Vanessa lifted her phone and shoved it toward the director.

"Take a good look," she said smugly. "I'm the woman President Sterling legally married. James is his legitimate son. As for her child..." She glanced at me with contempt. "That baby was a mistake. An illegitimate child who isn't even acknowledged."

Every word struck me like a knife.

I looked down at Charlotte's tiny, pale face resting in my arms.

My legs suddenly gave way.

I collapsed onto the floor right in front of Vanessa.

"Please..." My voice broke completely. "Please save my daughter."

I was crying so hard I could barely speak.

"Please. I'm begging you."

The hallway fell silent.

No one spoke.

Everyone was watching.

Vanessa didn't look affected in the slightest.

Without even glancing at me, she pulled out her phone and called Adrian.

The second he answered, her voice changed.

She sounded frightened and wronged.

"Honey, come back quickly. Vivian's gone crazy. She's trying to take James's blood. She wants to hurt us. She's trying to kill me and our son."

Something inside me snapped.

I jerked free from the security guards and grabbed the phone.

My hands were shaking violently.

"Adrian!"

I was crying, but I forced myself to speak clearly.

"Charlotte is injured. She has a rare blood disorder and severe anemia. She needs a transfusion right now. Tell them to release the blood to her immediately, or she's going to die!"

Silence answered me.

A long, terrible silence.

Then Adrian finally spoke.

His tone was impatient.

"Genn, the blood has already been reserved for James. He needs it now, so stop making a scene and delaying things."

I couldn't breathe.

"How much blood could a one-month-old baby possibly need?" I cried. "Your son has a tiny scrape on his knee! My daughter is downstairs bleeding in the emergency room. She needs it right now!"

More silence.

Then he spoke again.

This time, his voice sounded cold.

Almost doubtful.

"A newborn with a rare condition?" he said slowly. "Genn... are you exaggerating? Are you even telling me the truth?"

I felt something break inside me.

"Adrian!"

Hot tears poured down my face.

"She's your daughter! She's your own child! How can you say something like that?"

I could hear voices around him.

The hospital director was speaking cautiously.

"Mr. Sterling... how should we handle this woman? She seems emotionally unstable. She keeps insisting she's your wife."

Adrian said nothing for several seconds.

Then he answered.

His voice was distant.

Almost indifferent.

"My wife is Vanessa. She's the mother of my son, James."

He paused.

"I don't have a daughter."

The room seemed to relax.

The tension disappeared.

People looked at me with pity.

Or suspicion.

As if I were someone who had lost her mind.

Vanessa smiled.

It was the smile of someone who had won completely.

She took the bag of Rh-negative blood and dropped it onto the floor in front of me.

"Do you really think your child deserves this?" she asked softly.

Then she lifted her heel and stepped on the blood bag.

"I'd rather waste every drop than let it go to you."

I felt like my chest had been crushed beneath a boulder.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't even cry anymore.

...

When I returned to Charlotte's room, the ward door closed behind me with a dull thud.

It felt as though I had been cut off from the rest of the world.

I walked to the bed and carefully picked up my daughter.

Her tiny body felt frighteningly cold.

I held her close against my chest while tears slipped down my face endlessly.

I had never felt so helpless.

Then my phone suddenly lit up.

Another Instagram story.

Vanessa again.

She was holding James in her arms and smiling brightly at the camera.

Below the photo was a screenshot of a transfer notification.

Five hundred thousand dollars.

The note attached to it read:

Take care of our son.

I stared at the screen.

A chill spread through my body.

The warmth in my arms seemed to be fading little by little.

I felt utterly powerless.

How had this man spent years convincing me he loved me...

only to stand by while another woman did this to our child?

Despair swallowed me whole.

Then, from the doorway, a calm male voice spoke.

"I have Rh-negative blood."

I looked up.

The man stood quietly in the doorway.

"If you'll allow it," he said gently, "I can donate to your daughter."

...

Because of that stranger's donation of four hundred cubic centimeters of blood, my daughter survived.

My baby lived.

The irony of it all was almost unbearable.

