The door slammed open.
Katherine stormed in. "Kane, what are these rumors I'm hearing? You're getting married tomorrow to this wretch? Whore?" Her eyes snapped to Sophia. "Kane, you won't marry this slut while I'm alive."
Kane laughed, low and cold.
"The boldness of you," he said. "To step into my room without my permission and call my fiancée a whore. A slut." His gaze sharpened. "Should I remind you who the slut is here? The one who keeps crawling back into my bed without an invite."
"Stay away from my fiancée." His voice went flat. "Tomorrow we are getting married. Try anything foolish and I'll show you why I'm called the devil's son."
"Don't test my patience. Now leave my room and get ready for my wedding tomorrow. You're my sister, so you will attend."
Katherine's eyes filled. "I love you, Kane. Please don't do this to me. We're not siblings, for crying out loud. I'm just your adopted sister. Godfather would accept it. I'm not a weakling. Please, Kane… just look at me once."
Sophia started laughing.
She laughed loud, unable to stop it. Kane stared at her, amused by her outburst.
"What's funny?" Katherine asked, pushing up from her knees. "Why are you laughing, you idiot?"
"I'm sorry for bursting out," Sophia said, wiping her eye. "It's just funny."
She looked Katherine dead in the face. "I'll give you some friendly advice, as a woman. How can you beg a man who doesn't want you? Don't you know you're disgracing womanhood? You're on your knees begging him to accept you. That's foolish."
"He's not even handsome. I'm sure there's a better, handsomer man out there looking for you. Besides, he's your brother adopted brother. I guess the feeling he has for you is brotherly love."
She was still ranting when Katherine raised her hand to slap her.
Kane caught her wrist mid-air.
"Don't you dare raise that hand to my fiancée's face again," he said, voice dangerously low. "Now leave. Before I do something you'll regret."
She ripped her arm free. "This isn't over. I'm reporting this to Godfather." She stormed out.
The room went quiet.
Kane turned back to Sophia. "You said I'm not handsome. Right?"
"No, that's ...that's not what I meant. I was just, umm…"
Her stomach growled, loud.
She flushed. "That wasn't me."
Kane smirked. "Sure. I know." He nodded to the sofa. "Sit."
She sat. He picked up a phone and made a call to the main house kitchen, gave a short order, and hung up.
Sophia glanced around. The room was all black and red. Black walls, red accents, black bed. No designs. No pictures. Not even a baby photo. Everything was plain, sharp, controlled. His closet alone was wider than her room at her mom's house. Everything here smelled like money, even if it was plain.
"Done admiring my room?" Kane cut in. "You should help yourself with the food."
That's when she noticed the woman. She'd come in without a sound and set a plate on the table.
Mashed potatoes and gravy.
Her favorite.
Sophia grabbed the fork. "The food is fucking sweet," she murmured after the first bite. "Oh my God, I love this. It's so yummy." She moaned without thinking.
Kane kept staring at her. "Stop making that sound."
"What sound?" she asked, clueless.
"The sound you're making now."
"Oh." She took another bite and moaned again, deliberate this time.
Kane moved. He grabbed her and kissed her.