Page 44 of Shadows of Recovery

Sarah whispered to her, "Are you okay, Dr. Everhart?"

Sophie forced a smile."I fell and think I broke my arm. Of all times to be a klutz. Could you help me with a sling?”

After that, she focused on her patients in the ER and then throughout the hospital. On her return, Sophie silently curled herself into a corner of the couch again.

Damon’s eyes blazed with fury. "What, no thanks for letting you take care of your patients?"

"I’ll never thank you," Sophie said defiantly.

The dim light in the doctor’s lounge flickered overhead as Sophie stood her ground, refusing to back down despite her captor’s looming presence. His dark eyes were locked on hers, a storm of rage brewing behind them.

Without warning, Damon’s hand curled into a fist, and before Sophie could react, he swung hard, his knuckles crashing into her left side with brutal force. The impact was like a sledgehammer, driving all the air from her lungs and sending a sharp, searing pain ripping through her abdomen.

A choked gasp escaped her lips as her body folded over, the pain so intense, her vision blurred. She crumpled forward, clutching her side, every muscle in her body screaming in agony.

Sophie’s mind raced, struggling to process what had just happened. The pain was overwhelming, a deep, burning ache that radiated from her gut and spread like wildfire through her entire body. She tried to straighten up, to catch her breath, but the pain was relentless, pulling her back down.

“Did you really think you could defy me and walk away unscathed?” Damon’s voice was low, dripping with venom as he stood over her, watching her struggle with a twisted satisfaction. “You’re just like the rest—thinking you can outsmart me, thinking you can control this situation. But you’re wrong, Sophie. I’m the one in control here.”

Sophie’s vision swam as she gasped for air, each breath sending another wave of pain crashing through her. She gritted her teeth, refusing to let him see the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Despite the agony, a spark of defiance still burned within her. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her broken.

“You... can’t... control... everything,” she managed to rasp out, her voice trembling with the effort it took to speak. “You might hurt me... but you won’t... win.”

Damon’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, his smirk faltered, replaced by a flash of something darker—something more dangerous. “We’ll see about that,” he muttered, his voice cold as ice.

Sophie’s body shook as she fought to stay conscious, the pain threatening to drag her into darkness. She knew the cost of standing up to Damon, and she knew this was only the beginning of what he could do. But she also knew, if she gave in now, if she let him see her fear, she would lose everything.

Damon stepped back, his expression hardening as he watched her struggle. “Remember this, Doctor,” his voice cut through the haze of pain like a blade. “This is just a taste of what happens when you cross me. You owe me, and I’ll make sure you pay.”

Sophie lay there, her breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps, the taste of blood on her lips where she had bitten down too hard.

She tried to scream, but Damon's hand clamped over her throat again, silencing her desperate cries. "You think you can challenge me? I'm going to teach you exactly where you belong."

She struggled against his hold, her body shaking with fear and revulsion. But Damon was too strong. His fingers trailed down Sophie's neck. He whispered, "You're going to learn what happens to disobedient little girls like you."

Air filled her lungs again. He could do whatever he pleased with her, but she wasn’t going down without a fight. "You are a coward. You are afraid of a woman who speaks her mind."

Damon's expression darkened at Sophie's words, his fury reaching its boiling point. Without warning, he tightened his grip on her upper arms, his fingers digging into her skin with a savage intensity. "You'll regret those words, pretty lady doctor. I'll make you pay for your defiance, mark my words."

Sophie braced herself for whatever terror Damon had in store for her, but she didn’t prepare to face the darkest moment of her life. His grip tightened around her wrists. With a cruel smirk, he flipped her onto her belly. "You're going to learn your place. And I'll make sure you never forget it today and every day."

Suddenly, an explosion shook the building. Damon’s grip on Sophie tightened as he dragged her closer. "You’re done helping those patients. Now you can take care of me."

Tears stung Sophie's eyes. She tried to summon her courage to fight back, but she had no strength left. Damon held all the power, and she was nothing more than his pawn.

His hands roamed over Sophie's body. Exhausted and beaten down, she lay there, paralyzed, humiliated, as he continued to degrade her in the most unspeakable ways. Time seemed to stand still. Her thoughts drifted to Tristan, hoping he would find a way to rescue her from this nightmare.

After what felt like an eternity, Damon finally released her, tossing her, crumpled and broken, on the floor. He stood over her, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Remember your place. This is just the beginning."

Sophie ached, but she had to hold on, find a way to survive and protect the other hostages. She couldn’t let Damon win.

The sounds and vibrations of small explosions echoed through the hospital corridors all around her, signaling that his men’s handiwork was beginning to take effect.

“Well, it seems we’ve overstayed our welcome,” Damon said, his voice laced with sarcasm. He grabbed Sophie roughly by the arm, yanking her to her feet. “Time to go.”

Sophie struggled to keep up, her body battered and weak from the abuse and stress. Every step was a painful effort, and her vision swam from the constant pounding in her head. As Damon led her to the subbasement stairwell, her pace lagged behind his urgent strides.

“Move faster!” he snarled, shoving her forward. Sophie’s foot slipped on the edge of the top step, and with a sickening lurch, she tumbled down the flight of cement steps. Pain exploded in her ankle as she hit the bottom, a sharp, unbearable agony that left her gasping.

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