Chapter 1

My wife had an abortion—killing the baby we fought so hard to conceive—just so she could give her terminally ill first love a child to carry on his bloodline.

Afraid I would ruin things, my father-in-law exposed my undercover identity to the ruthless boss of an illegal mining cartel I was investigating.

Because of his betrayal, the cartel retaliated against me. I was beaten half to death, enduring unspeakable torture and humiliation before the police finally raided the compound and pulled me out.

The day my wife gave birth, my mother-in-law held her hand and cooed, "Chloe, don't worry. Your dad brought men to guard the hallway. Julian won't be able to cause any trouble."

Yet from labor to delivery, I never showed up.

Chloe smiled, thinking I had finally learned my place and wouldn't throw a tantrum over Carter anymore.

She never could understand. To her, she was just giving Carter an heir—why couldn't I just be supportive?

She even thought that if I showed up at the hospital tomorrow, she would generously allow me to be the legal father.

What she didn't know was that after being rescued, my heart had turned to ash.

In one month, I would be deployed overseas as a frontline war correspondent.

The next time she saw me, it would only be on the evening news.

On the day Chloe was discharged from the hospital, I signed the voluntary deployment papers to become a frontline war correspondent.

Coughing with every breath, I walked up to the front door, only to see the four of them in the living room, doting over the newborn. They looked just like a picture-perfect family.

"Look at that nose! It’s straight and sharp, just like Carter’s!"

My father-in-law, Richard, beamed as he rocked the baby.

Chloe was wrapped in cozy loungewear, happily holding Carter’s arm like a blushing newlywed.

My mother-in-law, Martha, walked out carrying a bowl of hot soup. "Chloe, drink up. You need to keep your milk supply high. Don't wean him until he's at least one."

"This boy was born for wealth and luxury," Martha added. "If this were Julian’s kid, he’d probably be doomed to a lifetime of hard labor."

I looked down, my hands balling into fists.

When I first married Chloe, Martha had bragged relentlessly about my job as an investigative reporter.

At every family gathering and holiday party, she praised me to all the relatives.

Now, she called me a penniless drudge who wasn't worthy of her daughter. What a joke.

Looking at their happy little family, a sharp ache hit my chest.

A year and a half ago, the day I went undercover into that illegal mine, Chloe was pregnant. Her eyes were red with tears as she promised she and our baby would wait for me to come home.

Richard and Martha had sobbed openly: "Julian, don't you worry. We'll take care of Chloe and your baby."

In that dark, subterranean hell, I lived on the razor's edge between life and death. I survived cave-ins and brutal shifts.

The only thing that kept me alive was the sheer will to return home to my wife and child.

And then I came back, only to learn my child had been aborted, and she was carrying her ex's baby instead.

"Julian? You’re here?"

Carter greeted me with an easy smile, acting like the master of the house.

The rest of the family turned to look at me.

Richard scowled with deep disgust. "Look at you. Chloe just had a baby and needs care, and you come back covered in injuries. How are you supposed to work and provide for her and the baby like this?"

"Let me make one thing clear: don't come begging us for money."

Chloe frowned, her annoyance written all over her face. "Julian, this family needs money right now. How could you get yourself hurt at a time like this..."

Before she could finish, I cut her off with a cold laugh.

"What does your baby with Carter have to do with me?"

Chloe's eyes instantly welled up, and she put on a look of sheer victimhood. "He’s going to call you dad growing up! Once he's raised, he's your son! Why do you care if he's biologically yours?"

"A year ago, our house caught fire! If Carter hadn't risked his life to pull me out, I would be dead!"

"He has terminal leukemia! He's dying! I just gave him a child—must you be so petty and jealous of a dying man?!"

Hearing that, Carter immediately stepped in, patting Chloe’s back to soothe her before glaring at me self-righteously.

"Julian, it’s not like I can't afford to raise this baby! We did this for your own good. If you don't step up now, why would he ever respect you as a father later?"

"If my presence makes you angry, I can leave. Just promise you’ll take care of the woman I love and my child. After all... I don't have much time left."

He forced out a couple of tears and made a show of turning to leave, though his feet didn't move an inch.

Watching his pathetic performance, I almost laughed out loud.

Chloe, however, fell for it completely. She grabbed his arm in distress. "Carter, you have so little time left with your son. If anyone should leave, it's not you!"

She was right. The person who needed to leave was me.

I went into the guest room, grabbed my packed suitcase, and headed for the door.

Chloe didn't stop me. She just snapped coldly:

"Look at you, pathetic as always! Go ahead, stay in a motel for a while!"

"Just remember, the baby’s one-month party is in four weeks. You’d better show up. Even if he’s not your blood, I’ll keep the truth from him and let you be his legal father."

In one month, I would be flying out of the country.

Since that was the case, I might as well leave them a parting gift.

I lowered my eyes. "Fine."