“No wonder the heiress fell for you so early. She willingly bore you a son, and even stayed pure, waiting for you three long years!”

Laughter erupted.

Then came Anna Quinn’s sweet voice. “Ethan, you’re so cruel! You made me worry for so long!”

Ethan Carter gently stroked her hair. “Then I’ll make it up to you now.”

With that, he seized her neck and kissed her hard.

I turned away in silence. In the past, I would have stormed in, smashed everything in sight, shoved a gun in Anna’s face, and ordered her to kneel, apologize, and disappear.

But after giving birth to Leo, I had changed.

Let the sand you can’t hold slip away; the ones still beside you matter most.

As the heiress of the Lawson family, danger follows me everywhere.

Ethan had taken bullets for me—in the waist, the chest, even the back of his head.

But each time, he held me close, bleeding, and whispered, “Claire, don’t be afraid. I’m here. They’ll have to kill me before they touch you.”

He loved me fiercely, and I believed him.

But love doesn’t always endure.

I turned to leave when the door suddenly opened behind me.

Ethan’s voice, faintly panicked: “Claire?”

“When did you get here?”

I didn’t look back. My voice was impossibly calm. “Just now.”

Ethan exhaled in relief. He came forward, pulled me into his arms, and murmured against my ear, “Claire, I’ll come to you tonight. I’ve thought of you every night these three years.”

I didn’t move. I didn’t reply.

Sensing my indifference, his tone grew careful. “Claire, what’s wrong? Aren’t you happy I’m back?”

I tried to push him away, but a soft female voice cut in from behind.

Anna coughed lightly, covering her mouth. “Sister-in-law, you’re here? I wasn’t feeling well, so I came out to see you. Don’t misunderstand.”

At her voice, Ethan quickly released me. The worry in his eyes was plain. “It’s windy outside. What are you doing here?”

Anna stepped forward on her own. “I heard your voice and thought I’d say hello. Don’t mind, sister-in-law. Ethan fusses over me because he’s cared for me personally these three years. It’s unconscious.”

She sounded sincere. I looked at her pale face and said coldly, “I don’t mind if the Lawson family feeds more mouths.”

“But the Lawson family doesn’t keep strays.”

Her smile faltered. Ethan’s brow furrowed. “Claire! She’s my sister—and that makes her yours too. Don’t be so cruel.”

I glanced at him indifferently. “I’ve always been ruthless, haven’t I?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed, as if he wanted to argue, but then Anna leaned weakly against the doorframe, her voice dripping with grievance. “Sister-in-law, I know you hate me, but I never wanted to take anything away… I’m just too weak, and I need my brother’s care…”

“My brother looks after me day and night. I understand your anger.”

“Since you don’t like me, I’ll just leave.”

She turned and stumbled off. Ethan shot me a sharp glare, then rushed after her. “Anna, don’t run! You’re not well—you can’t take it!”

“I’ve been handling Lawson family affairs long enough. You don’t need to listen to her!”

“Anna!”

The two of them hurried on until they reached the courtyard’s corner.

Just as Anna turned, little Leo toddled out and collided with her legs.

Anna screamed, then slipped and collapsed to the ground.

Ethan Carter bent down and gathered her in his arms. “Anna, are you alright?”

Anna lifted the hem of her dress, blood running down her calf. Ethan’s face darkened with rage as he glared at Leo. “Who told you to run around like that?”

“Get out of here!”

Leo burst into frightened sobs. “Mom… I want Mom…”

I rushed over, pulling him into my arms, crouching to soothe him. “Don’t be afraid, Leo, Mommy’s here. Don’t cry, it wasn’t your fault. Don’t be afraid, Mommy’s here.”

The nanny hurried up behind me, out of breath.

“Miss, the young master kept calling for you—I couldn’t hold him back…”

I lowered my voice. “It’s alright, this isn’t your fault. The staff here is always careful.”

Ethan snapped coldly, “Is this how you raise a child?”

“No wonder he’s grown up so unruly!”

Anna leaned weakly against him, her voice soft. “Ethan, Leo’s still young. Don’t scare him…”

“I just fell and bled a little. I’ve been hurt before.”

She lifted her gaze toward me, sadness flickering in her eyes.

“Claire, it’s my fault.”

“You’re right. I was careless and bumped into the boy. I apologize.”

She tried to wriggle from Ethan’s arms but cried out in pain. Ethan’s expression twisted in anguish as he quickly tightened his hold. “What are you apologizing for?”

“This is my failure, as a father, for not raising my son right.”

He turned his cold stare on Leo and me. “Leo, I wasn’t there to raise you. That’s on me.”

