There was a storm in his eyes—anger he was struggling to control, barely contained beneath a veneer of restraint.
He leaned closer, his voice low and tense. “Why are you always so cold to me? Every time I come near you, you act like I’m your enemy. What have I done to you that you treat me this way? But with everyone else… you’re sweet, kind… polite. Why not me?”
“Because I don’t like you,” she said immediately, her gaze unwavering as she looked straight into his eyes. “Is that not enough? I don’t like you! I hate you.”
“But I like you!” he snapped, voice rough, raw with barely restrained intensity.
His jaw clenched, fingers pressing into her waist as if to hold himself back. His whole body radiated tension, vibrating with a force that seemed on the verge of breaking free.
His eyes bore into hers, full of fire and frustration. She had pushed him to the edge, forcing him to the point where he could barely control himself, and she could see it.
Sophia froze. Shock rooted her in place as she stared at him, taking in the heat and raw emotion on his face.
Magnus’s voice dropped to a harsh, urgent growl. “I’ve loved you from the very first moment I saw you! I’m in love with you, and it’s driving me insane that you don’t see it! Haven’t I made it clear enough?”
She stood stiffly, still processing his words, her eyes locked on his. Finally, she spoke, her tone edged with incredulity.
“Mr. Graves… you sound ridiculous. Shouldn’t you focus on the women you already have? Don’t you have your ex-wife and your new girlfriend to deal with? Why are you doing this?”
Magnus’s chest rose and fell rapidly, each breath coming a little too fast. His hands tightened around Sophia’s waist, his fingers pressing into the fabric of her clothes as if afraid she might pull away at any second.
