Upon realizing that the intruder was Meghan, Danielle's pulse quickened. She gripped her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"I'm coming back right now."

She drove home as fast as she could.

Sandra paced the foyer, anxiety etched across her face. When she saw Danielle return, she rushed over, her voice choked with tears. "Mrs. Gardner, I couldn't stop them. Mr. Gardner personally called and told me to let them in."

As Danielle stepped inside, she found Taylor sprawled on the floor playing marbles, sending colorful glass marbles scattering everywhere.

The moment he spotted her, he shrieked, "Mommy, look! That mean lady who tried to take my blood is back!"

Meanwhile, Meghan stood by the crib, her fingers hovering over Olivia's cheek as she cooed at her.

"Get away from my daughter!" Danielle shouted.

She lunged forward and shoved Meghan aside.

Meghan stumbled back a few steps but didn't get angry. Instead, a smile tugged at her lips as she looked at Danielle.

"Let me remind you of something, Ms. Bradford. Matthew and I are legally married. That makes you the shameless mistress. This house is part of our marital assets, and I can kick you out whenever I please!"

The words hit Danielle like a punch. Her chest ached with every breath, yet she had no way to refute them. "I've long stopped wanting a piece of trash like Matthew. I'll be leaving."

She gritted her teeth, her knuckles whitening with tension. "But until then, get out! Otherwise, I'll call the press right now and expose your disgusting affair.

"At least in public, everyone in Khester still recognizes me as the only Mrs. Gardner. I'd love to see whose reputation suffers most if you push me to the edge."

Meghan was hit where it hurt and screamed in fury, "Who do you think you are, acting so high and mighty? The law is on my side! You're the one who should get out, you bitch!"

Danielle lifted her gaze calmly, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "If I leave him, I still have the entire Bradford family behind me. But what about you? You're just a housekeeper who seduced her boss.

"Even if you married Matthew, do you really think he'd ever acknowledge a woman like you in public? I bet your relationship will always have to stay a secret."

Meghan's eyes burned with resentment. She raised her hand and struck Danielle's face hard. "Shut up!"

The sharp crack of the slap echoed through the living room.

Danielle's cheek burned, but she didn't even flinch before delivering an even harder blow in return. She knew the security cameras in the room would clearly show who started the fight.

At that moment, an unnatural whimper came from the crib.

Danielle spun around, her pupils shrinking in horror. Taylor quickly pulled his hand out of the crib, but Danielle saw clearly that he had just shoved a glass marble into Olivia's mouth.

Danielle's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She lunged for Olivia, scooping her up and patting her back with trembling hands. "Spit it out! Please, spit it out!"

"Danielle, what are you doing to Olivia?"

Matthew's furious voice suddenly rang out from the doorway. He rushed into the room, and his face instantly darkened at the sight of Danielle "mishandling" Olivia.

Meghan immediately clung to his arm, her eyes brimming with tears as she tried to defend Taylor. "Matt, thank God you're back! Taylor just adores Olivia and wanted to play with her using marbles. I didn't expect Ms. Bradford to overreact like this."

Ignoring the provocation, Danielle plunged her shaking fingers into Olivia's mouth, her voice breaking as she urged, “Good girl, just spit it out… Mommy's right here…"

Matthew couldn't stand what she was doing and grabbed Olivia from her arms. "Are you crazy? You're going to hurt her like that!"

Another sharp slap rang out as Danielle struck Matthew squarely across the face.

He clutched his cheek, stunned. "How could you hit me?"

The noise startled Olivia in his arms, and she suddenly gagged. A round glass marble rolled out of her mouth, thumping onto the carpet. She immediately broke into a heart-wrenching wail, her face flushing red.

Danielle shouted with reddened eyes, pointing at the marble on the floor. "Do you see that? That brat shoved a marble into your newborn daughter's mouth! Are you blind?"

She snatched Olivia back, holding her tightly as she glared at Meghan and Taylor with hatred.

Matthew's expression finally shifted, and he turned to pull Taylor toward him. "Taylor, apologize to Ms. Bradford and Olivia right now."

Taylor burst into tears, kicking and rolling on the floor. "Bad Daddy! You're being mean to me! I don't want you anymore!"

The two children's wails combined into a deafening chorus.

"Alright, Taylor is just a child," Matthew said. "He didn't know any better. There's no need for him to apologize."

He quickly pulled Taylor into his arms, patting his back with a worried expression. But when he turned to look at Danielle, his gaze turned cold.

"Kids can be rough when they play. Do you really need to make such a fuss? You're the adult here, Danielle. Try to show some maturity for Olivia's sake!"