Her own father had controlled every unit of Rh-negative blood in the hospital and refused to spare her a single bag.

Meanwhile, a complete stranger had appeared out of nowhere, saved her life, and disappeared without even leaving behind his name.

Color gradually returned to Charlotte's tiny face.

Her little lips moved instinctively, searching for milk.

The nanny suddenly leaned closer.

"Miss Vivian... something isn't right."

I looked at her.

"I watch her all the time. Nothing sharp ever went near her crib."

I froze.

"But the doctor said the wound came from a razor blade," I said slowly. "She never left her crib."

A terrible feeling settled in my stomach.

The second we returned home, I went straight to the nursery.

I pulled apart the velvet bedding.

My blood turned cold.

Several razor blades were hidden among the folds.

Some of them still carried traces of my daughter's blood.

I stood there in shock.

I remembered asking Adrian to purchase the crib during my postpartum confinement.

Of course he hadn't personally selected it.

He never paid attention to details like that.

He had probably told his assistant the same thing he always did.

Buy the most expensive one.

And the assistant...

The assistant was Vanessa.

I suddenly understood.

She had arranged all of this.

She had placed those blades there.

A chill ran down my spine.

Did Adrian know?

Did he realize Vanessa had almost killed our daughter?

And even if he knew...

would he protect Charlotte?

Or would he continue pretending to be the perfect husband while quietly allowing our child to die?

I didn't know.

I honestly didn't know anymore.

I sat down on the sofa and held Charlotte tightly against my chest.

Her tiny body radiated warmth.

I buried my face against her soft hair.

"Don't be afraid, baby," I whispered through my tears. "Mommy won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

At least we only had two more days.

In two days, we would leave.

We would start over somewhere new.

...

Adrian returned from his business trip the next evening.

The moment he entered the house, he looked angry.

"Genn, you've been acting completely unreasonable lately."

I looked up at him while tightening my hold around Charlotte.

"You went to the hospital and caused a huge scene."

His voice softened slightly, but it sounded artificial.

"Did you even stop to think about how that would affect me?"

A shiver ran through me.

His gaze dropped to our sleeping daughter.

Concern appeared on his face.

It looked convincing.

But now I could see right through him.

"You used our daughter to create trouble," he said with disappointment. "Honestly, Genn, I never expected this from you."

I slowly shook my head.

"Adrian," I said quietly, "it's over."

He frowned.

"What?"

"It's over between us."

His face changed immediately.

He stepped forward and grabbed my arm.

"Over?" he repeated. "What do you mean, over?"

His grip tightened.

"We've known each other since we were children. We've been together for more than ten years."

His voice rose.

"You can't just throw all of that away."

It felt as though someone had driven a needle straight into my heart.

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Weren't you the one who said over the phone that Vanessa is your wife and Ethan James is your son?" I asked, my voice shaking. "Then why are you standing here acting like you're the victim?"

Adrian wouldn't look at me.

He turned his face away, his expression uncomfortably guilty.

"Vivian, it was an emergency," he said quietly. "Everyone at that private hospital knows who Mrs. Sterling is. If they found out the truth, they might not have given James the blood. I didn't have any other option."

No other option?

My chest tightened painfully.

My eyes stung.

I wanted to tell him that there was no truth to any of this, that our marriage wasn't simply a title or a formality, that I had been his wife for years.

But somehow, the words refused to come out.

Then he looked at me again.

His expression had already returned to that calm, reasonable look he always wore.

"So this is really about Vanessa, isn't it?" he said evenly. "You're jealous because you think I care more about her than I do about you. You're letting your feelings get in the way, and now you're using our daughter to compete with her."

I stared at him.

I actually couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"That's ridiculous," I said. "You honestly think I'd ever do something like that?"

"Oh, come on, Genn." He sighed impatiently. "She has a son and you have a daughter, so now you're creating problems because you feel insecure. Just admit it."

He didn't even let me finish speaking.

His phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the screen.

"Stay home and think about what you've been doing," he said. "And don't go to the company today."

Then he simply turned around and left.

I stood there trembling.

