𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬

Chapter 7: Seeking Solace

~

"What the hell? What are you talking about? There's no way I'm agreeing to that!" Alexei's voice cut through the tension in the room, his anger palpable.

"You don't have a choice, Alexei," his father replied, his tone cold and final. "This is the only way to save our family."

Alexei's frustration bubbled over, his face turning red. "No, Father. I'm not going to marry a woman I haven't even met just because you want her family's money!"

His father's expression hardened, eyes flashing with anger. "And what do you expect me to do, Alexei? We're drowning in debt. We have no other options. You've left me no other options!"

Alexei's eyes blazed with defiance. "And what about love? What about happiness? Money doesn't buy either."

His father laughed bitterly, a harsh sound that echoed off the walls. He took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling smoke with a sneer. "And what do you know about love, son? You think you've experienced it? You know nothing!"

"Yes, Dad, I do know what love is. Because I'm in love with someone who means everything to me," Alexei confessed, his voice filled with conviction, his eyes blazing with emotion.

His father's eyes narrowed, his face contorting with rage. "This is what happens when you turn your back on family. You chose to become a police officer instead of joining the family business. Now look at the mess we're in. You abandoned us!"

Alexei clenched his fists, struggling to keep his composure. "I chose to live a life of integrity, something you seem to have forgotten. This isn't about saving us with money. It's about living a life that's worth living."

"You're naive, Alexei. Love doesn't pay the bills. It doesn't put food on the table," his father spat, the bitterness in his voice cutting like a knife.

"Maybe not, but it's worth more than any amount of money," Alexei shot back, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him.

"And what's your plan? Run off with this woman and live on dreams?" his father challenged, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No. I plan to live with integrity, something you seem to have forgotten," Alexei repeated coldly, his eyes locked onto his father's, unyielding.

His father's eyes narrowed further, his face a mask of fury. "Watch your tone, son. You might regret your decisions."

Alexei took a deep breath, the tension in the room suffocating. "I won't regret standing up for what I believe in. I won't marry someone just for money."

The room fell silent, the air thick with unspoken words and unresolved conflict. His father took another drag from his cigarette, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and desperation.

"We'll see about that," he finally said, his voice low and dangerous, a threat lingering in the air.

Alexei turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, his heart pounding, his mind racing. He knew standing up to his father wasn't easy, but he was determined to fight for his own happiness. As he walked out into the cool evening air, the weight of his family's expectations pressing down on him, his thoughts drifted to Sofia and the moments they had shared. She was his calm in the storm, and he wasn't going to let anything, not even his father, come between them.

_

*phone buzzing*

As Sofia was reading a book at the mansion's library, she got interrupted by her phone's notification.

"Meet me at the bar in an hour"

It was Alexei. Yes it was. He needed to see her, to find solace in her presence, and to forget his problems, even if just for one night. A flicker of concern mixing with Sofia's curiosity. She quickly changed into a sleek, stylish revealing dress and headed out to The Bar, her mind racing with thoughts of Alexei. "What was that? Alexei seems quite... demanding?"