After the New Year, my brother's workload obviously increased.

With school about to start, my nephew still hadn't registered. So I volunteered to bring him to the kindergarten my brother had opened.

Cars were parked everywhere, coming and going freely. I frowned and found the principal—only to discover she was my brother's subordinate.

"Is there a problem with your management? Cars entering and exiting however they want—what if they hit a child?"

Serena Fox looked at me with open contempt.

"You're upset because you don't have a car, right? Sorry, our kindergarten doesn't accept your child."

I went blank with anger. Holding my nephew, who'd started crying from fear, I demanded, "Do you know who this child is?"

She snorted. "Who else? Just your bastard. The illegitimate child of a slut who survives by clinging to men."

She shot a look toward the guards at the entrance. "Jason opened this kindergarten for me. It's not a place for random nobodies."

About to be thrown out, I called my brother immediately.

"Jason, Serena is throwing her weight around in front of the child—calling him illegitimate. Aren't you going to do something?"

1.

His voice came through tired, with an edge of impatience underneath. "Alex, Serena just told me you brought your illegitimate child to her kindergarten to cause trouble."

He sighed. "You know that's the best kindergarten in the city. It only accepts children from important families. Bringing a child who can't be shown in public—aren't you just slapping her in the face?"

I froze.

So he thought the child I brought was mine?

My feelings tangled. I was raised by Jason's own hands. Watching him and my sister-in-law fall apart left me terrified of marriage.

But I loved children. So I went to an orphanage and adopted one.

I don't know why my brother has always stubbornly believed this child is biologically mine. He constantly calls Noah "illegitimate child" this and that. We've fought about it many times.

I don't understand. He watched me grow up—he should know I'm not the kind of girl who doesn't respect herself. I've never even dated.

"Just take him away. Don't make things hard for Serena."

Before I could answer, he hung up.

Noah carefully hugged my leg, teardrops still on his face.

"I want Dad. Why isn't Dad coming to pick me up? Does he not want me anymore?"

My heart ached. I picked him up and coaxed him softly. "Be good. How could Dad not want you? I'll take you to find him soon."

Serena saw this and immediately started shouting.

"You little bastard—who are you calling Dad? Are you as shameless as your mom?" She turned on me. "And you—what did you just call Jason? Is 'brother' something you can call him? Homewrecker!"

She shoved me hard.

I was still holding Noah. I nearly lost my footing.

Now she'd really made me angry. I pulled out my phone again to call my brother—to let him see this woman's true face.

The call connected. One second later, he hung up.

"Save your energy." Serena smirked. "I already told Jason to stop spoiling you—you slut who has working hands and feet but only knows how to leech off men."

Serena Fox's voice cut through the air, her face twisted with smug triumph.

Several tall security guards flanked her, sizing up me and my nephew with open contempt.

"Well, well. I was wondering who'd be arrogant enough to cause trouble on Miss Fox's turf. Turns out it's a shameless homewrecker."

"What a pity. I'd advise you to read the room—Mr. Weiss only has eyes for Miss Fox."

"But Miss Fox is generous. Kneel and apologize right now, and maybe she'll forgive you."

The guards burst into raucous laughter, acting like they owned the place.

My nephew was young, but he wasn't stupid.

Furious, he lifted his head from my arms and waved his little fists at Serena. "You bad woman! My dad would never like you. I hate you!"

He squirmed, fighting to get down. In a moment of carelessness, I lost my grip—and watched him charge straight at her.

"Noah!"

He had no idea what was coming. Before he could even get close, a guard snatched him up like he weighed nothing.

"A little bastard throwing a tantrum at me?"

Serena sneered and slapped him hard. A handprint bloomed across his cheek, the skin already swelling red.

I rushed forward to grab him back, but she gave a sharp nod. The next second, several guards pinned me down. I couldn't move.

Serena looked my nephew up and down with disgust. Then her eyes locked onto something, and her expression shifted—first recognition, then fury.

She yanked something from his neck. Noah cried out in pain, and my heart shattered.

