Morning came too quickly.
Sophia barely slept.
Not because she couldn't.
But because every time she closed her eyes—
She saw it again.
That moment.
The way he looked at her.
The way he almost—
She turned onto her side, exhaling sharply.
"Get it together," she whispered to herself.
This was exactly what she couldn't allow.
She wasn't supposed to feel anything.
Not here.
Not with him.
Across the room, the faint sound of movement made her stiffen.
Luciano was already awake.
Of course he was.
He stood near the dresser now, adjusting his watch like everything was normal.
Like nothing had happened.
Like he hadn't almost lost control last night.
Sophia pushed herself up into a sitting position, watching him carefully.
"You always act like nothing happened?" she asked.
Luciano didn't look at her.
"What are you talking about?"
Her brows furrowed.
"Seriously?" she said. "That's what you're going with?"
He adjusted his cuff slowly, deliberately.
"Yes."
The calmness in his voice irritated her instantly.
"You almost—" she started.
"I didn't."
He cut her off sharply this time.
Finally turning to face her.
Their eyes met.
And just like that—
The tension was back.
Strong as ever.
"You were going to," she insisted.
"But I didn't," he repeated.
Her jaw tightened.
"Because you stopped yourself."
Silence.
A beat.
Then—
"Yes."
The admission hung between them.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Sophia swung her legs off the bed, standing slowly.
"Why?" she asked.
Luciano studied her.
Carefully.
"You already know."
Her heart skipped.
"Say it," she said quietly.
A dangerous request.
Luciano stepped closer.
Not too close this time.
But enough.
"Because I don't trust myself around you."
The honesty hit harder than expected.
Sophia swallowed.
"That's not exactly comforting," she said.
"It's not supposed to be."
She let out a small, frustrated laugh.
"Great. So I'm stuck in a room with someone who just admitted that."
Luciano didn't react.
"If I wanted to hurt you," he said calmly, "I would have."
Her breath caught.
He wasn't wrong.
And that made it worse.
Sophia crossed her arms, trying to steady herself.
"You're not helping your case," she muttered.
"I'm not trying to."
Of course he wasn't.
Silence fell again.
But this time…
It wasn't as suffocating.
Just… complicated.
Sophia hesitated for a moment.
Then—
"You're avoiding the real issue."
Luciano raised a brow slightly. "Which is?"
"You don't know what this is," she said.
His expression didn't change.
"Yes, I do."
"No," she shook her head. "You think you do. But you don't."
A pause.
Then—
"Explain."
Her heart pounded slightly.
Because now she had his attention.
Fully.
"You said I'm not a replacement," she began slowly. "And I believe you."
Luciano didn't interrupt.
"But that doesn't mean this is… normal," she continued.
"It's not supposed to be."
"That's the problem," she said.
A beat.
Then—
"What do you want it to be?" he asked.
The question caught her off guard.
Completely.
Sophia blinked.
"I—what?"
Luciano stepped closer again.
This time—
More intentional.
"You keep fighting this," he said. "So tell me what you want instead."
Her mind raced.
What did she want?
Freedom.
Distance.
Control.
But also—
Answers.
Clarity.
Something real.
"I want a choice," she said finally.
Luciano's gaze darkened slightly.
"You have one."
"No," she said firmly. "I don't."
A pause.
Then—
"You can choose how you deal with this," he said.
"That's not the same thing," she shot back.
"It is right now."
Her frustration flared again.
"Why won't you just let me go?" she asked.
Luciano didn't answer immediately.
And that told her everything.
"You can't," she realized.
His silence confirmed it.
Sophia's chest tightened.
"You can't let me go," she repeated softly.
Because it wasn't just about control anymore.
It was something deeper.
Something he didn't want to admit.
Luciano finally spoke.
"No."
One word.
Simple.
Final.
Sophia looked away, shaking her head slightly.
"This is insane…"
"Maybe."
She looked back at him.
"You keep saying that like it makes it okay."
"It doesn't."
"Then why do it?"
A long pause followed.
Then—
"Because I don't know how to stop."
The words were quiet.
But real.
Sophia felt something shift again.
That honesty—
That vulnerability—
It was dangerous.
Because it made it harder to hate him.
And she needed to hate him.
"I'm not going to make this easy for you," she said.
Luciano's lips curved slightly.
"I don't expect you to."
A beat.
Then—
"Good."
The tension between them changed again.
Not softer.
But different.
Less about control.
More about… challenge.
Sophia exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair.
"Can I at least leave this room?" she asked.
Luciano considered her for a moment.
Then—
"No."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course not."
"Not alone."
That made her pause.
Her eyes snapped back to his.
"What?"
"I'll be with you," he said.
Her heart skipped.
"That's not better," she muttered.
"It's the only option."
Sophia hesitated.
Then—
"Fine."
The word came out reluctantly.
But it was something.
A small shift.
A small compromise.
Luciano nodded once.
Then turned slightly, heading toward the door.
"Get ready."
Sophia blinked. "Now?"
"Yes."
Her pulse quickened.
Because this was new.
Different.
She wasn't locked in completely anymore.
But she wasn't free either.
And as she watched him open the door—
She realized something important.
This wasn't just a prison anymore.
It was a game.
A dangerous one.
And now—
They were both playing.