Chapter 2

The second before I lost consciousness, I saw a spent syringe of sedative in Ian's hand.

He caught my limp body, his eyes filled with guilt and reluctance. "Why didn't you obediently take your medication, Helena? You weren't supposed to remember."

…

When I came to, I was lying in bed, my entire body aching. I was nauseous and weak because I was forcibly sedated.

Ian stood before the window, clutching a crumpled cigarette pack in his hand. It betrayed his agitation.

I gazed at him quietly, digging my fingernails deep into my palms, before I heard my own hoarse voice. "Why? You know how much I love our daughter, Ian Beaumont! Why did you guys keep me in the dark for five years? Why are you protecting Gemma, the murderer?"

He stiffened. He seized my shoulders, a flash of agony passing through his eyes.

His grip tightened, as if he intended to crush my shoulders. "Helena, now that the truth is out, I'm sorry.

"However, five years ago, Gem was so terrified that she ran a fever for seven whole days and nearly died. She has only just managed to move past it.

"I hope you won't destroy her life over something that's already in the past. In fact, name your price, and I'll make it up to you."

Was that how much he thought Soleil's vibrant, precious life was worth? I stared at him in sheer disbelief and used every ounce of strength in my body to shove him away.

My throat was so raw that it felt as though it might bleed. "What do I want? I want Gemma to pay for her crime with her life!"

The moment those words left my lips, a heavy slap landed across my cheek, leaving it burning hot. Ian froze, a flash of panic darting through his eyes. "I'm sorry, Helena! I-I didn't mean to slap you," he stammered.

His instinctive reaction completely crushed the last sliver of hope in my heart. Tears streamed down my face as I shook like a leaf.

"Soleil is also your daughter, Ian Beaumont! She was only three years old. It was her birthday that day, and because you promised to pick her up and drive her home to celebrate, she waited so obediently at the back gate of her kindergarten.

"If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have been waiting there; if Gemma hadn't deliberately sped, she wouldn't have died!"

Ian shuddered, his face draining of color. Noticing him avoid my gaze, my mind went blank.

I couldn't comprehend how the man—who once loved us more than life itself, who once promised to spoil Soleil like a princess—had turned into this.

He had reduced five years of my suffering to a single word—compensation. He even kept me in the dark, allowing the murderer to parade around right in front of me.

After what felt like an eternity, I closed my eyes, suppressing the tumultuous emotions churning inside me. "Didn't you want me to name my price? The only thing I want is to see Gemma behind bars."

Silence stretched between us until Ian's muffled voice broke it. "Alright, I'll fulfill your wish."

After hearing his promise, my body, which had been fighting the effects of the sedative, could no longer hold out. As my heavy eyelids dragged shut, peace was finally restored to my world.