"Well, well. A big gold locket on a little brat like you. So vain—your mom must've been bleeding Jason dry."

Her face twisted with rage. "Jason told me everything he has will be mine. Don't think you'll ever see another cent!"

"You're lying! My dad would never abandon me! You witch!"

Serena laughed, high and mocking. "I own this kindergarten. I'm Jason's girlfriend. We're getting married."

"Jason's too kind—supporting a woman and child who have nothing to do with him. But soon enough, you'll both be kicked out."

Her gaze cut to me, sharp as a blade. "Don't think I don't know what you're plotting. Whatever happened between you and Jason before—starting today, stay away from him."

"You ugly freak! Put me down!"

Noah screamed and thrashed.

Smack.

Another slap. His whole face was swollen now, and panic clawed at my chest.

But worse was coming. Noah had asthma. Dangling from the guard's grip, he was already struggling to breathe. With his face swelling, his skin was turning bluish.

"Noah!"

"Let me go!"

I threw myself forward like a madwoman, but two guards held me fast. I fought with everything I had.

It was useless.

"Serena Fox! Stop! Noah is my brother's son!"

"If anything happens to him, I guarantee Jason Weiss won't let you off!"

I was raised by my brother's own hands. No one knows better than I do how much he loved Elena Abbott.

Back then, if Elena hadn't threatened to kill herself, my brother never would have agreed to the divorce. After she left, Noah became his only emotional anchor.

Given how much my brother cares about Noah, if he ever found out what Serena did to him today, he wouldn't let it go.

Serena stiffened at my words. The security guards exchanged glances, hesitation creeping onto their faces.

"Principal Fox, this kid… he isn't really Mr. Weiss's son, is he? He does look a little like him."

"Impossible! Jason told me himself—this kid is from Alex sleeping around. Some bastard whose father she doesn't even know!"

Serena glared at me.

"Don't think I don't know what you're trying to pull! This brat isn't Jason's. He took you in out of kindness, and you coached the kid to call him 'Dad'?"

Hearing her words, meeting her mocking gaze, my heart sank.

So this is how my brother introduced me and my child to outsiders?

Before I could even process the hurt, Noah started convulsing. I thrashed against the guards, pointing desperately at him.

"No—he's having an asthma attack!"

I spotted my bag on the ground nearby.

"Medicine! There's medicine in my bag. Hurry—save him!"

Serena covered her ears, annoyed.

"Gag this woman. I'm calling Jason myself."

A large hand clamped over my mouth. I could only whimper, watching my nephew's small body seize, praying Serena would get through to my brother fast.

"Jason, when are you taking me to meet your son? I got him so many gifts."

My brother's voice came through the speaker.

"No rush. We'll talk after this busy stretch."

Serena glanced at Noah and softened her tone.

"He's not that young anymore. Shouldn't he be starting kindergarten? How about sending him to mine?"

A pause on the other end.

"Sure. He's home right now. I'll bring him to enroll in a few days."

After she hung up, Serena let out a strange, snorting laugh. She studied me with an unreadable expression—then slapped me hard across the face.

The world spun. I hit the ground, blood pooling at the back of my throat.

"You slut! Can't take you anywhere—every word out of your mouth is a lie. You really think I'm that stupid?"

I forced myself to crawl up. My cheek burned, but I swallowed my rage. I grabbed her pant leg, begging.

"Serena, you can't just watch him die. Please—just give him the medicine first."

"What an actress! If Jason hadn't already told me that little bastard is perfectly healthy, I might've actually believed you."

She jerked her leg free and kicked me for good measure.

"Enough. You've wasted enough of my time today. That gold locket is my compensation."

She turned to the guards.

"Throw this woman and the bastard out. Far away. They're bad luck."

"If my dad finds out you treated me like this, he won't let you off!"

Noah's face was deathly pale. He barely got the words out before his breathing seized up entirely.

Smack!

Serena backhanded him without hesitation. His head snapped to the side. His body went limp.

And a panic I'd never known flooded through me.