Sofia's POV
Khalid did not come back for twenty minutes.
When he finally reappeared, barefoot and still clutching the butter knife, there was a look in his eyes that could only be described as victorious. In his other hand, wrapped in a paper napkin, was the stolen cinnamon roll — or rather, what was left of it.
I blinked at him. "You actually… chased down a monkey?"
He dropped the mangled pastry onto my plate like it was priceless treasure. "Justice was served."
I stared at it, then at him. "It has teeth marks."
He shrugged, unbothered. "So do you."
"Excuse me?!"
"In the cinnamon roll sense," he clarified, sliding into his chair. "Don't make it weird."
I narrowed my eyes. "You're lucky you're cute, otherwise this would be grounds for divorce."
That earned me one of his slow, infuriating smirks — the kind that made me want to throw something at him and kiss him at the same time.
The rest of breakfast was… oddly comfortable. He didn't talk about where we'd be going next or what we'd be doing. But every time I glanced up, he was already looking at me — not in a creepy way, but in a calculating way, like he was planning something.
And that worried me.
---
Later, when we went down to the beach, the air was heavy with heat and the faint hiss of the tide pulling back. Khalid walked beside me, silent except for the occasional comment about the view.
He didn't do small talk. When he spoke, it was either to tease me or to say something that felt… weighted.
At one point, he stopped walking. I kept going until his voice caught me mid-step.
"Sofia."
I turned. "Yeah?"
He was watching me like the ocean wasn't even there. "You know why I brought you here, don't you?"
I hesitated. My stomach dipped. "To… spend time together?"
His lips curved — not into a smile, but into something darker. "In a way."
There was a pause, the waves hissing against the sand. I hated how my pulse jumped.
"You still think I'm dangerous," he said. Not a question.
"You are dangerous," I shot back. "You whisked me off to an island without telling me why. You disappear at odd hours. People listen to you like they're afraid. And now you're asking me questions like—"
"Like I want the truth?" he cut in smoothly.
My mouth went dry.
He stepped closer, close enough that the scent of his cologne tangled with the salt in the air. "I didn't bring you here for the ocean, Sofia." His voice dipped, low and deliberate. "I brought you here because you're my wife. And I intend to make sure you never forget that."
My heart slammed into my ribs. "That sounds… vaguely threatening."
"Good."
The corner of his mouth twitched — not quite a smile, but enough to make my stomach twist.
And before I could decide whether to run or lean closer, he caught my hand and started leading me back toward the villa.
---
By the time we reached the villa, my pulse still hadn't calmed. I told myself I was imagining the way his grip had never loosened, the way every step felt like I was walking toward something I wasn't ready for.
When we crossed the threshold, I tried to pull my hand free. Big mistake.
Khalid turned, his gaze locking onto mine, unreadable and unyielding. Without a word, he tugged me fully inside and kicked the door shut behind us. The heavy sound echoed in the quiet room.
Before I could take a step back, his arm braced against the door beside my head, caging me in. His other hand found the lock, twisting it until the faint click sent a shiver down my spine.
"Khalid—" I started, but my voice came out softer than I intended.
His eyes searched mine, intense enough to make my breath hitch. "No more running, Sofia."
And then… he leaned in, close enough that his breath grazed my lips—close enough to steal my next heartbeat—
The world outside didn't matter.
Because whatever was about to happen, it would change everything.