Chapter 2

I went straight back to the estate after leaving the gallery.

When my son saw me, he ran over, his face lit up with excitement.

"Mom, it's my birthday today!"

"Is Father going to celebrate with us?"

Standing in the cavernous, empty hall of the estate, tears pricked my eyes.

"Your father... he..."

Before I could finish, my phone chimed. James finally had a moment to reply.

[I'm free. Heading back.]

A rush of unexpected joy hit me. I nodded, desperation coloring my voice.

"Don't worry, Finn. Father is on his way."

My son clapped his hands and threw himself into my arms, thrilled.

In six years, this was the first time James was willing to spend their son's birthday with him.

That evening, I laid out a spread of James's favorite vintage blood. Finn dressed up early in his sharpest little suit.

An hour crawled by. Then two. Then three.

I sent text after text.

But just like always, there was no reply.

My son seemed to understand. He looked at me carefully.

"Mom, Father is busy with clan business. Should we stop bothering him?"

My chest tightened. I wanted to explain, but I couldn't find a single excuse for him.

In the end, all I could say was, "It's okay. Mom will always be right here with you."

Finn didn't ask again. He quietly picked up a slice of blood cake.

"Can I have a slice, Mom?"

I nodded. Just as I was about to, I accidentally glimpsed Elsa's latest social media post.

[The moon is beautiful tonight.]

The attached photo was from a cocktail party. Though her face wasn't in it, I immediately noticed the gloved hand holding a wine glass in the background.

For the past six years, James had never taken his gloves off in public. It was to hide the mating mark on his hand—a mark identical to mine.

It was the proof of our bond. To hide the truth and play the bachelor, he never took them off.

So I recognized his hand instantly.

How ironic.

On his son's sixth birthday, he was out admiring the moon with his mistress.

All the bitterness I felt suddenly flattened into a dead calm.

I double-tapped to like the post, set my phone face-down, and turned to cut Finn's cake.

"Happy birthday, Finn."

In the candlelight, my son closed his eyes and clasped his hands together.

"My birthday wish is to be Mom's knight forever. I'll always protect you."

Hearing those words, a mix of overwhelming love and heartbreak washed over me.

The thought of leaving, once just a seed, finally took deep root.

"Okay. I promise you."

We didn't bring up James again that night.

It was as if this family had always just been the two of us.

After Finn fell asleep, I pulled the bond dissolution scroll I’d prepared from my drawer.

The last shred of hesitation was gone.

Before, no matter how much it hurt, I endured it because I wanted to give Finn a complete family. But now I realized my tolerance only made James bolder.

At 2 AM, James finally returned, smelling of the night air.

Seeing the burnt-out candles and half-eaten cake on the table, a flash of annoyance crossed his eyes.

"Sorry. I forgot."

I found it almost funny. I had sent him dozens of reminders.

Did he really not see them? Or was his little fantasy world so intoxicating that he just forgot everything else?

I took out the scroll, flipped to the last page, and handed it to him with forced calm.

"Sign this..."

Before I could finish, his phone rang.

Elsa's panicked voice came through. "Your Highness, I think I have a fever. I feel so sick... can you come stay with me? I'm scared."

James stood up immediately, real anxiety in his eyes.

"Wait there. I'm on my way."

He hung up. Without even glancing at the parchment, he bit his fingertip, let a drop of blood fall on the signature line, and sealed it.

I stepped back and quietly watched him turn into a bat and vanish out the window.

Remember this, James.

You're the one who threw this family away.