On our wedding anniversary, my husband, Nelson Vaughn, took my daughter and me to a carnival.

In the middle of the festivities, Nelson was called away on an "urgent matter," leaving my daughter and me stranded hundreds of feet in the air on a malfunctioning Ferris wheel.

I held my terrified daughter, my own sobs catching in my throat as I called Nelson again and again. Finally, on the last attempt, he picked up.

My voice was a hoarse rasp as I opened my mouth to beg for help, but all I heard were the slick, rhythmic sounds of lovemaking on the other end.

A moment later, a woman's voice purred.

"Nelson, you have no idea how moved I am... that you sacrificed your son with Cassandra for ours. The only way I can repay you is with my body..."

Nelson paused before replying, his voice a low growl. "I promised I'd protect our child, no matter the cost. As for my son with Cassandra... his life was forfeit from the start."

At that, the tears I’d been holding back finally fell.

I’d always believed my three-year-old son died in a family vendetta—a death I had blamed myself for.

It turned out my son hadn't died in a feud at all. He had been sacrificed by Nelson to save his mistress's son—Ella Fischer's son!

With the last of my strength, I dialed Killian Donovan's number.

"I'll marry you. But I want you to destroy Nelson Vaughn and his entire family."

A soft, dangerous chuckle came from the other end of the line.

"With pleasure."

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1

After hanging up, I hugged my daughter, Rosie, tightly against my chest.

Just then, a call came through from Nelson. I answered but said nothing.

"Nelson," a woman's voice cooed, "the news is reporting an accident at the carnival. Aren't Cassandra and your daughter there? Shouldn't you check on them?"

Nelson's indifferent voice drifted through the phone.

"Still have the energy to worry about them? Guess I wasn't working you hard enough. Besides, they aren't helpless. They probably knew the party was over the moment I left and went home."

The woman's sultry giggle was followed by the sound of a wet kiss.

It was only then that I recognized her. It was Nelson's mistress, Ella Fischer.

Years ago, when the Vaughn family was in turmoil, Ella had fled the country without a second thought.

And I was the fool who had broken her engagement to Killian Donovan, all to marry Nelson and help him solidify his position as Don.

In our ten years of marriage, he had always cherished me, treating me like a precious treasure. I had thought our life was a happy one.

It turned out Nelson's heart had strayed long ago, and I had been living in a gilded cage.

Tears streamed down my face. Rosie, her own little heart aching for me, gently wiped my cheeks with her tiny hands.

Ella was still talking. I covered Rosie's ears and kept listening, my heart numb with cold dread.

"Nelson, if something happens to our son again, would you still save him? I seem to recall Cassandra still has a daughter."

My heart seized. Ella had orchestrated my son's death, and now she was coming for my daughter.

I had thought Nelson, at the very least, would never harm Rosie. But his answer came without a shred of hesitation.

"If it comes to that, I won't think twice. I promised you, our son is the only heir."

Ella sounded overjoyed but feigned concern. "But if Cassandra finds out, won't she hate you?"

Nelson was silent for a moment. "She won't hate me. She owes me, after all. She was the one who crawled into Killian Donovan's bed. It's better that both of her children are dead."

"I'll never divorce her. I'll let her keep her title as Donna of the Vaughn family. It's a kindness she doesn't deserve."

As soon as he finished, more lustful sounds echoed through the phone.

Hearing this, the final piece of my shattered heart turned to dust.

A blood-red rage burned behind my eyes. I wanted to tear Nelson and Ella limb from limb.

Back when the Vaughn family was in trouble, my own Gallagher family's power wasn't enough to save them.

My only option was to use my past acquaintance with Killian and beg him to intervene.

Killian's condition was that I spend one night with him. In return, he would invest in the Vaughn family.

When I confessed to Nelson at the time, he had simply smiled, stroking my hair. "I trust you," he'd said gently. "You're doing this for the family, for me. I will never forget your sacrifice."

And this was how he repaid me.

Deep down, Nelson felt I had become "tainted" after that night.

He had even come to doubt the parentage of our children.

At that thought, I hung up the phone without hesitation.

I knew full well that Ella had made that call intentionally.

But I was still grateful. She had let me see the whole, ugly truth.

A few minutes later, Ella sent a barrage of taunting messages, complete with photos of them writhing in bed.

I saved them one by one, studying each grotesque image.

Soon, a text from Killian arrived.

I'll come for you in seven days. Wait another three minutes. My men are on-site at the carnival.

Reading his message, I finally let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

I had survived being stranded hundreds of feet in the air. Now, it was Nelson and Ella's turn to go to hell.

After a check-up at a private clinic, I took my daughter back to our lakeside manor.

Once I had Rosie settled in her room, I went upstairs to pack important documents.

Just then, I heard a footstep behind me.

"Cassandra, what are you doing?"

I froze, swallowing the bile that rose in my throat. "Just organizing some files," I answered calmly.

Nelson didn't seem to notice anything amiss.

Just as he always did, he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

I couldn't dodge in time and was pulled into his embrace. The cloying scent of Ella's expensive perfume on him made my stomach lurch.

