Marry Me to Destroy Him

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Xander Shaw said Luna reminds him of the old me. Innocent. Stubborn. Full of wild spirit

He even twisted the knife with a smile.

She's got more tricks in bed than you do. You're just a dead fish when it comes to sex.

All because that girl likes cats.

So he cut off my sister's medical funds to open a stray animal shelter for Luna.

I begged him to save my sister, but he pried my hands away.

"Stop making a scene. Your sister's just a living corpse."

The moment my sister's heart monitor flatlined, I dialed his sworn enemy's number.

"Paxton, help me make him wish he were dead."

A low laugh came from the other end. "I can help you, but on one condition. You have to marry me."

Sophia's POV

Today is my twenty-seventh birthday.

I'd been Xander Shaw's cherished wife for five years, and tonight's birthday party was as lavish as it got.

Nearly half of London's elite showed up, everyone praising Xander's devotion, complimenting me on having such a wonderful husband.

I held my champagne glass, smiling as I made small talk with the guests.

"Mrs. Shaw, why hasn't Mr. Shaw arrived yet?"

Someone asked with a smile.

I glanced at the clock on the wall.

It was eight-thirty in the evening.

The party had already been going for half an hour.

"He had a last-minute international video conference at the company. It's wrapping up now."

I answered with a smile.

But only I knew how pathetic the truth really was.

I'd sent Xander three messages and called him twice. Complete radio silence.

Just then, a commotion erupted at the entrance to the ballroom.

My heart relaxed slightly as I lifted my dress and turned around, but when I saw clearly, I froze in my tracks.

Xander had arrived.

But he hadn't come alone.

The man wore a sharply tailored black custom suit, broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, his features as cold and sharp as a blade.

And hanging on his arm was a girl in a cheap T-shirt and jeans, soaking wet from head to toe.

The girl looked no more than twenty years old, her hair in complete disarray, clutching a stray cat tightly in her arms, her doe-like eyes staring at the opulent hall in terror.

This wasn't just inappropriate. It was sabotage.

The entire room fell dead silent.

My fingers trembled slightly as I quickly walked forward.

Before I could speak, Xander frowned first, removing his six-figure suit jacket and wrapping it around the shivering girl.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?"

I asked softly.

"Ran into an emergency."

Xander's voice was flat, not even glancing at me once, his gaze fixed entirely on the girl.

"Her name is Luna. She got clipped by a car while rescuing a cat on the roadside. I took her to the hospital, and on the way stopped by to treat her wound."

On the way?

Xander was severely germophobic too.

In the past, if I so much as glanced at a stray dog on the street, he'd frown and tell me to go disinfect.

Now, he was letting a girl covered in mud and water dirty his expensive shirt?

"Today is my birthday party."

I reminded him.

"I know."

Xander finally looked up at me.

His expression was calm, calm to the point of cruelty.

"Sophia, have the maid take her to a guest room to change. Also, call the family doctor over."

His tone was completely commanding.

All around us were watching eyes. The envy in those society ladies' gazes had now turned entirely to mockery.

"Xander."

I didn't move, instead looking at this man I'd loved for ten years.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

The girl shrank into Xander's arms in fright, her voice tearful.

"Mr. Shaw... am I causing you trouble? I'll leave right now..."

That single "Mr. Shaw" instantly softened Xander's expression.

He reached out to steady the girl's shoulder, and in front of all the guests, in front of me, he said softly,

"Don't move. Your wound will open up. As long as I'm here, who dares make you leave?"

I felt a ringing sound in my ears.

"Mr. Shaw."

Ten years ago, when Xander was eighteen and still a poor nobody, I was seventeen. We'd eat canned soup together in his basement.

I used to playfully call him "Mr. Shaw" too, teasing him for being old-fashioned.

What did Xander say back then?

He'd tapped my nose, his eyes full of affection.

"Sophia, you're the only one allowed to call me that for the rest of my life."

