"Tyler, we found the kid and identified the driver. His name is Zach Dempsy, the new C.E.O. of the S&D," the voice on the other end said. "The surveillance also showed that he drove the car to the East Road where his house is located."

Tyler's face darkened as he listened to Allen. I couldn't help but shake my head and grit my teeth at the information at hand.

How could Zach do this? Was he planning on taking my child away from me? Just because I refused to be his mistress?

"Send a team to Mr. Dempsy's house. I'll meet you there," Tyler said before he hung up the phone.

"I'm coming with you," I uttered, my voice strained as I imagined smacking Zach on his face.

*

Allen and a couple of people were already there when we arrived. Two security guards stood by the door of Zach's house, their faces alert.

"Lieutenant Demand isn't here yet. Those two guards won't let us in unless we have a warrant," Allen said the moment Tyler and I stepped out of the car. "How do you want to deal with them?"

"What do you want us to do?" Tyler asked, turning to face me. "One word from you, and we'll rush in."

"No. Don't do that," I said quickly while shaking my head. "I just need to know that Caleb is safe. Zach isn't a criminal, so I know he won't hurt my son. Caleb will just get scared if you guys rush in like a bunch of robbers."

With a deep sigh, I continued. "Let's just wait for the cops."

Tyler nodded. "You heard her," he said to Allen, and the latter gave a short nod and left.

On the other hand, Tyler lit another cigarette as he leaned against the car door. We were engulfed in silence as we waited for the cops to arrive. It was a couple of minutes before a car arrived, and several cops in uniform got out.

The oldest-looking policeman came toward us. However, his voice was polite when he spoke, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Sir."

“No problem, Lieutenant. Thanks for dropping in here."

The lieutenant called several of his men and marched towards the two security guards. They were a bit hesitant to let the police in, and when they refused, the lieutenant arrested them without a blink.

The people inside already knew we were coming because when we went in, no hint of surprise could be seen on their faces.

I found Caleb by the living room, sitting comfortably as he watched television. I immediately ran, grabbed, and hugged him. Caleb was surprised for a bit before hugging me back.

"Mommy! You're here! And Uncle Tyler, too!"

"Hey there, buddy. Are you alright?" Tyler asked as he shuffled Caleb's hair.

"I'm fine," he answered and turned to me, his eyes wide with fear. "Mommy, please don't be angry. I went with Zach because I missed him."

A sea of sadness and anger washed over me as I stared at Caleb. I couldn't believe that he willingly went with Zach. It never occurred to me that he would. All I thought about was Zach kidnapping my son.

Tyler squatted and held Caleb's chin softly. "Your mom was worried about you, kiddo, so if you want to go with him next time, let your mom know ahead of time. You can't just leave on your own, okay?"

"Okay," Caleb answered, his voice sad, then he turned to me again. "I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again."

Despite Caleb's softness and clinginess towards Tyler over the last two years, I didn't expect him to be gentle with Caleb. In my mind, he was this tough guy who always loved fun and pleasure, not responsibility.

But here, standing in front of them, I could see Tyler's genuine concern and care for Caleb. It melted my heart.

"It's my fault, Ivy," a voice said.

Zach entered the living room with a newspaper in his hand. "Caleb is my son, and I have the right to see him. I just became desperate because you were trying to keep him away from me," he said calmly.

I glared at him. I know what I did was wrong, but taking Caleb away from me like that was not good. He could've at least reached out to me first to discuss our arrangement.

"Who is he?" Zach asked, and when I followed his line of sight, I found that he was talking about Tyler.

Tyler raised his left brow as he stared straight at Zach. "Tyler Rivers," he simply answered as he slowly snaked his right arm around my waist.

"I'm Ivy's fiance," he added.

Zach frowned slightly. He looked at me and asked, "When did you get engaged?"

"I..."

Tyler was the one who answered for me. "I don't think she has to answer your question. That's a personal matter between my fiance and me. Isn't that right, sweetie?"

I rolled my eyes. I wanted to break Tyler's lies, but I couldn't. Still, saying that he was my fiance when he wasn't was not good. I'm directly lying in front of my son, and even if Zach and I could no longer be together, I knew that I still cared for him in a way.