Nelson didn't notice my revulsion and kept talking.

"Cassandra, I'm so glad you and Rosie are okay. I never expected an accident at the carnival. Otherwise, no matter how urgent the family business was, I never would have left you."

His voice was laced with a convincing tremor of fear, every word dripping with false sincerity.

But knowing the truth, I felt nothing but ice in my veins.

I looked up at him. The expression on Nelson's face was as gentle as ever.

Those arms had once been a safe harbor for me and my daughter.

Now, they were the very weapons that would strangle us.

At that thought, I lowered my eyes and subtly slipped out of his embrace.

"It's fine. Family business comes first. Rosie and I are safe."

Nelson, accustomed to my compliance, frowned, a look of feigned heartache crossing his face. "How could the family be more important than you and Rosie? After losing our son, I can't imagine living without you."

The sound of our dead son's name on his lips sent a wave of venomous hatred through me, blurring my vision.

Before I could speak, his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and smiled apologetically at me.

"It's family business. I'll step out to take the call."

I nodded numbly, my nails digging into my palms so hard they drew blood.

The moment Nelson answered, I saw the caller ID. As I'd expected, it was Ella.

I heard Nelson's anxious voice from the hallway, and a terrible premonition gripped me.

The next second, he burst back into the room and slapped me across the face with a furious roar.

"Why did you touch Ella? She's pregnant! If anything happens to her, I'll make you pay with your life!"

I clutched my stinging cheek, staring at Nelson in disbelief.

When he saw the red mark blooming on my skin, he froze.

A complex emotion flickered across his face, and he reached out as if to touch me.

But his phone rang again. He shot me one last, unreadable look before turning on his heel and leaving.

I rushed downstairs, desperate to get Rosie out of there.

But before I could even reach the front door, Nelson grabbed my arm in a death grip.

Without a word, he dragged me and my crying daughter to the car. No matter how much Rosie sobbed and screamed for her "Papa," he refused to let go.

By the time the ringing in my ears subsided, the car had already returned to the carnival.

The Ferris wheel was still broken, its gondolas suspended in mid-air. Nelson snatched my daughter from my arms.

"Tell me where Ella is, or I swear you will regret this!"

He held my daughter in a vice grip, taking her onto a private helicopter. It ascended, higher and higher, until he could lock her back inside that broken gondola.

Rosie was already traumatized by the Ferris wheel. Now, she was crying and struggling uncontrollably.

Each of her cries was a knife twisting in my gut. Watching the gondola sway precariously on Nelson's command, I could barely breathe.

"I don't know anything about it! Nelson, I don't care who kidnapped Ella, just get our daughter down from there!" I screamed, verging on hysteria.

This was a far cry from the doting father he'd once pretended to be. He emotionlessly ordered his men to shake the gondola.

"I'm giving you ten seconds. Then they'll slowly increase the intensity."

As he spoke, he ordered his men to increase the force of the shaking.

I watched my daughter inside, who was crying so hard she was about to pass out, and dug my nails into my palms.

Nelson had no mercy. The agony was so sharp I thought my heart would give out.

Watching my daughter, who was nearly convulsing from her sobs, I finally broke.

"Nelson, I really don't know. I have no idea where Ella is. Please, let our daughter down, please? She can't take it anymore."

My pleas didn't move Nelson in the slightest. He continued his countdown, his face an emotionless mask.

"Eight."

Just a short while ago at the manor, Nelson was apologizing for us being trapped. But now, for Ella, he had become the executioner, turning his own cruel hands against us.

I couldn't help but scream, "Nelson, investigate! Check the surveillance! I didn't kidnap Ella! Please, let Rosie go—she's your own flesh and blood! She can't hold on, I'm begging you, I'll get on my knees!"

Nelson didn't even look at me as his cold countdown continued.

I couldn't bear it. I scrambled up from the ground and started climbing the Ferris wheel's support structure.

Nelson watched me coldly. With the countdown nearly finished, I was just about to reach the gondola.

A flicker of hope ignited in my eyes. Disregarding my own safety, I reached out, desperate to save my daughter.

Just then, Nelson violently yanked me onto the helicopter and slapped me viciously.

"Are you insane?! Climbing that high, what if you fell?"

A flicker of what looked like concern sparked in his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

But I couldn't bring myself to believe him anymore.

I clutched his sleeve, my voice choked with sobs. "I'm begging you, Nelson. Do whatever you want to me. Say I kidnapped Ella. Just let Rosie go. I'll take her place."

Nelson gripped me tightly and roared, "You'd risk your life for that bastard you had with Killian Donovan? Then why the hell did you marry me in the first place!"

He shoved me toward the bodyguards behind him.

"I won't let that little bastard go. You'd better tell me where Ella is right now, or I'll make the brat pay with her life!"

I struggled with all my might, tears streaming down my face.

"I really don't know! Rosie and I went straight back to the manor from the carnival! We didn't have a chance to kidnap anyone! Rosie is your child! You can do a paternity test, but please, just let her go for now, please?"

I wailed, my dignity shattering on the pavement at his feet.

But even so, he refused to believe me.