Chapter 5

Sophia's POV

The blood draw lasted ten minutes.

Those ten minutes felt longer than a century.

Xander stood at the door the entire time, his back to me. I couldn't see his expression.

Finally, the doctor emerged with the blood bag.

"Mr. Shaw, we have enough blood."

Xander exhaled in relief, immediately following the blood bag toward the operating room. He didn't even glance back at me collapsed on the floor or at Aria in the room, her fate unknown.

Alarms blared inside the ICU.

"Patient in shock! Quick! Epinephrine!"

Chaos erupted inside.

The bodyguards saw Xander leave and released me, withdrawing one by one.

I crawled into the hospital room on my hands and knees.

Aria's face was paper-white. The lines on the heart monitor became erratic, then slowly flattened.

"Aria... Aria, don't scare me..."

My hands trembled as I touched my sister's face.

Ice cold.

"Prepare the defibrillator! Charge to 200 joules!"

The doctor attempted a final resuscitation.

"Clear!"

Aria's body jerked up, then fell heavily back down.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Finally, that sharp, continuous tone announced the outcome.

The doctor set down the paddles, glanced at the clock, sighed, and removed his mask.

"I'm sorry. We did everything we could. The patient's body was already weak. Acute blood loss caused multiple organ failure... Time of death, 4:32 PM."

The world collapsed in that moment.

I didn't cry.

I just stood there quietly, looking at my sister's face that seemed merely asleep.

Seven years.

No matter how hard things got, as long as I could see this face, I felt like I still had a home.

Now, home was gone.

Destroyed by the hands of the man who swore he loved me, who said he'd protect us sisters for life.

I slowly bent down, pressing my face against my sister's cold hand.

"Aria, I'm sorry... I'm useless. I brought a wolf into our lives..."

"Don't worry. I won't let you die in vain."

I straightened up, wiping away every tear from my face.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I'd saved long ago but never called.

The phone was answered quickly. A deep, languid voice with an edge of danger came through.

"Well, well. You finally remembered me?"

This was Paxton Reed. Once the Winter family's mortal enemy. Now, he ruled the city's underworld.

He was also the only person who could stand against Xander. A complete lunatic.

"Paxton."

My voice was soft.

"I want Xander destroyed. I want him to wish he were dead."

"I want to make a deal with you."

Paxton on the other end let out a soft laugh, as if he'd heard something tremendously entertaining.

"The price will be steep, Sophia. What do you have to trade?"

I looked at the darkening sky outside the window and the lights turning on in the Shaw Corporation building in the distance.

"My life, my body, everything I have."

"As long as you can send him to hell, I'll give you anything."

The other end fell silent for two seconds.

Then Paxton's voice came through with a smile, like a demon signing a contract.

"Deal. Stay where you are. I'm coming to get you."

I hung up.

I took one last look at my sister on the bed, then turned and walked out of the room.

The operating room light at the end of the corridor went out.

The last bit of feeling I had for Xander extinguished with it.

Xander, from now on, I'm going to make you live in hell.