Now, the exclusive nickname had a new owner.

After soothing Luna, Xander turned to look at me, his brow furrowed, radiating impatience.

"Sophia, you used to be magnanimous. Don't stoop to a young girl's level. It's beneath you."

Beneath me.

I felt my heart being squeezed by an invisible hand, crushed to pulp.

I straightened my spine.

"Fine. Since Mr. Shaw is here on a rescue mission, then this birthday party might as well end."

I took the microphone, turning to announce the party's conclusion.

My wrist was suddenly gripped.

Xander's hold was strong, pinching my bones painfully.

He leaned close to my ear, using a voice only the two of us could hear, cold and final as a death sentence.

"Sophia, stop making a scene. After tonight, we're getting divorced."

Sophia's POV

The party ended in disgrace. Outside, the rainstorm continued to pour.

I sat in the back seat of the Maybach. The air pressure inside the car was suffocatingly low.

Xander didn't sit with me. He sat in the passenger seat, head down, replying to messages.

The light from his phone screen illuminated his face with a kind of gentle vitality I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Because of her?"

I broke the silence.

He nodded, admitting it readily. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Sophia, look at yourself in the mirror."

Xander lit a cigarette. Through the swirling smoke, his expression was blurred.

"Look at what you've become. Dignified, perfect, like a programmed robot. You've lost that edge you used to have."

My nails dug into my palms.

"What edge?"

"That wild spirit."

Xander exhaled a smoke ring.

"Meeting Luna reminded me. I fell in love with the Sophia who dared to smash a bottle over a harasser's head. Not this version of you. This polished Mrs. Shaw who only knows how to arrange flowers, pick out dresses, and smile like a pageant queen."

I laughed.

Laughed so hard tears nearly fell.

These past five years, who made me take etiquette lessons?

Who made me restrain my sharp edges for the Shaw family's reputation?

Who said, "Sophia, from now on I'll handle the dirty work. You just need to be my clean, perfect princess"?

He pulled out my thorns, clipped my wings, and locked me in a gilded cage.

Now, he complained I couldn't fly.

"She's a lot like I used to be, isn't she?"

I asked.

"Very much so."

Xander admitted frankly.

"Seeing her protect that cat in the rain, standing up to people-I felt something. That feeling, I can't find it in you anymore."

"So that's your excuse for cheating?"

"It's not cheating."

Xander corrected me, his tone matter-of-fact.

"Sophia, our souls stopped resonating long ago. All I have left for you is obligation. Rather than torturing each other, we should let go. The villa is yours. I'll give you a satisfactory alimony amount."

The car stopped at the entrance.

Xander showed no intention of getting out.

"I'm not going in. Luna is afraid of thunder. I need to go keep her company."

He said it so openly, as if he were just heading to a meeting.

I sat in the darkness, looking at this man who once swore he'd protect me with his life.

"Xander."

I called out to him as he was about to push the door open.

"What is it?"

"What if I don't agree to the divorce?"

Xander paused, then turned his head.

Those eyes that once held such deep affection were now frozen over.

"Sophia, don't force my hand. You know my methods. Let's part amicably and leave you with some dignity. Don't burn through the last bit of goodwill between us."

The car door closed.

A black umbrella opened as he strode into the rain, climbing into a Porsche that had been waiting by the roadside.

That was Luna's car.

I watched the taillights of both cars disappear into the rainy night, slowly reaching up to touch the necklace around my neck.

It was a pink diamond, worth a fortune.

Xander had won it at auction last month and given it to me as a "warm-up gift."

Now it seemed clear-this wasn't a gift at all. It was severance pay.

I pushed the door open and stepped out. I didn't bother with an umbrella.

The icy rain instantly soaked through my expensive gown. My makeup ran, leaving me a complete mess.

I walked into the empty villa.

On the wall hung our enormous wedding photo.

In the picture, Xander looked at me with eyes full of love.

