“Before your assistant was dragged away, she was still shouting that Terese was going back to handle the paperwork to adopt my child… saying I’m not fit to be the heir’s mother…”
Her words hit like daggers. I wanted to scream that it wasn’t true—that I hadn’t done any of it—but my throat was scorched raw. I opened my mouth. Nothing. Only air.
Still, I shook my head and tried.
“I… didn’t…” I rasped, barely audible. “Please… just take me to a hospital… the babies… I can’t… hold on…”
“You’re lying again!” Sullivan snapped, clearly fed up. His brow furrowed. “My mom rushed out of the hospital and brought the lawyers to work overnight—don’t think I don’t know it was your idea. You think if you steal her baby, it’ll make you the official mother of the heir?”
He let out a cold, hollow laugh.
“You already gave birth yesterday, didn’t you? And now you’re here pretending you’re still in labor, half-dead? Trying to guilt me into pitying you?” He sneered. “Save it.”
My whole body ached. Every muscle screamed. Between my legs, I could feel the crusted blood clinging to my skin. The smell—iron, sweat, death—hung heavy around me.
Shannah gagged, covering her mouth, her eyes welling up again.
“Zareena… you know I can’t take the smell of blood after giving birth… Why won’t you clean yourself up?” Her voice cracked, soft and fragile. “Are you trying to make me pass out?”
She collapsed into Sullivan’s chest like a wilting flower, delicate and pale.
“Look at you!” Sullivan spat. “You’re a mess—filthy, disgusting, reeking. You’re a damn embarrassment!”
He raised a hand, and without hesitation, his men returned—this time with more buckets.
Ice water slammed against my skin, again and again, until I was numb, shivering so hard my bones felt like they’d snap. My lips turned blue. My body went limp. Still, they kept going—until Sullivan finally waved them off.
Meanwhile, Shannah sobbed harder in his arms. Her voice trembled with hysteria.
“Please, Zareena… I’m begging you. Don’t take my baby. If you’re really going to… then I’ll just jump out the window and die!”
She broke free from his arms and ran toward the window, looking ready to leap. Sullivan caught her, pulling her into his arms protectively.
Then he turned on me, eyes burning with rage.
I had barely enough strength to grab the hem of his pants, desperate—pleading.
But he kicked my hand away like it was nothing.