Mary's boot slammed hard into my ribs. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs.

"You want me to violate confidentiality protocols?" she snapped. "Jerry, you've really thought this through, haven't you?"

The voice from her womb immediately echoed in agreement:

[Bad Daddy is awful! Mommy and Brandon, hurry and teach him a lesson!]

Brandon turned to glance at Mary. At her almost imperceptible nod, he swung the electric baton down, striking my temple with brutal force.

Warm blood trickled from my forehead. The metallic taste of it spread through my mouth.

"Confess!" Brandon's blows grew harsher, his voice twisted with excitement. "You're tarnishing Mary's reputation!"

Waves of dizziness crashed over me, but I fixed my gaze on Mary.

"This is abuse of power—extrajudicial torture!" I spat. "You're condemning me based on the voice of an unborn child?"

I spat out a mouthful of blood. It landed beside her polished boots.

"When the truth comes out, none of you will escape!"

Mary gestured for Brandon to stop. She took the baton and pressed it beneath my chin.

"Do you know how I became the youngest captain here?"

She slammed my head against the wall.

"It's all because of the baby's voice. I might be wrong, but it never is."

Then the baby's voice rang out again, "Bad Daddy! Still slandering me, even at the end. Does he really think he covered his tracks perfectly?"

Brandon stepped forward at once, his hand resting familiarly on Mary's belly.

"Good boy, tell me, what else has your father done?" The intimacy of the gesture was blinding, as if he were the child's real father. "I will make sure he's punished."

I let out a cold laugh.

"What a touching display. Is this how you usually handle cases?"

That single sentence completely enraged Mary.

She drew her gun in one fluid motion and fired. The bullet tore through my knee. Pain exploded through my body. Blood spread rapidly across the floor.

"You'll regret this!" I roared.

The voice spoke again, dropping an even more devastating accusation.

"Bad Daddy colluded with foreign spies. His company is a hub for intelligence transfer—who knows how many secrets he's leaked?"

That claim ignited Mary's fury.

As a key member of the Confidential Bureau, nothing disgusted her more than traitors. She raised her gun to fire again, but Brandon suddenly stepped in front of me.

"Mary, calm down. We don't have evidence yet."

He glanced back at me.

"Besides, we can't let him die so easily."

To my surprise, Mary lowered her weapon. With her stubborn nature, once she made up her mind, she never turned back. Just how much did Brandon matter to her?

Gasping for air, I forced out, "Mary, if you've got the nerve, just kill me!"

In a flash, Brandon's dagger plunged into my thigh.

"Want to die? Not that easy."

He switched on the recorder clipped to his chest.

"Jerry, do you admit to colluding with foreign spies?"

I spat blood and saliva straight into his face. "That's a baseless accusation!"

Fighting through the pain, I struggled against the restraints.

"I've always acted with integrity. This is a forced confession under torture!"

With a cold laugh, Brandon switched off the recorder and twisted the dagger cruelly in my wound. The pain in my body was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. Only after living this life again did I truly see Mary for who she was.

Amid my hoarse groans, a shrill alarm suddenly blared.

The basement doors were forced open as armed officers from the Confidential Bureau rushed in. Brandon barely had time to react before he was subdued.

The deputy director at the front strode quickly to my side and personally released my restraints.

"Jerry, are you alright?"

My hands trembled as I pulled a miniature recording device from my inner pocket.

"The evidence… it's all in here…"