Chapter 5

Serena burst into tears.

"I shouldn't have said anything," she sobbed, covering her face as she ran out of the shop.

Julian's face twisted in fury. He glared at me.

"How long are you going to keep up this stubborn act!"

With that, he ran out to chase after Serena.

My phone buzzed in my hand. It was a text from my husband:

*Hey beautiful, the project is officially wrapped up. I'll be home tomorrow afternoon.*

A wave of relief washed over me.

I figured that once Julian saw Alexander in the flesh, he would finally stop his delusional fantasies.

The next day, right after I arrived at the coffee shop, I got a frantic call from my son's daycare teacher.

She said that a man claiming to be my son's father and a woman claiming to be his godmother had just taken Leo away.

My heart instantly jumped into my throat. I drove like a maniac straight to the Gray estate.

When I burst through the doors, my blood ran cold.

Serena had put my son inside a massive dog enclosure, forcing him to sit on the floor with a bunch of shedding dogs and cats.

Leo had been severely allergic to animal dander since birth.

He couldn't touch dogs or cats under any circumstances.

My poor baby was sobbing hysterically, his face flushed bright red.

Red, angry hives were already breaking out all over his neck.

Serena completely ignored my son's panic.

Instead, she was trying to force a black cat into his trembling arms.

"Don't be scared, Leo. This cat is three years old, so technically she's your big sister."

"She's my favorite baby. Hold her! Don't be so rude, crying so loud is going to scare her."

My son screamed, waving his tiny hands to push the animal away.

The black cat, startled, lashed out with its sharp claws, leaving several bloody scratches across my son's face.

Leo let out a piercing shriek of pain.

Serena tutted. "Look what you did. You scared my baby cat."

Her eyes were filled with a sick, threatening gleam as she stared down at my sobbing toddler.

"Get your hands off my son!"

I screamed, charging forward in a blind rage.

Just as my fingers were about to reach Leo, Julian suddenly materialized from the side, grabbing me from behind and dragging me back.

"Serena was just trying to be nice and let Leo play with some pets."

My eyes were bloodshot. I spun around and slapped Julian across the face with all the strength I had.

"My son is highly allergic to animal dander!"

"He can't be around animals!"

I tried to push past him to grab Leo, but Julian grabbed my wrists in a vice grip.

Serena looked at me with wide, innocent eyes.

"Today is my cat's birthday. She loves playing with kids."

"I just thought since Leo is coming back to the Gray family, they should get to know each other."

As she spoke, the black cat on Leo's lap was still scratching frantically.

My son's arms, neck, and face were covered in angry red welts and bloody scratches.

Serena added helpfully, "Don't worry, my pets are fully vaccinated. They're very clean. I sleep with them every night."

Looking at my son, who was crying so hard he could barely breathe, panic consumed me. I thrashed wildly against Julian's grip.

Julian held me tight, trying to soothe me.

"He's a boy, Chloe. Don't raise him to be so soft."

"He's going to inherit the Gray Group one day. We need to build his courage. He can't be afraid of a stupid cat."

Suddenly, Leo's eyes rolled back, and his head slumped forward.

I let out a guttural scream.

"He's going into anaphylactic shock!"

Only then did Julian realize how grave the situation was.

I broke free, scooped my limp son into my arms, and ran toward my car.

Julian and Serena scrambled to follow me to the hospital.

When we arrived, Leo was immediately rushed into the emergency room.

A doctor walked out holding a consent form.

"Are you the father or mother? I need a signature immediately."

Julian stepped forward eagerly.

"I'm the father! I'll sign!"

But just as his hand reached for the pen, a deep, commanding voice boomed down the hallway.

"Since when did my son become yours?"