"It’s him! The man who had taken advantage of Sofi!” Ella’s voice rang out, sharp and urgent.

Both of them froze.

Their eyes snapped toward her.

"What?" Sofi asked, her heartbeat suddenly erratic.

Ella turned toward her, hesitation flashing across her face.

Sofi stepped closer. "What do you mean, Ella?" Her voice wavered, her stomach twisting.

Ella didn’t speak. She looked away.

"Leave it, Sofi," her father interjected, his voice firm, almost commanding.

But Sofi’s chest tightened with unease. "No, Dad. Tell me. What is Ella saying?" Her eyes darted between them, confusion turning into something darker—something close to fear.

Sofi grabbed her arm. “Ella, I’m asking you something! What’s going on?”

Ella swallowed hard, her hands cold, her voice barely above a whisper.

“He killed Kian.”

---

Oh god Lucifer muttered, rolling his eyes as he leaned back lazily. So dramatic. She almost scared me—I thought I got caught. He shook his head in disbelief, a smirk playing at his lips.

---

Sofi’s breath caught.

"What?" she barely managed to whisper.

Ella didn’t speak. She simply pulled out her phone, she tapped on the screen and turned it toward Sofi.

The images flashed before her.

A lifeless body. Kian.

Her stomach churned violently. No. No, this can’t be real.

Then the video began to play.

Kian sat there, bound, his face swollen, eyes filled with something Sofi couldn’t place—regret? Fear? Defeat?

"I’m sorry, sofi" he choked out, his voice raw.

Then the screen glitched.

A shadowed figure appeared. His face was covered with a mask, his voice distorted as he spoke.

Her breath hitched.

"You have always been mine. You just don’t see it yet."

His voice was calm—too calm. Dangerously certain.

"I watched you before you even knew I existed. I memorized the way you smile, the way your hands tremble when you're nervous, the way you tuck your hair behind your ear when you're lost in thought. I know everything about you."

Sofi’s stomach twisted in a sickening knot.

"You are the only thing in this world that matters. And I don’t share what’s mine."

The air felt thick, suffocating.

Then his voice shifted—deeper, colder.

"He touched you."

A sharp, suffocating silence.

"He looked at you like he had the right. He spoke your name as if he was worthy. He made you cry. He made you weak. He provoked you to harm yourself, Sofi."

The screen glitched violently.

Then, softer—but more chilling—

"So, I ended him."

The static hummed through the speakers before his voice returned—lower now, eerily intimate.

"I did what you couldn’t. I did what had to be done."

Sofi's body locked in place.

"I did the right thing, Sofi. And you know it."

Her pulse pounded in her ears.

"It’s gone now. The pain, the humiliation. You don’t have to live in it anymore. I took care of it. I took care of you."

Her throat tightened.

"You’re not angry, are you, Sofi?"

The masked figure tilted his head slightly, almost curious. Hopeful.

Then, almost tenderly—

"One day, you’ll understand."

"You are mine, Sofi. And you will always stay mine. I will destroy anyone who dares to come between us."

The screen cut to black.

The video shut off.

The phone slipped from her hands.

A slow, creeping numbness spread through her chest. Her breaths turned shallow, her body felt cold—weightless.

She took a step back. Then another. The world around her blurred as the words echoed inside her skull.

You’re not angry, are you?

I did what you couldn’t.

I took care of you.

"Sofi!" Ella’s voice barely reached her.

She turned and walked away.

"Sofi!" Lucifer called after her, concern lacing his voice.

But as soon as she disappeared down the hallway, his lips curved into a slow, sinister smirk.

.........

Sofi stepped into her room and shut the door behind her, the click of the lock echoing in the silence. She stood there for a moment, her back pressed against the door, her breath uneven. Her mind was still processing the words she had just heard, yet the more she replayed them, the heavier they became.

Slowly, she moved to her bed and sank onto the edge, her hands gripping the sheets as if they could anchor her. Her heart pounded. Her skin felt cold.

A knock.

"Sofi." Ella’s voice was soft but urgent.

Sofi didn’t answer.

Another knock, harder this time. "Sofi, don’t tell me you’re going to do something stupid again."

Still, silence.

Ella’s words barely registered. The storm inside Sofi’s head drowned everything else out—until her phone vibrated.