I was furious.

I was shaking so badly I could barely breathe.

The marriage certificate I had with him was fake.

Because of that, I couldn't legally touch Vanessa.

I couldn't protect anything.

Nothing in this house was truly safe from her.

Nothing that belonged to me.

I sat down and reviewed my shares again.

I needed to transfer everything as quietly as possible.

I couldn't let Vanessa get even the smallest piece of what belonged to me.

I had barely begun when my phone rang.

The moment I answered, my assistant sounded panicked.

"Miss Vivian, you need to come home immediately."

I stood up.

"What happened?"

"The woman who claims she's Mr. Sterling's assistant just came in with a child. She said Mr. Sterling personally allowed her inside. We tried to stop her, but we couldn't."

Vanessa.

My hand tightened around the phone.

I didn't think.

I didn't ask another question.

I grabbed my keys and drove home as though my life depended on it.

The nanny was pacing anxiously when I arrived.

The second she saw me, she looked like she was about to cry.

"Miss, I really tried to stop them," she said shakily. "But Mr. Sterling called himself and told us to let them in."

I hurried past her.

Then I froze.

Ethan James was sprawled on the floor.

He had dumped an entire container of colorful glass marbles and was rolling them across the carpet.

The moment he saw me, he pointed at me and shouted, "Mommy! Look! The bad lady who stole my blood is back!"

I looked up.

Vanessa was standing beside Charlotte's crib.

One hand hovered near my daughter's cheek.

She was smiling.

As though she had done absolutely nothing wrong.

I rushed toward her and shoved her away from the crib.

She stumbled backward.

Then she smiled.

Not angrily.

Not surprised.

Just smug.

Cold.

"Let's make something very clear, Vivian," she said slowly. "Adrian and I are legally married. You're nothing more than the hidden mistress. This house belongs to us. If I want you gone, I can throw you out whenever I please."

Every word stabbed me.

I gripped the edge of the crib so hard my fingers turned white.

My jaw hurt from clenching my teeth.

"I stopped wanting your trash of a husband a long time ago," I said coldly. "I'm done with him. But until I leave, you need to get out. Otherwise, I'll call the media and expose everything you've done."

Vanessa's face immediately reddened.

The veins in her neck stood out.

"Who do you think you are?" she screamed. "You don't get to talk to me like that! The law is on my side, not yours. You're the one who should leave! You're insane!"

I looked at her calmly.

"The law?" I repeated with a faint laugh. "Even if I walk away right now, I still have both the Sterling and Ashford families behind me."

I looked her up and down.

"And you? You're a former nanny who seduced her employer and now hides behind a piece of paper while calling yourself his wife."

I smiled coldly.

"Do you really think that marriage certificate makes you important? Adrian wouldn't dare introduce you publicly, would he? The two of you hide in the shadows because that's the only place you belong."

"Shut up!"

Her eyes filled with hatred.

She raised her hand and slapped me.

The sound echoed through the room.

My cheek burned instantly.

I didn't even blink.

I slapped her back.

Harder.

I wanted her to feel every bit of my anger.

Besides, the security cameras in the living room would record everything.

Then I heard it.

A tiny, strange whimper.

I froze.

The sound came from the crib.

My heart stopped.

I turned around.

Then I saw it.

Ethan James had shoved something into Charlotte's mouth.

A glass marble.

"Charlotte!"

I practically threw myself toward the crib.

I scooped her into my arms and patted her back frantically.

My hands were shaking uncontrollably.

"Spit it out, sweetheart. Come on. Mommy's right here. It's okay. You're okay."

The front door suddenly flew open.

Adrian stormed into the room.

His expression immediately darkened.

"What are you doing to our daughter?"

Vanessa instantly ran to his side.

Her voice became soft and frightened.

"You're finally back." She clung to his arm. "Don't worry. James only wanted to play with the baby using his marbles. He didn't mean any harm. Vivian is overreacting."

Overreacting?

I was desperately trying to open Charlotte's mouth.

"It's okay, baby," I said through my tears. "Mommy's here. You're safe. You're okay."

