My son, Clinton Keeler, was kidnapped. When I tried to transfer the 20-million-dollar ransom, I found the account frozen—by my husband's secretary, Leanne Neville.

I stormed into her office to confront her, only for her to toss a humiliating 20-dollar bill in my face.

Grinning, she said, "Why don't you negotiate with the kidnappers? Ask if they'll take the ransom in installments. The darkest outcome? Maybe they'll just return your kid in pieces."

Rage burned in my eyes. I slapped her across the face a few times.

My husband, Gregory Keeler, arrived just then and kicked me hard in the chest.

He pulled Leanne protectively into his arms, his gaze icy cold as he looked at me.

"Lea was just joking, yet you hit her! You went too far!

"Clint's not coming back anyway. I'll tell you the truth: Lea and I have a child together. So just back off, and I might let my son treat you like his mother!"

Just as despair threatened to swallow me whole, the kidnapper sent a video showing my child's fingers being smashed one by one.

But when I saw the kid's face clearly, I calmed down.

I chuckled and transferred 20 dollars to the kidnapper.

"The boy's real mother says she'll pay the ransom in bits. So feel free to return the kid to her in pieces, too."

***

As soon as the transfer went through, I video-called Clinton.

He answered quickly, his sweet little face filling the screen.

"Mommy, I'm still overseas with Uncle Brad for the competition. I'll be home this afternoon, so don't miss me too much, okay?"

Tears stung my eyes, but a wave of relief finally washed over me.

After the call ended, I turned around to see Leanne directing employees to plaster Clinton's black-and-white memorial photos all over the office.

Fury surged through me. I rushed over, ripped the photos down, and tore them to shreds.

Leanne blinked innocently. "Nica, I know this is hard for you to accept. And I'm sorry for your loss. But you don't have to get so mad."

I couldn't help but laugh coldly.

"Loss? What have I lost? It's your son who was kidnapped, not mine."

Leanne's face went pale in an instant. She flung herself into Gregory's arms, sobbing pitifully.

"Even if I didn't pay, you can't curse Ben like that."

Gregory's eyes filled with concern for her. He slapped me across the face, his gaze chilling.

"So what if I don't want to pay? Over the years, you and Clint have bled me dry.

"If you're so desperate, strip off your clothes. For every piece you take off, I'll give you 2,000 dollars."

The contemptuous stares around me felt like sharp needles stabbing into my heart.

Shaking with anger, I projected the kidnapper's video onto the big screen.

The bloody scene was enough to make anyone flinch.

Leanne suddenly shrieked, covering her face.

Gregory's attention snapped to her, and he missed the fact that the tortured child in the video looked exactly like Leanne.

Leanne clung to his shirt, sobbing.

"Greg, that's so gruesome! I'm going to have nightmares for sure. I'm so scared."

Gregory immediately ordered the media equipment smashed and shot me another icy glare.

"You're showing these videos just to guilt me into paying, aren't you? Listen up—if you're going to put on a show, go all the way. Have the kidnappers send Clint's corpse here."

I stared at the cold, heartless man before me.

Beneath my hatred was a bitter ache.

We married young and fought our way through years of storms.

I never imagined it would end like this.

Expressionless, I looked at Gregory. "You will regret it."

He then ordered the tech team to delete the videos from my phone so Leanne wouldn't be scared again.

Nestled close in Gregory's arms, Leanne shot me a venomous, taunting smile.

Just then, the kidnapper called Gregory.

The moment he answered, the person snarled, "Mr. Keeler, you're really heartless.

"Don't even care about your beloved son's life?

"Guess I'll have to let your son beg you himself."

A child's agonized cries rang out.

"Mommy! Daddy! It hurts so much! Help me!"

Gregory's face drained of color as he glanced anxiously at Leanne.

"Lea, why does that sound like Ben?"

Leanne shot him a reproachful look.

"What are you thinking? Ben's perfectly safe at the Keeler's villa.

"I bet Clint's faking Ben's voice to trick you into saving him."

Gregory's eyes lit up with sudden understanding, and he threw me a look of pure disgust.

Then he spoke to the kidnapper seriously.

"Just kill him already. I still have my other son.

"Oh, and keep his kidney on ice and ship it to me. Ben needs it.

"Do this right, and maybe I'll consider giving you 2 million dollars."

The kidnapper laughed in disbelief and hung up.

Staring at Gregory's cruel, arrogant face, I couldn't hold back the nausea any longer. I slammed the divorce papers down in front of him.

"Gregory, I've had enough. Let's get divorced."

Gregory froze for a moment. He gave me a sharp look.

"So now you threaten me with divorce when you can't get the money? Veronica Renard, you've really upped your game."

With that, Gregory quickly scrawled his signature across the top of the papers, then flung them in my face with deliberate insult.

