Leon scoffed, his expression cold. "Rose, stop the drama. The boy was injured, yes, but my team sent him for treatment. Cursing your own child just to win an argument? You're insane."

Something inside me snapped.

I lunged at the dog.

"There was no rescue! Because of this mutt, I lost David!"

"By the time we got to the hospital, his body was already cold!"

*Smack!*

Leon's backhand struck my face with brutal force.

I stumbled back, clutching my swollen cheek, stars bursting in my vision.

Claire immediately stepped in front of the dog, tears spilling instantly. "Rose, A-Jin is innocent! Stop saying these horrible things just to hurt Leon."

Leon looked at me with utter revulsion.

"I saw the injury myself. It wasn't fatal. There was plenty of time to get to the hospital."

He shook his head, looking at me like a disappointment he couldn't wait to discard.

"Rose, go to the hospital. Take care of David and calm down."

"Until he's discharged, don't bother coming back to this house."

A guttural scream tore from my throat, wave after wave of raw despair.

*Calm down?*

*How am I supposed to calm down?*

My son was a cold corpse lying on a hospital bed. Yet Leon Weiss expected me to return to that place and nurse a child who was already gone.

I collapsed to the floor, wailing until my voice broke.

The next day, dragging a body that felt filled with lead, I went to cancel my son's identity registration. At the entrance of the bureau, I spotted Leon reporting to a superior.

"Director, the mission is complete." His voice was clipped and professional. "Zero casualties on site."

The words struck me like a physical blow. I screamed, rushing forward to confront him.

"That's a lie! My son is dead!"

Leon's eyes narrowed. In one fluid motion, he yanked me behind him, turning to the director with an apologetic, practiced smile.

"My apologies, Director. Rose is... unstable. She tells everyone she meets that our child has passed."

He paused, his tone shifting to one of heavy, performative sorrow. "The doctor and Claire both believe the trauma triggered a delusional disorder."

The director sighed, patting Leon's shoulder. "You've had a hard time too, Leon. Go home. Take care of your family."

The moment the director walked away, the mask dropped.

A vein throbbed at Leon's temple. He spun around and cracked his hand across my face.