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Livia’s POV

The moment Hayden left me without any concern about what I just told him, I knew within me that I needed to be decisive in my decisions.

No matter who might be behind the messages, I will stand strong to protect myself and my daughter.

I stood there for a while, staring at the door and hoping that Hayden could just come back. If he could just change his mind that the document in his hands is not as important as what I told him.

I just need him to hold me closer and assure me that he will always stand to protect me.

“Mummy mummy,” Emerald's tiny voice took me from my deep thoughts as she ran towards me with her school uniform.

I immediately lightened my mood as I opened my hands widely for her to run into.

The maid just brought her back from school.

"My little princess,” I said with a smile on my face as I picked her from the ground and kissed her.

How was school today?” I asked, smiling at her.

“School was fine,” she muttered as she narrated what she was thinking today in school.

I was all smiles as I listened to her carefully.

I dropped her on the ground as I ordered the maid to freshen her up and her food to eat.

***

The next morning, I opened my eyes to the brightness of the day.

The thought of the previous day came rushing in as I remembered the threat and Hayden's reaction towards it.

I can't do this anymore. “I’m done,” I whispered to myself, gripping the edge of Emerald’s bed so tightly my fingers hurt. 

“I’m done letting them control everything,” I muttered as I watched Emerald sleep peacefully, her tiny chest rising and falling, completely unaware of the storm swallowing her mother whole. 

For a moment, I allowed myself to just watch her, memorize her because lately, nothing felt guaranteed.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” I murmured, brushing her hair back gently. “Not while I’m still breathing.”

The decision came suddenly but it felt like it had been building for weeks. “I’m staying with you,” I said under my breath, as if sealing a vow. “Every second and every hour.”

No more distance, no more leaving her alone with maids and no more pretending this house was safe because it wasn't with them in it.

My jaw tightened, anger simmering beneath my skin. “Those two motherfuckers…” I hissed, straightening slowly. “They think I’m weak. They think I will just sit here and take whatever they throw at me.”

A bitter laugh slipped out. “They have no idea who they are dealing with.”

I began pacing the room, my thoughts racing faster than my heartbeat. “I could pull her out of school,” I muttered. “Keep her with me all the time. No risks and no exposure.”

The idea sounded insane and yet, it felt right.

“No one touches her, no one gets close, not without me watching.”

But then I froze, the house, the maids and the constant movement of people in and out.

My stomach twisted.“This place isn’t safe either…” I whispered, my voice dropping. “Too many eyes and too many ears.”

A chill ran down my spine.“What if one of them is working for them?” I breathed. The thought alone made my chest tighten painfully.

“No… no, I can’t risk it,” I said aloud.

I dragged my hands through my hair, frustration building. “I need control, I need somewhere secure. Somewhere they can’t reach us.”

Silence filled the room before my thoughts shifted again, sharper this time. Work.

My chest clenched.

“I need to go back,” I said firmly. “I have to.”

It wasn’t just about survival anymore, It was about secrecy, and if I stayed away too long..

“He will find out…” I whispered.

And that would destroy everything.

I stopped pacing, my body going still as Hayden’s face flashed through my mind. Cold, detached, and unbothered.

“He knows about my job,” I scoffed quietly. “And he doesn’t even care.” The bitterness in my voice surprised even me.

“It means everything to me and nothing to him,” I murmured.

My hands curled into fists. “But that’s fine,” I added, my tone hardening. “Let him stay distracted, let him focus on whatever the hell is consuming him right now.”

Because for once, his indifference worked in my favor. A slow, dangerous realization settled in.

“He’s not watching Emerald,” I murmured.

I glanced back at her sleeping form, my expression softening for just a second before turning steely again.

“And why would he?” I said coldly. “She’s not his daughter.” The words tasted bitter, but they were useful.

“He won’t protect her, he won’t even notice if something’s wrong.”

Which meant “I have to be everything,” I whispered. “Her mother, her shield and her protector.”

My breathing steadied as a plan began to form. “I will keep her close,” I said, nodding to myself. “Closer than ever.”

I moved toward the window, pulling the curtain slightly to peer outside, scanning the grounds like a paranoid fugitive.

“No more trusting anyone,” I muttered. “Not the maids, not the guards, and no one.”

A pause, then, quieter… “Not even him,” I added.

The weight of that truth settled heavily in my chest, but I didn’t fight it. I couldn’t afford denial anymore.

“I will figure out a way to work without leaving her exposed,” I continued, thinking aloud now. “There has to be a way. There has to be.”

Maybe shorter hours, maybe secret arrangements or maybe something riskier.

But one thing was certain, “I’m not giving up my work,” I said firmly. “And I’m not losing my child.”

I turned back to Emerald, walking over and kneeling beside her bed again.

Everything I was, everything I would become, it was for her.

“I will burn this entire place down if I have to,” I whispered, my voice low, deadly, and unwavering. 

“Anyone who tries to touch you, I will destroy them,” I muttered with all seriousness.

Emerald stirred slightly, her tiny hand shifting as I gently took it in mine, holding it like it was the only thing anchoring me to sanity.

“They think I’m cornered,” I said softly. “They think I have no options.” A slow, dangerous smile touched my lips.

“Let them think that.” Because they were wrong, very wrong, and soon… They would find out exactly what a desperate mother was capable of.