Chapter 1
My phone screen lit up.
A video began playing automatically.
My Liam was tied to a chair.
A masked kidnapper swung a hammer at his fingers.
One finger.
Then another.
Blood splattered violently.
A message popped up.
"One hundred million dollars ransom. Wire the money. Or next time, it will be his head."
My hands trembled so badly I could barely hold the phone.
My heart felt like it was trying to escape my chest.
I forced myself to stay calm.
I immediately logged into my bank account to transfer the funds.
A system alert popped up.
"Account Frozen."
The person who froze it was Scarlett Roscente.
Alexander Roscente's secretary.
Also his publicly known mistress.
I stormed into the CEO's office.
Scarlett was sitting in Alexander's chair, applying lipstick.
She looked up at me.
Her gaze was utterly contemptuous.
"Oh, you got here fast."
"Need money?"
She pulled a single bill from her wallet.
She flung it at my face.
"Two hundred fifty dollars. For you."
The edge of the bill scraped across my cheek.
It stung a little.
She laughed, her whole body shaking with glee.
"Try negotiating with the kidnappers."
"Pay in installments."
"Get the child back in installments too."
"How about that?"
I raised my hand and slapped her.
Then I slapped her again with the back of my hand.
The sharp sound echoed through the office.
Scarlett covered her face and screamed.
"How dare you hit me!"
The office door was kicked open.
Alexander rushed in.
He shoved me aside violently.
He moved to protect Scarlett.
I crashed into the coffee table.
A sharp pain shot through my ribs.
Alexander's eyes were icy cold.
"Apologize."
I steadied myself against the table and stood up.
"She froze the joint account."
"Liam has been kidnapped!"
Alexander scoffed.
"Quite the story."
"Let me tell you the truth."
"Scarlett and I already have a son."
"Be smart about this."
"That child might still call you 'Mom'."
My phone vibrated.
The kidnapper sent a new video.
Liam's fingers were a bloody, mangled mess.
But as the camera zoomed in.
I froze.
That wasn't Liam.
They looked very similar.
But there was no mole by the eye.
I suddenly became very calm.
I transferred two hundred and fifty dollars to the kidnapper.
I made the note very clear.
"Partial payment as requested by the child's biological mother."
"Please return the child in partial installments."
Scarlett's face turned pale.
Alexander didn't notice.
He was tenderly stroking Scarlett's cheek.
I walked to a corner of the hallway.
I video-called Liam.
He answered after two rings.
Liam's little face filled the screen.
"Mommy!"
"I'm at the airport!"
"Uncle and I won the championship!"
The sound of airport announcements was in the background.
My nose stung with emotion.
"Myๅฎ่ด is amazing."
"Mommy will wait for you to come home."
I ended the call.
I turned and saw Scarlett directing employees to put up a black and white photo.
It was a picture of Liam's face.
The words "In Loving Memory" were written below.
I rushed over and tore the photo to pieces.
Shreds of paper scattered everywhere.
Scarlett put on a sad expression.
"My condolences, sister."
"I'm only doing this for your own good."
I laughed coldly.
"The condolences should be for you."
"It's your son who was kidnapped."
Scarlett's face went deathly white.
She threw herself into Alexander's arms, sobbing.
"She cursed Noah!"
Alexander slapped me across the face.
"You bitch!"
"Haven't you and your son sucked enough of my blood?"
"You want money?"
"Then take your clothes off!"
"One thousand dollars per piece!"
Employees all around held up their phones, recording.
I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.
I cast the kidnapper's video onto the main lobby screen.
The bloody images caused gasps of shock.
Scarlett suddenly screamed and covered her eyes.
"It's horrible!"
Alexander immediately yelled for someone to smash the screen.
He didn't see.
The child's features in the video were identical to Scarlett's.
The IT department forcibly deleted the video from my phone.
Scarlett hid in Alexander's embrace.
She raised an eyebrow at me triumphantly.
The kidnapper's call came through on Alexander's phone.
The speakerphone echoed through the hall.
"Mr. Roscente, do you really not want your son?"
A child's cries tore through the air.
"Daddy! Mommy! It hurts!"
Alexander froze.
"That sounds like Noah."
Scarlett quickly interrupted.
"Nonsense!"
"Noah is safe at the family estate!"
"It must be Liam imitating Noah!"
Alexander immediately agreed.
He even shouted to the kidnapper.
"Just kill him then."
"Remember to preserve the kidneys for freezing."
"Noah needs a kidney source."
"You'll get ten million if you do it right."
The kidnapper hung up directly.
I looked at Alexander.
My stomach churned with nausea.
I pulled the divorce agreement from my bag and threw it in his face.
"Divorce."
"Sign it now."