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.

She screamed, and just then, Ethan’s anxious voice came from the doorway.

“Anna, why are you here? Come back with me.”

He rushed over, shot a glance at Leo and me, then quickly grabbed Anna Quinn and tried to leave. I looked at the shattered vase on the floor, fury boiling inside me. “Stop! Who allowed you to walk out?”

The butler immediately stepped forward. “Miss Quinn, you’ve broken something left behind by the late Madame, the very piece the young lady cherished most.”

Anna’s face drained of color. She stammered, “I… I didn’t mean to… I didn’t know it was some dead person’s cursed relic…”

Ethan tightened his grip on her hand and said sharply, “Claire Lawson, what do you mean? Are you really trying to settle scores now?”

I replied coldly, “Yes. That’s exactly what I mean.”

Ethan scoffed. “I said no! I’d like to see who dares touch her.”

The butler’s hand went for his weapon, but Ethan drew his pistol faster, firing a shot straight into the man’s wrist.

The gun clattered to the floor, and now its muzzle was aimed at me.

“Claire, do you want to test me too?”

So this was what it felt like to stare down the barrel of a gun held by the man you once loved.

The butler knelt on the ground, clutching his bleeding wrist, face pale as he gasped, “Miss…”

I said nothing. And when Ethan saw that I had relented at last, he led Anna away.

Five days later, men from the west side of the city marched into the Lawson estate, carrying betrothal gifts.

But the celebration of Leo’s birthday was underway as well, and Ethan’s own wedding gifts for Anna arrived at the same time.

So no one noticed the men from the west.

Holding Leo in my arms, I stood on the staircase above the hall, walked down the crimson carpet, and stepped into the car waiting to take us west.

Before I boarded, I ordered the butler—still weak from his wounds—to send word to our crew. They were to leave the Lawson compound at once and follow me.

Meanwhile, at the birthday party, Anna, dressed in her gown, toasted with Ethan.

I never appeared, and by the time the celebration was nearly over, Ethan’s patience snapped.

He sent men to search my courtyard, but they returned quickly. “Boss, we can’t find the eldest Miss anywhere!”

Ethan’s face twisted in disbelief. “Impossible! She was supposed to be here for Leo’s birthday. How could she vanish?”