Sophia aimed her gun squarely at Henny, her voice trembling but firm.
"I did everything you asked. I killed Alex. Now let my mother and brother go."
Henny pped mockingly, a twisted smile spreading across her face.
"I like your spirit, girl! A real woman has to be cunning and ruthless. You know, I killed my own husband because he stood in my way."
Her eyes narrowed with cruel amusement.
"If only you weren''t Betty''s granddaughter, if only we weren''t enemies, I might''ve actually liked you. But sadly, we are on opposite sides."
Without warning, Henny turned and struck Florence hard across the face.
"Stop it!" Sophia screamed, desperation cracking her voice. "You promised me!"
"Promises!" Hennyughed bitterly. "You''re still just a cub, aren''t you? Hasn''t your
idiot grandmother taught you never to trust your enemy!"
Sophia''s face drained of all color, realization crashing down on her.
She''d been naive-painfully, dangerously naive.
Henny''s voice turned smooth, almost tender.
"Alright then. This time, I''ll give you a real promise... from one Montir to
another. I''ll even think of you as family."
She leaned in, her words like poison wrapped in silk.
"Put that gun to your head and pull the trigger. Do that—and I swear, your mother and Jack walk out alive."
Silence choked the room, heavy as a tomb. Sophia stared in disbelief, her heart thundering in her chest.
Across the room, rissa lounged on a velvet sofa, casually sipping from Florence''s prized bottle of vintage wine-decades old, saved for some special day that would nevere.
Now it was just another trinket spoiled by cruelty.
"Kill yourself!" Henny shouted viciously, grabbing Florence''s chin and jerking her head roughly.
"Don''t you love your mother? Didn''t you kill your worthless ex-husband for her already? Why stop now? Pull the trigger, and I''ll spare them both. This time, you have my word."
The world tilted violently around Sophia.
Nausea surged through her, and suddenly she dropped to her knees, retching violently onto the floor.
All her innocence, all her illusions spilled out with it.
Once, she''d been sheltered, never knowing pain. But each day in this hellish life taught her the same brutal lesson: the world was cruel, and mercy was just another weakness.
She''d thought Guise was the cruelest creature alive, believed she needed to be hard like him to survive.
Yet here she was, guilt tearing her apart for wounding Henny earlier-a guilt worthless to monsters like them.
She''d been raised believing people were kind, good-hearted by nature. She never imagined the world was so filled with darkness.
Sophia''s trembling hand brought the gun slowly to her temple, tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks.
"I''ll do it," she whispered hoarsely. "But remember your promise-let my family go."
"Oh, of course," Henny sneered, eyes glittering cruelly. "God, you''re pathetic. I never met anyone as stupid as you."
Sophia closed her eyes, her finger tightening on the trigger.
Just as she was about to pull it, a strong hand snatched the gun away from her.
One of the guards behind Sophia looked sharply at Henny. "You promised us too, boss. If she''s dead, you can''t fulfill your word."
Henny sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes.
"Rx. You''ll get your prize. I let her think she could shoot herself because it amused me. Honestly, did anyone really believe I''d spare her family after she killed herself?"
"We''re here to wipe them all out! Her stupidity is infuriating."
Her voice rose sharply, turning venomous. "All of you guards-I promised you''d
get to have fun with Vancouver''s beloved model, Sophia."
"She''s all yours. Take her. Do whatever you want for the next 24 hours... then end her. Find your own room and make it count."
Sophia''s vision blurred with rage, her heart hammering painfully.
Everything Alex had ever warned her about crashed down, painfully true. She stared at Henny, her voice ice-cold and broken.
"Alex was right about you-about all of it."
An hour earlier, they were flying back from Paris to Vancouver on private jet.
Alex suddenly broke the silence. "Sophia, I saw your hands shaking till now after you shot Henny. You''re pretending to be tough, but I know it eats you alive."
"Hurting someone for the first time leaves scars, I get it. But trust me if you stay weak, others will take advantage and drain you dry. You have to stop feeling guilty and learn to protect yourself."
Sophia looked away, whispering softly, "Alex, I understand you''ve lived your life
on a battlefield. To you, anyone who isn''t a friend is an enemy."
"But life here isn''t always war. People have different reasons-we can''t justify
hurting everyone who crosses us. We''re civilized people."
Alex sighed deeply, gazing out the window.
"I pray that people like you stay pure, Sophia. I wish your heart never gets stained by this cruel world. But the
truth is,
some of us have to dive into
the darkness-to destroy it-so
people like you can stay in the light."
"Life is always bright, Alex," Sophia said firmly. "It was my anger that made me
shoot Henny. I owe her an apology, and I''ll call herter."
Later, when they finally came face-to-face with Henny and Florence.
Moments before Sophia shot Alex, he leaned close and whispered urgently, "Sophia, just shoot me. I know you can''t choose between your mother and me. But if you have to choose now, pick me."
Sophia''s eyes widened in shock, speechless.
"Aim for my forehead. I''ll survive," Alex whispered quickly.
"In the war, I got injured there. Doctors put an iron te in my skull. The bullet
won''t prate-it''ll just stun me. I''ll bleed, but I won''t die."
"Are you sure?" Sophia whispered back anxiously.
"Absolutely," Alex reassured her. He knew there was no iron te, just his aura strong enough to deflect the bullet.
But to sell the lie, there needed to be blood. Just enough to make it real for Henny.
He whispered again, testing her resolve. "Do you have the courage to shot me, Sophia? Your heart is gentle, but sometimes you must be ruthless to survive."
Sophia raised the gun, eyes burning with a sudden fury.
"How dare you let Kelly kiss you!"
"What?" Alex stammered,pletely taken aback.
But Sophia didn''t hesitate.
She fired.
Alex fell back, feigning a realistic wound. Yet, beneath his act, genuine pain struck
him deeply.
Sophia didn''t flinch—she pulled the trigger without a second thought, and her aim
was deadly.
The fire in her eyes—pure rage, jealousy, and betrayal-wasn''t just for show. It was real. Brutally real.
Damn, Alex thought bitterly. That hurt worse than the bullet.
Unbelievable.
Damn woman.
Was there a book out there any book-that could finally teach him how the hell
women work?
As Alexy there, he watched Henny torment Sophia, teaching her the harsh lessons needed to govern in a merciless world.
Maybe Sophia needed this—to harden, to survive.
But now, enough was enough.
With a sharp snap of his fingers, Alex unleashed a silent wave of energy-Jack, Margareth, and Sophia copsed where they stood, their bodies gently falling unconscious like marites with cut strings.
Then, slowly, Alex rose from the ground.
ve
His body lifted effortlessly into the air, hovering above the chaos. Gasps rippled
through the room. Even the bravest froze in ce.
Bathed in cold, unearthly light, Alex looked down at them all. His voice rang out-
calm,manding, andced with steel.
"I chose to walk into the dark... so the pure could stay in the light.”
His eyes burned with a furious glow, scanning every soul in the room. The weight
of his fury was suffocating.
"Now it''s your turn," he said, voice like a de.
"Your cruelty... your sins... your judgment begins now."