“Tucker, are you angry? Don’t worry, I promise they won’t interfere with us…”

But before Delaney could finish, Jade’s trembling voice broke in again, with desperation.

“Delaney, while you were gone this past month, the child hasn’t been eating or sleeping well. His health started to decline. I want to take him to the hospital for a proper checkup. I don’t know my way around here, can you come with us?”

“You know I have nothing left. Torren is all I have now. If something happens to him, I truly won’t be able to go on.”

I turned to look at Delaney. She didn’t speak right away, but her eyes gave her away.

She was worried, deeply worried about that child.

I gave a small nod.

“He’s still just a child. His health comes first. Go with them. After all, his mother did give her life for you.”

Relief visibly swept across Delaney’s face. Even her voice sounded lighter.

“Then I’ll take them now and come right back. Tucker, thank you. Thank you for understanding.”

With that, she turned toward the door, lifting the boy in her arms with practiced ease.

She was so anxious, she hadn’t even changed out of her pajamas.

I watched as the child rested his head against Delaney’s shoulder, completely reliant on her. Then, I watched the three of them walk away, like a picture-perfect family fading into the distance.

My heart felt like it had been hurled into a bottomless abyss, sinking endlessly until even the silence was deafening.

By the time the sky turned completely dark, Delaney and Jade finally returned with the child.

I had spent the entire day curled beneath the covers, not moving an inch.

When Delaney stepped into the room, guilt clouded her face. My chest tightened, a creeping dread clawing its way up inside me.

She spoke in a calm voice.

“Tucker, the child’s condition isn’t good. The doctor said he’ll need long-term care. They don’t know anyone else around here.”

“This house is so big. Can they stay here for a while?”

I shut my eyes, fighting back the sharp bitterness rising in my throat.

Just this morning, she had promised they wouldn’t affect our lives. Yet now, she was asking to bring Jade and his child into our home.

When I opened my eyes again, they had gone still, cleared of every storm.

I was about to speak when I noticed Jade standing at the door, holding the child’s hand.

“Tucker, please don’t blame Delaney. She’s just worried about the child’s health. His mother passed away shortly after he was born. Since then, Delaney’s taken on the role of his mother, so it’s only natural that he depends on her.”

“He’s still so young. I can’t even explain to him that Delaney isn’t really his mom. But if this makes you uncomfortable, I’ll take him and leave…”

Jade’s words flowed like honey, but my attention was fixed on the necklace around the child’s neck.

My breath hitched, and I gripped the blanket, my heart pounding. Tears spilled from my eyes without warning.

I looked up at Delaney, my voice barely more than a rasp.

“That necklace on the child’s neck. What is it?”

When I was sixteen, Grandpa had paid a small fortune to hire Delaney as my bodyguard.

I’d never been in much danger, but when I turned eighteen, Delaney was ambushed by enemies. In a heartbeat, we both exchanged gunfire.

In that split second, my body moved faster than my mind. I lunged forward, taking the bullet meant for Delaney.

Delaney’s enemy had fallen on the spot, and she barely managed to escape. The bullet that struck me had landed just a fraction away from my heart.

When I woke up in the hospital, Delaney was sitting by my bedside, her eyes swollen from crying, her sobs barely more than whispers.

“From this day forward, my life belongs to you, Tucker.”

“This life of mine, I will never betray you, Tucker.”

She had the bullet removed from my chest and turned it into a necklace. Holding my hand in hers, she kissed the bullet with reverence.

“From this moment on, I’ll carry this reminder, this life is yours.”

“This necklace is my keepsake. As long as I breathe, it will never leave me.”

I didn’t know if it was the sincerity in her tearful eyes or the deep emotion behind the kiss she pressed to the necklace, but in that moment, all I knew was that my heart had softened into a sea of tenderness.

But now, the very necklace Delaney had once sworn she would never part with as long as she lived hung quietly around the child’s neck.

Delaney’s lips trembled slightly, as though unsure how to explain, but in the end, she remained silent.

Jade, however, couldn’t hide the flicker of triumph in his eyes.

“Oh, that necklace? When the baby was born prematurely, the doctor said Torren was in danger. Delaney gave him the necklace out of worry. He’s worn it since the day he was born.”

“But I’ll tell you this, the necklace really seems to work. This kid, ever since he was little…”

Before Jade could finish, Delaney cut him off with a cold voice.

