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𝖱𝖤𝖬𝖨𝖭𝖨𝖲𝖢𝖨𝖭𝖦

┗━━━༻❁༺━━━┛

Sophie stared down at the ring on her left hand, twisting it slightly as the light caught the diamond, making it gleam. She wondered how long Kai's mother had been dead before he'd taken it off her body.

A week had passed since Kai's proposal, and everyone—including Micah—seemed to take the news well. Micah was thrilled, chattering endlessly about how his parents would finally be together, how they would be a family. Sophie's heart ached at his innocence, knowing it would shatter one day when he, too, realized the kind of man his father truly was.

Why had Kai kept his parents' bodies up there? What twisted rationale had led to such a decision? But she kept her questions locked away, buried beneath a layer of forced calm. It was too dangerous to ask. Kai's temper was a minefield she couldn't afford to trigger, though she was grateful that Micah had never been the target of his anger.

The sharp ding of her phone interrupted her thoughts, signaling the end of the three-minute countdown. Sophie exhaled a shaky breath, silencing the timer. Her gaze drifted to the pregnancy test lying on the edge of the bathroom counter, deliberately placed upside down to keep her from peeking prematurely. Her chest tightened with the memory of the first time she'd taken a test, back when she'd discovered she was pregnant with Micah. Her mom and Nick had been there, hovering nervously over her shoulders. Now, she faced this moment alone.

God, how she wished her mom was here.

Lately, she had been trying to reassure Nick, convincing him over the phone that everything was fine, that there was no need to worry about the stalker because she was with Kai now. It wasn't technically a lie, but it felt like one. She longed to tell him the truth, to beg him to get her out of there, but she couldn't risk it—not yet. This wasn't something she could afford to rush.

Whatever she did, whatever steps she took next, they had to be calculated. It wasn't just her life on the line anymore. It was Micah's too. Possibly another.

With trembling fingers, Sophie reached for the test, bracing herself for whatever came next.

Two pink lines stared back and a wave of dread swept over her, rooting her to the spot. Kai's plan had worked. Her bottom lip trembled with the effort to hold back her tears. Crying wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't undo the reality now staring her in the face.

She clenched her fists, the plastic stick trembling in her grip. This wasn't supposed to happen—not like this. Not like a twisted game where she was just another pawn. 

Sure, this baby would grow up with a father, but not the father Micah had built up in his innocent mind. Not the Kai who had once cared about her. That Kai, the man she had loved, was gone, replaced by this stranger—this manipulative, dangerous version of him.

She pressed the test down onto the counter with shaking hands, staring at her pale reflection in the mirror. How was she supposed to protect herself? Protect Micah? Protect this baby?

Sophie masked her emotions, replacing them with utter composure. She forced a smile in the mirror, straightening her posture. She moved back into their shared room where Kai was sitting on the side of the bed. 

"Well?" Kai asked, his eyes scanning her face.

Sophie forced a bright smile, holding up the test as if it were a winning lottery ticket instead of a death sentence. "I'm pregnant," 

For a moment, Kai just stared, his expression shifting into something almost childlike before splitting into the biggest grin she'd ever seen on his face. He shot up from his chair, closing the distance between them.

"That's amazing, baby," he said as he wrapped his arms around her. 

He pressed a soft kiss to the crown of her head, an uncharacteristic tenderness in the gesture. Then, as if overcome by emotion, he slowly sank to his knees before her, his hands trailing down to clasp hers. His eyes were wide and glassy, filled with something that might have been love—or a terrifying version of it.

Kai rested his forehead against her abdomen.

Sophie swallowed hard, her throat tight as she forced herself to keep up the façade. She rested a hand on his head, her fingers brushing through his hair.

"Everything we've ever wanted," she whispered, her voice nearly cracking.

────༻❁༺────

Sophie followed Winter through the boutique. Racks of white gowns surrounded them, and Sophie brushed her fingers against a lace train absentmindedly, her mind a million miles away. Speedwagon lingered near the door, his watchful eyes scanning the store, his presence as suffocating as the situation.

