Chapter 1

After I gave birth, Victor erected a sign at the gates of the estate: "No Broodmares or Elena Allowed."

That day, the second the nurse snipped the umbilical cord, Victor snatched the baby from her arms and handed him straight to Sophia, who had followed him into the delivery room.

I lay paralyzed on the blood-soaked sheets, my mind going completely blank.

What the hell was my husband doing? This was the flesh and blood I had nearly died to bring into the world. How could he just hand my baby over to his vicious, manipulative stepmother—the woman who had once stripped him of everything?

Sophia's smile nearly touched her ears. "He's beautiful. These eyes look exactly like mine. Thank you, Elena. I love this gift."

Victor pulled out a piece of paper and dropped it onto my chest: Relinquishment of Parental Rights.

The agonizing truth finally hit me.

The boy who, at sixteen, had shattered his biological fathers skull to protect me and willingly went to prison in my place—that same man was now using our child to fill the void of his barren stepmother.

"In your dreams!" I screamed. I snatched the paper, ripping it into shreds like a madwoman, and hurled the pieces at Victor's face.

For the next three years, they tore Leon from my arms, and I fought like hell to steal him back.

My palms were sliced open by shattered glass, my ribs cracked by brutal knees, the back of my skull split open by rifle butts.

That was until this year, when Leon went into severe anaphylactic shock.

I stormed the estate with a fire ax.

I cleaved that "No Broodmares or Elena Allowed" sign cleanly in half. I hacked through the wrought-iron gate lock as alarm sirens wailed down the entire block.

Ignoring the anti-climb spikes sinking deep into my flesh, I grabbed Leon and charged into the emergency room like my life depended on it.

But the moment Leon woke up, he grabbed the water glass from the nightstand and hurled it straight at my face.

It smashed against my forehead. Warm blood streamed down, blurring my vision.

"Why did you steal me from Mama Sophia?!" he screamed through his tears. "It's all your fault! If it weren't for you, me, Daddy, and Mama Sophia would be a perfect family! I want to go back! I want my mama!"

I froze.

It felt as if every drop of blood had been instantly drained from my heart, leaving behind nothing but a bottomless, numbing ache.

I slowly crouched down to his eye level.

"Leon," I whispered. "Call me Mom. Just one last time. And I promise I'll never bother you again."

He froze, looking at me through his sobs.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"You won't try to steal me from Mama Sophia ever again?"

"Never again."

He stared into my eyes for a long time. His lower lip trembled, and his voice came out in a tiny whisper.

"Mom."

I nodded.

Then I sealed the vow. "I won't steal you. Never again."

By the time I brought Leon back to the estate, Victor was tearing the foyer apart.

His men stood in a perfectly straight line, dead silent.

When he saw me walk in holding Leon's hand, he went completely rigid.

"Mama!" Leon tore his hand from mine and threw himself into Sophia's arms.

Sophia caught him tightly. As she knelt down to check him for injuries, the heavy jewelry on her wrists scraped against his skin. Leon flinched from the pain.

Instinctively, I reached out to stop her.

Halfway there, the weight of my promise hit me. I pulled my hand back.

Sophia then stood up, walked right up to me, and slapped me hard across the face.

"Why did you take my child? Don't you know how fragile he is?"

The estate guards and staff watched coldly, making no effort to hide the sheer contempt in their eyes.

"Like a stray dog that just won't quit. This crazy bitch is beyond pathetic."

"Look at her, covered in mud and blood. Everyone knows Madam Sophia is the lady of the house."

"So what if she birthed him? Madam Sophia is the real mother. She's the one who poured her heart into raising the young master."

"Exactly. A cheap lunatic like her doesn't even deserve to breathe the same air as the boy, let alone try to tear their family apart."

Finally, Victor's voice cut through the room.

"Enough. This is family business. I will handle it."

The whispers instantly died.

Sophia's face turned icy. She scooped Leon up and headed up the stairs.

Victor dragged me into the study.

"You took Leon without permission," he said, taking his seat behind the desk, his fingers drumming lightly against the wood. "His health is fragile. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

"He went into anaphylactic shock," I said deadpan. "He almost died."

"Even if he did, it's his mother's job to take care of him."

The moment the words left his mouth, Victor faltered. His lips twitched, as if suddenly realizing what he had just slipped out.

"After all, Sophia is his legal mother," he quickly amended, his tone softening a fraction. "You need to show her some respect."

I just stood there, staring at him. The longer I looked, the more unrecognizable he became. The longer I looked, the more utterly pointless it all felt.

"Victor, let's get a divorce."

No screaming. No hysterics. Just quiet, steady words, like I was commenting on the weather.

The arrogant impatience in his eyes vanished in a heartbeat. It was as if the words had slammed right into his chest, leaving him staring at me in blind, unfiltered shock.