Taming Mr. Cold And Arrogant

Sophia's POV:

"What about your plan? The justice you've been looking for, for six years, how about it? Are you just going to let Joseph live happily without paying for what he did to you?"

I looked at Rian and shook my head, giving her a half-hearted smile. 

"Actually, Bryan and I talked about it and I decided to stop everything."

"What?" She and Mom and asked in unison. 

"You will stop just like that?"

"Yeah, I'm quitting." I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. 

"I don't believe you, Belle!" Rian said glaring at me. "He abused you! He f.u.c.k.i.n.g tried to r.a.p.e you!"

"Arrianna Angela!"

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I just can't believe that Belle would just quit like this after what that bastard did to her!"

"But I've already done everything, Rian. In fact, my life stopped for six years just to find justice and to see him rot in jail, but what did I get? Did I succeed?"

"But Belle----"

"I have already found Layla Angeles." And their eyes widened like saucers. "But she said, she has already forgotten what happened."

"That's impossible!" Rian exclaimed loudly. 

"Well, she either forgot about what happened, or she just didn't want to help me. I don't know."

"Then let's talk to her again, I will help you. If we have to give her money just to convince her to help you, then let's give her everything she wants---"

"I'm tired, Rian."

I didn't miss the shock that written on their face. 

"I'm tired of everything. I wanted to move on and live my life the way I should have live it from the very start. I'm tired of pretending that I was strong but deep inside, I am slowly falling and melting while waiting for the time that I will finally find justice."

"Sophia..." Mom held my hands and I smiled at her. 

"After all, I realized that I'm not really doing it for myself, but for those people who judged me, who didn't believe me and one of those was my father. I realized that all this was because I wanted to show him that he was wrong and they were wrong! And I'm also tired of convincing myself that everything will change and everything will back to normal! But no, I have already accepted the truth that it will never change what happened. It's all in the past and the more I tried to dig it, the more it will never heal!"

Everyone turns in silence. No one talks and nobody wants to talk. 

"And I'm tired of explaining myself to those people who only understand from their level of perception?" And I ended it with a chuckle. 

"Just like my brother?"

I gulped when Rian looked at me doubtfully but I just avoided her eyes. 

"You love him, don't you?"

"Rian, this is not about him!"

"That's not the answer to my question, Belle. Do you love him?"

I can feel their intent stares while waiting for my answer. 

"Do you love him, Belle?"

I slowly raised my head and looked at them one by one before nodding.

"Then make him your reason to fight!"

I couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped my lips. 

"Make him my reason to fight? Are you serious, Rian? He didn't even want to believe me! I tried to explain to him everything to him but I only got another judgement and insults from him! So now tell me, should I make him my reason to fight?"

"I will help you talk to him. I'll help you convince him---"

"Thanks, Rian, but I'm over with it. We can't force him to understand and believe what we believe in, because if he really wants to, he will."

"So you just give up? Are you just going to let him believe that lies?"

"I couldn't do anything about it, Rian." I said shaking my head. 

"No! You can't give up now and I will never let you divorce him!" Suddenly she stopped and a devilish grin formed on her lips. "Hmm... what if I hired someone to kill Joseph De Lucca?"

"Rian!"

"Baby!"

"Arrianna Angela!"

We all shuddered with the idea that came from her mouth. 

"Jesus Christ, Baby! What are you talking about?" Alex couldn't help himself and narrowed his eyes on his wife. 

"Hey! I'm just kidding!" She defends herself, making a sign of peace with her two fingers ✌️. 

"Don't you think it didn't cross my mind?" They all turned to me, shocked. "It also crossed my mind when Bryan helped me escape from Italy and after he built his company. Those nights when I was suffering from nightmares, I also thought of all the horrible ideas I can do to Joseph. I wanted to kill him, to chop his body into pieces, to make him walk n.a.k.e.d in front of everyone and they will throw him until he dies."

I smiled when I remembered those crazy ideas. 

"But he talked to me that if I do something like that, he said I have no difference from the person who made my life miserable."

We continued our conversation but it never changed my decision. Because for me, it's enough. Six years is enough to live in the past. Maybe now is the time to face my fear, my trauma, my nightmares, face all the people who have judged me and show them that their opinions no longer matter. I still have my family and I still have my life to go on. 

