Chapter 3

The needle, thick as a finger, was about to plunge into Alaric's body.

I finally saw the truth. Caspian didn't come home for me or Alaric.

It was Isolde, that venomous snake! She was too terrified of the side effects to use it on her own son, Julian, so she snatched my Alaric to be her damned lab rat!

And Caspian, his own biological father, just to make him "smarter" and not to let down his "true love's" kindness, actually condoned this potentially lethal human experiment!

I charged forward, shoving the doctor aside as he prepared to inject another dose. "Caspian! Are you insane? Isolde is using Alaric to test poison! I don't consent to this! What gives you the right to use it on him?!"

Caspian turned around. Seeing it was me, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with nothing but impatience at the interruption. "Ivy? What kind of fit are you throwing now? Control yourself! Isolde pulled every string she had and spent millions to get this 'smart drug.' People beg for this and can't get it, so stop being so ungrateful!"

He continued, sneering, "If you hadn't raised Alaric to be so mediocre and clumsy, we wouldn't have to trouble Isolde. You should be thanking her. When did you become so unreasonable?"

"Beg for it?" I pointed at my son, whose face was pale as he convulsed in pain, tears streaming down my face. "Open your eyes and look! She explicitly said on the phone that it’s a trial drug! She was afraid something would happen to Julian, so she used Alaric as a shield! In five years, you never took him to a theme park or bought him a single toy. Now, the moment you show up, you’re using his life to pave the way for that woman’s son?!"

I tried to stop them again, but Caspian shoved me aside violently. "Stop it! You ignorant shrew!"

His eyes were cold, looking at me like I was garbage. "Isolde said the drug is intense, but the results are miraculous! She gave this incredible opportunity to Alaric! The Thorne family heir must be exceptional. Why can't you get that through your thick skull?"

"I don't want your 'exceptional'!" I screamed hysterically, lunging forward to undo the restraints. "We're going home! Don't touch my son!"

Just then, the monitoring equipment nearby let out a piercing alarm.

The doctor operating it turned pale and shouted in panic, "Mr. Thorne! Something's wrong! The reaction is too violent! The subject's nervous system is collapsing! This is a severe toxic rejection reaction!"

Foam began to spill from the corners of Alaric's mouth. His small face, already twisted in pain, instantly turned a deathly grey, and his body began to convulse violently.

Only then did panic finally seize Caspian. He snatched up the phone and dialed. "Isolde! What's going on? Alaric is having a seizure!"

After a quick diagnosis, the doctor said anxiously, "The drug is too potent; a child's body can't handle it. We must perform blood purification immediately, or the toxins will attack his heart! We need to transfuse a large amount of O-negative blood to neutralize it! But this is a private lab; we don't have enough in stock..."

Caspian's gaze instantly locked onto me. He knew. I had the rare O-negative blood type.

"Ivy," he strode over, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Save our son. Now."

I didn't even think. To save Alaric, I rolled up my sleeve without a second thought. "Hurry! Take mine! Take as much as you need, just save him!"

The blood bag slowly filled up. It was Alaric's lifeline.

However, before the blood could even be transfused into Alaric, a shrill scream from Isolde pierced the air from the VIP suite next door. "Help! Caspian! Someone help! Julian fainted!"

Caspian's face changed instantly. He abandoned us and rushed out.

Seconds later, he returned, his expression terrifyingly dark.

"Take the blood." He pointed at the bag of warm blood that had just been drained from my body, his voice cold and hard. "Send it next door for Julian."

I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. I couldn't believe my ears.

"What did you say?" I clutched the blood bag tightly, dizzy from blood loss. "This is for Alaric! He's going into shock!"

"Julian's congenital heart condition acted up; he needs a transfusion too!" Caspian avoided my eyes, gritting his teeth. "His condition is more critical; one second later and his heart will stop. Alaric is just having a rejection reaction. Isolde said a shot of adrenaline will be enough for him!"

I screamed like a madwoman, "Caspian, Alaric is your own flesh and blood! You're going to kill him!"

"Isn't that kid a life too?! I can't just watch him die! When did you become so cold-blooded?" Caspian roared at the bodyguards. "What are you waiting for? Grab it!"

"No! Caspian! You bastard!"

I struggled desperately, but the bodyguards roughly pinned me to the chair. I watched helplessly as the blood was taken away.

After the blood draw, everyone left, and only my Alaric remained, alone on the cold machine, trembling as his vital signs faded little by little.

Just when I was utterly desperate, I suddenly remembered Valerius, the man I'd seen at the hotel entrance that day.

He was so rich; he was probably the only one who could bring the best doctors to save Alaric.

I didn't know why he was helping me, but I couldn't care less.

I pulled out his business card and typed a text message to the number on it: I need your help.

But before I could send the message, "Mommy..." a weak, raspy voice interrupted me.

It was Alaric.

His small body was curled up under the blanket, his face pale as paper. There was no one else around to care for him, but he was alive.

Ignoring the IV drip still in my arm, I stumbled over and hugged him, tears bursting forth instantly. "I'm sorry... Alaric, I'm sorry... Mommy is useless. Mommy couldn't protect you..."

Alaric lifted his small hand with great effort and wiped away my tears. Even though he was in pain, he tried to be strong and comfort me. "Mommy, it doesn't hurt anymore. Really."

The more sensible he was, the more it felt like my heart was being sliced into pieces.

"Once this IV is done, we're leaving." I gritted my teeth. "We're leaving immediately."

Alaric nodded vigorously, burying his face in my chest, his voice muffled. "Okay. Mommy, I don't want Daddy anymore."

"In three days," my eyes were filled with a resolve like never before, "as long as we can leave this place, anywhere is fine."

Before I could finish, the door was shoved open.

Caspian stood in the doorway, his face full of impatience. "Leave? Where do you think you're going?"