As Sofia sat back down, Christ felt a shift in the air between them—one he had been waiting for, yet dreading at the same time. His heart pounded in his chest, a reaction he despised because it made him feel out of control, vulnerable in ways he couldn't afford. For months, he had convinced himself that walking away from her was the right choice, that distancing himself was necessary for the sake of everything they both had to achieve. But now, as he sat across from her again, the emotions he had buried began to surface, relentless and raw.

Christ had always been a master at hiding what he truly felt. It was a survival skill, one honed over years of battling enemies, negotiating business deals, and building his empire with cold precision. But Sofia—Sofia had always been the one person who could strip him of his carefully crafted control. She was like a fire, burning through the layers of ice he surrounded himself with, igniting emotions that he had no desire to face.

His mind raced, flashing back to their time in Death Valley. He had saved her without thinking twice, throwing himself into danger because some part of him couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Yet, in the aftermath, he had looked at her as though she was a stranger, because to acknowledge what he felt in that moment would have been too dangerous, too consuming. He had chosen distance over emotion, convinced that it was the only way to protect them both. But now, seeing her again, every reason he had given himself seemed flimsy, false.

Christ watched as Sofia picked up her glass, her fingers steady, her expression composed. But he knew her too well—he could see the cracks in her armor, the way her eyes flickered with the same turmoil that was brewing inside him. She was pretending to be unaffected, just as he was. But here, in the quiet of this moment, there was no one left to fool.

He glanced away for a second, trying to regain control of his thoughts. The chaos inside him was overwhelming, a war between what he wanted and what he knew he could never allow himself to have. He couldn't afford to feel this way about her. She was dangerous—not because of who she was, but because of what she represented. Emotion. Weakness. A distraction from the power they both sought.

But the truth was undeniable. He had been thinking about her for three months, her face haunting him in quiet moments, her memory a constant presence in the back of his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her—saw the way she had looked at him that last time, saw the fire in her eyes that matched his own. And now, she was here, sitting across from him, and he had no idea what to do with the storm of feelings raging inside him.

Christ cleared his throat, his voice carefully measured when he spoke again. "I didn't expect to see you here tonight."

It was a simple statement, but loaded with meaning. He hadn't expected to see her—hadn't wanted to, if he was being honest with himself. He had spent months trying to avoid her, trying to convince himself that staying away was the right thing to do. But now that she was here, he couldn't ignore the pull between them.

Sofia met his gaze, her eyes sharp but calm. "Neither did I."

The words hung between them, the silence that followed thick with unspoken tension. Christ could feel the weight of it pressing down on him, the pull toward her stronger than ever. He had always prided himself on his ability to remain in control, but with Sofia, it was different. With her, control slipped through his fingers like sand, no matter how tightly he tried to hold on.

For a moment, he considered leaving. Walking away from this before it spiraled into something neither of them could contain. But his feet stayed planted, his body refusing to obey the logic that screamed at him to distance himself. Instead, he stayed, his eyes never leaving hers, trapped in the magnetic pull that had drawn him to her from the beginning.

The truth was, he was tired. Tired of pretending. Tired of fighting against something that had become a constant weight on his chest. The longer he sat there, the more he realized how futile it was to deny what he felt for her. It wasn't something he could control, no matter how much he tried to push it away. He wanted her. He always had.

But wanting her came with consequences—consequences that could unravel everything he had worked for. His mind warned him of the dangers, of how this could destroy the careful balance he had built. Yet, as he sat there, watching her sip from her glass with that same quiet strength, he couldn't help but wonder if, for once, the risk was worth it.

Christ leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping low so only she could hear. "Why did you stay?"

Sofia's eyes met his, and for a split second, he saw the same vulnerability that he felt. But just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by the cool mask she always wore.

"Why do you think?" she replied, her voice just as quiet, but there was an edge to it—a challenge.

Christ's lips curved into a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Because you know there's something between us," he said bluntly, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. It was a dangerous admission, but at this point, he didn't care. They both knew it was true. Denying it was pointless.

Sofia didn't respond right away. Instead, she looked at him with those piercing eyes, as if trying to decide how far she was willing to let this go. But Christ knew her too well. She felt the same pull, the same fire that had been consuming him for months. And no matter how hard she tried to hide it, it was there, just beneath the surface.

Finally, she spoke, her voice steady but soft. "You're right. There is."

The acknowledgment sent a shock through him, a thrill of both relief and dread. He had known it all along, but hearing her say it made it real. Made it dangerous.

Christ sat back, his mind racing. This was a turning point—one that could change everything between them. He had spent months convincing himself that they couldn't allow emotion to interfere with their lives, that they were too powerful, too dangerous together. But now, sitting across from her, he wasn't so sure.

Perhaps some things were worth the risk.