The winter chill had begun to seep into every corner of the estate, signaling the approach of the coldest months. The once vibrant gardens were now draped in a blanket of frost, and the nights stretched longer, their icy grip unrelenting.
Days had turned into weeks, and Samantha’s torment of Sophia had only intensified. It wasn’t just cruel tasks anymore; it was deliberate sabotage, snide remarks, and the planting of seeds that ensured Sophia was blamed for every small mishap in the estate.
Sophia endured it in silence, her pride refusing to let Samantha see her break. But with every passing day, the weight on her shoulders grew heavier.
She felt like an outsider in a gilded cage, her only solace being the rare, fleeting moments she shared with Mr. Lee—moments where his gaze lingered a second too long, or his voice softened when speaking to her.
---
It was late one evening when Mr. Lee returned from a business trip in. The air inside the estate shifted the moment he entered, his presence as commanding as the winter wind outside.
His footsteps echoed through the halls as he strode in, the staff scattering to prepare for his arrival.
Sophia, however, was in the library, her knees on the cold floor, her fingers numb from sorting through stacks of documents Samantha had deliberately messed up.
The chill in the room was unbearable, and her thin blouse did little to shield her from it.
She didn’t hear him enter at first. It wasn’t until his shadow fell over her that she realized she wasn’t alone. She froze, her heart skipping a beat as she looked up to see him standing there, his dark coat still dusted with snowflakes.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asked, his voice sharp and cold as the air outside.
Sophia scrambled to her feet, brushing her hands on her skirt. “Samantha wanted these done tonight. I’m almost finished.”
His eyes scanned the mess around her before landing on her. His gaze lingered for a moment too long, taking in her pale cheeks, the way her shoulders trembled from the cold.
“Did she now?” he murmured, his voice laced with something dangerous.
“It’s fine,” she said quickly. “I can handle it.”
Without a word, he shrugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. The unexpected gesture left her stunned, her breath catching as the warmth of his coat enveloped her.
“You’ll freeze,” he said simply, his voice softer now.
“I—thank you,” she stammered, clutching the edges of the coat around her.
His hand lingered on her shoulder for a moment before he pulled away. “Samantha has no right to treat you like this.”
“She’s your wife,” Sophia said quietly, her eyes dropping to the floor.
“She’s not my problem,” he replied, his tone biting.
Her head snapped up at his words, her wide eyes meeting his. There was something in his expression—something dark and unreadable.
“You should eat,” he said, breaking the moment. “And rest. I’ll deal with this.”
“But—”
“No arguments,” he interrupted, his tone brooking no refusal.
She hesitated but eventually nodded, pulling the coat tighter around her as she made her way to the door. Just as she reached it, his voice stopped her.
YOU ARE READING
SMITTEN BY HER (unedited)
Romance"Beyond Shadows" In a world where darkness reigns, a young orphan's dreams of becoming a veterinarian are shattered by her aunt's cruelty. But when she's drawn into the mysterious world of enigmatic Mr. Lee - a powerful figure rumored to be "more th...
