Vanessa Bright suddenly pushed the door open.
I froze, then rushed to her. “Vanessa Bright, please! Call Doctor Ethan! He needs fever medicine!”
She was my only hope. For Ethan’s sake, I could beg—even if she was the reason we were locked in here.
A faint, unreadable smile curled on Vanessa Bright’s lips. She opened her hand. “You mean this?”
“Yes! That’s it! Thank you!” I reached out, but just as I was about to take it, she flipped her hand—and the pill fell to the floor.
I scrambled to pick it up, but she pressed her foot down and ground it onto the floor.
“I thought he’d die in the desert. He’s really lucky.”
I stared blankly at the crushed white powder.
Vanessa Bright pinched my chin and leaned close. “Claire, listen to me. Victor and I are bound by life and death. We’re fated.”
“Do you know what he said when he held me? He said he couldn’t sleep next to you. Only my scent gives him peace.”
I bit my lip hard, trying to contain the wave of pain in my chest. I remembered clearly—after our first night together, Victor held me close and whispered, ‘I can’t sleep without your scent anymore.’
“He doesn’t love you, Claire.” Vanessa Bright’s voice was soft, but every word cut deep.
“Why couldn’t you just let go? Why give birth to a child just to trap Victor?”
My entire body got cold. I hugged Ethan tighter and asked slowly, “Did you do all this on purpose—just to take Victor from me?”
“Not entirely,” Vanessa Bright tilted her head, smiling sweetly as she spoke with venom. “I also wanted to watch you suffer.”
“You and I are both orphans. So why did you get adopted by the Boone family and marry Victor, while I had to trail behind without a name or title?”
I said, “Victor mentioned adopting you. It was you who—”
“Who wants to be his adopted daughter?!” She screamed, cutting me off. “I’m his destined one! His wife!”
Her fingers slid across my belly and jabbed at Ethan’s flushed cheek. “When your baby died back then, I was thrilled.”
My pupils contracted.
She continued calmly, “Victor protected me. Even though I killed his child, he still protected me.”
“That’s when I knew—he belonged to me.”
Her nails dug into Ethan’s cheek, making him cry out in pain.
I grabbed her wrist. “Don’t touch my child!”
Suddenly, Vanessa Bright stumbled back with a gasp of fear.
“Ah—!” Her forehead slammed into the door handle, and blood poured down her face.
“Vanessa!” Victor rushed in and immediately wrapped her in his arms, trying to stop the bleeding. “Housekeeper, call a doctor!”
Vanessa Bright leaned limply into his chest. “Victor, I’m okay. Ethan has a fever—let the doctor check him first.”
Then she looked at me with watery eyes. “I just wanted to give him medicine… Why did you push me?”
Tears mixed with blood slid down her face.
Victor’s gaze filled with anguish. He turned to me, voice low and cold. “Claire, why can’t you be more tolerant?”
“She fell on her own!” I pointed to the crushed powder. “She even destroyed Ethan’s medicine!”
His eyes dropped to the floor, and for a moment, I saw hesitation flicker across his face.
He knew how much I longed for Ethan. I had waited six years to become a mother—he knew I would never risk my son’s life.
A sliver of hope rose in me. “Victor, Ethan’s fever—”
Before I could finish, Vanessa Bright burst into tears. “It’s my sister! She said Ethan would rather die than take my medicine! Victor, please help him—he’s really sick!”
Victor gently caressed her face. “Even like this, you’re still thinking of him.”
Then he stood and approached me.
I will never forget the way he looked at me in that moment.
“Claire,” he said, his voice soft but sharp, “I never imagined your jealousy would blind you to your own child’s suffering.”
He held out his hand. There was no anger in his tone—only calm finality.
“Give me Ethan.”