That was why a frown spread on my face when I noticed a girl emerging behind him. It worsened, even more when the house owner, Mrs. Dempsy, also came. The woman's eyes immediately found mine. She looked at me up and down, disgust clearly shown in her expression.

"Miss Dikkens," she greeted. "I thought we would never see each other again. And you also had the audacity to break into my house. What do you want?"

At the sight of Monica Dempsy, painful memories resurfaced in my mind. I saw the cold operating table, the shadowless lamp, and the image of me trying desperately to flee the hospital. I remember how I felt scared as I ran away from her and the nurses. I could still feel the damp ground as I ran barefoot, trying to save my unborn child's life.

That agonizing and helpless feeling lingered in my mind. Even now, when I think about it, it bothers me so much that I can't stop shaking.

Tyler tightened his grip on me as if he sensed my unease. His strong arm made me feel extremely secure, and I couldn't thank him enough.

"Gabby, call the cops. Someone just broke into our house," Monica said as she sat down with that girl's help.

"We discovered you kidnapped Miss Dikken's son against her will," Allen said in a thick, annoying voice.

"If you want to call the cops, just talk to me," Lieutenant Demand said, holding up his badge. "My name is Lieutenant Conner Demand."

"Yes, my Zach did bring the kid home, but this is not our kid; Miss Dikkens can just take him as she wishes," Monica said as she sipped coffee like nothing important was happening.

"Mom!" Zach exclaimed. "Caleb shares my blood. He is my kid, and he's not leaving until I settle everything with Ivy!"

"With Gabby, you can have however many children you desire," Monica uttered in nonchalance. "You don't have to settle anything with that woman."

"What are you talking about, mom?" Zach refuted, "Caleb is not some street urchin. He is indeed my son. I have done a paternity test."

I looked at Caleb, whose head was down. He may be a kid, but he was a smart kid. I knew that he understood what was happening, including his grandmother's clear disgust of him.

The look on Caleb's face felt like someone had just stabbed me, and of a sudden, I had the urge to punch Monica in the face - including Zach's face.

I didn't care what they did to me, but they tested Caleb for paternity behind my back. He was only five years old and had no knowledge. Did they think about how a child would react?

"I don't care about the paternity test. The only child who will be my grandson will be from you and Gabby. A gold digger like her will never stand a chance to be a part of this family. Don't even think about it," Monica sneered.

I saw how Tyler's jaw clenched. He was about to open his mouth when I interfered.

"You overthink things, Mrs. Dempsy. Trust me, I don't want any money from you or your son," I said in controlled rage.

If Caleb wasn't here, I would definitely punch this woman in the face.

"Caleb is my son. He had nothing to do with you in the past and won't play in the future. You may think your Dempsy name is precious, but I'll tell you what? I'm not even interested in Zach," I continued.

With that, I took Caleb's hand and walked to the door. "By the way, if my memory serves me correctly, wasn't it you who began as a gold digger mistress back then?"

Monica opened her mouth, but I didn't give her a chance to retaliate.

"I won't stoop down to your level, Mrs. Dempsy. I'm not willing to be a mistress and bear an illegitimate child that would suffer from my actions. Because unlike you, I'm not desperate to become a Dempsy."

Tyler gripped my waist tightly; I saw him smirking proudly when our eyes met. His look made me feel encouraged even more.

That was all it took for me to say everything I wanted to say to that woman for years. I kept all of my hatred and anger towards her, and now was the time to let it all out.

"And since you said tonight that Caleb is not Zach's son, kidnapping him again in the future would surely lead you to jail. The next time that you take my son away without my knowledge, we will meet at the police station."

With that, I strode away with my son and Tyler, who was grinning widely, by my side.

I didn't say a word on the way home. A heavy feeling lumped on my chest as I recalled everything that had just happened. Thankfully, Tyler gave me space to think about it, and Caleb fell asleep as we drove.

It was already ten at night when we finally arrived at our home. I got out of the car with Caleb and was about to wave my goodbye at Tyler's closed door when he rolled down the window suddenly.

"That was it? You're just going to leave me here?" he asked, a playful tone laced in his voice.

A warm blush spread on my cheeks. "It's late, Tyler. I know you're exhausted, so you have to go home."

