My body reacted before my thoughts ever could.
I ran—straight into rain, into noise, into the blur of the city. Water streaked down my face as cars screamed past, horns blaring, lights smearing into color and chaos. My hair plastered itself to my neck, my clothes clung heavy with sweat and rain, my lungs burning as if they might split open.
When I reached the hospital room, I didn’t knock.
I shoved the door wide.
Ethan.
My baby.
He was curled small on the bed, too still, his hands wrapped thickly in layers of white bandages. He looked like my son—the boy who used to giggle whenever his fingers found piano keys—and at the same time, he looked unfamiliar, like someone pain had reshaped into a stranger.
I broke.
I fell against him, crushing him to my chest, sobs ripping out of me unchecked. My tears soaked into his hair as I clung to him.
“Ethan,” I whispered again and again. “Mama’s here. Mama didn’t leave. I’m right here, sweetheart.”
Everything rigid inside me dissolved the moment I felt his warmth.
The door creaked open.
A doctor stepped inside quietly.
“Your son sustained extensive trauma to his hands,” he said gently. “We intervened as quickly as possible. With advanced surgery and long-term rehabilitation, there is a chance for recovery. Movement can return.”
My voice came out thin. “W-will he still be able to play?” I asked. “The piano… that was everything to him.”
The doctor hesitated. “One day, perhaps. But not for a long time.”
I nodded, covering my mouth as silent sobs tore through me. All those circled dates on the calendar—competitions, recitals, small proud dreams—flashed through my head and bled into something fragile and uncertain.
The door opened again.
This time, it wasn’t quiet.
A man walked in with easy confidence, tall, smiling like he was fully aware of how dangerous he was. Two massive men flanked him like living walls.
“Vivienne,” he greeted casually, like we were meeting for drinks. “Name’s Gabriel Lambert. I work for Dimitri.”
The doctor disappeared so quickly it would’ve been funny under different circumstances.
Gabriel rested his elbow on the bed rail. “Dimitri took care of the people who hurt your son. Would you like to see what’s left of them?”
My stomach rolled. “No,” I breathed. “Please. I don’t want to see anything.”
He laughed softly. “Shame. It was… thorough. Dimitri ordered them executed and cut apart. They won’t be a problem ever again.” His gaze sharpened. “Curious who hired them?”
Ethan whimpered.
I tightened my arms around him and pressed his face into my chest, turning away from Gabriel completely. “I don’t care,” I said hoarsely. “I only want my child safe.”
Gabriel’s smile widened slightly. “Very well. Dimitri will be arriving in Europe soon. You have seven days to finalize your divorce. When that week ends, he’ll come for you himself.”
My throat trembled. “Thank you,” I whispered, because gratitude was the only thing left to give.
His eyes glittered with amusement as he leaned closer. “Don’t thank me, little dove. Dimitri doesn’t want gratitude. He wants possession. Your body. Your soul. Everything you refused him before.”
He straightened, winked like it was all a joke, and left with his men melting into the hallway behind him.
The room felt smaller once they were gone. Heavier. Ethan shifted, beginning to cry, and I rocked him gently, whispering comfort while the night pressed in like the walls were slowly closing.
---
I don’t remember falling asleep.
The buzz of my phone dragged me out of the dark hours later. Ethan’s small, bandaged hands rested against my chest. For a moment, I thought everything had been a nightmare.
Then I saw the screen.
Dominic.
My hand shook as I answered.
His voice exploded through the line. “Where the hell are you? Why aren’t you home? Do you think you can just vanish and humiliate me? You think I won’t deal with this?”
I looked down at Ethan—his fragile face, the way his lashes brushed his cheeks, his body swallowed by white sheets.
Without saying a word, I ended the call.
I shut the phone off completely.
The silence afterward was thick—but it felt like rebellion. For the first time, I chose quiet instead of his fury.
By morning, my body ached from the narrow bed. My clothes were stiff with dried sweat and rain. I smelled like fear and antiseptic. Ethan stirred, and I smoothed his hair, forcing a smile.
“Mama will be right back,” I murmured. “I’ll get us clean clothes. Then I’ll come back looking pretty for you.”
I stepped into the hallway.
The world spun instantly.
A gurney rushed past, wheels shrieking. Medics crowded around it. On top lay Asher—pale, clutching his stomach, crying in sharp, piercing sobs. Marina hovered beside him, shrill and frantic, screaming for help. Dominic followed, barking orders, panic twisting his face.
Then he saw me.
He broke away and seized my arm, fingers crushing bone.
“Vivienne!” His hand flew before I could react. The slap split across my face, blinding and hot.
“How dare you,” he snarled, grip tightening. “You ordered one of the maids to poison Asher’s food last night. Did you really think you could murder my son and escape punishment? You disgusting bitch.”
My cheek burned. My chest burned worse.
I swallowed the scream clawing up my throat. No denial left my lips—I knew it wouldn’t matter. Dominic had already decided what to believe.
Asher cried louder. “Dad… Dad!”
Dominic released me and ran after the gurney, chasing the child he adored. Over his shoulder, he threw one last sentence that sliced me open.
“We’re not done talking.”
Marina passed by moments later, her perfume thick and suffocating. Her lips curved ever so slightly.
Calm. Satisfied.
That was all the proof I needed.
She had done this. She had poisoned her own son—and pinned it on me.
I bit down hard and swallowed the sob trying to tear free. I kept walking, spine stiff, refusing to shatter where she could see.
I bought clean clothes from a nearby shop, hands shaking as I folded them into a bag. Then I turned back toward Ethan.
At the elevator, I pressed the button repeatedly, willing the doors to open. When they slid apart, relief flooded me—
Until someone stepped forward.
Marina.
She leaned against the doorway, blocking my path, her perfume sweet and poisonous.
“How’s little Ethan?” she asked lightly. “Dead yet?” She tilted her head. “I told those men to crush his fingers. That way my son could steal the piano spotlight. And when they were done, I ordered them to dump his body on the street like trash.”