An unknown number.

Her fingers hovered over the screen. She didn’t pick up.

Another call. Different number.

She wiped at her damp cheeks, inhaled shakily, and answered. "Hello?" Her voice came out hoarse.

But there was only silence on the other end.

Her grip on the phone tightened. "Hello?" she repeated, but still—nothing.

Frustrated, she cut the call.

Another call came instantly.

Her breath hitched. This time, she answered with irritation, her voice sharp despite the lingering pain in it. "If you’re not going to speak, why  are you calling?"

A pause. Then—

"I love it when you get angry."

The voice was distorted. Altered. The same one from the video.

Sofi froze.

Her fingers clenched around the phone as her stomach twisted with fear.

"Who are you?" she asked, forcing her voice to remain steady.

A dark chuckle crackled through the speaker. "Still don’t know? Fine, let me remind you. I’m the one who owns you in every way—mentally, physically, and even emotionally."

A cold shiver ran down her spine.

"What?" she whispered.

"I’m in your thoughts, Sofi. I’m in the pain you feel, the emotions that consume you. And your body?" He let out a low hum. "I don’t even need to remind you how I own that, too."

Sofi’s chest burned with rage. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

"Why did you kill Kian?" she demanded, her voice shaking.

The tone of his voice shifted—cold, sharp, laced with fury.

"Because he deserved it."

Sofi’s breathing faltered.

"How dare he provoke you to harm yourself? How dare he tell you that you were better off dead?"

Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs. It’s because of you! her mind screamed. You’re the reason I suffered!

"It’s because of you!" she spat out, her anger boiling over. "Why did you do that to me?"

His next words made her blood turn to ice.

"That was your punishment."

Sofi stilled.

Her voice cracked. "P-Punishment?"

"Yes, punishment," he repeated, his voice dripping with possessiveness. "How dare you think you could belong to anyone else? How dare you try to give yourself to someone that wasn’t me?"

A shuddering breath escaped her lips.

"You are only mine, Sofi. No one else has the right to touch you, to claim you, to love you. You are mine. And you will always stay mine."

Her hands shook as she gritted her teeth. "I’m not yours, and I never will be!"

A dark chuckle. "You will be. And I’ll make sure of it."

Sofi’s rage erupted. She ended the call with a sharp click and threw her phone onto the bed as if the very device burned her.

But even as the silence returned, his voice still echoed inside her head.

Mine. Always mine.

.......

Lucifer brought the phone down, his smirk widening as Sofi cut the call.

Standing by the window in his dimly lit room, he exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the device. The air was cold, but a different kind of heat simmered beneath his skin.

I love your anger, Sofi. His mind whispered the words like a prayer.

You look beautiful to me in every way possible. I wasn't just saying it—I meant it. And soon… you'll understand.

His gaze darkened with pure, unwavering devotion.

A little longer. Just a little longer. As soon as I get rid of Ella, there will be nothing standing between us. No more interference. No more distractions. Only you and me—our world, our future, our children. A happy family, just like I’ve always dreamed.

A soft chuckle left his lips, his fingers brushing against the glass. He could almost picture it. Sofi beside him, her hand resting on her swollen belly, her eyes filled with love instead of fear.

His heart clenched with longing. Just a little longer.

A sudden noise broke his trance. He straightened immediately, his smirk vanishing as the door creaked open.

Ella stepped inside.

"Lucifer," she called, her voice laced with urgency.

He turned, masking his amusement with a concerned expression. She had no idea.

She approached him, worry etched across her face. "Sofi isn’t opening her door. I’m afraid… I’m afraid she’s done something to herself again."

Lucifer’s jaw clenched. "She won’t," he said simply.

Ella’s brows furrowed. "How can you be so sure?"

She took a shaky breath. "What if—"

"Relax, Ella," he cut her off smoothly, placing a firm yet comforting grip on her shoulders. His voice was steady, controlled, reassuring.

"I said she won’t do it."

She swallowed, nodding uncertainly.

"We need to find out who’s doing this to her," she murmured, glancing at him for direction.

Lucifer’s lips twitched slightly.

"We will," he promised.

His voice was warm, full of certainty.

But deep inside, he already knew the answer.