VORACIOUS- 16

~Sophia’s POV~

"Are you going to just stand there or are you going to give your old man a hug?" He questions taking a swig from the bottle.

I can't even look him in the eyes. "I think I'll just stand."

He nods, accepting the fact that I will not go anywhere near him. I haven't been able to since mum died.

"Why are you here father?" I look away as he struggles to place the bottle safely on the table. When he finally does so, he staggers, causing the glass to shatter onto the floor. I cringe at the noise but remain silent.

"Why else would I be here? I came to see my beautiful daughter." He hiccups and comes towards me with outstretched arms, before I can stop him from coming any further, Demetrius' large frame creates a huge boarder between us.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Mr. Baros." I let out a breath of air, grateful for his intervention, but his presence was only making father angrier.

"Ah, Demetrius Mavros, my daughter's husband. I've heard so much about you and frankly I haven't liked what I've heard. Looking at you now, I don't think I ever will, so if you don't want this shard of glass in your head, I suggest you get the fvck out of here." I wince at his use of language, ever since I was nine, my father has never felt the need to filter his mouth around me.

Watching with wide eyes as father shakily picks up a large chunk of glass from the floor, I quickly put myself between both men, stopping him from advancing any closer.

"Don't even think about." Staring him down, I relax when he drops the piece of glass. I'm not sure if he was too wasted to realize or he knew he would have to go through me, either way I was glad.

"Demetrius, I would like to be alone with my father please." I don't spare him a single glance as I watched my fathers every move. The glare Demetrius was currently giving him did nothing to ease the tension surrounding the room.

"Sophia, I don't think-"

"Leave."

With a heavy sigh I hear his footsteps as he leaves. Before going he whispers softly into my ear, "we need to talk." I don't reply. I have more important things to focus on at the moment.

When he closes the door behind him, I waste no time in asking questions. "So, why are you really here?"

"Trouble in paradise?" He raises an eyebrow, not even bothering to hide his excitement.

"That is none of your business."

"I'm your father Sophia of course it is my business."

I don't try to hide my scoff of disbelief. "Don't even try playing the father card with me. You stopped being my father when you made alcohol your main priority."

His red eyes showed lack of sleep and it seemed like he had been crying, but I didn't feel an ounce of sympathy for this man. "I know and I'm sorry Sophia, it's just your mother - I miss her so much."

They say the drunk mind speaks the sober heart and looking at my father right now, I could tell this was exactly what was happening.

I sighed, running a hand down my face. When mother died, we were both a mess. I began to hang around with the wrong crowd and my father turned to alcohol. It wasn't until I got arrested for shoplifting that I started to realize that this was not the person I wanted to be, that I wouldn't allow my mother's death to turn me into a shell of my former self, instead I would allow this loss to make me a better person, someone my mother would be proud of. I changed my life around, my father however, didn't.

"I miss her too and every night, I wish for nothing more than to wake and see her smiling down at me one more time." Wiping an escaped tear, I quickly compose myself.

"I've changed my life around, it's not too late to change yours."

"That's the reason I'm here. I'm going into rehab Sophia. I want to be the same man you loved to call dad; I want us to be the way we were again." He had a wide smile on his face exposing his coloring teeth.

I stood up, insulted at his sheer nerve. "Don't feed me lies father, you come to my house and you are not even sober, how do you expect me to believe you are genuinely looking for help?"

He was quick to defend himself. "I only had one drink Sophia; I promise. I'm not drunk, I just needed a sip to get over my anxiety of coming here."

I shook my head in disappointment as I looked at my father. He would never change. Alcohol will always come first in his life. "I've sent you to rehab three times father, none of them have worked since you always go back to drinking again. Why now?"

"Because I want to be a better person Sophia, for you and Maria."

"So, what do you want?"

"I need some money to pay for the first month that I'm there."

"How much?"

"250,000 euros."

I cried. I couldn't help myself, as soon as he said the amount, the tears began to automatically flow. He was lying to me and he didn't seem the slightest bit guilty.

"Another gambling debt?" I asked, not wiping my tears away. He needed to see how his actions were hurting me, how his lies made me feel that I couldn't trust him.

He barely looked at me, he knew I was right. "I'm sorry."

I didn't reply, looking at my father only made me upset and hearing him apologize again and again made it worse. "You should go now; I'll make sure the money is in your account by tomorrow."