“But Claire, as his mother, the greater blame falls on you.”

“I can’t leave Leo under your care forever. You’ll only poison him with your arrogance.”

“Now that Anna is here, she’ll help raise him. She’s educated, gentle, kind—she’ll raise Leo properly.”

My voice cut like ice. “What do you mean by that?”

Ethan’s brow hardened. “I mean Anna will raise Leo. You’ll remain the Lawson heiress.”

I spat the words. “In your dreams.”

His tone was final, unyielding. “I’m the head of the Lawson syndicate. Of course, I have that right.”

“And Leo is my son. As his father, I have every right.”

He steadied Anna and yanked her closer. His gaze locked on Leo.

“A real man accepts punishment for his mistakes.”

“Now kneel and apologize to Aunt Anna!”

He reached for Leo’s small shoulders, ready to force him down.

Leo screamed through his tears, thrashing. “No! I want Mommy! I want Mommy!”

I clenched my fists until they ached, my patience snapping. I called for the butler, tore the gun from his hand, and pressed the barrel to Ethan’s forehead, my grip steady, unflinching. “Ethan Carter, if you dare touch my son, I’ll blow your head off.”

He sneered. “I taught you to shoot, and now you point a gun at me?”

He clamped his hand around mine, forcing the muzzle harder against his temple.

“Do it here. Don’t hold back.”

“I’ve taken enough bullets for you!”

I stared into the fire blazing in his eyes, my finger tightening on the trigger.

“Fine. I’ll grant your wish…”

Before I could finish, Anna suddenly threw herself at me, shoving me aside. She crashed hard to the floor.

She trembled and sobbed, “No! Miss Lawson, don’t hurt Ethan!”

“If anything happens, I’ll take the blame. But don’t touch him.”

“My life is worthless, but Ethan still has to lead the syndicate. His life matters more.”

Ethan no longer cared about Leo or me—he only bent down to lift Anna Quinn.

Blood trickled from Anna’s lips after the fall.

Ethan scooped her up and rushed out. “Anna, stop talking, just stop. Nothing matters more than your life.”

“If she dares to harm you, I’ll never forgive her.”

Anna weakly nestled into his arms, then glanced back at me with a smug smile. The nanny picked up Leo, grinding her teeth in fury. “Miss, your uncle’s gone too far!”

“If you hadn’t begged the dying Don and personally led the crew to rescue him, how could your uncle have survived so easily?”

“Miss, you nearly died. Why didn’t you let us tell him? If he knew—”

I raised my hand to cut her off. “It doesn’t matter now.”

Leo, frightened, stretched his arms toward me.

I took him and held him tight.

After bringing him back to his room and soothing him to sleep, I summoned the butler.

“Here’s my token. Take it to the Prince on the west side of the city and tell him I agree.”

The butler, an old family retainer, hesitated. “Miss, that man has a vicious temper. You must think this through.”

“Everyone knows that when the Don was alive, he longed to seize the Lawson syndicate’s territory. If you agree now, he might—”

I interrupted firmly. “I have my own plans. Go.”

The butler had no choice but to leave.

Late at night, a loud commotion in the courtyard woke Leo.

It was Ethan returning from the hospital with Anna.

I quickly stood, cradling Leo. “Don’t be afraid, Mommy’s here.”

Leo couldn’t sleep. He clung to me, eyes wide, and whispered, “Mom, does Daddy not want us anymore?”

My heart clenched. I kissed his forehead softly. “You’re lucky, Leo—you still have me.”

He buried himself in my embrace, his little hands gripping my shirt.

My son, Leo Lawson—having me is all he needs.

The next day, Ethan came to apologize. “I know you’re still angry, but I was only pretending. After all, Anna saved my life—she nearly got torn apart by wolves for me.”

“I’ve thought it over. Our son’s birthday is coming. Let’s give him a grand party.”

“Then the world will know that I, Ethan Carter, have a son!”

I sneered. Finally.

The man from the west side quickly replied.

“I’ll be back in five days. The betrothal gifts are ready.”

Five days later?

That would fall on Leo’s birthday.

Ethan threw a lavish party, but his closest lieutenants kept giving me strange looks.

The night before the celebration, Anna suddenly barged into the dining hall wearing a wedding dress. “Sister-in-law, I’m sorry, I got lost. I didn’t mean to come here.”

“I just finished trying on my gown, and Ethan told me to go for a walk to relax. I must have taken the wrong turn.”

I glanced at her coldly. “If you’re lost, then get out.”

“My gun won’t miss a second time.”

She turned pale with fear. As she spun to leave, clutching the dress, the oversized hem swept across the shelf, knocking over a vase.