Sophia

I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast with Alysia and Caprice. Caprice was all sad and sorry for not being with me when I asked her to stay in the gym during the fight "I am so sorry Soph, I wasn't there when you needed me. Trust me I wanted to stay there yesterday with you but Master-" "I know Caprice. There is nothing you have to be sorry about. I know you are there for me. I am so glad to have you both in my life" I said hugging both of them. I wasn't angry at them. I can't be. They are my biggest support system.

"Donna will you not meet your brother?" Alysia asked me as she and I were setting the table. Ricardo was already here for breakfast so Caprice was kneeling beside him and he was petting her hair and she was leaning a bit on his legs. Though I understand their relationship and I have not seen anyone happier than Caprice yet they still give me chills. But I learned to be normal around them. But today Ricardo was not being all cheerful with her. He was lost in some thoughts. "Sister in law, you haven't replied Alysia, have you met Charles yet after the fight?" Ric asked me. It did startled me a bit as he never talks to me. "No, I-I haven't met him yet. I haven't asked Don yet to meet him. I don't know if I should." I said to him. "Hmmm" he hummed without looking at me. "What happened Master? Everything okay?" Caprice asked him what I could not gather the courage to ask. Why he asked me this? What is he thinking? "I guess" he said still stroking her hair with his hand but looking at his phone.

"Doll" Don came and called for me. I looked at him and smiled. "Good morning Don" I haven't saw him since morning, we slept yesterday soon after. When I got up he wasn't there. I pulled out his chair but he didn't sit instead he was about to say something but Ric cut him "Finally! So, what have you decided?" he asked Don. I have no idea what they are talking about. "I haven't yet" Don replied. "Still, you are with Enzo since morning discussing God knows what and you still haven't decided." He was with Enzo. Was he discussing about Chuck? Probably discussing where to put him to work. I was not happy with the fact that Chuck will be involved in his business but I didn't get chance to speak about this with Don yet. "I need Doll's opinion before deciding. I c-" "Why would your Doll have an issu-" He cut him between but then he stopped himself realizing he called me Doll. "I-I meant Sophia. Why would Sophia will have an issue?" he completed his sentence. "Sister In law you want your brother to stay with you, right?" he asked. "I-I" looked at Don, what's happening "Ric I am handling it, Ok? he said to him. "Why don't you come in the study?" he said and Ric left with a sigh. Caprice too got up. "Come Doll" he said and held my hand and I followed him.

We reached his study and Ric and Chuck was there. Enzo however, wasn't there. Maybe he left already. "Sophie" Chuck smiled as he got up and came towards me.

Don left my hand and moved towards Ric near his desk as Chuck hugged me. "You okay Chuck?" I asked him. "Yeah -yeah I am fine. Are your okay? Did he hurt you?" he said nodding towards Don. "Hey you-" Ric tried to march towards Chuck offended on the insult he did of his brother. But Don stopped him with a palm on his chest. "Why would he hurt me Chuck? I am ok. Alright." I said trying to convince Chuck to let of this stupid behavior before it get him killed.

"You did good kid, yesterday in the fight. More that I expected" Don said to Chuck moving towards us. I was happy that he is not annoyed with Chuck, his praise was genuine. Chuck scoffed "Good! You know I sucked. You won the fight in just one punch" Chuck replied with his ever present hatred for Don of which I am tired. "But you hit me good enough before that." Don said trying to ignore Chuck's disrespectful tone. "I hit you because you let me. You weren't fighting back" Chuck retorted with another scoff. "Chuck, watch your tone. Don't be so disrespectful to Don" I said before Chuck could further dig his grave. But Don stopped me by raising his palm. He moved closer to Chuck "Still I saw what I wanted to see. Not everyone have the courage to hit me even if I am not fighting back. They fear the consequences too much. You had the courage and you were standing up for your sister, your family. That's something I appreciate a lot. Do not fall weaker when it comes to save your family, huh." Don said with an appreciative smile and I was so relieved that he wasn't angry with him. "But ultimately I couldn't save her." Chuck said annoyed and with the same venom lacing his voice "She is still stuck up here with a monster like you" he said as he moved past Don giving him a light jerk on his shoulder. I was really angry now with Chuck, why is he not giving this useless hate up. "Chuck enou-" I tried to scold him but he cut me off. "Enough what Sophie, you don't know what he has done. You go all angry on me for taking some drugs but you defend the monster who burned 21 people alive just to gain some power"

As the words left Chuck's mouth within a millisecond Don was at him about to stab him with a knife when I came in between and he stopped just before his knife touched my neck. How quick he was to take out the knife from his shoes and attack Chuck. I didn't even know he carries a knife too along with his gun. How I never saw it before? My eyes widen and my mouth fall open to see Don loosing his temper like this. Would he have killed my brother if I haven't came in between? "You-You" he said pointing me as he put the knife down."This is the second time, if I were him I wouldn't let this happen a third time. Because next time I won't stop" Don said to me with gritted teeth giving me my answer. He backed off a few steps and threw the desk upside down. My hands flew to my ears instinctively and I looked at him. I could see him shivering out of rage as he left the room. Why is this incident such a trigger.