“Enough! Shut up!”

She grabbed Jade’s arm, dragging him out of the room. The child, frightened, burst into loud sobs. But I couldn’t summon the energy to care; my mind was consumed by Jade’s words.

Delaney didn’t return for what felt like an eternity. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but soon, a series of indecent sounds started drifting into my ears. I rose from the bed and followed the noise out of the room.

The sounds were coming from Jade’s room.

The woman’s voice was sweet, seductive, enough to make one’s bones ache with desire.

“Don’t. Tucker is still at home. What if he hears us?”

The man’s voice was hoarse, thick with lust, though he struggled to contain it.

“He won’t. I’ve locked the door tight. He won’t hear a thing. Come here, Delaney. It’s been so long, haven’t you missed me?”

What happened next followed with agonizing inevitability.

Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, Jade, hovering over Delaney, suddenly turned his head and met my gaze.

When I saw the smug, taunting gleam in his eyes, it hit me.

Jade had done it on purpose. He’d said he locked the door, but the truth was painfully clear: it had been wide open.

He had done it on purpose, to ensure I saw everything, to force me to confront the truth of their relationship.

I lowered my gaze and gently closed the door behind me.

The next morning, when I made my way downstairs, only Torren was at the dining table. He sat there innocently, holding a small bowl and slowly spooning cereal into his mouth.

When he noticed me, his face brightened with a smile.

“Uncle Tucker, you’re awake? Want some cereal? It’s creamy corn and potato chowder. It’s really yummy…”

But before he could finish, he suddenly started to choke. His little face flushed with color, and he grabbed at his throat, tumbling from the chair with a heavy thud.

I froze, stunned by the sudden turn of events. Without hesitation, I rushed forward to check on him.

After all, no matter what had transpired between the adults, the child remained innocent. I couldn’t stand by and let him suffer.

But just as I reached out, Jade’s furious roar shattered the silence of the room.

“Tucker! What are you doing?!”

He lunged forward, yanking me away with force, and then frantically called Torren’s name, his voice shaking with desperation.

When he realized Torren wasn’t responding, he stood up, his face turning pale as he checked what Torren had eaten. His eyes instantly filled with red-hot fury, and he roared at me.

“Mr. Montclaire! If you don’t want my son and me here, fine! We’ll leave! But why go so far as to harm a child? He’s only three! This could kill him!”

“Torren’s been allergic to corn and potatoes since birth. I’ve never dared to let him near it. How could you be so cruel, feeding him creamy corn and potato chowder?!”

I stood there, frozen, overwhelmed by his accusations. My mind raced, but all I could do was instinctively deny it.

“I didn’t. I didn’t give it to him…”

But Jade didn’t give me a chance to explain. He cut me off sharply.

“You didn’t? So what, are you saying Torren ordered creamy corn and potato chowder by himself? He’s three! What could he possibly know?!”

Delaney didn’t even spare me a glance. She marched forward, scooped Torren up from the floor, and stormed out without a word.

“Enough talking, get the child to the hospital first.”

She didn’t say anything else to me, but after five years together, I could feel the blame radiating from her.

As she brushed past, I caught a glimpse of her face, my fingers wrapping around her wrist. I spoke slowly, each word heavy with meaning.

“Delaney, it wasn’t me.”

She paused, her brow furrowing for a fleeting moment, a flicker of impatience crossing her face.

“Let go. I need to get Torren to the hospital.”

Before I could react, Jade shoved me hard. With surprising force, he pushed me aside, and he and Delaney moved swiftly toward the door.

The shove caught me off guard. I fell, my back slamming into the sharp edge of the coffee table, and an explosion of pain shot through me. A cry escaped my lips before I could stop it.

But Delaney, the woman who once couldn’t stand to see me in pain, didn’t even flinch. She didn’t even spare me a glance. Her only concern was the child in her arms.

I watched helplessly as the two of them disappeared from sight. That’s when my phone buzzed; it was a message from Grandpa.

“The car’s almost there. Pack up and come out.”

I swiped angrily at the tears streaking my face, ignored the ache in my back, and stumbled to my feet. I walked slowly to the bedroom.

I didn’t take anything, just my ID and my bank card. Then, without a second thought, I left.

Once I climbed into the car Grandpa had sent, I tapped out a message to Delaney.

[Let’s break up, Delaney.]