The Escort Project was the smart bionic prosthetics project that Danielle's father, James Bradford, had valued most during his lifetime.

James had dedicated his life to philanthropy, and it was his lifelong dream to complete this project to benefit more people with disabilities.

Danielle had pushed through her pregnancy to oversee the project for several months. She had only stepped back once it started to take shape just before she gave birth.

By the time she arrived at the office, Cindy was already panicking. "Ms. Bradford, Mr. Gardner has entrusted everything to Ms. Landry. We have no idea what's really going on."

Danielle remained composed. "It's fine. Let's go to the CEO's office. I know Matthew's computer password."

Before they reached the office, Meghan rushed over and blocked her path. "Hold on, Mrs. Gardner."

Her lips were swollen, hickeys marked her neck, and her face radiated arrogance. "You can't go in without Mr. Gardner's permission."

Danielle shoved her aside with a cold expression. "Move. I personally oversaw this project, so I have the right to review it."

"You stopped managing this project when you got pregnant, and now you want to waltz in and steal someone else's achievements? It doesn't work that way."

Unable to stop Danielle, Meghan was so furious that she blurted out whatever came to mind.

At that moment, Matthew rushed over, his voice tinged with panic. "Danielle, why did you leave early? You didn't even wait for me."

Danielle scoffed internally. He had been too busy being intimate with Meghan to bother leaving with her.

She handed him a set of documents. "Matthew, look at these figures! The prosthetic materials were supposed to be imported. Why were they replaced with substandard parts? Who switched the suppliers and pocketed the difference?"

Meghan had substituted inferior materials for quality ones, cut corners, and pocketed the price difference.

Matthew frowned, finally realizing something was wrong.

Meghan's face drained of color, and she rushed to speak. "This has nothing to do with Mr. Gardner. I'm sorry, Mrs. Gardner. I only wanted to make more money to support my son. If anyone is to blame, let it be me alone."

She wept pitifully, which made Matthew's heart ache with sympathy.

Danielle scoffed. "Apologies are useless. This is criminal behavior, and I'm calling the police."

As soon as she finished speaking, a small figure lunged forward and slammed into her.

"Mean lady! Don't bully my mommy! Daddy, hit her!"

Taylor's shrill voice echoed through the workspace.

Danielle let out a muffled groan from the impact, her face instantly going pale. The surrounding employees watched the scene with visible shock.

Matthew rushed to her side at once. "Danielle, are you alright?"

Meghan hurriedly pulled Taylor to her side, pretending to scold him. "Taylor, where are your manners? Apologize to Ms. Bradford right now!"

She then turned to Danielle. "Mrs. Gardner, take your anger out on me. Please don't hold it against a child."

Despite her words, a look of triumph flickered in her eyes.

Before Danielle could speak, Matthew cut in. "Don't be so hard on him. He's just a kid. He doesn't know any better."

He then turned to Meghan. "Taylor didn't mean it. Take him home first. I'll explain things to Danielle."

Danielle locked eyes with Matthew and spoke slowly. "What is there to explain? Are you going to explain why he calls me a 'mean lady'? Or are you going to explain why he calls you 'Daddy'?"

She refused to endure another second of their pathetic performance and turned to leave the office.

Matthew chased after her. "Danielle, Ms. Landry's son is only six years old. Why are you picking a fight with a kid?"

Danielle clenched her fists. "How can a kid be so vicious at such a young age? That's clearly the parents' failure. Why shouldn't I hold him accountable? Is he your kid?"

Matthew's expression shifted instantly as he pretended to be angry. "Danielle, what nonsense are you talking about? How could he be mine? Our daughter is my only child."

Even at this point, he continued to lie through his teeth.

Danielle smiled bitterly and looked up at Matthew. "Then what is our daughter's name? You haven't even given her a name to this day."

Matthew fell silent. Taylor was the name he had originally chosen for their child.

Danielle had once seen it in his notes. He had written it down himself, planning to use it regardless of the child's gender. He hoped the child would grow up to be as strong and elegant as the name he had chosen.

Yet now, that very name belonged to Meghan's son.

"Olivia."

Danielle spoke first.

"My daughter's name is Olivia."

Matthew's Adam's apple bobbed as the tension in his eyes eased, his voice returning to its usual warmth. "Olivia is a beautiful name. It sounds graceful and bright."

He reached out, trying to brush her hair. "Danielle, I have to go on a business trip for a few days. When I get back—"

"Right," she cut in. "Work comes first."

Danielle had no patience left for his act. She turned and walked away.

