Her Divorce, His Downfall (Sophia and Damian) novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174 Striking Where It Hurts

To kill any thought Sophia might have of marrying Julian, Damian had been forced to dredge up the past–the time he’d manipulated her confrontation with Isabelle at the Anderson estate into a viral story that unleashed an internet mob on her.

He knew it was wrong. He knew it would only make her despise him more. But Damian also knew he couldn’t afford to gamble with this. He couldn’t afford to lose.

Left with no other option, he fell back on the weapon he knew best–fear. Anything to stamp out even the faintest spark of her wanting to be with Julian.

He understood his wife. She was kind at heart, deeply grateful to anyone who’d helped her, and she would never allow those people to come to harm on her account.

She always put them above herself.

So he would strike at her soft spots.

“Damian, you never cease to amaze me.” Sophia’s voice shook. Not with fear, but with the kind of fury that blooms from absolute despair,

“You’re still as ruthless as ever. And every dirty trick you know, you only use on me.”

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“And you?” Damian’s eyes closed briefly. When they opened, the rims were red, and pain churned in their depths. “Sophia, are you any less cruel to me?

“Tell me honestly. If I died right in front of you, would you feel even the smallest twinge of pain?”

“Not a chance. I wish you’d drop dead this second.” The words came without hesitation, absolute and final. The rage inside her was screaming.

What right did Damian Hall have?

What right did he have to meddle in her life? He was the one who’d thrown her away. And now he had the audacity to play the heartbroken lover. The whole thing was a sick joke.

All she wanted was to end him and make him pay for everything he’d done.

Sophia lunged upright and pulled a black handgun from a hidden compartment in the nightstand.

Julian had given it to her for protection. She’d kept it within reach ever since.

The next instant, the muzzle was aimed straight at Damian’s chest.

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Her fingertips trembled with the force of her fury, but her eyes were resolute.

“Damian, you think you can still threaten me?”

Sophia’s brow creased. Her eyes were shot through with red. Her knuckles blanched around the grip, and her voice came out in a low, shaking growl.

“What gives you the right to control me? When you threw me away, did you ever think about today?

“When you left me to burn for Isabelle’s sake, did you ever imagine a day would come when I wouldn’t want you either? Everything I suffered, every last bit of it, you and she caused. Today, I’m putting a bullet in you and settling the score.”

Her index finger tightened on the trigger. Lethal intent radiated from every pore. Only one thought filled her mind–kill him.

Even if it meant going down with him, she would end this debt of blood. As long as he paid what he owed, all the pain would finally stop.

T

Seeing the unhinged hatred blazing in Sophia’s eyes, Damian didn’t flinch. He didn’t even crease his brow.

He stepped forward, caught the barrel in a lightning–fast grip,

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and in one smooth motion, twisted the muzzle around and pressed it against his own forehead. His voice was ice. “Go ahead. Pull the trigger.”

“You think I won’t?” The move startled her, but she recovered

fast.

A do–or–die fury churned inside her. The murderous intent in her eyes sharpened, and she squeezed the trigger.

Click. A hollow, muffled snap. No bullet came.

Sophia’s brow furrowed hard. Her finger froze on the grip.

What?

Disbelief flooded her face. She shook the gun and pulled the trigger again. Same dead click.

Damian’s expression hadn’t changed. He looked as unbothered as a man watching rain fall. A quiet laugh escaped him, and he explained with almost clinical patience, “Don’t shake it. The ejector is jammed.”

The failed attempt, made worse by humiliating herself in front of him, left Sophia burning with frustration and shame.

At the same time, she couldn’t help marveling at his composure staging down a loaded barrel. Damian’s nerve was on

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completely different level from ordinary people.

Sophia glanced down at the gun, then back up at him, her jaw set tight, her voice clinging to what was left of her bravado.

“Shut up. I don’t need your help. I can figure it out myself.”

She held the gun up to examine it, her frown deepening.

She’d trained with firearms for months and thought she knew her way around one.

But Damian had rattled her so badly she’d skipped the basic check, and wouldn’t you know it, the damn thing jammed.

Having him of all people diagnose the problem made the humiliation complete.

Damian studied the pistol for a second, then stepped forward, his voice carrying the calm of someone discussing the weather.

“That’s Julian’s old sidearm, isn’t it? The chamber’s got powder residue buildup. It’s blocking the ejector, so the spent casing can’t clear. That’s your jam.”

He paused, then added with a faint smile, “Wanna learn how to handle a gun properly? I’ll teach you sometime.”

Sophia shot him a glare, her voice laced with embarra sed fury39

“I don’t need your fake kindness. Julian will teach me.”

The words were sharp, but the tips of her ears had gone pink.

Julian. Julian. Julian again. Every time she brought up Julian with that instinctive trust and easy intimacy, Damian felt his blood pressure spike.

Whatever playful energy he’d had was gone.

In its place were jealousy, envy, and a bitterness so tangled he couldn’t begin to unravel it.