His voice dripped with contempt.

"The doctors told me years ago your fertility would decline until it disappeared entirely. Face it, you're nothing but a hen that can't lay eggs.

"I was actually considering, for the sake of our decade together, giving you a few hundred dollars a month so you could stick around Ben as his nanny—so you wouldn't end up completely alone.

"But you're the one turning it down, so don't come crawling back begging me to take you in when you regret it."

Clutching the divorce papers, my knuckles turned white. I held back, swallowing the urge to finally tell the truth.

It was Gregory, not me, who got that diagnosis years ago. I only pretended it was my fault to spare his pride.

Gregory's expression softened as he scooped Leanne up in his arms like a princess.

"Lea, let's head to the hospital and schedule the kidney transplant.

"Ben's finally going to have a healthy kidney."

Sure enough, the kidnappers sent the kidney.

Gregory immediately had me dragged to the hospital, saying that since it was supposedly Clinton's kidney, I needed to sign the organ donation consent.

When I arrived, Gregory was transferring 2 million dollars to the kidnappers without so much as a blink.

The kidnapper's voice was cold, but there was a hint of something deeper. "Mr. Keeler, you're generous. But I'll say it again—if I don't see 20 million dollars, I'll really start sending your son back to you in installments."

Gregory hung up, impatient, then barked at me to hurry up and sign the papers.

I stared at him, my face expressionless, and repeated myself.

"This isn't Clint's kidney—it's Ben's. Shouldn't Leanne be the one signing here?"

Gregory gripped my jaw so hard it felt like he'd snap it off.

He ground his teeth, voice razor-sharp. "If I hear you curse Ben again, I swear I'll kill you."

Just then, someone from the company burst in, excited.

"Mr. Keeler, the tech team tracked the kidnappers' exact location from your recent calls. If we give it to the police, your son can be saved!"

I wrenched free from Gregory's grip, urging, "Then what are you waiting for? Call the police!"

I hated Gregory and Leanne.

Hated that they'd lied and had this secret child behind my back.

Still, that boy didn't deserve to die.

But then, Gregory cut the employee off.

"No police!" His voice was hard as steel. "Spread the word—destroy all data about the kidnappers' location. Right now."

I couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief.

"Gregory, that's your son! Are you out of your mind?"

He turned on me, snapping impatiently.

"Ben needs that kidney. If the police get involved, it'll go back to Clint."

"So you'd let a child die just to save Ben?"

He even had my electronics smashed to make sure I couldn't call for help.

Numb, I watched it all, my hatred mixing with grim satisfaction.

Gregory, this is the path you chose.

Suddenly, Leanne came running in, tears streaming down her face.

"Greg, I asked the staff at the Keeler's villa to bring Ben in for surgery, but they say he's missing!"

Worry and urgency immediately clouded Gregory's handsome face.

Leanne, on the other hand, shot me a venomous glare with those resentful eyes of hers.

Then, without warning, she dropped to her knees right in front of me.

"Nica, I know you're about to lose your own son, and you resent Ben for still being alive, but if you're angry, take it out on me.

"Please, I'm begging you—give Ben back to me."

I frowned, about to ask what kind of madness she was spouting.

But suddenly, Gregory drove his foot into my abdomen.

Clutching my stomach, pain slicing through me like a knife, I collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

Gregory looked down at me from above, his expression cold and merciless as he delivered his verdict.

"Tell me right now—where is Ben?

"If you don't, I swear I'll kill you."

Through the pain, I forced myself to speak. "I told you, the kidnappers took Ben.

"You should be dealing with them, not me."

Gregory laughed coldly, repeating his mocking chuckle several times.

Then he turned to his assistant, his voice icy. "Veronica's brother just left the country. Find out everything you can—now!"

Soon, a stack of photos landed in Gregory's hands.

The images clearly showed my brother, Bradley Renard, with Clinton at the airport.

But since Bradley's power base was mostly overseas, and he was always surrounded by the best bodyguards, the photos had only been taken from a distance, showing their backs.

Seeing Clinton's familiar figure, I couldn't help but feel a pang in my chest.

In that moment, I was deeply grateful that Clinton hadn't been the one kidnapped.

I pointed to Clinton's silhouette in the photo. "Gregory, open your eyes wide. That jacket? You had it custom-made for Clint's birthday last year—there's only one like it in the entire world.

"The person with Bradley is Clint. Not Ben."

Gregory's grip on the photos tightened, a flicker of panic in his eyes.

But Leanne suddenly snatched the photos away and insisted, "Greg, don't believe her.

"That height and build are exactly like Ben's—that's Ben in those pictures.

"Trust me, the kidnappers would never touch Ben."

Watching Leanne's absolute confidence, a wild, absurd suspicion began to take root in my mind.

Gregory's brow slowly furrowed as he pressed his foot down hard on my hand.