I have bodyguards that accompany me wherever I go. I have Bryan that I can call a brother and a friend. I have Craig, my partner, my assistant and a bestfriend. Mom and I have started a new relationship as a mother and daughter again, and of course, my baby brother who doesn't want me to call him a 'baby'. 

Even though according to everyone's opinion, it was cowardly to give up and quit easily, but for me and for all the people who truly understand me, they know it's not. 

It's just accepting that it's over and giving them up is not cowardice, but letting new opportunities to come in my life. I'm not saying that I will completely forget them, because I know it's not that easy and will still live in me, whatever happens. I will now begin to forget the pain but never the lessons that I have gained from it.

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~

"I'm sorry, Ma'am Sophia, but you're not allowed to go out."

"What did you say?"

I blinked rapidly as I became confused into what I had heard from Ben, my former bodyguard and now the new head of security. I was heading towards the gate and was about to leave when he and the other three guards stopped me. It's an hour after Rian, Alex and my mother-in-law left the house. 

"You're not allowed to leave the house, Ma'am Sophia."

"What do you mean I'm not allowed to leave the house?" I asked looking at them one by one. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, Ma'am, Mr. Kelley gave us instructions not let you leave the house without his permission."

"What the hell? Daniel Kelley!"

I formed my fists and gritted my teeth when I heard Daniel's name. I felt my blood boiling but I managed to stay calm. 

"We're very sorry, Ma'am Sophia, but we're just following your husband's orders. 

He said and to my surprise, they started to line up in front of me, completely stopping me from reaching the gate. 

I couldn't help myself laughing with their formation. They looked like in a firing squad, ready to shoot their target. 

I didn't take seriously what he said and tried to push them but to my dismay, they didn't move a bit. 

"Ben, please get out of the way and let me out." I said giving them a forced smile but deep inside, I feel like a bomb ready to explode at any minute in front of them. 

"Ma'am, if you want you can talk to your husband---"

"Okay!" I interrupted him, placing my hands on my h.i.p.s. 

And suddenly, an idea came across my head. I raised an eyebrow and looked at him straight. 

"Let's put it this way, will you let me out of that gate or I will call somebody to ask for help?"

I sneered as I watched their mouth hung in mid-air. I just have to make call, and I'm sure Bryan would do anything to get me and I will finally be free from them. 

"Ma'am Sophia, please, I don't want to lose my job. My wife is pregnant and she's now in her due. How will I pay the hospital bills and how will I provide for my family if I lose my job?"

I breathed harshly when I heard Ben's statement. 

"I will pay the hospital expenses and everything your wife and your baby needs!"

"But Ma'am------"

"And if you're worried about your job, I will also help you find a new one. I have a friend who runs an Agency and I'm sure they will hire you."

"You don't understand, Ma'am Sophia."

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. What is it that I don't understand? 

"Actually, it's not my job I am worried about."

"Then what?"

"Mr. Kelley will make our life a living hell if we let you go out and leave the house."

And that's it, I couldn't help scream and grit my teeth as I understood what he was saying. 

"Fine! I won't leave-----"

"Thank you, Ma'am Sophia-----"

"No, Ben! Don't thank me for this because I swear, I will kill your boss with my b.a.r.e hands! And I will also chop his balls into pieces and feed them to my p.u.s.s.y!" Suddenly, their eyes widened and I realized what I had said. "I mean my cat! I will feed them to my cat!"

"Ohh..." they said in unison, nodding. 

"Argh! Forgodsake, Daniel Kelley! You're such a pain in my ass!"

I screamed on top of my lungs, pulling my hair out of frustration as I started walking back in the house. I have no choice but to wait and talk to him about this crazy and ridiculous idea of not letting me leave without his permission. 

"Anak, I thought you said you're leaving?" Nanay Emily asked, surprised, when I went back to the kitchen. 

"Yes, Nanay, I should have left, but my arrogant and bipolar husband instructed all the security guards not to let me leave this house without his permission!" I answered gritting my teeth and slammed my hands on the table. 

"He did that?"

"Yup! Can you imagine that, Nanay? I mean, what am I, a prisoner? His freaking prisoner? Argh!"