I stood there at the same point too shocked to react. I cannot imagine Don could kill my brother. I was not even able to cry. I could not process what the hell just happened? Chuck came beside me and Ric crouched down gathering the contents of the now broken table. "Are you okay?" Chuck asked me and my temper got the best of me and I slapped him again gaining Ric's attention "Do I look okay?" I said to Chuck. "Sophi-" He tried to say something but I cut him in between. "He will kill you, why don't you understand this? Why do you keep pushing him? Why do you keep disrespecting him? Why?" I literally screamed at him shaking him with his collar. Ric reached me and held me trying to calm me down "Hey sister in law, you need to calm down, okay?" he said "Sophie why are you protecting him? Chuck said arguing with me "I am not protecting him, I am protecting you, you idiot, he will kill you. He cannot control his rage all the time. It takes a lot in him to control it. Why do you keep pushing him?" I said to Chuck almost crying. I do not want to see my brother killed by my husband and I do not want to see Damon's that side. I don't want to loose him either. "If you want to protect me then come with me. Why do you want to stay with him?" Chuck said with so much persuasion in his voice. I sighed.

I made Chuck sit on the couch and sat with him. I cupped his cheeks and said to him "Chuck, you need to listen to me. I am not leaving him, not today not tomorrow. I want you to understand that he is my husband and this marriage is real for me." he pushed my hands away and stood up irritatingly "Why? He is just a deranged mobster who took you from the auction, just like the one who you put you there." Chuck said with disgust. I was so angry at the comparison Chuck made calling Don similar to Marc "Chuck! Don't ever compare Don to Marc" I yelled at him in anger. "You don't even know Don to make a comment like this. Don't ever compare my husband with that low life jerk." I said to him with gritted teeth.

"Husband, husband, husband! I am fucking tired of this. I cannot believe you Sophie. How can someone be so weak to let another man own them just because he picked them up from an auction? You have no fight left in you. You cannot stand for yourself. You know what, you are nothing but his puppet. That's what he calls you too huh, Doll? You are nothing more than a Doll, who do what he wants, says what he wants even think what he wants" I can't believe my ears, this is my younger brother talking. "Watch it buddy, you are crossing many lines here" Ric said to Chuck in warning.

I got up slowly and reached Chuck I turned him to myself and looked in his eyes "You are right Chuck I cannot stand for myself that's why I did not fight Adrien, that's why I did not fight Marc. I let them use me however they want because I do not have any fight in me. You know why I never fought for myself because I was fighting for you. Every day. So that you can stand here today and tell me that how weak I am" I retorted and turned to leave but he held my hand. "Sophie I am sorry I didn't mean to hurt you but you don't understand" he said.

"No Chuck you are not understanding. This is my home. This is my family. No one is hurting me here. Trust me. I am happy." "What family? Who stands for you here, huh that housekeeper girl. Or the girl who has a collar around her. She needs permission from someone before saying a word. Will she save you? Or your husband's brother, the man who explicitly hates you" Chuck said looking at Ric. "No one hates me. He has his reasons. He is angry with me & with situations. He is protective of his brother like I am for you like, you are for me. You are telling me how Don is not good for me that's what he is doing for his brother. Would I like you with someone I don't trust. And that housekeeper girl is my friend next time think before you insult her and the girl who has a collar around her neck thank your stars that you are still standing and her master didn't kill you for commenting on her. That's how much he loves her. Don't judge things you don't know. They were there with me when no one was not even you. And Don. I am alive today because of Don. He saved my life without worrying for his own in a blink of an eye, you think he will betray me. No Chuck he will never break my heart. I am safe with him even if he is being all aggressive and angry or his temper his rage gets out of control but even in the pain he gives me I know he will never leave me." I retorted to Chuck trying to firmly explain him that they are my family just like he is. "So you think he has some right to power over you because he saved your life. No Sophie it's because you are scared of him" he said

I jerked his hand away "No, Chuck you don't understand. He does not own me because some pimp has gifted me to him, he owns me because I love him." I said with determination. I could see the shock in Chuck's eyes and I stepped towards him I held him with his arms "Yes Chuck I am in love with him. I love him so much that he consumes me. When I am with him I feel happy. I feel safe. He has become my home Chuck, and I have lost my home once, I cannot loose my home again. I can't live without him." I said trying to make him understand how important Don is to me. "Sophie-" he said almost sympathetically. "No Chuck, I will not loose him. Never." I said and left the room.

I came out to look for Don but I could not find him anywhere. I looked in our room, gym, pool, garden. I even looked Caprice's playroom. He was no where, no one has seen him too. I was about to go to basement when Ric stopped me. "Where are you going?" he asked. "I-I am looking for him, where is he?" I asked him a bit nervous of the answer. "He must have gone out." he said. "B-But I can hear someone down there. Like some one is screaming in pain. Maybe he is down there." I said as I took another step. "He is not there." He stopped me by my arm to move further. I was a bit surprised with his haste and strong grip to stop me, like he is hiding something from me. "Listen just give him some space right now, he is very angry. Russo is kind of our nemesis, your husband's hatred for him knows no bounds. His mention never settles good with him. He need to let it out." he said loosening his grip and in a mellow tone trying to convince me to let it go. I nodded and retreated my steps from basement. I really wanted to ask about Russo but decided otherwise. It just seems that it will be better if Damon tell me about his agony like I told him.

Ric said he needs to let it out. Is he in there letting it out, maybe on someone. Is he hurting someone? I couldn't make out from the noises whether they are of pain or pleasure. A weird thought came to my mind what if he is with Candy letting it out. I rolled my eyes at myself and reminded myself to not think such stupid things. But isn't it better than he torturing someone or worse himself.

I was pacing around my room with these thoughts bombarding my mind and nervousness taking over with every passing minute as I waited for Damon to come back.