Winter paused in front of a display of sleek, modern dresses and glanced back at Sophie, her brow furrowing. "This one's nice," she said, her tone light, though the tension between them was thick.

Sophie nodded half-heartedly, forcing a smile. "It's beautiful," she said, her voice hollow.

Winter turned to fully face her. "Cut the shit, Sophie," she said bluntly, her hazel eyes narrowing. "You're pissed at me. Just say it."

Sophie froze, her fingers tightening around the edge of the nearest gown. She glanced at Speedwagon, who was studiously avoiding their conversation, then back at Winter. "What do you want me to say?" 

"The truth." Winter stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You've been giving me this fake, Stepford smile all day, and it's making me want to puke. You're mad. I get it. Let's just get it out in the open."

Sophie's composure cracked, her breath hitching as she met Winter's gaze. "How could you let this happen? You knew what he was. You knew what he was capable of, and you let me walk right into it."

Winter's jaw tightened. "You think I had a choice?" she shot back, her voice equally quiet but laced with frustration. "You think I wanted this for you?"

"Didn't you?" Sophie countered, her voice rising slightly despite herself. She glanced at Speedwagon again, lowering her tone. "You stood by while he stalked me, manipulated me. And now me and my son are stuck in this—this nightmare because of you."

Winter's expression softened, guilt flashing across her face. "You think I don't hate myself for it?" she whispered. "You think I don't lay awake every night wondering if I could've stopped him? But it's Kai, Sophie. He's—he's... you know what he is."

Sophie let out a bitter laugh. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"No," Winter admitted, her voice breaking slightly. "But it's the truth. And for what it's worth, I'm trying to help you. Even if it doesn't feel like it."

Sophie stared at her for a long moment, her chest heaving with the effort to keep her emotions in check. Finally, she looked away, her eyes landing on a nearby dress—a simple, elegant gown with a flowing skirt. "This one," she said quietly, her voice flat.

Winter followed her gaze and nodded, her expression unreadable. "Okay," 

As Sophie reached out to touch the fabric, her fingers brushed against the cool silk, a lump forming in her throat. She had always imagined this moment as something magical, filled with joy and excitement. Instead, it felt like she was picking out her own funeral attire.

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Winter adjusted the train of the dress, smoothing out the fabric as Sophie stood before the full-length mirror. The gown hugged her in all the right places, its simplicity accentuating her natural beauty. For a fleeting moment, Sophie looked like the bride she had always dreamed of being. But the weight in her chest was unbearable, a painful contrast to the image staring back at her.

Winter straightened up, folding her arms as she stood beside Sophie. "You look perfect," 

Sophie's lips curved into a small, bitter smile as she smoothed the fabric of the wedding dress, her eyes locked on the woman in the mirror—a stranger draped in white. "You know," she began softly, her voice weighted with nostalgia, "I always imagined you being my maid of honor at my wedding. Even when we fell off, I still pictured it."

Winter stilled beside her. A slight tension crept into her posture, but she said nothing, waiting for Sophie to continue.

"And somehow," Sophie added, her tone wistful and aching, "I always imagined it would be Kai I'd marry."

The silence that followed was heavy, pressing on Sophie's chest and forcing her to take shallow breaths. "Even when I was fourteen years old, I knew it would be him. It was always meant to be." Her voice faltered, the words catching in her throat. "Even now... I still love him."

Winter looked up sharply, her eyes locking on Sophie's in the reflection.

"But he..." Sophie's voice dropped, barely audible. "He scares me, Winter."

Winter's lips parted as if to speak, but no words came. She hesitated before whispering, "He scares me too."

Sophie's gaze snapped to Winter's in the mirror, the reflection capturing the raw vulnerability in her eyes. For a fleeting moment, they were just two women trapped in Kai's web, bound by fear and an unspoken understanding.

"What the hell happened?" Sophie finally asked, her voice trembling with anger and disbelief. "Why keep your parents up there?"

