He studied her face closely.
Sophia let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
“Are you really that self-centered?” she shot back sharply. “Why would I be jealous of anything you do in your life? What does it have to do with me?”
Her eyes hardened as she continued.
“The only thing I want from you is to leave me alone. You and I don’t have any relationship. It’s inappropriate for you to keep approaching me like this.”
She paused before adding coldly,
“Especially when you’re always showing up everywhere with another woman by your side.”
Magnus’s expression darkened.
“If you’re not jealous, then why are you always so cold and harsh toward me?” he demanded.
He stared at her intensely.
His anger grew more visible as he continued looking at her.
“Do you really hate me,” he asked slowly, “or is there another reason?”
He studied her eyes carefully.
Then suddenly, something flickered across his expression.
A thought.
“Have we met before?” he asked quietly. “Did I do something to you? Is that why you hate me?”
His voice lowered.
“What is it? Tell me.”
Sophia’s face turned pale for a brief second before she quickly forced herself to regain control.
“What are you even talking about?” she snapped quickly. “What is wrong with you?”
Her voice rose slightly.
“Is it really so hard for you to accept that a woman simply doesn’t want anything to do with you? My words aren’t that difficult to understand, are they?”
She crossed her arms tightly.
“It’s very simple. I refuse to have anything to do with you. Yet you keep trying to invent reasons that don’t exist to make it look like I have some hidden motive.”
But her voice faltered slightly near the end.
Her eyes drifted away from his.
Magnus noticed immediately.
Before she could turn further, he reached out and grabbed her chin gently but firmly, turning her face back toward him.
Their eyes locked.
His voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper.
