That single word-

"Mommy..."

It hit Scarlett like a shockwave.

Her heart jolted.

For a split second, she was dragged back four years... back to the tiny life she had lost the moment it entered the world.

If her child were still alive-

He'd be about this age now.

The thought tightened painfully in her chest.

As she looked at the boy, her gaze softened without her realizing it.

A storm of emotions surged through her-

Longing. Grief. Guilt. Tenderness.

Feelings she couldn't quite name... all tangled together.

At that moment, Howard walked over, his eyes flicking between Scarlett and the boy.

"Bo-Boss... is that your kid?" he blurted, stunned. "He looks just like you. Same eyes, same face-it's like a copy-paste."

Good grief.

The leader of Obsidian Unit... the infamous War Goddess...

Had a child?

If word of this got out, it would send shockwaves through the entire underworld.

Scarlett shot him a look.

"I don't know him," she said evenly. "He's probably just scared and mistook me for someone else."

Still, she studied the boy more closely.

There was a resemblance.

But lookalikes weren't exactly rare...

And deep down, she knew-

It wasn't possible.

Her child...

Was gone.

The boy's expression crumpled the moment he heard her answer.

The light in his eyes dimmed, replaced by quiet disappointment.

"Let me check if you're hurt," Scarlett said, her voice softening.

But before she could move-

A harsh shout cut through the air behind them.

"There he is! Grab him!"

The boy's small body stiffened.

His eyes widened in fear as he stared at the group rushing toward them.

"Hey... it's okay," Scarlett said gently, resting a hand on his head. "I've got you. No one's going to hurt you."

The warmth of her touch-

It steadied him almost instantly.

Without thinking, he leaned into her, clinging to that rare sense of safety.

Scarlett rose slowly, her expression turning ice-cold as she faced the group closing in.

"Get over here!" the scar-faced man barked at the boy.

Terrified, the child instinctively wrapped his arms around Scarlett's leg, holding on tightly.

That was when she noticed-

Bruises on his arms.

Fresh wounds along his neck.

Some still bleeding.

Her eyes darkened instantly.

The air around her seemed to drop in temperature.

They did this...

To a child?

Disgusting.

Before she could speak, the scar-faced man sneered.

"Stay out of this if you know what's good for you," he growled. "Or I'll put you in the ground."

Howard almost laughed.

Put her in the ground?

The person capable of that probably hadn't even been born yet.

Cracking his knuckles, he stepped forward-

Only for Scarlett to stop him with a raised arm.

"I'll handle it."

Her expression was cold. Merciless.

Like a judge passing sentence.

Four years ago, her child had died.

Back then, she'd been powerless.

Too weak to protect him.

But now-

She would never let something like that happen again.

Howard glanced at her, half amused.

"Boss, these guys aren't even worth it. Using you on them is like bringing a missile to a street fight."

Scarlett ignored him.

She gently guided the boy toward him.

"Keep him safe."

Then-

She moved.

A blur.

Fast as lightning.

Before anyone could react, she was already in front of them.

Her leg snapped out-

BAM-

The impact was brutal.

The man she struck let out a guttural scream as several ribs cracked on the spot. Blood sprayed from his mouth before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed.

Out cold.

The rest froze.

Fear crept across their faces.

What the hell was she?

Even they weren't this ruthless.

She broke bones without hesitation-

Without even blinking.

Scarlett turned slowly, her face expressionless.

Her voice was calm.

Cold.

Lethal.

"Who hurt him?"

A pause.

"Break your own arms."

Arrogant.

Unbelievably arrogant.

"Damn it! You've got a death wish!" the scar-faced man spat. "You think you can take us on alone?"

He waved his hand sharply.

"Get her! I don't care how strong she is-she's still just one person! The client's paying a hundred grand each if we bring that kid in!"

That was all it took.

Money lit a fire in their eyes.

"Boss is right! No way we lose to one woman! Get her!"

Fueled by greed, they charged forward, steel pipes raised high.

The boy clenched his small fists, his body tense as he watched Scarlett surrounded.

His eyes filled with worry.

Scarlett, meanwhile, remained perfectly calm.

She rolled her neck.

Cracked her knuckles.

Pop. Pop.

A steel pipe swung straight toward her head-

She raised her hand-

And caught it.

Effortlessly.

The man holding it froze.

He had swung with everything he had.

And she just... stopped it?

