Chapter 167

The moment Sophia stepped into the dimly lit hospital corridor, her pulse quickened.

The sterile scent of antiseptic filled her nostrils, sharp and unrelenting.

She clutched Liam’s small hand tighter, his fingers warm against her clammy palm.

"Mom?" His voice was soft, uncertain.

She forced a smile. "It’s okay, sweetheart."

But nothing about this was okay.

Ethan Blackwood stood at the far end of the hall, his broad shoulders tense beneath his tailored suit.

His stormy gaze locked onto hers, unreadable.

Sophia’s breath hitched.

She hadn’t seen him since the night everything shattered.

Now, here they were—bound by tragedy yet divided by betrayal.

Liam tugged her sleeve. "Is Dad mad?"

Her throat tightened.

She didn’t know anymore.

Ethan strode forward, his polished shoes clicking against the linoleum.

Each step felt like a hammer to her ribs.

Then, he stopped—just inches away.

Close enough for her to catch the faint trace of his cologne, the one she used to love.

"Sophia." His voice was rough, edged with something dark.

She lifted her chin. "Ethan."

Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken words.

Liam shifted nervously.

Ethan’s jaw clenched. "We need to talk."

Her stomach twisted.

She knew what was coming.

The truth.

The lies.

The end.

But before she could respond, a door creaked open behind them.

A nurse—Charlotte—stepped out, her expression grim.

"Mr. Blackwood? Ms. Blackwood?"

Sophia’s heart plummeted.

This was it.

The moment that would change everything.

Again.

"You can't possibly mean that," Isabella gasped, her shock mirroring my own.

My heart hammered violently against my ribs. Fear coiled around my chest like a vise, stealing my breath. If I thought Damian Slade—or Reaper, whatever the hell he called himself—kidnapping us was the worst of it, I was dead wrong. His plan was far more twisted.

"Oh, but I do," Damian sneered, his lips curling into a cruel smile that sent ice slithering down my spine. "Your father should never have crossed me. Neither should Ethan. Now, it's time for my revenge."

He had called Ethan right in front of us and laid out his sick ultimatum. I still couldn't wrap my head around it—only one of us would leave this place alive.

The weight of impending doom pressed down on me, suffocating. My face throbbed from his earlier blow, my lip split and raw. I clung to that pain, desperate for something to ground me before panic swallowed me whole.

"Cat got your tongue, Sophia?" Damian taunted, that same chilling smirk playing on his lips.

I looked away, my mind blank. Words failed me. This wasn't my first brush with death, but Damian's unhinged glee made me doubt I'd survive this time.

I forced myself to snap out of it. No. I had Liam. I had a baby growing inside me. I would fight.

"Or maybe," Damian mused, tilting his head, "you're terrified Ethan will pick your sister instead. Is that what's eating at you?"

"She's not my sister!" I snarled, fury reigniting in my veins.

His laugh was hollow, devoid of any real amusement.

"No matter. This will be entertaining. I want to watch your ex-husband shatter—because no matter who he chooses, the other dies. And that guilt? It'll destroy him." With that, he turned and left, the door slamming shut behind him.

"What do we do?" Isabella whispered.

I didn't answer.

Because Damian was right. I was afraid. Ethan had always chosen her. He'd burn the world down for Isabella—why would this time be any different?

I didn't stand a chance.

Gritting my teeth, I twisted against the ropes binding my wrists. No cameras—good. These men had underestimated us.

The coarse fibers bit into my skin, drawing blood, but I didn't stop. Time was running out.

"What the hell are you doing?" Isabella hissed, staring at me like I'd lost my mind.

"Escaping," I snapped. "Or did you forget we're on a ticking clock?"

"Ethan will come for us," she said, voice firm.

I scoffed. "Wake up. He'll choose you. I have a son and another baby to think about. I'm not sitting around waiting for Ethan to play god just because our father was stupid enough to sign a deal with the Reaper without checking who he really was!"

Her eyes widened, stunned by my outburst. Maybe it was harsh, but I was done being polite. My life—my child's life—was on the line.

And if my father had just investigated first, none of us would be here.