The sickening crunch of bones breaking mingled with my scream.

Blinded by pain, I bit down on Gregory's leg, my eyes burning red.

Only then did he finally let go, sneering down at me, his voice icy.

"Stop pretending. I know Bradley's got the skills to spirit Ben away without a trace.

"But you need to realize something—your precious brother isn't even in the country right now.

"If you don't get him to bring Ben back, you'll be joining Clint soon enough."

I fought back the tears stinging my eyes, steeling myself to speak.

Just then, a bodyguard entered, carrying a box that reeked of blood.

"Mr. Keeler, this just arrived from the kidnappers."

Inside was a child's arm.

There was also a ransom note, making it clear—this was just the first "installment."

If they didn't get the money, the next "payment" would be fatal.

I glared at Gregory, my voice ringing out.

"If you're really a man, then have Leanne do a DNA test with this arm. Let's see if I'm lying!"

Sure enough, Gregory took the bait, barking at the doctor to come immediately.

"Greg." Leanne pouted, clinging to his arm. "Don't fall for her tricks. DNA testing takes time, and she's just stalling until Bradley gets back to rescue her."

Gregory's eyes flashed with understanding, his gaze turning savage, his voice dripping with venom.

"Guess you won't learn your lesson until it's too late.

"If that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Gregory ordered his men to drag me in front of a cage full of ravenous wolves.

Bennett's severed arm was hanging right on the bars.

The wolves' frenzied howls sent chills straight through me.

Leanne lounged smugly in Gregory's arms, still managing to strike a pose of false pity in my direction.

"Nica, I really think you should just have Bradley bring Ben back.

"If you keep stalling, that arm's going to end up as wolf food.

"How about this? If you get down on your knees right now and confess, I'll graciously give you ten minutes to think it over."

Gregory tapped Leanne's nose with mock exasperation.

"There you go again, always so compassionate."

I stared blankly up at the arm, my voice light and cold.

"You two really are a perfect pair—blind in exactly the same way.

"Can't you see? There's an oval birthmark on that arm. Clint doesn't have a birthmark."

Leanne's expression flickered with panic for just a moment. She stood up and examined the arm closely for a long time.

Suddenly, she burst out laughing.

"What oval birthmark? That's just a smear of blood.

"Nica, you must be losing your mind over all this."

Gregory gently fed Leanne a grape before giving a cold command.

"Toss it in."

The wolves devoured the arm in seconds.

Gregory's eyes never left me, watching for any hint of grief.

When he saw none, his mood soured.

He lit a cigarette, muttering under his breath, "Maybe she really has lost it."

With a wave of his hand, a swarm of reporters flooded into the room.

Leanne winked at me.

"Nica, see how thoughtful I am? I even called the press for you. With the media involved, Clint will be rescued in no time.

"Even though you had Bradley kidnap Ben, I'm willing to let it go."

I couldn't help but snort.

Everyone knows that in a kidnapping, making it public only makes things worse. If the kidnappers get angry, the hostage dies faster.

Even now, my heart ached for that poor child.

I couldn't stop my eyes from growing red as I sighed softly.

"Do you two really have to go this far?"

Leanne stepped close, whispering so only I could hear.

"Honestly, even if you don't give Ben back, your son is doomed. He got in the way of my boy.

"If he survives this kidnapping, I'll just arrange another.

"Nica, let's see how long Clint's luck holds out."

I couldn't hold back—I slapped Leanne across the face.

She stumbled theatrically, tears brimming in her eyes as she began to sob with exaggerated misery.

Gregory was furious, his chest heaving as he stormed over and swept Leanne into his arms. Right there, in front of all the cameras, he made his announcement.

"After a thorough investigation, it's clear that Veronica orchestrated Clinton's abduction.

"So I won't be saving him. In fact, I'm severing all ties with Clinton—he's no longer my son.

"The paperwork and lawyers are ready. I'll sign right here, right now."

The media, thrilled by the scandal, snapped photos of my humiliation from every angle.

Onlookers crowded in, hurling the harshest insults they could muster.

Someone even rushed forward, trying to force my hand onto the document to sign away Gregory's parental rights.

I fought to free myself, then looked Gregory in the eye for a long time, calm and steady.

Finally, with tears burning in my eyes, I picked up a pen and signed.

I spoke each word clearly.

"Gregory, from now on, Clint has nothing to do with you."

A satisfied smile spread across Gregory's face as he kissed Leanne on the corner of her mouth.

"Lea, from this day forward, everything I own will belong to Ben.

"I promised you, and now I've kept my word."

The two of them were basking in their triumph when a team of burly bodyguards burst in, scattering the press and the crowd.

Behind me, Clinton's worried voice rang out.

"Don't worry, Mommy—I brought Uncle Brad to save you!"