…

Danielle returned home and had just put Olivia to sleep when a notification popped up on her phone. Meghan had posted a new update on her social media.

The photo showed three hands clasped together, with Taylor's chubby palm gripping a set of car keys. Matthew had actually given Taylor a five-million-dollar car for him to play with.

Meanwhile, despite reminding him three times last week, he still forgot to buy the imported diapers for Olivia.

Danielle laughed and quietly saved the screenshot of the post into her evidence folder.

Cradling Olivia in her arms, she watched as her daughter smacked her lips, her eyelashes casting shadows in the light. She leaned down to kiss her soft cheek.

"Sweetheart, Mommy will definitely keep you safe."

…

The following day, after Danielle finished auditing her assets and shares, she booked a flight to Hadrion departing in three days.

Ever since Matthew sensed her suspicion, he had been messaging her almost every hour these past few days.

"Honey, today's client was a nightmare, but I managed to close the deal."

"You're working so hard, honey. The cookies here in Nethoria are incredible. I'll bring you here next time."

He probably had no clue that every cent of the project bonuses he funneled into Meghan's account was documented in her inbox.

Nor did he realize that, while he carefully maintained the image of a devoted husband, Meghan was using his money to post photos of lingerie stuffed with bills and her body covered with suggestive marks.

Danielle stared at her phone and let out a hollow laugh. Once upon a time, Matthew had treated her with the same devotion.

They were childhood sweethearts everyone envied. He had once blushed under a tree, saying she was the only one he would ever marry. In college, he was fiercely protective of her, and he would quietly drive away anyone who pursued her.

When she underwent an appendectomy, he stayed by her hospital bed for three days straight without a wink of sleep. He even transferred his first paycheck to her account with a note that read, "For my princess."

Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out from the nursery room.

The housekeeper, Sandra Miller, ran out in a panic. Her hands were stained with blood. "Mrs. Gardner, something has scratched the baby's thigh, and the bleeding won't stop! Please come quickly and take a look!"

Danielle's heart dropped. She sprinted into the room and scooped up Olivia. The baby's cries had subsided, but the wound continued to bleed.

Danielle rushed toward the hospital, holding Olivia in a panic.

After the examination, the doctor approached her with the results. "She has a coagulation disorder, and her hemoglobin is dangerously low. She needs an immediate transfusion."

Danielle's lips trembled. "Doctor, take mine! I'm her mother—"

"Direct donation from parents isn't allowed," the doctor replied gravely. "Besides, your daughter has RH-negative blood. We need to check the blood bank's inventory first."

"Give her a coagulant, hurry!"

Danielle screamed the order in desperation.

But even after the injection, the bleeding continued. Olivia's face was ghostly pale. Danielle held her tightly, tears running down her cheeks.

Minutes later, a nurse hurried in, her face full of sympathy. "Ms. Bradford, the RH-negative blood in our inventory… It's all been requisitioned."

Danielle snapped her head up, her eyes bloodshot. "You just said there was a supply. How could it suddenly be gone?"

The nurse bit her lip and lowered her voice. "This is a private hospital. The son of Mr. Gardner, our major shareholder, urgently needed a transfusion. The director immediately ordered all the RH-negative blood from the bank to be sent to the VIP room."

Her words broke the last thread of Danielle's composure. As she reached for her phone to confront Matthew, she saw Meghan's latest social media post.

The caption read, "Little troublemaker, scraped your knee, huh? Luckily, you've got such a powerful dad. He can get the city's rarest RH-negative blood in a heartbeat just for you!"

Rage surged through Danielle. She carefully handed Olivia to the nurse, then stormed toward the VIP room on the top floor.

When she kicked the door open, Meghan was sitting by the bed, playing video games with Taylor. The scrape on Taylor's knee was so minor that a bandage was unnecessary. The sight made Danielle's heart ache sharply.

She stared at the happy mother and child before her, her chest burning with hatred that threatened to consume her.

She was unable to hold back and shouted, "Give the blood to my daughter!"

With Matthew away, Meghan couldn't be bothered to keep up the act, smugness written all over her face. "Why should I give the blood to your daughter? Are you blind? My son is injured!"

Danielle's voice cracked with a sob. "He only has a scraped knee, but my daughter has a coagulation disorder. If she doesn't get a transfusion soon, she could die!"

A doctor outside overheard the commotion and stepped in, his voice hesitant. "What's going on? If there's enough blood, could you spare some for this lady's child?"

Danielle snapped her head up to look at the doctor as if he were her last hope, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "I'm begging you. My daughter needs RH-negative blood immediately. If we wait any longer—"

Meghan cut her off with a scoff and rolled her eyes. "Doctor, my husband is the major shareholder of this hospital. You're aware of that, aren't you?