His words tore through Danielle's heart. She pointed at the door and used all her strength to slap Matthew across the face once more.

"Get out!" she screamed. "Take your wife and son and get the hell out of here!"

"Why do you keep hitting people?" Meghan snapped.

She raised her hand to strike back, but Matthew caught her wrist firmly.

"Enough!" he said.

He shoved her hand away and turned to Danielle, his eyes full of disappointment. "Danielle, what's gotten into you?"

He glanced at Meghan. "Let's step outside and give her a moment to calm down."

Matthew dragged the wailing Taylor along while guiding Meghan out of the room.

The moment the door clicked shut, Danielle's composure shattered, and she collapsed against the wall. Tears streamed down her face, filled with the bitterness of everything she had suffered.

Her phone chimed, and the screen lit up with a notification confirming the deposit from her shares transfer.

She wiped away her tears haphazardly and gently patted Olivia, sobbing in her arms, her eyes flashing with resolve.

Tomorrow, they could finally leave this mess behind for good.

…

Danielle spent the night making arrangements for Sandra and erased every trace of herself in the house. At dawn, she got into the cab she had booked, holding Olivia in her arms.

"The airport, please," she told the driver.

"Got it," the driver replied briskly.

Danielle called the person meeting them. "Sorry to keep you waiting. We're on our way."

The voice on the other end was soothing and warm. "Take your time. Be careful on the road."

Warmth had just spread through her chest when the sharp smell of ether hit her nostrils. She jerked her head up and saw the driver staring at Olivia through the rearview mirror, his gaze dark and menacing.

Before Danielle lost consciousness, she pulled Olivia tightly against her chest with all her strength.

…

When Danielle finally regained consciousness, the car sat parked outside an abandoned factory in the middle of nowhere.

In a clearing overgrown with weeds, Matthew stood with his back to her on the phone, cradling Olivia in his arms. Olivia was swaddled in his suit jacket, her small face crumpled in distress.

"She's here. Proceed as planned," Matthew said into the phone.

He turned after hanging up. When he saw Danielle awake, his scowl deepened. "You're up. Good. It saves me the trouble of explaining everything twice."

Danielle's wrists were raw from the coarse hemp rope as she struggled to sit up. "Matthew, what are you trying to do? Let go of my daughter!"

Matthew's voice was devoid of emotion. "Taylor's been kidnapped. The kidnappers demanded my biological child. They made a mistake and assumed Taylor was the only one."

Danielle's voice rose sharply, and her head spun. "Are you going to trade Olivia for him? She's barely a month old! She has a congenital coagulation disorder, and even a minor scratch could be fatal! Have you lost your mind?"

Matthew avoided her eyes. "It's the only way. The kidnappers insisted on seeing Olivia in person before releasing him. Taylor is six years old. He'll remember everything, and this kidnapping would ruin his life."

"What about Olivia?" Danielle asked. She lunged forward to grab her, but Matthew stepped aside.

His tone remained eerily calm. "She's too young to understand. It won't leave a mark on her."

At that moment, Meghan ran over, crying. Her hair was disheveled, and her makeup streaked. "Matthew! The kidnappers called again! They said if they don't see Olivia soon, they'll kill Taylor!"

When she spotted Danielle on the ground, she dropped to her knees with a thud and pleaded desperately, "Ms. Bradford, I'm begging you! Just this once! Let Olivia bring Taylor back to us, and I'll serve you for the rest of my life!"

Danielle kicked her away, her eyes blazing. "Get away from me! You failed to protect your child and got him kidnapped. Why should my daughter pay for your mistake?"

Matthew suddenly crouched down, his voice softening. "Danielle, I'm begging you. Taylor's innocent. Once we get him back, I'll find a way to save Olivia, and we can go back to how things were. Alright?"

Danielle looked at his hypocritical face and laughed as tears streamed down. "Do you really think we can go back to how things were? Are you asking me to trade my daughter's life for your illegitimate son and then live happily ever after with a monster like you? Matthew, what am I to you?"

Taylor's frantic screams echoed from the factory. "Daddy! I'm scared!"

Matthew's face darkened, and he turned toward the factory, holding Olivia in his arms.

Danielle threw herself at him in a frenzy, clutching his legs tightly with her bound hands. "Matthew! Try laying a hand on Olivia and see what happens! If you want Taylor back, go get him yourself. Aren't you his father? Trade yourself for him!"

Matthew kicked her off impatiently. "Stop it! Taylor is my son and the heir to the Gardner family. Nothing can happen to him!"

