Chapter 2
I froze.
Every muscle in my body went rigid. I held Lily tighter, as if I could squeeze the pain out of her. As if holding her close enough could erase whatever had happened when I wasn’t there.
“What did you say, baby?” I pulled back just enough to look at her face.
Her lip trembled. She glanced at Vanessa, then quickly looked away, burying her face in my shoulder again.
Vanessa stepped forward, her voice suddenly sweet, syrupy, dangerous.
“Lily, honey, don’t be silly. You know I only do that because I love you.” She took another step. “Come here, let me give you a hug.”
Lily whimpered and clung harder.
“Don’t you touch her,” I said.
My voice was ice. I stood up, lifting both children with me. Ethan wrapped his legs around my waist, Lily still clamped to my neck. I was a big man, six foot two, and I held them like they weighed nothing. Like they were the most precious cargo in the world.
Because they were.
“Michael, don’t be ridiculous,” Vanessa laughed, but there was no humor in it. “They’re just children. They exaggerate.”
“Ethan.” I looked at my son. “Is it true? Has she hurt you before?”
Ethan hesitated.
He was ten years old, trying to be brave. Trying to be the man of the house when I was gone. I saw the conflict in his eyes—fear of Vanessa, fear of getting in trouble, fear that I wouldn’t believe him.
“Ethan, look at me.” I waited until his eyes met mine. “Nothing she can do will ever hurt you again. Not as long as I’m breathing. I promise you that. Now tell Daddy the truth.”
He nodded slowly.
Tears spilled over.
“Lots of times,” he whispered. “When you go on business trips. She says if we tell you, she’ll make it worse. She says you’ll be angry at us for being bad. She says you’ll believe her instead of us.”
I felt sick.
My own son. My brave, smart, wonderful boy had been suffering in silence for God knows how long. And I’d been too busy building my empire to see what was happening right under my roof.
Vanessa’s mask slipped.
“You little liar,” she hissed. “After everything I’ve done for you? I feed you! I clothe you! I took you in when your own mother didn’t want you!”
That was the final straw.
Their mother had died three years ago. Ovarian cancer. She’d fought so hard. Her last words to me had been, “Take care of my babies.”
And I’d failed her.
I’d brought this monster into their home.
“Get out,” I said.
Vanessa blinked. “What?”
“I said get out.” I nodded toward the door. “Pack whatever you can carry and get out of my house. Now.”
She stared at me, disbelieving. Then her face crumpled, and suddenly she was crying. Real tears, streaming down her face. She fell to her knees, reaching for me.
“Michael, no! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! I’ve just been so stressed, with the wedding planning and the charity events and—” She crawled toward us. “I love those kids, Michael! You know I do! I’m their mother now! Please don’t do this!”
I stepped back, keeping the children shielded behind my body.
“You are not their mother,” I said. “Their mother is in heaven, watching me right now, and I swear to God she’s ashamed of me for letting you near them.”
Vanessa stopped crying.
The tears vanished as if they’d never been there. Her face hardened into something cold and cruel.
“You’ll regret this,” she said quietly. “You think you can just throw me away? After everything I’ve given you? You have no idea who you’re dealing with, Michael Carter.”
She stood up, smoothed her dress one more time, and walked toward the stairs.
“I’m packing my things,” she called over her shoulder. “But don’t think this is over. You want a war? You’ve got one. And I always win.”
I carried my children out of the living room, away from her voice. I took them to the kitchen, sat them at the big oak table, and made them hot chocolate with extra marshmallows—their favorite.
They sipped in silence, their small hands wrapped around the mugs.
“Daddy?” Ethan said finally.
“Yes, buddy?”
“Is she coming back?”
I knelt in front of them, taking each of their hands in mine.
“Never,” I said. “I promise you. As long as I live, she will never hurt either of you again.”
May you like
But as I said the words, I knew in my gut Vanessa wasn’t going to go quietly.
And I had no idea how far she’d go to get revenge.