"Thank you for today, by the way. I could've lost Caleb if it hadn't been for your help," I continued as I released a sigh and glanced at Caleb by my side.

Tyler motioned Caleb to come closer, and so my son did. My eyes squinted as I watched the two whisper about something; Caleb even chuckled before turning to me. My son smiled and winked at me for a few seconds before dashing through the door.

"Come closer, Ivy," Tyler said, his voice hoarse as he spoke.

My heart skipped a beat. "What?"

Tyler crooked his head to the side with his arm on the window and grinned. I could feel the nervousness and warmth spreading through my neck, so I averted my gaze.

I even coughed fakely before speaking, "What did you say to Caleb?"

"Come closer if you really want to know."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I'm leaving."

I turned around and was about to leave when Tyler reached out his hand and pulled me. I almost tripped, but I managed to lean against his car.

However, the brute took advantage of the situation by craning his head and kissing my lips.

It was a quick kiss, but my nose was still tinged with his scent, a hint of tobacco and something sweet. His kiss also made me shiver down my spine, electricity running around my whole body as my cheeks burned.

Tyler leaned against my ear and whispered softly, "I told our son that I hadn't seen his mom for a few days, and I missed her."

His sharp eyes were deep in the dim light, and it took my breath away when he glanced at me.

"Don't stop dreaming, and maybe someday she'll miss you," I said while trying to keep my voice calm despite my raging heartbeat.

I cleared my throat. "You've worked hard these past few days and helped me find Caleb. I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow so you can feel how thankful I am."

Tyler grinned and shook his head. "I don't think going out to eat is sincere. How about we just stay in, and you cook for me?"

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "Fine."

He whistled at my response and raised his words. With that, I turned around and entered the house, unable to stop myself from smiling.

The next day, I went to the market early in the morning and bought a lot of fresh vegetables. I started preparing dinner around four in the evening.

I have grown accustomed to cooking and eating alone in recent years. No matter how good the restaurant food was, it was never as good as a homemade meal from my stovetop. So I usually cook at home on weekends, and Tyler has frequently come over for free dinner in the last two years.

I was counting down the minutes until he finished his work. I called him and was at my dining table within half an hour. I was still preparing the side dishes as my mother, Caleb, and Tyler sat expectantly at the table.

They were exchanging stories and pleasantries, and I couldn't help but smile at their relationship. It was obvious that my mother and Caleb were even more attached to him than I was.

And I couldn't imagine my life without him anymore, even if we hadn't known each other very long.

I remembered the day that we met. I was a minor office staff member who followed the boss around and occasionally attended dinner parties when I started working at O.G. two years ago.

At one point, I ran into a client who was a playboy. I accompanied the said client to the Lost Woods to sign a deal. Nevertheless, when he became inebriated and attempted to take advantage of me, I shattered a wine bottle on his head.

The client was an IV-grade member of the Lost Woods, and he knew Tyler, who happened to be at the club that day. The client called Tyler over and came in with a group of frightening-looking people.

I was drunk at the time, so not only did I not feel threatened, but I was standing there with a bottle in my hand, stopping all those tough guys.

I thought that they were there to stop my aggressions, but it turned out they were the ones who would assist me in dealing with that client. Tyler and I have become friends since then.

From the beginning, he had treated Caleb as one of his own. And it took me a long time to change Caleb's perception because my son had been treating Tyler like his father all these years.

Sometimes, I wonder why the famous Mr. Rivers would think differently about me. In his words, I'm a tough girl. I'm the most challenging and silliest woman he has ever met.

I couldn't remember when he first started flirting with me on the side. I only knew that I had never responded to any of his flirtations; instead, I would scream angrily at him.

I wasn't trying to be difficult, and I didn't want to be someone's secret girl to flirt with. I have a heart, and even an icy cold heart would warm up over time.

I had to admit that there was something special between Tyler and me. Thousands of times, I almost said yes to being his girlfriend, but I didn't have the gut. It was because I could never figure him out and his wealthy family background.

Besides, I was well aware of who I was.

Tyler had money, power, and good looks, whereas I only had a pretty face.

But I was so selfish that I didn't want Tyler to leave until he absolutely had to.

Because it's been two years, and I didn't want him to leave my side. Ever.