But what happened next-

Was worse.

Scarlett tightened her grip.

Creeeak-

The metal started to bend.

Right before their eyes.

Warping. Twisting.

Until-

It folded.

The harsh grinding sound echoed through the sudden silence.

Everyone stopped dead.

No one dared take another step.

Scarlett bent it into a perfect right angle-

Then casually ripped it from his hand and tossed it aside.

Silence.

Heavy.

Suffocating.

Someone swallowed hard.

"Monster... run! RUN!"

Panic broke out instantly.

They scattered in every direction.

Scarlett's gaze darkened.

The boy's injuries flashed through her mind.

And then-

Her own child.

If he had lived...

He'd be about this age.

Her eyes narrowed.

Run?

Not happening.

She crouched, scooped up a handful of small stones-

And flicked her wrist.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-

The stones tore through the air with deadly precision.

"AAAGH-!"

One by one, the fleeing men collapsed, clutching their legs, screaming in pain.

The boy's eyes lit up.

She was incredible.

So strong.

So cool.

She had to be his mom.

He remembered-

He'd dreamed about this before.

A dream where he was in danger, and his mom appeared just in time to save him.

And now-

It was real.

But then-

The scar-faced man, still on the ground, pulled out a gun.

The barrel aimed straight at Scarlett's head.

"Mommy! Watch out!" the boy screamed, his face going pale.

The trigger was pulled.

BANG-

The bullet fired.

***

Scarlett was about to dodge-

When suddenly-

A hand caught her wrist.

Before she could react, an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her hard against someone's chest.

Her forehead hit something solid.

Warm.

Firm.

A man.

Her eyes darkened instantly.

She moved to break free-

But the arm around her tightened, pulling her even closer.

Her expression turned cold.

Was this guy seriously trying something?

Her hand slid to her waist, fingers closing around the hilt of a hidden blade-

But before she could strike-

He let go.

Scarlett stepped back immediately, every nerve on alert as she looked up-

And froze.

For a split second, her pupils shrank.

The man standing in front of her was striking.

Sharp features, as if carved from stone. Strong brows, a straight, defined nose, and thin lips that naturally carried a hint of severity.

There was an effortless elegance about him-

The kind that couldn't be faked. The kind that came from power, from upbringing, from standing at the very top.

But what caught her off guard the most-

Was how much he resembled the boy.

Father and son?

While Scarlett studied him-

He studied her.

Carefully.

Silently.

Behind his back, his fingers brushed lightly together-the same hand that had just been around her waist.

His dark eyes stayed fixed on her.

Unblinking.

Then-

The boy ran over on unsteady legs and threw his arms around Scarlett's leg, clinging to her like he never planned to let go.

"Mommy! Mommy! I finally found you!" he cried, tears streaming down his face.

Mommy?

Theron's expression shifted almost imperceptibly.

His gaze flicked between Scarlett and the boy.

Looking closer-

There really was a resemblance.

Could it be...

That night, five years ago-

Was it her?

His eyes sharpened slightly as his gaze moved to the corner of her eye.

Nothing.

No mark.

That night, his mind had been clouded, his memory incomplete-but one detail had stayed clear.

The woman had a small red mark near her eye.

Scarlett didn't.

Her skin there was flawless.

And besides-

He had found the child abandoned in a trash bin.

What kind of mother would do that?

Someone capable of that kind of cruelty...

Couldn't be the same woman who had just risked everything to protect a child.

No.

It wasn't her.

Scarlett looked down at the boy, his face streaked with tears. She frowned slightly and wiped them away.

"Hey. Easy," she said, her voice gentler now. "You don't have to cry like that. If you're hurt, deal with it-but don't fall apart over it."

"O-Okay..." the boy sniffed, trying hard to hold it together. "Theo will be good... I'll listen to Mommy..."

His eyes were still glassy, trembling with tears he refused to let fall.

He was scared-

That if he cried, she wouldn't like him anymore.

Scarlett paused.

"You said your name is Theo?"

The boy nodded quickly.

"Yeah! Theo is my nickname. My full name is Theodore Cross!"

He looked up at her, hopeful. Expectant.

Still calling her Mommy.

Strangely-

Scarlett didn't mind it.

Every time he said it, something in her chest softened.

It felt... natural.

Familiar.

Almost like-

He really belonged to her.

"Listen," she said, her tone gentler now. "I'm not your mom. If you don't believe me... ask your dad."

