She trembled and sobbed, “No! Miss Lawson, don’t hurt Ethan!”
“If anything happens, I’ll take the blame. But don’t touch him.”
“My life is worthless, but Ethan still has to lead the syndicate. His life matters more.”
Ethan no longer cared about Leo or me—he only bent down to lift Anna Quinn.
Blood trickled from Anna’s lips after the fall.
Ethan scooped her up and rushed out. “Anna, stop talking, just stop. Nothing matters more than your life.”
“If she dares to harm you, I’ll never forgive her.”
Anna weakly nestled into his arms, then glanced back at me with a smug smile. The nanny picked up Leo, grinding her teeth in fury. “Miss, your uncle’s gone too far!”
“If you hadn’t begged the dying Don and personally led the crew to rescue him, how could your uncle have survived so easily?”
“Miss, you nearly died. Why didn’t you let us tell him? If he knew—”
I raised my hand to cut her off. “It doesn’t matter now.”
Leo, frightened, stretched his arms toward me.
I took him and held him tight.
After bringing him back to his room and soothing him to sleep, I summoned the butler.
“Here’s my token. Take it to the Prince on the west side of the city and tell him I agree.”
The butler, an old family retainer, hesitated. “Miss, that man has a vicious temper. You must think this through.”
“Everyone knows that when the Don was alive, he longed to seize the Lawson syndicate’s territory. If you agree now, he might—”
I interrupted firmly. “I have my own plans. Go.”
The butler had no choice but to leave.
Late at night, a loud commotion in the courtyard woke Leo.
It was Ethan returning from the hospital with Anna.
I quickly stood, cradling Leo. “Don’t be afraid, Mommy’s here.”
Leo couldn’t sleep. He clung to me, eyes wide, and whispered, “Mom, does Daddy not want us anymore?”
My heart clenched. I kissed his forehead softly. “You’re lucky, Leo—you still have me.”
He buried himself in my embrace, his little hands gripping my shirt.
My son, Leo Lawson—having me is all he needs.
The next day, Ethan came to apologize. “I know you’re still angry, but I was only pretending. After all, Anna saved my life—she nearly got torn apart by wolves for me.”
“I’ve thought it over. Our son’s birthday is coming. Let’s give him a grand party.”
“Then the world will know that I, Ethan Carter, have a son!”
I sneered. Finally.
The man from the west side quickly replied.
“I’ll be back in five days. The betrothal gifts are ready.”
Five days later?
That would fall on Leo’s birthday.
Ethan threw a lavish party, but his closest lieutenants kept giving me strange looks.
The night before the celebration, Anna suddenly barged into the dining hall wearing a wedding dress. “Sister-in-law, I’m sorry, I got lost. I didn’t mean to come here.”
“I just finished trying on my gown, and Ethan told me to go for a walk to relax. I must have taken the wrong turn.”
I glanced at her coldly. “If you’re lost, then get out.”
“My gun won’t miss a second time.”
She turned pale with fear. As she spun to leave, clutching the dress, the oversized hem swept across the shelf, knocking over a vase.
