Shadows of control { Under Editing }

20. His real face.

Author's pov:

Today Sofia was working from home because Devika was not feeling well and giving her medicines on time was the duty of Sofia because over the past one month their bond had become strong.

Sofia, was in Devika's room giving her medicine.As she turned to leave, Devika's voice halted her.
"Sofia, I want to ask something,"

"Yes, Dhadhi,"
Sofia replied, her pronunciation of the Hindi term slightly off.

A chuckle escaped Devika's lips after hearing her mispronunciation.

"How is Ansh treating you?"
Devika asked, her voice filled with concern.

A pause. Then, a silent battle within her mind. How can I say it? He's treating me as his sex toy. We barely talk. The words hung in the air, unspoken, as she struggled to articulate the truth.

"He's treating me like any other man would,"
Sofia replied, her voice laced with a hint of indifference.
"He's more than I could ever deserve"
she added, the words echoing in the silent room.

Devika offered a weary smile as Sofia left the room.

Sofia was lost in the beauty of nature, sitting on her balcony. Suddenly, the door burst open. Ansh stormed in, his eyes flashing with anger.He closed the door.

Shaken by his sudden appearance and the intensity of his anger, Sofia turned to face him.
"What happened?"
she asked, her voice filled with concern.

He let out a bitter laugh, his eyes burning with anger. "Who the f*ck do you think you are?"
he spat out, his voice venomous.

"What do you mean?"
she asked, her voice steady despite the rising unease within her.

"So, you need clarification for your own dirty games, Mrs. Sofia Ellis?"
he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.

He said in a firm voice,
"Strip,"
and his voice held a promise, a threat, a demand. A shiver ran down her spine. Is this it? she thought, a wave of dread washing over her. Is this how it ends?

She thought he would just fuck her and that thing will be over but actual things were waiting for her.

Sofia started undressing herself left only in her panties and bra for his eyes.

"Turn"
He orderd.

Now She was confused, unable to predict his actions.
She turned towards the walls and stood there for few seconds.

"Count" he said.
She was startled by receiving leather belt on her back. The pain was sharp and unexpected, causing her to see stars. She stumbled back, seeking support from the wall. This was the second time she had been struck, and she realized with a pang of fear that she had forgotten to count.

His roar echoed through the room,
"I said count!"

she forced herself to begin counting, her voice barely a whisper.
"1"

She reached fourteen
"14"
her voice a mere whisper.

The man, his anger finally subsiding, halted his assault. He tossed the belt aside and stormed to the door, slamming it shut with a forceful bang.

She collapsed onto the floor, her body limp and unresponsive. It felt as though her soul had detached itself from her physical form. This was the first time Ansh had resorted to such extreme violence, leaving her reeling in shock and fear.

She remained motionless on the floor for minutes .she gathered the strength to pull herself up. Shaken and bruised, she made her way to the bathroom, seeking solace in the cool water of the shower.

FlASHBACK

Ansh, engrossed in his work, was startled by an urgent email. The email contained a shocking image: Sofia, who was hugging Alexander Volkov, the brother of his biggest rival.Ansh was fuming in anger he immediately called Antonio, instructing him to obtain the full footage of the incident, that place was familiar to him because he has been there many times.

Antonio looked into the matter but the footage was gone. While casually checking his emails, Ansh found another email about a data leak. Confused, he asked Antonio about it.

Antonio said,
"Two weeks ago, Sofia discovered a serious security breach. Someone was trying to steal our company's confidential data."

Ansh, his voice steely, asked,
"And who tf told you to keep it hide from me?"

Antonio, his voice trembling, replied,
"Sofia strictly forbade me to tell you, Boss. She said it was a personal matter."

Ansh's jaw clenched, his voice low and menacing,
"Is she your boss or me, Antonio?" He paused

"I'm glad to hear it from you Antonio our company's data was leaked and it was a personal matter, Bravo!"

Antonio, his voice filled with fear, tried to apologize, "I'm truly sorry, Boss. I didn't mean to keep it from you."

Ansh's voice, cold and hard, echoed in the room,
"And who dared to do that?"

Antonio knew it was Kiara, but he kept the secret, fearing Sofia's wrath, after all he thinks her as his sister.

"I don't know Boss" Antonio replied

Ansh tried to figure out. He thought it was Adrik or Alexander behind the data leak. This wasn't the first time the Volkovs had done something like this. Ansh was sure they were trying to hurt his company because they can't hurt him.

Ansh was furious. He remembered the pictures of Sofia hugging Alexander. Now, it all made sense. He thought Sofia was working with the Volkovs to take her revenge from him. He was shocked and felt betrayed once again.

FLASHBACK ENDED

Sofia was sitting alone in the dark. She used to be afraid of the darkness, but now it felt safe. Ansh had hurt her badly. She was lost, but she was also strong. She wouldn't let him win. She would fight back. She would make him pay for what he had done specially when her mistake wasn't there.

The girl who hid their relationship reality from his family, who endured his frustration silently, who let him use her as he pleased, who obeyed his every orders, who had sacrificed her happiness, her self-respect, and her peace of mind. She had been broken down, piece by piece, until she was a mere shadow of her former self. Only time would tell how deeply she had been scarred and whether she would ever truly heal.

It's hard to imagine the extent of her brokenness.