Chapter 1

Riley and Vesper were kidnapped at the same time.

When I finally found them, both of them were lying on the floor, barely conscious. The moment I saw Riley, my blood ran cold.

My five-year-old daughter was shaking badly, her little fingers twitching uncontrollably.

Beside her lay Vesper Pierce, my husband’s second-in-command, the woman he trusted more than anyone else.

I knew those symptoms.

A neurotoxin.

Someone had injected both of them with a toxin that was attacking their nervous systems. I rushed to Riley and grabbed her little hand. “Riley! Baby, look at Mommy.”

Her eyelids fluttered. “M-mommy...”

“I’m here! I’m here, baby. Keep your eyes open, okay? Don’t fall asleep.”

I checked her pulse, then looked at Vesper. Vesper’s condition wasn't serious, and her symptoms were much easier to manage. Riley was different. Her condition was getting worse far too quickly, and if I didn’t identify the toxin soon, the damage to her nervous system could become irreversible.

I was a neurologist who specialized in toxins and nerve agents. I had spent years studying poisons that could kill a person without leaving obvious marks. I knew what was happening to Riley, and I knew exactly how little time I had to stop it.

But knowing what to do didn't make this easier.

My daughter was dying in front of me.

I reached for my medical kit, already going through the possible toxins in my head, when Silas’s voice came from behind me.

“Save Vesper first!”

My hand stopped.

I slowly turned around.

Silas stood there in his black suit, looking completely calm. Not worried. Not frightened.

The Mafia Don of the Thorne Dynasty. The President of Thorne International. To the world, he was an elegant billionaire who donated millions to museums, children’s hospitals, and the arts.

To me, he was my husband.

Or at least, I thought he was.

I stared at him. “What did you just say?”

“Save Vesper first,” he repeated.

I glanced at Riley, whose fingers were still twitching in mine. “Silas, Riley is getting worse! Vesper can still be stabilized, but Riley’s symptoms are progressing much faster.”

His face remained cold. “I heard you.”

“Then you know Riley needs me first.”

“I said fucking save Vesper!”

I clenched Riley’s hand. “She’s your daughter.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you asking me to save someone else first?”

Silas’s eyes hardened. “Because Vesper comes first. I’m not going to stand here and watch you gamble with her life because you’re emotional about Riley.”

My heart cracked. “I’m not being emotional. I’m telling you what’s happening medically.”

“And I’m telling you what you’re going to do.”

His tone was so cold that I almost didn't recognize him.

“Silas, I don’t have time to argue with you. I need to identify the toxin in Riley’s system right now. If I wait too long, the neurological damage could become permanent.”

Silas stepped closer.

“Raven, I’m warning you. DO NOT MAKE ME FUCKING FORCE YOU.”

I stared at him.

He had never spoken to me like that before.

Then I heard my father’s voice.

“Raven!”

I turned around, and my heart nearly stopped.

My father was being dragged toward us by two of Silas’s men. He was already sick and weak, his face pale and his body trembling. He could barely walk without support, yet one of the men shoved him to his knees while another grabbed his hair and forced his head up.

“Dad!”

I tried to run toward him, but Silas caught my arm.

“Don’t.”

I looked at him in horror. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

He glanced at my father as if the sight of him meant absolutely nothing. “You still don’t understand, do you?”

“What?”

“If you don’t save Vesper first, my men will beat him.”

My face went white. “Silas, he’s sick!”

“I know.”

“He’s your father-in-law!”

“And?”

I stared at him, unable to believe the cruelty in his voice. “How can you do this to him?”

Silas looked straight into my eyes. “Because you’re refusing to listen. I don’t give a damn if he’s sick, old, or dying. If you disobey me, he pays the price.”

One of his men raised his fist.

My father immediately curled in on himself, coughing violently.

“Raven, don’t...” he rasped.

“Dad!”

I looked at Silas with tears filling my eyes. “Please. Don’t hurt him.”

Silas didn’t even blink. “Save Vesper.”

“Please, Silas.”

“You have ten seconds to start treating her.”

I froze.

He looked at his watch.

“Ten.”

My breathing became unsteady.

“Nine.”

“Silas...”

“Eight.”

I looked at Riley.

Her tiny body was trembling harder now.

“Seven.”

I looked at my father.

He was struggling just to breathe.

“Six.”

“Stop!” I cried.

Silas lowered his hand slightly, but his expression remained merciless. “Then do what I told you.”

I shook my head, tears falling freely. “Riley is your daughter. How can you stand there and watch her suffer?”

His jaw tightened.

“I won’t risk Vesper’s life.”

My lips trembled. “So you’re willing to risk Riley’s?”

Silas said nothing.

That silence was my answer.

“Save Vesper, and your father walks out of here alive. Refuse, and you’ll watch my men beat him until you decide to cooperate.”

I clenched my teeth so hard that I tasted blood.

I hated him!

My voice broke. “I’ll identify the toxin in Vesper and stabilize her. Then I’ll go straight to Riley.”

“Good,” Silas said. “Then get your fucking hands moving.”

He raised his hand, and his men immediately released my father. My father collapsed onto the floor, coughing and struggling to breathe.

“Dad!”

He forced himself to look at me. “I’m okay, Raven.”

He wasn't.

He looked like he could barely stay conscious, but I had no time to go to him.

I looked at Riley.

Her little body was still trembling.

“M-mommy...”

I swallowed my sob and forced myself to move.

“Mommy’s here, baby.”

My heart shattered.

I turned toward Vesper and dropped beside her, forcing myself to focus despite the tears blurring my vision. I didn't look at Riley again because I knew if I did, I might lose control and refuse to obey Silas.

Vesper's symptoms were easier to manage, so I gave her the medication I had prepared and worked quickly to stabilize her. I checked her breathing, pulse, and pupils while monitoring the toxin's effects. It took two minutes. Two minutes was all I needed.

The moment Vesper's breathing became steadier, I turned and rushed toward Riley.

Then I froze.

Something had changed.

Riley's breathing was shallow now, and her little body was twitching much harder than before. Her pupils no longer reacted to the light. I immediately dropped beside her and grabbed her hand.

“No. Riley, baby, look at Mommy!”

Her fingers moved weakly against mine. “Mommy, hold me...”