Danielle dug her nails into his pants, her voice hoarse. "Then isn't Olivia your daughter? She's your own flesh and blood too! How can you be this cruel?"

Matthew paused, his Adam's apple bobbing as he glanced back at her reddened eyes. "I'm sorry."

In the next instant, a needle pierced her neck.

"This is just a small dose of anesthetic. When you wake up, I promise Olivia will be perfectly fine," he said.

With that, he turned and walked toward the factory.

Danielle watched his retreating figure with Olivia in his arms. She wanted to stop him, but she couldn't lift even a finger. The drug took hold, and her world slowly faded to black.

Through the haze, she saw Matthew vanish into the shadows of the factory as Olivia let out a faint cry.

When Danielle regained consciousness, the sharp smell of disinfectant made her cough violently.

The stark white ceiling blurred before her vision as Matthew's low and steady voice sounded beside her. "Are you awake? How are you feeling?"

"Olivia!" Danielle shouted.

She bolted upright, ignoring the sharp pull of the IV needle in her arm as she frantically threw back the covers and tried to get out of bed.

Matthew quickly restrained her. "Calm down. Olivia is fine. Meghan is watching over her in the next room."

Danielle shoved him away. "Get out!"

Matthew's expression darkened. "Danielle, I know you're angry, but Taylor's kidnapping was an emergency. I had no choice."

Danielle grabbed the glass from her bedside table and hurled it at him. Shards exploded near his feet.

"How can you sacrifice my daughter's life just because you had no choice? Get out, Matthew! I never want to see your face again!"

Impatience crept into Matthew's voice. "Do you really have to act like this? Ever since you had the baby, your moods have become increasingly unpredictable. Fine, I'm leaving. Call me when you've calmed down."

He slammed the door behind him, leaving her in total silence.

Before Danielle could collect herself, Meghan walked in holding an agreement, a confident smile on her lips. "Your daughter is in the nursery. Sign this, disappear from Matthew's life forever, and I'll let you take her."

Danielle took the papers, her fingers brushing over the clause that forbade her from ever appearing in Matthew's life again. When she looked up, her gaze was calm. "You staged your son's kidnapping, didn't you?"

Meghan arched an eyebrow, not bothering to deny it. "You're smarter than I thought. I just wanted you to realize that in his heart, Taylor and I are his real family. He saved Taylor and only cares about the two of us. You have no chance."

Danielle said nothing more. She flipped to the final page and signed her name.

When the nurse brought Olivia to her, Olivia's tiny body curled against her chest, and Danielle's composure finally broke. Her tears began to fall. This child was her entire world.

Meghan watched them and sighed. "I once thought he loved you too. Our first time was an accident, and he avoided me for months until I found out I was pregnant.

"But men always change. He may have loved you once, but now he loves me. Besides, I gave him a son. Your daughter could never compete.

"I know you look down on me, but you were just lucky to be born into a better family. If you were in my shoes, you might not have been any more virtuous."

Danielle offered a faint smile, not bothering to argue. Her throat burned, and even a single word felt like too much effort.

Before leaving, she went to the office to conduct one final audit of the Escort Project's production logs. She compiled all the evidence of Meghan substituting inferior materials and pocketing the difference into an encrypted file.

Justice would come, sooner or later. Meghan's actions would eventually catch up with her. Danielle looked forward to seeing if Matthew could still protect his greedy wife when that day arrived.

After boarding the plane with Olivia, Danielle sent Stefan a message. "Sorry for the delay. I promised to marry you, and I'll keep my word."

The reply came almost instantly. "Danielle, I've waited 12 years for this day. I'd wait even longer if I had to."

Her nose stung.

She scrolled and saw a post from Meghan on social media. The photo showed Taylor in a birthday hat, with Matthew and Meghan pressing kisses to his cheeks from either side.

The caption read, "Our birthday boy is seven years old! Mommy and Daddy will love you forever."

There was also a photo of the title deed to an amusement park. It was Matthew's birthday gift to Taylor.

A moment later, a message from Matthew popped up. "Danielle, something urgent came up at the office. I'll be home late."

Another message came through. "When I get back, I'll handle Olivia's birth certificate and find the best specialists for her condition."

Shortly after, a final message arrived. "I'll love you forever, Danielle."

Danielle scoffed and immediately blocked every point of contact for both him and Meghan.

As the plane pierced the clouds, she powered off her phone and lowered her head to kiss Olivia's soft hair.

She whispered, "Are you only thinking about Olivia's paperwork now? It's too late. Her last name is already Bradford. In the years ahead, she'll be calling the man you hate most 'Dad.' Matthew, I hope you're ready for that."