Winter flinched, her composure cracking under the question. A shadow of pain crossed her face, her jaw tightening before she answered. "It was Vincent's idea."

Sophie blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What?"

Winter sighed, stepping away from the dress and folding her arms defensively. "He had just started up his career, and I was in the middle of school. There was no way we could keep the house if we didn't keep getting the pension and disability checks."

"So you let them rot?" Sophie seethed, her voice rising with disgust.

Winter's eyes darkened as she snapped back, "I didn't agree with it either, Sophie." Her voice cracked under her emotions. "But I couldn't do anything about it. I wasn't in control."

Sophie turned to face her fully, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "You could've done something. Anything. Instead, you just stood by and let it happen."

Winter's eyes brimmed with tears, but she held her ground, her voice laced with bitterness. "Don't you think I wanted to? Don't you think I hated every second of it? But I was just a kid, Sophie. A kid stuck in the same hellhole you're in now."

Sophie turned back to the mirror, her reflection a reminder of the life she was now tethered to—a life she never asked for, with a man she no longer recognized.

"Well," she said after a long, strained silence, her voice cold and detached, "I guess none of us ever really had a choice, did we?"

────༻❁༺────

Sophie crept down the basement stairs, her bare feet making no sound on the carpet. She stopped short at the doorway to Kai's makeshift throne room, her heart pounding as she strained to make out the conversation.

"Okay, Micah," Kai's voice drifted up to her, its usual edge softened into something almost playful. "You remember the rules, right?"

Sophie's stomach turned as she peered around the edge of the doorframe, careful not to be seen. Micah sat on one of the chairs, his small legs swinging excitedly as he nodded. His wide, innocent eyes were fixed on Kai, who sat across from him, his pinky extended.

"Pinky to pinky," Kai said, his tone solemn despite the gesture's childlike nature. "No lies. No secrets. Total honesty. That's how we build trust."

Micah grinned, lifting his tiny hand to wrap his pinky around Kai's. "No lies. No secrets. Total honesty," 

Sophie bit down hard on her lip, her nails digging into the wooden doorframe. The sight of her son, so trusting and eager, made her chest ache. She wanted to rush in, to pull Micah away from Kai's influence, but she forced herself to stay hidden. If she intervened now, it would only make things worse.

Kai's smile widened as their pinkies locked. "Good. Now, I'll ask you a question, and you have to answer honestly. Deal?"

"Deal," Micah said with a giggle.

"Alright," Kai began, tilting his head thoughtfully. "What's something that makes you really happy?"

Micah didn't hesitate. "Mommy."

Kai chuckled, ruffling Micah's hair. "Good answer, buddy. She's pretty amazing, isn't she?"

Sophie's heart squeezed painfully at the exchange. Kai's charm was a weapon, and he wielded it with deadly precision.

"My turn," Micah said excitedly, his pinky still looped with Kai's.

"Go ahead," Kai encouraged, his grin never faltering.

Micah furrowed his brow in concentration. "What makes you happy?"

Kai's eyes darkened slightly, though his smile remained. "Family," he said after a pause, his voice dropping an octave. "You and Mommy. You're my world, Micah. That's why I'll always protect you."

"Your turn again!" Micah chirped, blissfully unaware of the undercurrent of menace in the room.

Kai leaned in closer, his expression softening into something that might have passed for genuine if Sophie didn't know better. "What scares you the most, Micah?"

Micah's swinging legs stilled, and he looked down, his small face suddenly serious. "Losing Mommy," he whispered.

Sophie's breath caught in her throat, her vision blurring as tears filled her eyes.

"That's never going to happen," Kai said firmly. "I won't let anyone take her from us. We're a team, remember?"

Micah nodded, his trust in Kai unshaken.

Sophie couldn't listen anymore. She slipped back up the stairs, her movements shaky but silent. As soon as she reached the safety of her room, she sank to the floor, her hands trembling.

She knew she couldn't let this continue. Kai was weaving himself deeper into Micah's heart, and Sophie had to figure out a way to untangle her son from his father's grasp before it was too late.

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