Gianna, draped in a custom-made gown, stood beside Felix, the two of them clasping their child’s hands as they welcomed guests.

A picture-perfect family.

Meanwhile, my Henry had been left on the cold, unforgiving floor like discarded trash. His little body was covered in dirt, his clothes wrinkled and stained, as if he had been thrown aside the moment he became an inconvenience.

Felix didn’t even spare him a glance.

He didn’t see my son, trembling and hungry, pick up a half-eaten bun from the floor, the same one someone had carelessly tossed aside and shove it into his mouth.

A sharp sting burned in my chest. My vision blurred with rage as I rushed forward, gathering my son into my arms.

Before I could demand an explanation, Felix seized my wrist and pulled me into a private lounge.

“Adeline,” he said, his voice laced with forced patience. “There are a lot of important guests here today. Henry isn’t in the best state right now. I don’t want him to feel overwhelmed. Why don’t you stay here with him for now?”

He was trying to sound gentle as if he were making some reasonable request.

But I caught it, the fleeting flicker of disgust in his eyes.

I turned my gaze toward the banquet hall.

On the massive screen, photos of Felix and Gianna’s child played in an endless loop.

At the center of the stage, a mountain of lavish gifts stood in a grand display.

Not a single one belonged to Henry.

Even the name written in gold atop the extravagant cake wasn’t my son’s.

Felix followed my line of sight and for the first time, a flicker of realization crossed his face.

Perhaps, at that moment, he finally understood the cruelty of what he had done.

He pulled me into his arms, his voice urgent. “Adeline, don’t misunderstand. Gianna doesn’t want to let go of her child. I did all of this just to reassure her so she’d agree to the adoption.”

I tried to smile, but my lips refused to move.

Before he could say another word, Gianna’s son suddenly ran into the room and latched onto his leg.

“Daddy, you said you got me lots of presents! Come show me!”

Without sparing Henry or me a glance, Felix lifted him into his arms, a warm smile spreading across his face and walked away.

I sank onto the couch, clutching Henry tightly, my heart shattering into pieces.

The banquet carried on, but Felix never returned.

Realizing he had completely forgotten us, I held Henry close, steeling myself to leave.

Just as I was about to rise, Gianna stepped in front of me, her fingers curled around her son’s hand.

She smiled sweetly, but her eyes gleamed with mockery.

“Adeline, being abandoned doesn’t feel so good, does it?”

She let out a soft laugh, her gaze flicking to Henry. “Look at your pathetic son. How could he ever compare to my Onyx?”

“What a pity… That night, when he was forced to drink white wine, he sobbed so miserably. The assistant was trembling like a leaf and in the end, Felix had to do it himself.”

She tilted her head, laughing as if savoring the memory.

“So what if you’re Mrs. Young? Your son still ended up a fool just because I willed it.”

A tremor of fury ran through me. I bit down on my lip so hard that a sharp, metallic taste flooded my mouth.

Then, without warning, Gianna yanked her own child forward and struck him once, twice.

His cheeks flushed red with swelling, his piercing cries slicing through the air.

Before I could react, Felix stormed in.

He rushed forward, his face twisted in anguish as he scooped the boy into his arms.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto me, blazing with fury.

"Adeline, have you lost your mind? How could you lay a hand on a child?"

I froze; my breath caught in my throat, the words I wanted to say locked inside me.

Gianna threw herself into Felix’s arms, sobbing pitifully.

"Felix, I only wanted to bring my son to meet his future mother, but I never thought she’d call him a bastard, saying he wasn’t worthy of competing with Henry for the inheritance!"

Her voice quivered, thick with feigned sorrow. "I never wanted him to fight over anything… If Sister Adeline can’t accept him, then I’ll take him away."

Felix’s face darkened. Without hesitation, he grabbed my collar and struck me across the face.

"Adeline, since I adopted Onyx, he is my son. Whether you like it or not, you will treat him well!"

I clutched my stinging cheek, my vision blurring with tears.

Before I could utter a word, Henry suddenly lunged at Onyx, wrapping his small arms around him as he wailed,

"No! No bullying, Mommy! Bad people!"

Felix’s expression turned thunderous. Without warning, he lifted his foot and sent Henry flying.

I screamed and lunged forward, but I was too late.

Henry’s head slammed into the sharp corner of the table and blood gushed out in an instant.

My hands trembled as I cradled him, pressing desperately against the wound, but the more I pressed, the more the blood poured.

Tears blurred my vision as I looked up at Felix, my voice breaking with desperation.

"Please, save our Henry!"

For a fleeting moment, he hesitated, his arms slightly reaching toward Henry—until Gianna shrieked and seized his hand.

"Felix, Onyx’s face is bleeding! What if he gets a scar?"

Felix turned, his gaze finally landing on the faint scratch on Onyx’s cheek.

A long silence followed. Then, without a word, he picked up Onyx and strode toward the door.

A searing pain tore through my chest.

I gritted my teeth, forcing my legs to move as I stumbled after them.

Just as they reached the ambulance, Felix suddenly stretched out a hand, stopping me in my tracks.

Guilt flickered in his eyes, but his voice remained firm.

"Adeline, Henry already had a brain injury before. Even if he's bleeding, it won’t be that serious."

"Onyx is different. He will be the Young family's heir. If his face is scarred, it will affect the entire family."

"Just wait here. Another ambulance will be here soon."

Before I could say a word, he had already ushered Gianna and her son into the ambulance and vanished into the night.

Despair and helplessness crushed me, pressing down on my chest like an unbearable weight.

Thankfully, one of the guests was an emergency doctor. He quickly examined Henry, skillfully bandaging the wound.

Once I confirmed Henry was stable, I wasted no time; I changed our flight tickets and took him straight to the airport.

On the way, I made one last call to Felix, wanting to say goodbye.

The moment the call connected, his furious voice exploded through the speaker.

"Adeline, do you ever stop? I told you, another ambulance will be there soon!"

I was silent for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle.

"I just wanted to tell you that Henry is fine now. You focus on your work; we won’t bother you anymore."

Then, without hesitation, I hung up and sent him the divorce papers I had prepared long ago.

I tossed my phone aside, not sparing it another glance.

It wasn’t until late at night that Felix finally slipped out of the hospital room, having coaxed Gianna and her son to sleep. A heavy silence followed him as he stepped into the dimly lit hallway.

Thinking back to the way he had treated me today, a flicker of guilt gnawed at him. His jaw tightened and he waved his assistant over.

"Find out which ward Henry is in. I need to see him immediately."

Ten minutes later, his assistant returned, visibly shaken.

"Sir, I checked… Madam and Henry never got into the ambulance."

"Five hours ago, she sent you a divorce agreement. She said she knows everything… and that you should never disturb her and Henry again!"