I walked over, grabbed the ashtray from the table, and hurled it at the photo with all my strength.

The wedding portrait shattered.

I crouched on the floor, hugging my knees, and finally allowed myself to cry.

Sophia's POV

I turned off my phone. I didn't go to the office or return to the Shaw family estate.

Xander didn't come looking for me either.

Over these three days, London's headlines were all about Xander's new love.

"Mr. Shaw Books Entire Amusement Park Late Night to Make Mystery Girl Smile"

"Mystery Cinderella Moves Into Shaw Mansion, Wedding Bells Soon?"

In the photos, Luna wore Xander's shirt, standing on his private yacht, laughing with wild abandon.

Xander stood behind her, shielding her from the wind, his eyes so tender they could melt ice.

Someone asked in the comments: What about Mrs. Shaw?

The reply below: Who cares about that trophy wife anymore?

I sat on a bench in the hospital, scrolling past these news stories.

This was the intensive care unit.

Through thick glass, my sister Aria Winter lay quietly inside.

Tubes ran throughout her body, the ventilator rising and falling rhythmically.

Seven years ago, my family, the Winter family went bankrupt. My parents jumped from a building.

When those debt collectors burst in to drag me away as payment, it was fifteen-year-old Aria who charged at them with a knife. She was ultimately pushed down the stairs and left in a vegetative state.

Aria Winter was my sister.

For these seven years, Aria had been my entire reason for living.

A single day in the ICU cost a fortune.

When Xander proposed, he said.

"Sophia, marry me. Aria will be like my own sister. I'll hire the best doctors in the world and watch over her for life."

I believed him.

For that promise, I endured his parents' abuse, weathered high society's cold stares, and transformed myself into the perfect version Xander wanted.

But now...

The attending physician approached, looking troubled.

"This month's treatment fees... Mr. Shaw has stopped payment."

I jerked my head up.

"What?"

"Mr. Shaw's secretary just called. He said Mr. Shaw has frozen this expense from his personal account. If payment isn't made by sunset today, they might have to... turn off the ventilator."

The doctor couldn't bring himself to finish.

I felt all the blood in my body flowing backward.

He stopped the medical payments?

Xander was forcing my hand.

He knew I didn't have much cash.

I'd been Mrs. Shaw for years, but I'd never had a hand in the company's money.

My monthly allowance was decent, but most of it had gone toward an experimental imported treatment for Aria these past few months.

He was using Aria's life to force me to sign the divorce papers.

"I understand."

I stood up. My vision went black for a moment. I steadied myself against the wall.

"I'll figure out the money. The medication absolutely cannot be stopped."

I pulled out my phone and turned it on.

Countless messages popped up.

I ignored the mockery and probing questions, dialing Xander's number directly.

It rang once before connecting.

"Come to your senses?"

Xander's careless voice came through, background noise chaotic, like he was at a racetrack.

"Xander, you can stop loving me. You can divorce me."

My voice was shaking.

"But you cannot stop Aria's medication! That's her life!"

"Sophia."

Xander let out a soft laugh.

"Aria's been asleep for seven years. Medical experts say her chances of waking are virtually zero. These seven years, I've spent hundreds of millions on her. I've done more than enough."

"You made a vow!"

"Vows expire. So does love."

Xander's voice turned cold.

"Besides, I need that money for something more meaningful now."

"Something more meaningful?"

"Luna wants to open a stray animal rescue center. The location is in the south district. The initial investment requires capital. Rather than throwing money into a bottomless pit maintaining a living corpse's heartbeat, I'd rather support Luna's dreams."

I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.

To open a pet shop for that replacement, he was going to unplug my sister's ventilator?

"Xander, you're a bastard."

"Go ahead and curse. When you're done, sign the divorce agreement."

Xander didn't care at all.

"Sign the papers, and I might consider extending the payments for three more months. Give you time to find your next meal ticket."

The call ended.

I gripped my phone, speechless.