Adrian suddenly pulled Charlotte out of my arms.

"Have you lost your mind?" he shouted. "You're going to hurt her if you keep doing this!"

Something inside me snapped.

I slapped him.

Hard.

The sound rang throughout the room.

"You think you get to lecture me?" I screamed. "Look at what your little bastard just did to my daughter!"

At that exact moment, Charlotte coughed violently.

Then she vomited.

A glass marble rolled onto the carpet with a heavy sound.

Her tiny face turned bright red as she cried.

My heart broke.

I pointed at the marble with shaking hands.

"Do you see that?" I shouted, my eyes burning with tears. "Your precious little bastard shoved marbles into your newborn daughter's mouth!"

I looked directly at him.

"Are you blind?"

Then I looked at Ethan.

"And what kind of monster teaches a six-year-old child to hate an infant?"

I snatched Charlotte back into my arms and held her tightly against my chest. Then I looked at Vanessa and the little monster she called her son, and if looks could kill, both of them would have been dead already.

Adrian finally seemed to realize how serious the situation was. His expression stiffened as he pulled Ethan James toward him.

"James, apologize to your auntie and your little sister right now."

The boy only cried harder. He kicked his legs wildly and buried his face in Vanessa's clothes.

"Daddy's mean! I don't want him anymore! I hate him!"

His cries mixed with Charlotte's frightened wails until the noise seemed to drill straight into my head.

Adrian looked at me again, and the brief concern on his face quickly disappeared.

"He's just a child, Vivian. Children don't understand how much strength they're using. You're making too big a deal out of this." He frowned at me. "You're an adult. If you can't handle something like this maturely, how are you going to teach your daughter to grow up properly?"

I stared at him in disbelief. Every word that came out of his mouth felt like another crack spreading through my heart.

I shoved him with all my strength and slapped him hard across the face.

"Get out!" I shouted, my whole body shaking. "Take your fake wife and that little monster and get the hell out of my house!"

Adrian's expression darkened immediately.

"Why do you always resort to hitting people?" he snapped. "Why can't you behave like a normal person for once?"

Beside him, Vanessa suddenly raised her hand as though she intended to hit me back, but Adrian caught her wrist before she could move.

"Enough," he said sharply.

He pushed her hand aside and turned back to me. His eyes were filled with that familiar look of disappointment and concern, the same expression I had once mistaken for love.

"Genn," he said quietly, "what's gotten into you?"

I almost laughed.

What had gotten into me?

He had lied to me for years, cheated on me with another woman, and now stood there acting confused because I was angry after watching our daughter nearly choke to death.

How exactly did he expect me to react?

He let out a tired sigh and said to Vanessa, "Let's go outside first. She needs time to calm down."

Then he picked James up and ushered Vanessa out of the room.

The moment the door clicked shut behind them, all the strength left my body.

I slowly slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor. My hands were still wrapped around Charlotte protectively, but my entire body trembled uncontrollably. Tears poured down my face, hot and bitter, and I couldn't seem to stop them.

Just then, my phone beeped.

I looked down and saw a notification confirming that the equity transfer had been completed.

My chest tightened, but this time the pain was accompanied by something else.

Relief.

Tomorrow.

By this time tomorrow, Charlotte and I would be gone.

I lowered my eyes and looked at my daughter. She had finally quieted down and was sleeping against my chest, her tiny fingers curled into my shirt.

I gently rocked her and kissed her forehead.

"We're almost free, baby," I whispered. "Mommy promises no one will ever hurt you again."

I settled the nanny in for the night, packed everything we would need, and quietly erased every trace of our life in that house. By the time dawn began breaking across the sky, I was sitting in the taxi I had booked in advance with Charlotte asleep in my arms.

"Please take us to the airport," I said.

"Of course, ma'am."

I took out my phone and called the person waiting for us.

"I'm sorry. We got delayed, but we're on our way."

A gentle voice answered from the other end.

"Don't worry about it. Just drive safely."

There was something warm and reassuring in his tone. For the first time in days, I felt a tiny spark of hope.