"He personally ordered that all RH-negative blood in this hospital be reserved for my son. Are you trying to lose your job?"

Those words pushed Danielle over the edge. She lunged forward and snatched the bag of crimson blood right off the IV stand.

Meghan shrieked and stomped her feet. "How dare you try to take the blood meant for my son? Security! Call security now! This crazy woman is trying to rob my son of his life-saving blood!"

Security rushed in and instantly seized Danielle's arms.

Meghan puffed up like a peacock. She lunged forward to snatch back the blood bag and shouted at the guards, "This bitch tried to steal my son's life-saving blood! Get her out of here immediately!"

As they dragged Danielle from the hospital room, a burning rage surged through her chest. "There was clearly enough blood in this hospital. She just refused to share it! I'm calling Matthew right now!"

The hospital's director, Carl Trevino, was alerted to the commotion. When he arrived, he overheard her words and frowned immediately. "Wait. Which one of you is Mrs. Gardner?"

The next second, Meghan thrust her phone in front of Carl's face, displaying a digital marriage certificate. "Take a good look! I'm the one legally married to Mr. Gardner! Taylor is his legitimate son!"

She shot a venomous glance at Danielle from the corner of her eye. "That daughter of hers is nothing but an illegitimate child."

As soon as she finished speaking, the patients walking by in the hallway gathered around, their judgmental whispers stinging like needles.

"Good grief, is the mistress really that brazen? How dare she take the blood meant for the wife's son?"

"The child of a woman like that is better off dead!"

Danielle's heart ached with grief. Thinking of Olivia's pale face in the emergency room, her legs buckled, and she dropped to her knees before Meghan. "I'm begging you… Please save my daughter…"

The surrounding chatter ceased abruptly as every eye fixed on the absurd scene.

Meghan didn't even blink as she casually dialed Matthew's number. The moment the call connected, her voice carried a hint of feigned hurt.

"Matt, please come save Taylor. Ms. Bradford hates me so much that she's trying to take the blood reserved for him. She's trying to kill us!"

Danielle broke free from the guards and screamed into the phone. "Matthew, Olivia is bleeding! She has a coagulation disorder and needs a transfusion now! Tell the hospital to give us some blood, or she'll die!"

There was a brief silence on the other end before Matthew spoke with suppressed irritation. "Danielle, I authorized that blood for Taylor. He needs it now. Stop making a scene and causing trouble."

Danielle screamed at the top of her lungs, "Olivia is just a month old! She'll only need a tiny amount of blood! Taylor only has a scratch, but Olivia is fighting for her life in the emergency room!

"I'm asking you one last time. Your daughter's life is on the line. Will you give her the blood or not?"

Only static buzzed through the phone.

After a long pause, Matthew's voice finally drifted back slowly, tinged with suspicion. "How could a newborn have a coagulation disorder? Danielle, would you really curse your own daughter just to get your way?"

Tears streamed down Danielle's face. "Matthew! Your own child is dying! Do you not understand me?"

Carl suddenly leaned toward the phone, his voice dripping with flattery. "Mr. Gardner, should we remove this woman? She seems mentally unstable and keeps insisting she's your wife."

There was another pause on Matthew's end, and when he finally spoke, his voice was as cold as ice. "My wife is Meghan Landry. She is currently tending to our son, Taylor. I… don't have a daughter."

The crowd seemed relieved, their gazes turning even more contemptuous toward Danielle.

Meghan let out a cold laugh and hurled the bag of RH-negative blood onto the floor in front of Danielle. "That illegitimate child of yours isn't worthy of this blood."

She ground her heel into the red puddle, speaking with venom in every word. "I'd rather pour it out to water the flowers than give it to you."

At that moment, Danielle felt her heart shatter, and even breathing became painful. The VIP room door slammed shut with a heavy thud, sealing Meghan and Taylor away from the chaos outside.

Danielle stumbled back to Olivia's hospital room and cradled her cold body, tears falling onto her pale face. As despair slowly overwhelmed her, her phone screen lit up.

Meghan had posted on social media again. In one photo, she smiled brightly while holding Taylor. The other was a screenshot of a money transfer from Matthew with a note saying, "I love you. Take good care of Taylor."

As Danielle stared at the photos, her blood ran cold while Olivia's breathing grew shallow in her arms.

Just then, a crisp male voice came from the doorway. "Hello. I have RH-negative blood. I can provide a transfusion for your daughter."