Love Me Harder [R18]

C3

I took off my heels as I heard Denice shout up to me.

"Dinner!" she yelled up the stairs.

I wandered down. I didn't know these people, and yet I was about to have dinner with them.

I saw a man sitting at the table, his back to the entrance of the kitchen as he sat at the top of the table; he was very intimidating, like my own father.

"Sofia, this is my husband, Kai," Denice introduced me. "I'm Sofia," I responded quickly with a warm smile before sitting down next to Denice.

I heard heavy and fast-paced footsteps heading this way from the hall. "f*****g Vipers," Ace snarled at his father before sitting down. He clenched his jaw angrily, trying to calm himself down. "Mamá, how was your day?" Ace asked, his tone shifting as he tried to take his mind off his Mafia. Ace clenched his hands together, resting his chin on them. I noticed the tattoos on his fingers, leading down his arms. He had a few on his hand and then a sleeve of them going up his arm.

I focused on eating and tried not to make conversation or eye contact. "So Ace..." Kai raised his voice from the end of the table. I almost jumped at how suddenly loud he was.

Ace's cold stare made its way toward his father's intimidating glance. "Who's your friend?" Kai, Ace's father, asked curiously, with a slightly evil smirk. I avoided eye contact with him. "What the f**k do you mean who's your friend?" Ace yelled at his father due to him already being wound up because of the Mafia. "You're the one who made this f*****g arrangement," Ace growled furiously at his father. He wasn't very happy with this 'arrangement' either. "That's no way to speak, especially with a guest at the table," Kai teased Ace, trying to wind him up.

Ace stood up, his fists clenched, showing me that he was definitely. "She's not a guest; she's my f*****g fiancée," Ace snarled at his father before storming out.

Ace's mother sighed defeatedly. "You always have to wind him up," Denice shook her head disappointedly at her husband. "He gets too angry too easily," Kai replied as he rolled his eyes. "My son has some anger issues if you can't tell," Kai chuckled at me as if I was supposed to laugh along. "I think he was a night to be angry," I spoke up shyly.

He turned his attention to me, not seeming impressed by my previous statement. "I think I might have to ring your father," Kai blurted out while he scowled at me. I froze as soon as I heard my father's name. "Kai!" Denice snapped, scowling at her husband. "Maybe I should ask him how he got you to keep your mouth shut," Kai scolded, with a proud smirk. I didn't reply, purely because I was in shock; I didn't think that I had said anything rude.

Then we heard talking in the hall.

"Get upstairs," I heard Ace's deep voice say. "Of course, Ace," she replied obediently. "Is that another one of his prostitutes?" Kai rolled his eyes as Denice let out a sigh. My eyes widened at Kai's comment, but I made sure that neither Denice nor Kai saw my reaction.

"My son and husband have no respect for women," Denice shook her head disappointedly. She hadn't touched any of her food. "Ahhh leave him alone; he's blowing off steam and does have respect for women," Kai defended his son for once. "It's the only time he's a man," Kai joked, yet he seemed to be the only one who found it amusing.

I wasn't disappointed with Ace; I didn't expect him to stop whatever he was doing for me. That would be like him asking me to stop doing what had planned.

"I have a question," I muttered to Kai and Denice. "What is it?" Kai rested his chin on his hand. "Can I continue going to school?" I mumbled, bouncing my knee nervously. Kai erupted into laughter.

I and Denice stared at him until he tried to calm his laughter. "Oh wait, you're serious?" He stopped laughing while blinking curiously at me. "Yes, I enjoy school," I replied, shrugging carelessly. I wasn't afraid to admit I liked going to school since it was the only place I could get away from my father. Kai thought about it for a while. "At least we wouldn't have to see your face as much," Kai grumbled as he ate his food. "Go to school," he chuckled under his breath.

"Thank you for the food," I smiled politely as I walked upstairs. "You're too kind, dear," Denice replied as Kai was still chuckling to himself. I can go to school tomorrow.

As I walked up the stairs, I saw a girl who was wearing barely any clothes, leaving while tears were flowing down her cheeks. She threw me a nasty look before running out of the house, and I widened my eyes as I shook my head. What did he do to her?

"Ace Hernandez," I thought to myself as I opened my bedroom door, shaking my head.

I noticed a wallet on my bed, which I'm assuming was Ace's. I shook my head, tempted to just throw it out of my room but apart from me, I also wanted to see Ace.

I sighed defeatedly as I strolled down the hallway with his wallet in my hand; I think this is his room due to it being the only room with light coming from it. I knocked lightly on the door, scared to disturb him.

"What?" I heard a growl come from behind the door. I slowly pushed open the door to see Ace standing while facing his window, shirtless.

"Sofia," he mumbled, my name rolling off his tongue so smoothly. "I didn't mean to disturb you; I found your wallet on my bed, just came to give it back," I informed him, raising the wallet in the air slightly so that I drew attention to it.

He seemed slightly shocked as he approached where I stood, towering over me.

"You passed the test," he uttered quietly as if he was thinking to himself. "What test?" I asked confusedly before raising my eyebrow. "Whenever someone new comes over, I leave my fake wallet stuffed with money on their bed and see if they take it, but you didn't?" He explained with a shocked tone towards the end. "Oh?" I mumbled with a shrug.

His stare was intense as he stood in front of me: He hadn't taken the wallet from my hand yet.

"Ace, you should be more careful with your money; I could've taken it if I wanted," I stated calmly, holding the wallet just above his hand. He opened his palm, and I dropped the wallet.

He leaned in, his mouth stopping right next to my ear. "Well, that's the point," he whispered before turning around and sitting at his desk.

"Goodnight, Sofia," Ace announced from his desk as he scribbled on a piece of paper with his pen. He glanced up at me, waiting for a response. "Goodnight,"

I responded quickly as I walked out, with unity Search goosebumps trailing up my arm from him being inches away previously I sighed a breath of relief as I shut my bedroom door. Everything about him is intense; From his stare to his touch.