Then I smelled something strange.

A sharp chemical odor filled the car.

My entire body went cold.

I looked up and met the driver's eyes in the rearview mirror. They were dark and expressionless, and a chill ran down my spine.

I instinctively tightened my hold on Charlotte and pulled her closer.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I whispered repeatedly as panic gripped me. "Mommy's here. I've got you."

I didn't know when I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on rough concrete.

Overgrown weeds surrounded us, and a crumbling factory stood in front of me like something abandoned by the world years ago.

Adrian was standing nearby with his phone in one hand. Charlotte was bundled in his suit jacket, her tiny face scrunched up as though she had been crying.

"The people are here," he said into the phone. "Go ahead with the plan."

He hung up and looked at me.

"Oh, you're awake," he said calmly. "That saves me from having to explain everything twice."

I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my wrists.

I looked down and realized my hands were tied behind my back.

"What is this?" I shouted. "Adrian, what the hell are you doing? Give me my daughter right now!"

He looked at me with unsettling calm.

"James has been kidnapped."

For several seconds, I simply stared at him.

"What do you mean?"

"They were originally after my son," he said evenly. "They grabbed the wrong child at first, and now they've taken James. They said they'll only release him if they see him in person."

A wave of disbelief crashed over me.

I shook my head repeatedly.

"No... no, you're not saying what I think you're saying."

He didn't answer.

My heart nearly stopped.

"You're going to exchange her for him?" My voice rose hysterically. "She's only one month old, Adrian! She has severe anemia because of her condition. Even a mosquito bite could be dangerous for her. Have you completely lost your mind?"

His expression didn't change.

"This is the only way. They said they won't let James go unless they see him. He's only six years old, and this could traumatize him for life."

I lunged toward Charlotte, but he stepped aside easily and kept her out of my reach.

"She's too young to remember any of this, Genn," he said in that same horrifyingly calm voice. "Nothing that happens today will leave any lasting impression on her."

I stared at him as though I no longer knew the man standing in front of me.

At that moment, Vanessa came running toward us. Her hair was disheveled, her makeup had streaked beneath her eyes, and she looked utterly frantic.

"Baby!" she cried. "The kidnappers called again! They said if they don't see James soon, they'll kill him!"

Then she noticed me.

To my shock, she dropped to her knees and began kowtowing repeatedly.

"Vivian, please!" she sobbed. "Just this once! Let Charlotte save James! I'll do anything you ask. Anything!"

I kicked her away.

"Move!" I screamed. "This happened because you couldn't watch your own child. Why should my daughter's life pay for your mistakes?"

Adrian crouched beside me.

"Genn, please." His voice suddenly softened. "James is innocent. Once he's back safely, I promise I'll make everything right for Charlotte too. We can go back to the way things were. We can still be a family."

I laughed bitterly through my tears.

"The way things were?" I repeated. "You want me to trade my daughter's life for your illegitimate son and then go back to pretending we're a happy family with the man who sacrificed her? Adrian, what exactly do you take me for?"

Just then, a frightened cry echoed from inside the warehouse.

"Daddy! I'm scared!"

Adrian's face changed immediately.

Without another word, he picked Charlotte up and started walking toward the building.

I threw myself forward and grabbed his leg with my bound hands.

"Adrian!" I screamed. "If you care so much, then go yourself! Aren't you her father too? Take his place! Exchange yourself for him!"

He shook me off impatiently.

"Enough!" he snapped. "James is a boy. He's the only heir of the Sterling family. Nothing can happen to him."

I looked up at him in horror.

"And Charlotte?" I cried. "Isn't she your daughter too? She's your flesh and blood! How can you do this to her?"

For the first time, he hesitated.

He turned and looked at my tear-streaked face.

"I..." He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly, I felt a sharp sting in my neck.

I gasped.

My vision instantly blurred.

Adrian's voice sounded far away.

"It's only a sedative. When you wake up, your daughter will be safe."

The last thing I saw was him turning his back on me and walking toward the warehouse, carrying our daughter in his arms as though she were nothing more than a bargaining chip.