Henson pulled a document from his suit jacket, the paper rustling loudly in the night wind. "Take a look at this."

He threw the file at my feet. I trembled as I picked it up, and under the moonlight, the words came into focus.

[DNA Paternity Test Report. Test subjects: Henson Costello, Sofia Costello. Conclusion: Paternity excluded.]

My hands shook so badly I could barely hold the paper. I was absolutely certain Sofia was Henson's daughter. After we got married, I had only ever been with him.

"Impossible... This is fake..."

"Fake?" Henson scoffed, walking toward me.

He said, "I had my private doctor run this three months ago. I used Sofia's hair and my blood samples. The results are in your face."

He bent down, his voice ice-cold as he growled, "She's not my daughter."

"You know exactly what you did during those three days you spent with Vincenzo..." He spoke slowly, deliberately.

"It was purely business negotiations!" I practically screamed.

"Business? What kind of business requires you to stay at his private estate?"

"I was trying to save the Costello family–" My voice grew weaker.

"Save the family?" He cut me off, a twisted smile spreading across his face. "You carried a Moretti bastard and disgraced the Costello bloodline!"

Each word was like a knife, carving into my heart. I fell to my knees, utterly speechless.

Ten years of marriage, everything I had sacrificed for this family, and the man I loved, all turned into a cruel joke.

Henson turned away in fury and walked toward the elevator control box.

"No!" By the time I realized what he was about to do, it was too late.

He raised his foot and kicked the control box hard. Sparks exploded, illuminating his twisted face.

The sound of the circuit shorting was deafening. Then, one of the main cables snapped with a piercing metallic screech that echoed through the night sky, and the lift began tilting violently as it plummeted.

The elevator lurched violently.

"Sofia!" I screamed.

I watched as she tumbled inside the lift.

"No... No!" I rushed toward the edge, but the bodyguards held me down tight.

I watched helplessly as the lift dangled in midair on just two remaining cables, ready to fall completely at any moment. Just then, Henson's phone rang, the sharp ringtone drifting on the wind.

He answered the call, sounding irritated. "What is it?"

"We found Angelina. She's at her mother's house, safe and sound."

I listened to his underboss' report, and a spark of hope ignited in me.

"Please..." I sobbed. "Henson, let Sofia go, she's innocent..."

"Innocent?" He walked to the lift and looked at the unconscious Sofia. There was not a trace of emotion in his eyes, and he was looking at her like she was a nuisance.

"Why would I spare a mongrel?"

I struggled and shouted, "Henson! She's your daughter!"

He replied calmly, "She's not. She's your brat with Vincenzo."

He turned his back on the lift, as if Sofia’s life meant nothing at all. I stared at the swaying platform as the remaining cables groaned under the strain.

Sofia could fall at any second.

"No!" I used every ounce of strength to break free from the bodyguards' grip.

I rushed to the edge and jumped, wanting only to hold Sofia, my most precious treasure.

A hand suddenly grabbed my wrist, my body jerking to a halt in midair as I was yanked back. My back slammed hard into the concrete floor. As the searing pain hit me, I nearly blacked out.

Henson pinned me down, his grip crushing my wrist, his nails digging into my skin.

He panted and growled, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?! I won't let you!"

I looked at him, tears blurring my vision. He held me tight and whispered in my ear, "It's okay, Aurelia. Once that runt is dead, we can start over."

He kissed my forehead, the gesture terrifyingly gentle. A metallic sweetness surged up my throat, and my vision suddenly went black as I lost consciousness completely.

The last thing I heard was the sound of the lift falling in the distance. Then, a deathly silence.

"Where's Sofia?!" I bolted upright in the hospital bed, my chest heaving.

The white ceiling spun above me, and the smell of disinfectant stung my nostrils.

Henson sat in a chair beside the bed, holding a small silver knife. He elegantly peeled an apple and said, "You're awake."

He did not even look up, his voice terrifyingly calm.

"I asked you where Sofia is!" I struggled to get out of bed, only to find my wrist connected to an IV line.

"She's safe." He finally looked up, those eyes that once captivated me suddenly cold as steel.

I stared at him hard, my heart racing. "What does that mean?"

He set down the knife and held out the peeled apple. "Eat something. You've been out for a whole day."

"I don't want it!" I knocked the apple from his hand, and it smashed on the floor. "Tell me where Sofia is!"

Henson's tone turned threatening instantly. "Aurelia, you'd better calm down."

"Calm down?" I nearly shouted. "You dropped Sofia from that height–"

He cut me off, his tone dismissive. "Don't worry about it. I told you, she's safe."

I froze, tears immediately flooding my eyes. "Really?"

"Of course." He picked up the knife again and started peeling a second apple.

"Then where is she now? I need to see her!"

The blade paused on the apple skin as he looked up at me. "You want to see her?"

"Yes!"

He replied casually, "Then you need to do something first. Angelina's in shock, and she's in the VIP ward right now."

My heart sank. "You want me to..."

"Go apologize to her," he said slowly. "Apologize sincerely for sending people to threaten her."

"I didn't threaten her!"

"Is that so?" He stood up, looking down at me. "Then explain why she said it was you."

I opened my mouth to argue, but I realized I had no way to prove my innocence. "Henson, I swear I didn't..."