"Thank you, Sophia, your mother will be so proud of you." Was all he said before brushing past me and walking out the door.

I enter the room to find Demetrius furiously pacing around the room. I clear my throat and he immediately halt in his steps.

"I would say you are nervous but the great Demetrius Mavros is incapable of nervousness. Unless, he has something to hide." I mutter the last bit sarcastically. Stepping into the room, I close the door behind me.

Slowly walking towards him, I entwine my hands in his own and look up into his eyes. "Demetrius, do you love me?"

We both stand in silence; I don't dare to break eye contact for a second as I await his answer.

When it is clear to me that he is not going to say a word, I remove my hands from his own already feeling the tears about to fall. "Don't bother. I already-"

Before I can finish my sentence, Demetrius grabs my hands again and pulls me closer. "I love you, Sophia."

I stare at him with wide eyes, joy completely takes over as I wrap my arms tightly around him. "I love you too."

However, the happiness is short lived when the meeting with Casper surfaces.

"Wait, I still have more questions."

Taking a deep breath, I ask the one question I have been fearing the most. "I saw a contract; it was signed by you. It was a contract of our marriage. Why did you sign it?" A frown is plastered on Demetrius' face.

"Where did you find it?"

I started to become angry. "Answer the question! What was that contract, Demetrius?"

I could already see the panic in his eyes. "Sophia, it's not what you think." He reached out for me but I moved away.

"It is exactly what I think. Demetrius, you made me a business agreement, like I was something to just sign of and leave whenever you want. You didn't care about me when you signed it, I don't think you ever cared about me." I didn't care if he could see me cry, I wanted him to witness all the pain he was putting me through.

"Of course, I care about you Sophia, I love you."

"If you really loved me from the start, you would have never signed it. You put a time bomb on our marriage Demetrius."

He remained silent and I slowly began to fit all the pieces together.

"When you married me, you didn't love me, did you?" I asked the obvious and he slowly nodded.

"Then why did you marry me? What was the contract for?"

"Sophia, I don't think-"

"Just answer the question, please."

Demetrius stared at me, long and hard. He looked like someone who was just about to break my heart. "M-my dad wouldn't allow me to take over the company unless I had a wife to prove I was responsible, since you were my girlfriend at the time, I decided to marry you."

I could feel my whole world rip in half at Demetrius' confession, my body became a harbor for heartbreak and betrayal, I had never felt so alone in my life.

I swallowed the huge cry that threatened to escape my lips. "Did you sign the contract with your dad?"

He ran a hand through his curly locks. "No, before my father had given me the ultimatum, I had already planned I was going to break up with you, my cousin was in love with you at the time and I had already told him about my intention of ending the relationship. When I decided to marry you, he was very angry at me because he knew I didn't love you at the time, so he made me sign a contract that after a certain amount of time I would divorce you and he would get his chance with you."

The cry that fought to escape finally broke free as a huge sob left my lips and I felt myself becoming dizzy.

He attempts to hold my shoulders to keep me steady but I slapped him away. "Don't you ever touch me again! I hate you!"

I left him silent, every time he opened his mouth to speak, he would close it until he said those dreadful two words. "I'm sorry."

If I wasn't already mad, I was now.

At first, I thought I had imagined it but when I saw the faint redness on his cheek, I realized it was real. I had actually slapped Demetrius Mavros. "I should leave you! I should walk right out of that door and never look back. I just found out our whole marriage was a lie and all you have to say is I'm sorry? Demetrius if only you could see how much pain I'm going through, the doubts and insecurities crossing my mind." Turning away from him I begin to cry again.

I feel his hands on my shoulders and I immediately flinch away. "If you need space, I'll leave this house if you want. Just don't stay mad at me, please. I love you Sophia and the thought of you hating me hurts a whole damn lot."

I don't want to see him, I don't want to hear his voice, I don't want anything to do with him. "This is what you don't understand Demetrius. I can't leave, I need to stay by your side because if you leave..." I stop myself short, I couldn't tell him.

Thankfully he doesn't insist that I carry on with my sentence.

I let out a huge breath, this whole day has been full of heartache and all I want to do is sleep.

"I need to be alone now Demetrius." I know he is reluctant to leave me but he does so anyway.

"I love you, Sophia." He whispers softly to me and for the first time, I don't reply.

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