Chapter 2

Leo was actually a remarkably smart kid.

He didn't care much for school, though. He only cared about making money—he was utterly obsessed with it.

I understood why.

When you've starved, poverty terrifies you.

I never pushed him too hard, but I always reminded him that he could go to school if he wanted.

I told him I could officially adopt him and make him family.

He refused, and I never quite understood why.

"Do you not like it?" Leo asked cautiously, holding up the silk dress.

His voice snapped me out of my daze.

I shook my head. "It's beautiful."

Only then did a huge grin spread across his face.

"I spent hours picking it out. I wasn't totally sure on the size, so I worried it wouldn't fit. Do you want to try it on?" he asked.

I took the dress from him. It was crafted from silver-white silk, embroidered with delicate snow lilies.

It truly was gorgeous.

More beautiful than anything anyone had ever bought me in my past life.

"Thank you, Leo."

"Don't mention it. You don't ever have to thank me."

"All right."

Just as the words left my mouth, panicked shouting came from outside the gate.

It was Simon, the boy who co-owned the local corner store with Leo. They had built a great little business together.

"Leo! We've got a problem! A bunch of guys in black suits just trashed the entire store!"

Simon leaned over, hands on his knees, gasping for air.

"Who were they?" Leo frowned deeply.

"No clue! But they look like serious muscle from out of town!"

I looked up at Leo. His eyes lingered regretfully on the birthday cake sitting on the table.

I smiled softly. "Go handle it. I'll wait for you to come back."

"Okay. Wait for me."

With that, Leo turned and sprinted off with Simon.

The yard suddenly went dead silent. I stared at the cake for a long time.

Before I knew it, three hours had passed, and my phone rang.

It was the local police station.

When I rushed into the precinct, I never expected to see ghosts from my past. I almost didn't recognize them.

After a year apart, Julian looked even more sharp and intimidating. He was leaning back on a wooden bench with his arms crossed, while his high-priced lawyer spoke to an officer.

The moment I wheeled myself in, his intense, burning gaze locked onto me. I could see the raw tension and restraint tightening his jaw.

Turns out, Toby had ordered his bodyguards to smash Leo's shop.

Leo, furious, had fought back.

Things turned into a brawl, and Toby had gotten a tiny scratch during the scuffle.

"Are you Leo's guardian?" an officer asked, stepping over.

"I am."

"Right this way, please."

I nodded quietly and moved to push my wheels, but Julian was suddenly behind me.

His hands gripped the handles of my wheelchair, taking over.

I went stiff for a split second, then said politely, "Thank you."

Julian flinched visibly.

Inside the private office, Leo sat with his head down, while Simon was still muttering curses under his breath.

"Leo, your guardian is here."

Before Leo could even lift his head, the little boy responsible for the whole disaster threw himself straight into my lap.

I didn't dodge in time. There was nowhere to dodge.

He buried his face into my chest, nuzzling against me, vibrating with wild excitement.

"Mommy!"

"Daddy wasn't lying! You really didn't abandon me!"

"Mommy, I came all this way to celebrate your birthday!"

I kept my expression mild, gently and deliberately pushing him off of me.

Then, tilting my head slightly, I smiled. "Sweetheart, you shouldn't call strangers that."

"Your real mother would be very hurt if she heard you."

His little face froze in utter confusion. He looked back at Julian, but Julian remained silent, his expression unreadable.

In the blink of an eye, the eight-year-old burst into hysterical sobs.

"Mommy! Are you still mad at me?! I'm sorry, Mommy! I was wrong!"

A headache began pulsing behind my temples. My brows pulled together.

Julian stepped forward, kneeling in front of Toby. "Stop crying. Your mother hates it when kids cry."

Right.

Chloe hated it.

That was why Toby was always on his best behavior around Chloe, laughing and smiling.

Only when Chloe wasn't there would Toby throw fits and scream. And he only ever screamed at me. He never gave me a single smile.

All he ever had for me was contempt.

As if having me as his biological mother was the greatest embarrassment of his life.