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.

I woke up coughing violently, the harsh scent of disinfectant filling my lungs. The white ceiling above me swam in and out of focus, and then I heard Adrian's voice beside the bed, gentle and familiar as if nothing had happened.

"You're awake. How are you feeling?"

I immediately sat up. The movement tugged painfully at the IV in my hand, but I ignored it.

"Charlotte!"

I yanked at the blankets, desperate to get out of bed.

Adrian quickly grabbed my arms and tried to ease me back onto the mattress.

"Relax. She's okay," he said softly. "Vanessa is watching her in the next room."

I shoved him away so hard that he took a step back.

"Get out."

The warmth on his face disappeared for a moment.

"Genn, I understand that you're upset, but James had been kidnapped. I didn't have another option."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"So your solution was to use my daughter in his place?"

Tears burned my eyes.

I reached for the glass on the bedside table and hurled it onto the floor.

It shattered at his feet.

"Get out, Adrian!" I shouted. "I never want to see you again!"

He stared at me for several seconds before sighing.

When he spoke again, his voice was gentle, almost patient.

"Do we really have to do this? You've been different ever since giving birth. You're emotional and unpredictable." He paused and rubbed his forehead. "Fine. I'll leave. Call me when you've calmed down."

The door closed behind him with a heavy thud, and the room fell silent.

I had barely taken a breath when the door opened again.

Vanessa walked in wearing a satisfied smile.

She was holding a document.

"Your daughter's in the nursery," she said casually. "Sign this agreement, promise never to see Adrian again, and I'll let you take her."

I lowered my gaze to the paper.

The clause was simple.

I would cut all contact with Adrian and never appear in his life again.

My fingertips slowly traced the words.

Then I looked up.

"You arranged your son's kidnapping yourself, didn't you?"

She simply raised an eyebrow.

"You really are smart."

She didn't even bother denying it.

"I just wanted you to understand something." She smiled. "In Adrian's heart, James and I are his real family. When he had to choose, he saved my son. The only people he cares about are us."

She leaned forward slightly.

"You can't beat me, Vivian."

I didn't answer.

Instead, I turned to the last page.

Then I signed my name.

...

When the nurse finally brought Charlotte back to me, I wrapped my arms around her tiny body and held her against my chest.

Only then did I let myself cry.

This little girl was everything I had left in the world.

Vanessa watched me quietly before sighing.

"You know, there was a time when I thought he genuinely loved you too."

I remained silent.

"Our first time together happened by accident. After that, he avoided me for months. It wasn't until I found out I was pregnant that he finally came back."

Every word felt like another knife being driven into my heart.

"But people change," she continued. "Maybe he loved you once, but now he loves me. I gave him a son. Your daughter could never compare."

She smiled faintly.

"Honestly, you're fortunate you were born into a good family. If our positions had been reversed, you wouldn't be any better than me."

I didn't even have the energy to argue.

My throat felt raw.

My chest hurt.

Even speaking seemed exhausting.

I left the hospital and went to the company one last time.

I reviewed everything related to the cancer treatment project.

As expected, Vanessa had hidden all evidence of her actions inside encrypted files. She had replaced expensive materials with inferior supplies and quietly pocketed the difference.

I looked down at Charlotte sleeping in my arms and held her a little tighter.

Karma didn't miss anyone forever.

Those files were ticking bombs.

I wondered whether Adrian would still be capable of protecting his greedy wife when everything finally exploded.

Then I picked up my phone and sent a message to the one man Adrian hated most.

I'm sorry for taking so long. I said I'd marry you, and I never go back on my word.

The reply came almost instantly.

Vivian, I've waited twelve years for this. No matter how long it took, it was worth waiting for.

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat.

Then I opened Instagram.

Vanessa had already posted another story.

James was wearing a birthday hat while Adrian and Vanessa kissed him on both cheeks.

The caption read:

Our little birthday boy turns seven today. Mom and Dad will always love you.

I stared at the screen.

A birthday gift.

Of course.

Adrian had been too busy celebrating with his real family.

My phone suddenly rang.

It was Adrian.

I answered.

"Genn, I had an urgent matter at the company, so I'll be home late tonight. When I get back, I'll register our daughter's household information and arrange the best doctors to treat her condition." His voice softened. "I love you, and I always will."

I nearly laughed.

Always love me?

When his own daughter needed him the most, he couldn't even spare her a bag of blood.

Charlotte shifted slightly in my arms.

I gently brushed the soft hair away from her forehead.

"Mommy's here, sweetheart," I whispered. "Don't worry."

Another message arrived.

Gen, don't be angry. Everything I've ever done has been for your sake. I promise I'll fix this. By the time I come home, everything will be all right again.

I stared at the message for a long time.

Then I laughed until my chest hurt.

Everything would be fine?

For whom?

For him?

For Vanessa?

For the little boy he would choose over our daughter every single time?

Certainly not for me.

And definitely not for Charlotte.

Without another thought, I blocked every way they could contact me.

Adrian.

Vanessa.

Every single person connected to them.

Then I switched off my phone and set it aside.

Outside the window, the airplane broke through the clouds and climbed higher into the sky.

I closed my eyes and never looked back.