“My Isabel is not my girlfriend,” he said quickly, his tone defensive yet earnest. His brows drew together as he shook his head. “I’ve said it so many times—I have nothing to do with her.”
As he spoke, his grip on her waist tightened again, pulling her a fraction closer as if trying to make her believe him through sheer closeness.
“She’s just my best friend’s sister. Nothing else. She’s like a little sister to me.”
He paused briefly, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration before looking back at her.
“And my ex-wife…” His jaw tightened. “She left the country once she got what she wanted from our contract. That marriage—it was a contract. Nothing more. She took the money and walked out.”
He inhaled sharply, his chest lifting as he forced himself to slow his racing breath. His fingers loosened slightly on her waist, though he didn’t let go. When he spoke again, his voice lowered, almost pleading.
“I can tell you everything,” he said, leaning down slightly so his eyes could meet hers. “Every detail about my past relationships.” His thumb unconsciously brushed against her side as he spoke. “I want you to understand that I have nothing to do with any of those women.”
His gaze locked onto hers, intense and unwavering.
“You are the only woman I’ve ever fallen in love with.” His voice softened, raw with sincerity. “I can explain everything… if you’ll let me.”
Sophia’s chest heaved with rapid breaths, her shoulders rising and falling sharply. The more he spoke, the tighter her jaw became. Her hands slowly clenched into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms.
Every time he saidnothing to do with my ex-wifeandcontract marriage, her anger only grew.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she stared at him, disbelief burning in her eyes. The more he insisted that his past meant nothing, the more the injustice of his words clawed at her chest.
A sharp scoff escaped her lips.
She shook her head slowly, her eyes flashing with anger as she looked at him. Disbelief and fury twisted tightly in her chest.
“Three months,” she spat, her voice trembling with rage. “Three months of marriage, and you didn’t have feelings for the woman you lived with?” Her lips curled in cold mockery. “You really are a very good husband, aren’t you, Mr. Graves?”
Her eyes blazed, agitation radiating off her in waves. She tried to rein in the fury boiling inside her, trying to hide it behind a thin layer of composure—but the anger kept spilling out.
Magnus’s jaw tightened, the muscles along it flexing visibly.
“That marriage wasn’t my choice,” he said, his tone controlled but heavy. His hands lifted slightly, palms open as if trying to calm her. “My marriage to her… it was only to satisfy my family’s insistence.”
He exhaled slowly, shaking his head.
“My mother wanted me married. Her grandmother wanted her married. We were never in love.” His brows furrowed as he repeated firmly, “That marriage—it was nevermychoice!”
7 Crossing Boundaries
That was the last straw.
Sophia’s patience shattered.
She lunged forward and shoved him hard.
Magnus’s arms went slack under the sudden force, his body rocking back half a step. Before he could steady himself, Sophia grabbed the front of his collar and yanked him toward her with surprising strength.
Her fingers twisted tightly into the fabric as she dragged him closer. Her heels struck the floor with sharp, aggressive clicks as she stepped forward again, forcing him to give ground.
“If it wasn’t your choice,” she snapped, her voice rising with every word, “then why didn’t you refuse that damn marriage?”
Her grip tightened on his collar as she glared up at him.
“Why did you live with her for three months?”
Her chest rose and fell quickly as she advanced another step, leaving almost no space between them. Her gaze burned into him, fierce and accusing.