As she spoke-

Theron had already walked over.

Scarlett straightened and faced him. "He's probably just shaken up and confused me with someone else."

"He doesn't have a mother," Theron said calmly, his gaze steady.

Scarlett raised a brow.

And why was he telling her that?

Before she could ask-

His voice lowered slightly, smooth and controlled.

"You saved my son."

A brief pause.

"I owe you. Name your price-whatever you want."

"I don't need anything," Scarlett replied without hesitation. "I helped him because I wanted to."

Theron studied her for a moment.

That confirmed it.

A woman like her-

Calm. Decisive. Protective-

There was no way she was the one who had abandoned this child.

"Saving him makes you someone I owe," he said. "I'll repay you. No matter what it takes."

Scarlett frowned, a flicker of impatience crossing her face.

"I said-I don't want money."

Theron went quiet for a few seconds.

Then slowly-

A faint smile touched his lips.

His gaze locked onto hers.

"What about me?"

"...What?" Scarlett blinked, caught off guard.

She stared into his eyes-

Dark. Focused. Entirely on her.

Like nothing else existed.

Before she could respond-

He added, just as calmly,

"If you don't want money... then I'll repay you with myself."

Scarlett stared at him, momentarily speechless.

So that's what he meant.

Even Howard looked stunned. He'd been with Scarlett for years-this was the first time he'd ever seen someone come at her like this.

But the happiest one-

Was Theo.

He grabbed Scarlett's hand with one hand, Theron's with the other, his face lighting up.

"This is perfect! I have a mommy now! I have a real family!"

Scarlett looked at his bright, hopeful smile-

And for once...

She couldn't bring herself to break it.

But then-

Theo's eyes suddenly rolled back.

His body went limp.

"Theo!"

Scarlett reacted instantly, catching him before he hit the ground. His face was flushed. She pressed a hand to his forehead-

Burning.

"He's got a fever," she said sharply, looking up at Theron.

Theron took the boy from her arms.

After a couple of steps, he stopped-and turned back.

"You're not coming with us?"

Scarlett's gaze lingered on Theo for a moment before she looked away.

"Like I said, I helped because I wanted to. I don't need repayment-especially not... that."

Theron's brows drew together slightly.

When he spoke, his voice was calm-but absolute.

"I don't go back on my word."

A beat.

"I said I'd repay you with myself. I meant it."

His eyes held hers.

"Wait for me. I'll come find you."

And just like that-

He turned and walked away, long strides carrying him to the car, Theo still in his arms.

The car pulled off.

Scarlett stood there, watching the taillights disappear into the distance.

"...Whether you keep your promise or not-what does that have to do with me?" she muttered under her breath.

Then she turned and got back into her own car.

Inside the other car-

Theron watched Scarlett's vehicle disappear in the rearview mirror, then looked away.

"Find out who she is," he said. "I want a full profile."

Rhys nodded from the driver's seat. "I'll take care of it."

Still, the request didn't sit right.

Theron had never shown interest in women. Not once.

So why her?

It wasn't just her looks. That wasn't enough to catch his attention.

There had to be more to it.

Theron lowered his gaze to the boy in his arms.

Theo's skin burned with fever. His breathing came shallow and uneven, each breath weaker than the last.

This wasn't new.

Four years ago, Theron had found him in a trash bin-barely alive, poisoned, clinging to whatever strength he had left.

They saved him.

But not completely.

Since then, the fevers kept coming back. Ten days at a time. Sometimes longer. Each one worse than the last.

The doctors hadn't sugarcoated it.

If this kept up-

Theo didn't have much time.

"Any updates on Dr. Nyx?" Theron asked.

Rhys shook his head. "Nothing concrete. He's off the grid. And even if we find him... there's no guarantee he'll agree to help."

Theron's expression hardened.

"Find him."

A beat.

"Whatever it takes."

The temperature in the car seemed to drop.

Rhys tightened his grip on the wheel. "Understood."

In his arms, Theo shifted slightly.

A faint sound slipped from his lips.

"Mo... Mommy..."

Theron went still.

The word came again, weak and broken.

"Mommy..."

He knew who the boy meant.

Not the woman who gave birth to him.

Her.

Scarlett.

As for Theo's real mother-

The woman who had thrown him away like he was nothing-

Theron's gaze turned cold.

He would find her.

