Chapter 1

In the office, Justin Ford carefully reviewed the report the doctor had handed him, feeling a huge weight lift off his chest.

"Nolan's eye really did the trick. Marcus can leave the hospital now. I can finally breathe easy."

The doctor's anger boiled over, and he couldn't stay quiet. "Mr. Justin! Even if you care for Ms. Lloyd, she's not your wife. You took Mr. Nolan's eye without consent. If anyone finds out, the whole hospital could shut down. Was it really worth it?"

Justin's eyes darkened. He slammed the report onto the desk and snapped, "Enough! What I choose to do isn't for you to dictate. Suzanne only has Marcus. How could I stand by and do nothing? It's only an eye! It doesn't affect his life."

The doctor asked sharply, "Can you guarantee that Mrs. Ford and Nolan will never learn the truth? What will you do if they find out you almost risked their lives for Ms. Lloyd?"

Justin fell silent for a moment, then took out his phone and stared at the family photo on his lock screen. His expression dimmed. "They'll never know. I've covered it up perfectly."

He paused, turned off the screen, and added calmly, "Claire and Nolan love me very much."

…

I gripped my son's hand as tightly as I could, shivering from the icy chill that ran through me.

I could still remember that day, when six-year-old Nolan Ford lay in an ICU bed, staring at me with blank eyes.

"Mommy, where's my left eye? Why is it gone?"

That day, I cried until my voice was gone and my body wouldn't stop trembling. I even wished for death, just so the pain would end.

I hated myself for leaving with Nolan. I hated myself for not protecting him. Most of all, I hated myself for being a bad mother.

But in truth, the one I should have hated the most was Justin.

Nolan covered his mouth, unable to believe that the person who took his eye was his own father.

Justin folded the report and said, "Now that Suzanne and her child have mostly recovered, it's time for them to return."

He seemed unusually cheerful. "Make the arrangements, and remember—Claire must never find out."

The sound of approaching footsteps made me panic. I held Nolan close, hiding as best I could, yet Justin still spotted us.

"Claire? Nolan? What are you doing here?" Justin asked, tense to the point that his breathing faltered.