Chapter 6

Sylvia clenched her teeth and ignored Damien entirely. Her fingers dug deeper into Renee's throat, her eyes blazing red, hell-bent on choking the life out of her.

Once Renee was dead, no one would ever hurt Milo again.

Renee couldn't speak anymore. Her eyes rolled back, her body convulsing — as if the next second would be her last.

"Sylvia, have you completely lost your mind?!"

Damien rushed forward. It took all his strength to wrench Sylvia off.

"Let go of me! I'm going to kill her! She deserves to die!"

Sylvia thrashed wildly and sank her teeth into the flesh between Damien's thumb and forefinger. Blood welled up instantly.

Damien's brows knitted hard. Instinct told him to throw her off — but then he saw the hospital gown hanging off her skeletal frame, saw how deathly white her face was, and he held himself back.

Doctors and nurses rushed in, seized Sylvia's arms, and pinned her to the bed.

Renee's neck was streaked with bleeding welts. She swayed, about to collapse, and Damien caught her arm just in time.

She seized the opportunity to press her entire body against his chest, breathing in ragged gasps, her words coming in broken fragments.

"Damien, don't… don't blame Sylvia. She's just been through too much. She couldn't control her emotions."

She paused, softening her voice further. "Maggie always taught me to be kind to people. To try to understand them. So please… don't be angry with Sylvia. Okay?"

Damien stared at the ugly, raw marks on Renee's throat. Pain darkened his eyes.

He had failed to protect Maggie. That failure had cost Maggie everything — left her in a vegetative state because of Sylvia.

And now he couldn't even protect Maggie's only remaining family?

His heart felt like it had been plunged into molten rock. The guilt was unbearable.

He turned toward Sylvia, still struggling on the bed, and his voice came out in a near-roar. "Sylvia — apologize to Renee. Now!"

From an angle Damien couldn't see, Renee's lips curled in triumph. Her eyes slid toward Sylvia, glinting with provocation.

Sylvia stared right back, eyes burning. "In your dreams. She's been abusing Milo. I'm going to make her pay for every second of it. You evil, disgusting woman — I will never let you go!"

Abusing Milo?

The fury on Damien's face froze for a split second.

A flicker of guilt passed through Renee's eyes. Instantly, tears pooled in them, and her expression crumbled into wounded innocence.

"Sylvia, how can you say that about me? Milo was taken from his mother the day he was born. I've treated him like my own child. I don't even let myself sleep deeply at night — I'm always afraid he'll kick off his blankets. I plan every single meal around what he likes to eat." Her voice quivered. "Do you even know what Milo's favorite food is?"

On the surface, everything she said was true. Even if Damien questioned the bodyguards assigned to watch Milo, their accounts would match Renee's perfectly.

She wasn't foolish enough to make her sister's mistake — giving everything and getting nothing in return.

Damien's patience shattered. He glared at Sylvia.

"Sylvia, enough. Do you think I'll fall for your manipulation again? Let you slander Renee the way you destroyed Maggie? Where's your proof that she's abusing Milo? You haven't even seen the child once!"

Despair crept into Sylvia's eyes — bitter, helpless, almost laughable. "And whose fault is that? You know exactly why I've never seen my own son. Bring Milo to me. That's all I want. Just my Milo!"

Renee stepped back as if startled, clutching Damien's arm in exaggerated alarm.

"Damien, is Sylvia really okay? Mentally, I mean? I was actually going to suggest letting Milo visit his mother. But if Sylvia snaps again and tries to choke someone — I can take it, I'm an adult. But a little child? He wouldn't survive that."

Her words quietly extinguished the last ember of pity still flickering in Damien's chest.

Renee was right. Sylvia's current state made her unfit to be anywhere near a child. Taking Milo away from her had been the right call.

If she wanted to see Milo, it would have to wait until she was well.

"Not a chance." Damien stared Sylvia down, each word deliberate. He wanted to wound her — chose his words like weapons.

"You will never see Milo again. Never."

Tears spilled down Sylvia's face like a broken necklace, pearl after pearl. But her eyes never left Damien's. Stubborn. Unyielding.

Renee softened her tone to something gentle, soothing.

"Damien, don't be upset. Sylvia's not in a good place right now. Let's just give her some space. I need to take Milo to his swimming lesson soon anyway — he can't be in the water without an adult. I've seen so many accidents on the news lately. It really worries me."

As she spoke, Renee deliberately let her gaze slide toward Sylvia.

The words detonated in Sylvia's mind.

Swimming. God only knew what Renee would do to Milo in the water.

Images flooded her brain — Milo's head held underwater by Renee's hands, unable to breathe. Renee forcing water down his throat until his tiny stomach was ready to burst.

Terror seized her. Tears streamed faster. "No — Damien, I'm begging you. Don't let Renee take care of Milo. I won't ask to see him. I'll never ask again — not for the rest of my life. But please, give him to someone else. Anyone else. I'm begging you!"

Sylvia dropped to her knees on the hospital bed and began slamming her forehead against the mattress. Again. Again. Again. The dull thuds echoed through the room.

Apart from the times he'd forced her to beg for mercy in bed, Damien had never seen Sylvia prostrate herself like this.

He had sworn so many oaths — that he would make Sylvia confess her crimes, make her kneel and beg.

Now that day had come. And he discovered it brought him none of the satisfaction he'd imagined.

Something lodged in his chest, heavy and suffocating, making it hard to breathe.

He despised the feeling. It felt dangerously close to weakness.

"Damien, what's wrong with her? Do you think she might have some kind of… mental breakdown? Maybe we should have her evaluated at a psychiatric facility?"

Renee's face was a picture of concern.

Damien steeled himself. "You're right. She's clearly unstable." He raised his voice. "Take her to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. Without my authorization, she does not leave that facility. Not one step."

"Yes, sir."

Several bodyguards bowed their heads and seized Sylvia's arms, hauling her off the bed and toward the door.

"I'm not crazy! Let go of me!"

Sylvia kicked and fought. The bodyguards had no choice — they bound her wrists behind her back with a cord and shoved her into the waiting car.

Damien watched the vehicle carrying Sylvia shrink into the distance until it vanished. His expression was impossible to read.

A long moment passed.

He turned to his assistant beside him. "Caden, hire the best psychiatrists available. Anyone or anything that might trigger her emotionally — keep it away from her. I want daily reports on her condition."

"Yes, Mr. Nguyen." Caden Bell inclined his head.

Beside them, Renee's fists clenched at her sides, white-knuckled with barely contained resentment.