Chapter 465

"Senior brother?" Ethan Roscente's lips curled into a cold smirk, his dark eyes boring into her. "How intimate. If I weren't here, would you two be calling each other 'husband' and 'wife' next?"

His fingers clamped around her chin with crushing force, as if he meant to shatter her bones.

"Sophia Lowell, trying to run?" His voice dropped to a terrifying whisper. "Not unless I'm dead."

Sophia's pupils constricted, tears welling in her eyes. His unreasonable accusations stung, but his obsession left her utterly powerless.

"Ethan Roscente!" Her voice trembled. "You're insane! I hate you!"

"Hate me?" He laughed suddenly, the sound laced with indescribable bitterness. "Good. Then I'll give you every reason to."

He flung her onto the bed.

Sophia instinctively shielded her abdomen, her voice shaking. "What are you doing?"

"Taking what's mine." His tone left no room for argument.

Like a raging beast, he pinned her down, his entire body radiating predatory intent.

"Stop..." Sophia finally broke into sobs. "I'm scared... Please don't..."

Her crying gave him pause. He studied her tear-streaked face, his expression unreadable.

"Scared?" He sneered. "Yet brave enough to betray me?"

"I didn't!"

"Liar." His fingers traced her throat. "If you weren't plotting to escape with Sebastian Valdemar, why plan to have his child in that town? Do you love him that much?"

The last words were ground out between clenched teeth.

Sophia froze. In that split second of hesitation, he tore her clothes apart.

"I don't love him!" she rushed to explain.

"Too late." Ethan sank his teeth into her jugular.

The metallic tang of blood flooded his mouth, sending a perverse thrill through him. He licked his stained lips like a bloodthirsty demon.

He was a madman. So what? Since she'd barged into his world, she wouldn't leave unscathed.

Sophia stared blankly at the ceiling, silent tears streaming down. She felt every excruciating detail—the piercing pain of his teeth, the sickening pull as he drank from her.

Her silence unsettled him.

Reason slowly returned. Releasing her, he took in her hollow gaze and felt an unexpected pang in his chest.

"Being with me," he rasped, gripping her chin, "is this really worse than death?"