And when he did-

She wouldn't get away with it.

Meanwhile-

Scarlett had just stepped out of the car when a sudden unease hit her.

Her hand went to her chest.

A dull, twisting pain tightened around her ribs, sharp enough to make her pause.

"Are you okay?" Howard asked.

"I'm fine."

She lowered her hand, her gaze settling on the small house beneath the wide, shadowy branches of a banyan tree.

This was it.

After her mother remarried, Scarlett had been left behind in the countryside with her father-a gambler who barely cared whether she lived or died.

One day, he disappeared.

No warning. No explanation.

Just gone.

She would have starved-

If the Monroe family hadn't taken her in.

They raised her like their own.

Louie treated her like a real sister.

For a while, she had something that felt like a home.

Until five years ago, when her biological mother came back and took her away.

After that, the Monroes moved to the city and built a quiet life on the outskirts.

They had always been good to her.

Better than family.

And now, after five years-

She was finally back.

Her throat tightened.

Scarlett stepped forward and knocked on the door.

A moment later, it opened.

"Lettie!"

Amy stood there, her face lighting up-then faltering.

"I'm sorry... we couldn't come get you today-"

"It's okay," Scarlett said softly. "I'm not a kid anymore."

She stepped inside-

And stopped.

The yard was a mess.

Chairs overturned. Dirt disturbed. Something had happened here.

Her expression sharpened.

"What happened?"

Amy hesitated, her shoulders sinking slightly.

"Come in first," she said. "It's been a long time. Go see Louie."

Scarlett frowned.

If he was home, why hadn't he come out?

A second later, she got her answer.

A wheelchair rolled into view from the hallway.

Scarlett froze.

"...Louie?"

Her voice broke.

Her eyes dropped instantly to his legs.

She crossed the room in two quick steps, reaching for the blanket covering them.

"Don't," he said, catching her wrist. "You don't need to see it."

Her jaw tightened.

"Let go."

"Lettie-"

"Let go."

Her voice was low. Steady. Not a request.

Louie held her gaze for a second-

Then slowly released her.

He looked away.

Scarlett pulled the blanket back-

And everything inside her went cold.

His legs were ruined.

Twisted at unnatural angles, the damage severe enough that it was obvious-this hadn't been treated properly. Maybe it couldn't be.

Either way, it was permanent.

Hard to even look at.

"Who did this?" she asked.

Her voice was quiet. Too quiet.

Louie pulled the blanket back over his legs. "Drop it. We can't take them on."

Scarlett let out a slow breath.

"There's no one I can't deal with," she said.

"Just tell me who it was."

"I'll handle it."

"Not this time," Louie said, meeting her eyes. "You just got back. Let it go. We'll keep things simple. That's enough."

He meant it.

So did Amy.

They were afraid she'd do something reckless.

Scarlett saw it clearly.

So she let it go.

For now.

Her gaze fell back to his legs.

"...Can it be fixed?"

Louie gave a short, humorless laugh. "Every specialist I saw said the same thing. I'm not walking again."

He tried to sound fine with it.

He wasn't.

Scarlett didn't react.

"I know someone," she said. "If anyone can fix this, he can."

Louie shook his head. "Don't get your hopes up."

"He's not like the others."

She turned to Howard. "Get Dr. Nyx here."

Howard nodded. "I'll reach out-"

"Wait."

Scarlett held out her hand.

"I'll call him."

She dialed.

The line picked up after a few rings.

"Well, this is a surprise," an older man said. "Didn't think you remembered me."

"Where are you?" Scarlett asked. "I need you here."

A pause.

"What happened? You're hurt?"

"It's not me. It's my brother, Louie. His legs are badly damaged. I need you in the capital. Tonight."

"Tonight?" he scoffed. "I'm in the U.S. Even if I leave now-"

Scarlett glanced at Howard.

"Call in a military jet," she said. "Have it ready."

Silence.

Then-

"Don't you dare," the man snapped. "I'm not making a scene like that."

A beat.

"...I'll book a flight. Earliest one I can get. Just don't send anyone after me."

The call ended.

Not long after, his assistant stepped into the room.

"Someone from Cross Corp reached out," he said. "They're offering a huge fee for a private consult."

"No time," the man replied, already grabbing his coat. "I've got somewhere to be."

"Should I decline it?"

"Yeah."

He didn't even hesitate.

"Book me the next flight out."