Her words grew uglier by the second. Watching her face twist with self-righteous fury, I didn't feel insulted. I felt nothing but a profound sense of absurdity.
She was delusional.
"You're confused," I said flatly.
I couldn't be bothered to waste another breath on her. I bent down and took Lucy's hand. "Come on, Lucy. Let's go."
She nodded obediently, her small fingers gripping mine tight.
We turned to leave—but barely took two steps before a wall of muscle blocked our path. Several men emerged from the shadows, tall and expressionless. Fox payroll, obviously.
I stopped. My brow furrowed as I turned back to Joanna.
"What is this?"
She approached slowly, chin raised, looking at us with arrogant entitlement—as if we were prey already caught.
"You think you can just walk away?" She tilted her head. "The events of that year were never fully resolved. If you want to leave, it won't be that easy."
She gestured vaguely. "When I ran into danger back then... the accident of having a child with you... none of it was investigated properly."
Her eyes narrowed. "And now you show up with the girl. You need to explain your intentions."
"Besides," she continued, her voice taking on a possessive edge, "that child came from me. Fox blood runs in her veins. Don't even think about taking her anywhere."
Her gaze locked onto Lucy. It wasn't maternal love. It was an obsessive, terrifying hunger for ownership.
A chill ran down my spine.
Memories of six years ago flashed through my mind—a reel of nightmares I thought I'd buried. Six years hadn't worn away an ounce of her selfishness.
I tightened my grip on Lucy's hand, my expression darkening.
"Lucy is my daughter. You forfeited any right to her the moment you forced us off that roof."
I stepped forward, shielding Lucy with my body. "You're blocking my path. Planning to use the Fox family's influence to kidnap a child in broad daylight?"
Joanna's face went black. "Don't you dare twist the narrative!"
"That bastard spawn shouldn't have existed in the first place!"
Sensing an opening, Matthew jumped in to fuel the fire.
"Stop lying, Asher! You plotted against Joanna back then. You framed her—that's the only reason she ended up carrying your child!"
He pointed a shaking finger at me. "You thought you could use a baby to control her and seize the Fox assets? Keep dreaming!"