He cut me off coldly, "I don't want to hear your excuses. I just want you to apologize. After you apologize, I'll let you see Sofia."

I gritted my teeth. I was willing to do anything for Sofia, so I said, "Fine. I'll go."

He nodded, satisfied. "Good. But before that, you need to do one more thing."

A sense of dread washed over me. "What is it?"

"Angelina needs a blood transfusion, and she has a rare blood type: O negative." He was not asking me; he was giving a command.

My eyes widened. "You want me to give her blood?"

He shrugged. "The doctor says her condition is critical."

"Henson, I just woke up! My body's still weak..."

His voice suddenly turned sharp, making me wince. "She's carrying my child! My heir! Do you want to watch them die?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I told myself that for Sofia, I had to endure this. "Fine. I agree."

Half an hour later, I was wheeled into the blood draw room. The cold needle pierced my vein, and bright red blood flowed through the clear tube. I felt dizzy and gripped the sheets tightly.

The nurse glanced at my condition and said with some concern, "Sir, the patient doesn't look well..."

"Continue." Henson's voice left no room for argument.

I bit down hard, refusing to pass out. Sofia was still waiting for me, and I could not collapse.

Finally, they finished drawing the blood. I lay weakly on the bed as the whole world spun around me.

I used every bit of strength to ask, "Now… Can I see Sofia?"

Henson looked at my pale face, something flickering in his eyes before quickly disappearing. "You haven't apologized to Angelina yet."

I braced myself against the wall and stood up. My legs were weak, and I nearly failed. Even so, I said, "I'll go right now."

At the door of the VIP room, I stopped and took a deep breath. I asked weakly, "After I apologize, can I see Sofia?"

Henson looked coldly at my pale face. "You're awfully concerned about that runt. Just go apologize to Angelina first."

I no longer wanted to explain that Sofia was his biological daughter. In a few days, I would take Sofia and leave this place for good. By then, he would no longer be her father.

The hospital room door pushed open, and Henson dragged me inside.

Angelina was propped up in bed, her complexion rosy. She looked nothing like someone who had just lost a lot of blood. When she saw me enter, a flash of triumph crossed her eyes before she quickly switched to a weak expression.

"Aurelia..." She reached out and grabbed Henson's hand, her voice trembling. "Thank you for being willing to save me..."

I stood there watching her phony performance, my stomach churning.

"Say it." Henson threatened in a low voice near my ear. "Apologize to her."

I took a deep breath and forced out three words without expression. "I am sorry."

"What?" Angelina pretended she could not hear me. "What did you say?"

"I said I'm sorry," I repeated it louder.

A flash of satisfaction crossed Angelina's eyes, then she sighed. "Oh, poor Aurelia..."

Her tone dripped with fake pity, and nausea rose in my throat again.

She continued, "You know what? I don't really blame you. After all, losing a child is devastating for any mother... But you shouldn't take your anger out on innocent people."

She touched her belly. "The baby I'm carrying is innocent..."

My hands clenched into tight fists as I said coldly, "Enough. I've apologized."

"Yes, you have." She nodded, then suddenly broke into a strange smile. "But unfortunately, your daughter is already dead."

I froze. "What?"

"Sofia…" Her voice was soft, yet every word cut like a blade. "She's dead. Her body's in the morgue downstairs right now."

I felt my world crumbling. I shook my head, stuttering, "N-No... That's impossible..."

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way," said Angelina with false sympathy, "but that's the reality."

My sanity snapped in an instant, and I lunged at her. I wrapped my hands around her throat as I shouted, "You evil woman!"

"Aurelia!" Henson roared.

I felt no pain or fear; I just wanted to strangle this vicious woman. "You killed Sofia!"

I used every ounce of strength I had. "I'm going to kill you!"

Angelina's face turned bright red as she struggled desperately.

Suddenly, a powerful hand grabbed my shoulder and threw me off violently. My head slammed hard into the metal medical equipment in the corner, searing pain hitting me as warm liquid streamed down my forehead.

Henson held the frightened Angelina, his eyes full of rage. "Are you insane? She's pregnant!"

"I hate you both! You killed Leo, and now you've killed Sofia! I won't let you get away with this!" I screamed, my head spinning.

When Henson heard me say that, a flash of panic crossed his eyes.

I leaned against the wall, blood blurring my vision.

"Someone! Give her a sedative!" Henson shouted toward the door.

Two nurses rushed in, one of them holding a syringe.

"No..." I tried to struggle, but my body was too weak.

The needle pierced my arm, and cold liquid entered my veins. My consciousness began to fade as I slowly slid to the floor. The last thing I saw was Angelina's triumphant smile in Henson's arms.

...

When I woke up again, I found myself back in the white hospital room.

Henson sat by the bed, his expression terrifyingly calm.

My voice was hoarse as I asked, "Sofia... Is she really..."

"They couldn't save her," he replied calmly, as if nothing had happened. "The doctor said she fell from that height. Her organs ruptured, and she suffered massive blood loss..."

"It's fine," he added calmly.

My eyes slowly widened. Then, I let out an empty, agonized laugh. Tears fell silently, and I vowed to make Angelina and her son pay with their lives.

Just then, the hospital room door burst open.

Angelina suddenly rushed in and delivered a sharp slap across my face.