The Astor bedroom hung heavy with an awkward silence after Sofia's mortifying entrance. Louis, towel still gripped firmly around his waist, caught the stunned look on her face and couldn't suppress the smirk tugging at his lips. "Like what you see?" he drawled, his voice laced with insufferable amusement.
Sofia's eyes darted to the floor, then to Honey wagging his tail by the bed, then to the cluttered window—anywhere but Louis's dripping form. "Shut up… just shut up," she muttered, her voice a strained whisper.
Her attempt to silence him only fueled his entertainment.
"Or else what? Don't worry, sweetheart, I don't blame women who admire my assets," he teased, leaning casually against the bedpost, the towel shifting slightly.
Sofia bristled at his cockiness. "I'm not admiring anything," she snapped, crossing her arms tightly.
Louis scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, not admiring? Bullshit! You know what , good girls would've run back or at least covered their eyes by now."
Her defenses flared. "Oh, please, it's not something new or unique. I've seen men's bodies hotter than this—"
Louis's eyebrows shot up, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Oh yeah? That means you admit my body's hot," he interrupted, his tone victorious.
Sofia's eyes widened as she realized her slip, mentally kicking herself. "What? I didn't mean it!" she stammered, cheeks flaming.
Louis chuckled, drawing air quotes with his fingers. "No, no, Sofia, you said 'hotter than mine'—'hot' being the key word."
She clenched her fists, the room seeming to pause around her as she fought the urge to swing. "That's not what I said! You're twisting my words!" Her face burned red with humiliation, her pride teetering.
Louis's laughter rang out, clearly enjoying her flustered state. "You look red as a tomato. Hate to say it, but you're kinda cute like this," he said, his smirk softening for a split second.
Sofia wanted the earth to swallow her whole. "I'm not flustered," she lied, her voice cracking despite herself. Her rosy cheeks betraying her lies anyways.
"Really? Not flustered?" Louis challenged, then teasingly lowered his towel just enough to reveal the V-line of his lower abdomen. The move was deliberate, his eyes glinting with mischief. ,"Now flustered ?"
Sofia's heart stopped. Her breath hitched, eyes widening to saucers, but just as panic set in, salvation arrived. The sharp click of heels echoed from the hall Louis's mother's footsteps. Thank the god who sent this woman now saving her from embarrassment, she thought, the blush still scorching her cheeks.
Louis quickly yanked a T-shirt over his head, the fabric clinging to his damp skin as his mother's voice cut through. Sofia rubbed her face, willing the heat to fade.
Oblivious to the near-disaster, Louis's mother entered, her tone sweet but venomous. "The Roosevelt family completely lacks common sense, confirmed today."
Sofia's eyes narrowed, matching her tone. "And the Astor family lacks knowledge of personal space, confirmed today."
Louis's confused frown broke the standoff. "Wait… you barged into my room and now you're preaching about 'personal space'? Seriously, Sofia?"
She pointed dramatically at Honey, now calmly perched on his bed. "This dog! Your dog! An Astor trespasser in Roosevelt territory!" Her voice rose, theatrical and unapologetic.At this point she doesn't care if she is being over dramatic as hell.
Louis gave her an unamused, bored look, as if asking, "Are you insane?" "Are you being serious right now, Sofia?"
"im freaking Dead serious!" she retorted, as if it were a felony. "This dog violated our space."
Louis huffed, rolling his eyes. "It's a dog—it doesn't have a sixth sense to know right from wrong."
His mother chimed in, "Yeah, the dog doesn't count."
Sofia held her angry glare. "If Luna did this, would you just say the dog doesn't count?"
Mrs. Astor bristled at the hypocrisy jab.
"Roosevelts are never welcomed here!"
"Astors aren't welcomed at ours either," Sofia shot back with equal resignation.
Louis's annoyance peaked. "What do you want now? Fine, Honey messed up—what, you expect him to kiss your feet and beg forgiveness?" His sarcasm was thick and unmistakable.
Sofia's smirk turned evil. "I know dogs can't do that, but the master can."
Both Louis and his mother's eyes widened comically, the implication hanging like a guillotine. The butler, lingering by the door, gasped audibly, dropping a tray that clattered to the floor.
The sound jolted Honey, who barked once, leaping off the bed to sniff the spilled tea. The room filled with the sharp scent of chamomile as Sofia stood tall, her heart pounding with the thrill of her bold demand.
Louis recovered first, stepping closer, his T-shirt now slightly askew, a mix of shock and intrigue in his gaze. "You've got nerve, Roosevelt," he said, his voice low, almost admiring.
The tension crackled between them, the earlier embarrassment morphing into a new, dangerous game.
Mrs. Astor's composure cracked, her lips thinning as she stepped forward. "This insolence ends now," she hissed, her hand gesturing to the guards. But before they could move, Sofia tilted her head, her smirk unwavering. "Try me," she challenged, her voice steady despite the chaos swirling inside.
Honey, oblivious, padded back to Louis's side, his tail wagging as if sealing the truce. The faint hum of the mansion's chandelier overhead buzzed, a reminder of the mirrored grandeur tying their fates.
Sofia's mind raced could she turn this humiliation into a power play? Or would Louis's next move leave her reeling?
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PLEASE SUPPORT ,
WITH CHAOS ,
🤜SOFIA AND LOUIS 🤛