"Do you want me to call him? I will talk to him about this-----"

"No, Nanay Emily. Thank you, but no, you don't have to do it. Let him do what he wants!"

"Are you sure, but I thought you're going to talk to your mother?"

I nodded. "I will just call her later, for now, I think I have to wait and talk to my freaking husband!"

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~

6:00 pm. 

7:00 pm. 

8:00 pm. 

"Anak, do you want me to bring here your dinner?"

I looked up and saw Nanay Emily standing behind the couch. 

"Uhm... Thank you, Nanay, but I will just go to the kitchen later." I said shaking my head. 

"All right."

She patted me on my shoulder and I smiled at her before she went back to the kitchen. I sighed and lifted my legs on the couch. I decided to wait for Daniel in the living room but it's already 8:00 o'clock in the evening but he hasn't arrived yet, in which he should be at home by 6:00 to 7:00 pm. 

8:30 pm. 

9:00 pm. 

9:30 pm. 

10:00 pm. 

"Sophia, why don't you just wait for your husband in your room?"

"I'm fine, Nanay Emily."

"Are you sure? You haven't had dinner yet."

"Yeah, don't worry about me, I'm still full of the sandwiches I have eaten earlier."

I cuddled on the couch and lowered the volume of the TV as I realized it's Nanay Emily and Tatay Berto's time to sleep. 

10:30 pm. 

11:00 pm. 

"Hoo!" I slumped my body on the couch after jumping twenty times just to keep my eyes open. I have already done an eye exercise and slapped my left and right cheek to make sure I didn't fall asleep. What if Daniel arrived in a few minutes? I can't miss this chance to talk to him. 

11:30 pm. 

12:00 am. 

I can feel my eyes numb and dropping because of sleepiness. I checked the time from the rectangular luminous clock over the TV stand and it's now 12:15 am. But until now he hasn't arrived yet and it seems like I am waiting for his ghost. 

12:30 am. 

1:00 am. 

"Argh! I'm gonna f.u.c.k.i.n.g kill you, Daniel Kelley...zzz..."

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~

"Sophia..."

"Hmm?"

I can feel that someone is tapping my shoulder but I didn't open my eyes. 

"Sophia..."

"Hmm?"

"It's time to have breakfast."

-'breakfast? breakfast? what time is it?-' I thought I just asked it to myself, but I was surprised to hear that Nanay Emily answered my question. 

"It's already 8:00 o'clock in the morning."

"8:00 o'clock in the morning?" My eyes snapped open as I jolted in bed, but it's too late to recognize that I wasn't in my room and I didn't sleep in my bed but on the couch in the living room. "Ouch!"

"Holy Christ, Sophia! Are you okay?" Nanay Emily asked, concern was evident in her voice. 

"I'm fine, Nanay. What time is it again?" I ignored the stinging pain on my b.u.t.t as I got up immediately. 

"It's already 8:00 am."

I gasped when I realized that I overslept and hadn't noticed the time. 

"Did Daniel come home this morning? Where is he?"

"Ohh... he didn't come home but he called earlier, he said---"

"What did he say?"

"Well, he said he won't be able to go home tonight because he has an urgent business meeting in San Diego." Tatay Berto was the one who answered. 

"What the----argh!" I slapped my forehead as I felt the irritation starting to build up in my c.h.e.s.t. "Where exactly in San Diego?"

"Uhm... he didn't mention." Nanay Emily replied, shrugging. 

I breathe harshly, clenching my jaws. "He purposely did all this! I'm sure of it! He said we will talk yesterday but he left early to avoid me, he instructed all the guards to not let me leave the house but when I tried to call him, he didn't answer any of my calls!"

"Maybe he's just busy."

"No, Tatay Berto, he's not busy! He just really wanted to annoy me, forgodsake! Argh! Daniel Kelley, I will chop and fry your balls!"

The two oldies shared a look but I just ignored them as I continued to ramble all the possible way to kill my husband. 

But my eyes widened and I looked at them when an idea came to my mind. 

"Nanay Emily, isn't it today is your schedule of buying groceries for the week?"

She furrowed her eyebrows and asked me, confused. 

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

Hope instantly crept inside me when she nodded. 

"I have an idea of how I will escape from the security without them noticing me, but I need your help!"