Sophia hit the ground hard, her head spinning.


    For a moment, everything blurred as she fought to steady her breathing.


    "You dare disrespect me, you insolent brat?" Henny''s voice trembled with rage. "Know your ce! If you want my forgiveness, get on your knees and lick my shoes."


    Sophia tasted blood on her lips, the metallic tang sharpening her senses. Her vision cleared, and a fire sparked within her.


    "That''s it," she whispered fiercely to herself, determination flooding her veins.


    "Guard," Henny barked. "p her again. Keep going until she learns how to respect her elders."


    The guard smirked cruelly as he approached Sophia, grabbing a fistful of her hair and jerking her head back.


    "Sorry, sweetheart. Orders are orders."


    Sophia locked eyes with him, fury zing in her gaze. "I''m warning you let go of me or you''re a dead man."


    "Little bitch-" His hand shot up, ready to strike.


    But before his palm could connect, a deafening gunshot shattered the room.


    Blood sprayed as the bullet pierced his chin and exited through the top of his skull.


    The guard crumpled lifelessly to the ground, a pool of crimson spreading rapidly beneath him.


    Silence nketed the room. Henny and rissa stared in shock, mouths open, unable to process what they''d just witnessed.


    Sophia rose slowly, the smoking gun firm in her hand, eyes ice-cold and murderous.


    "I warned you," she hissed, voice shaking with rage. "But you didn''t listen. Now you are dead!"


    She turned the weapon towards Henny and rissa, her expression merciless. No longer would she be the girl who cried and endured abuse in silence.


    After Guise''s violence, she vowed never to be helpless again, learned to shoot, and carried this gun, hidden away until now.


    "I''m not going to be anyone''s punching bag anymore," Sophia said, her voice firm as the weight of her first kill pressed heavy on her chest. "This ends now."


    "You murderer!" Henny''s voice shook with hatred. "You''ll pay for this! You''ll rot in hell!"


    "Kneel!" Sophia stepped closer, the gun unwavering. "Kneel just like you wanted me to. Apologize."


    Henny''s face contorted with humiliation and fury, her elderly pride crushed beneath Sophia''s defiance.


    "How dare you, you insolent child!"


    "Go to hell!" rissa suddenly lunged forward, desperate to wrestle the gun from Sophia''s grip.


    Sophia reacted swiftly, smashing the gun''s grip into rissa''s face with brutal force.


    rissa flew backward,nding heavily several feet away, her face bloodied and teeth shattered, features twisted by the savage blow.


    "You filthy animal!" Henny shrieked, her rage ring like wildfire. She lunged,


    hurling the ashtray at Sophia with reckless fury.


    Younger and faster, Sophia moved with precision.


    "Get out of my sight!" Sophia shouted, pping Henny hard across the face-the crack echoed through the room.


    Henny stumbled, lost her bnce, and crashed to the floor.


    "How dare you touch my grandmother! You''ve crossed a line you''ll regret!" rissa spat through broken teeth.


    Henny struggled shakily to her feet, her eyes zing with venomous hatred.


    "Sophia Lancaster, you''ve sealed your fate! You''ll never be the Montir Matriarch. You''ve killed our guard, and you''ll rot in prison forever!"


    Sophia inhaled sharply, pointing the gun at Henny. "Can you shut your mouth for once? I''ve had enough of your damn arrogance."


    "I''ll say whatever I want!" Henny roared, defiant to thest. "The Montir family will hunt you down!"


    Sophia''s patience snapped. Her finger tightened on the trigger, and a gunshot rang out.


    The bullet tore into Henny''s thigh, sending the elderly woman copsing to the ground, screaming in agony like a wounded animal.


    "Maybe you should stop provoking someone holding a loaded gun," Sophia said coldly, lowering the pistol slightly.


    rissa rushed to her grandmother''s side, panic flooding her face as she saw blood streaming from Henny''s wound.


    "You heartless monster! You''re finished! Your whole family is finished! You''ll pay for hurting my grandmother!"


    "Whatever," Sophia said dismissively, turning away.


    She had no intention of lingering. She headed for the door, eager to leave the madness behind.


    But when she swung it open, she froze in shock. Alex stood there, tall and grim- faced.


    Behind him, several Montir guardsy unconscious or worse, sprawled out across the hallway.


    "I heard gunshots and thought you


    might need some help," Alex said calmly, his eyes scanning her injuries. "Looks like you handled yourself pretty well."


    "Let''s get out of here," Sophia urged, stepping past him.


    "You''re hurt," Alex said sharply, noticing her bruised and swollen face.


    "It''s nothing," she said, forcing a brave smile.


    Alex''s expression hardened, protective anger rising in his eyes.


    "This isn''t ''nothing'', Sophia. They had no right toy a finger on you."


    "Let''s just get out of here, Alex," she murmured. "I''ve had enough of them."


    Alex nced back, seeing Henny and rissa ring hatefully at Sophia. Alex''s fury surged.


    Without hesitation, he unleashed his power, using his aura to fling a nearby sofa straight into the two women.


    The heavy piece of furniture crashed


    into them like a speeding car,


    knocking them violently to the floor, their once-proud faces instantly battered and broken.


    Satisfied with his vengeance, Alex turned and escorted Sophia out.


    Hourster, they arrived at Chicago airport, heading to their private jet bound for Paris.


    "I think it''s best if I return to Vancouver from here," Alex said quietly. Sophia paused, turning to him. "Don''t you want toe with me to Paris? I could give you a job. You''d make a perfect head of security."


    "Maybe," Alex murmured thoughtfully. He reached out gently, touching her swollen cheek.


    Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them. "You''re strong now, Sophia."


    "I had to be," she whispered. "Otherwise, they''d never stop hurting me."


    In the distance, Kelly stepped down from her private jet, fresh from Vermont and ready to meet Lyra to finalize the Chicago-Vermont agreement.


    But her attention was instantly captured by the sight of Alex and Sophia standing closely together.


    Jealousy red violently within Kelly''s heart.


    She knew she''d made a mistake by reporting Alex to the king, costing him his position in Kingswell.


    Yet she refused to believe that her decision was entirely wrong.


    To her, Alex choosing Sophia was the root cause of everything.


    Unable to control the turmoil inside her, Kelly strode quickly toward them.


    Alex dropped his hand from Sophia''s cheek, noticing Kelly''s determined approach.


    Before either of them could react, Kelly reached out, wrapped her arms around


    Alex''s neck, and pulled him into a passionate, shocking kiss.


    Alex stood frozen, stunned.


    And so did Sophia.