Despair swallowed me like a tide.

Just then, urgent footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.

A large group of medical staff rushed past pushing a mobile bed. Xander was right beside them, his face terrifyingly dark.

I froze.

That was... Luna?

Luna lay on the bed, deathly pale, her forehead covered in blood. She appeared seriously injured.

Xander saw me too, but his gaze didn't linger for even a second. He immediately shouted at the doctors.

"Hurry! Blood transfusion! She has a rare blood type. Does the blood bank still have inventory?"

The hospital director rushed over, sweating profusely.

"Mr. Shaw, bad timing! There was a multi-car pileup last night. All the rare blood type inventory was transferred! Getting more blood will take at least two hours. Miss Luna has lost so much blood, I'm afraid..."

"Useless!"

Xander kicked over a nearby trash can.

Eyes bloodshot, he turned like a trapped beast scanning his surroundings. Finally, his gaze locked onto me.

No, to be precise, it locked onto the ICU room behind me.

My heart lurched. An unprecedented terror shot up my spine.

Aria also had a rare blood type.

The same blood type as Luna.

Sophia's POV

Xander walked toward me step by step.

The oppressive force was suffocating.

"Xander... what do you think you're doing?"

I stepped back, blocking the ICU door.

"Move aside."

His voice was hoarse, brooking no argument.

"You want to hurt Aria?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

"She just had major surgery less than a month ago! Her body is so weak-drawing blood could kill her!"

"Only 400cc."

Xander stopped in front of me, looking down from his height.

"Just 400cc will save her life."

"What about Aria? What happens to Aria?"

I screamed.

"She's a vegetable! She has no ability to resist, and you're going to exploit her like this?!"

"She's a living corpse!"

Xander shouted back.

"Sophia, wake up! Aria lying in there is just a breathing corpse! But Luna is a living person! She's only twenty years old. She got hurt at the racetrack trying to save me! I can't let her die!"

"I won't allow it!"

I spread my arms, gripping the doorframe desperately.

"Over my dead body will you touch a single hair on her head!"

"Sophia!" Xander lost his patience.

Behind us, a nurse's panicked cry came from the operating room.

"Patient's blood pressure dropping! Heartbeat weakening!"

The sound was like a death knell.

The last trace of hesitation vanished from Xander's eyes.

He waved his hand. Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward.

"Pull Mrs. Shaw away."

"Don't touch me! Get away!"

I struggled desperately, sinking my teeth into a bodyguard's hand. Blood immediately flowed.

The bodyguard yelped in pain and instinctively released me.

I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around Xander's legs, kneeling on the ground.

"Xander, I'm begging you... I'll stop making trouble. I'll sign. I'll sign the divorce papers right now! I'll do whatever you say, just please spare Aria... She's my only family left..."

Xander looked down at me.

For that instant, a flicker of reluctance crossed his eyes.

But immediately, the nurse shouted again.

"Mr. Shaw! She's not going to make it!"

That flicker of reluctance was instantly replaced by ruthlessness.

"I'm sorry, Sophia."

Xander bent down, prying my fingers away one by one.

"I'll compensate you later."

"I don't want compensation! I want Aria alive! Xander, you murderer! You'll face retribution for this!"

I screamed until my voice went hoarse.

Xander ignored me and kicked the door open.

"Doctor! Go in and draw blood! I'll take responsibility for anything that happens!"

The doctors hesitated, but under Xander's intimidating pressure, they wheeled their equipment into the ICU.

I was held back, forced to watch helplessly as the door closed.

I saw the doctor roughly disconnect the lines attached to Aria's body. I saw that thick needle pierce my sister's emaciated arm.

Dark red blood flowed through the tube.

They were draining Aria's life away.

I stopped struggling.

I collapsed to the floor, staring at the harsh fluorescent lights on the ceiling.

My heart died.

In that moment, the Sophia who had loved Xander for ten years died completely.

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.