Chapter 4

Lucy gave me a smug, triumphant smile. I let out a weary, relieved smile of my own.

When I got back to the place I shared with Michael, the movers my lawyer had arranged were already there. They were taking away some of my valuable personal belongings.

My two-year-old son, Finn, was still asleep, and I couldn't bring myself to wake him.

My lawyer was accidentally injured when a cabinet fell on her, so I rushed her to the hospital. I kept an eye on the time, mentally calculating when Finn would wake up. I hurried back to pick him up.

I hadn't even reached the house when I saw thick, black smoke billowing into the sky like a dark cloud. My heart clenched, and I slammed my foot down on the gas.

The closer I got, the stronger my sense of dread grew. My hands shook on the steering wheel as I silently prayed over and over that it wasn't my place with Michael that was on fire.

But when I jumped out of the car and saw the villa being swallowed up by flames, my world collapsed in an instant.

Lucy was curled up in Michael's embrace, sobbing delicately. "Michael, I'm so sorry. I had no idea that a few fireworks to celebrate would set the house on fire. What do we do?"

She wept daintily, looking like a frightened little rabbit with her eyes red-rimmed.

Michael didn't spare the burning house a second glance. Instead, he smiled and soothed her. "It's fine. Don't cry. It's just a house—no big deal. I've got plenty of property. A little loss like this is nothing to me. Dry your tears, silly."

My knees nearly gave out as I bolted forward, screaming at the top of my lungs, "My son is inside! Put the fire out! Put it out now!"

I tried to rush into the flames like a madwoman, but Michael reacted fast and grabbed me from behind. "Sierra, calm down! We don't have kids! What are you talking about? If you're upset about the house, I'll give you another one!"

Lucy chimed in, her tone dripping with fake innocence. "Sierra, is this yet another trick you're pulling? What do you mean, your son? Are you hallucinating or something?"

I tore myself free from Michael and slapped him as hard as I could, my whole body shaking with rage. "I'm talking about our son! He's two years old, and he's sleeping inside!"

I'd lost all sense of reason and tried again to charge into the inferno. The entire house was engulfed in roaring flames, nearly consumed by the fire.

In the distance, I heard sirens wailing as the fire trucks approached.

Once more, Michael stood in my way, shouting angrily, "What the hell is wrong with you? Is this some trick to manipulate me? Your life is your own, Sierra! If you run in there now, there's no way you're coming back out.

"And what son? When did you ever give birth to a son? How could I not know about that? As far as I can see, you're completely out of your mind!"

Right on cue, Lucy backed him up. "I'm thinking the same thing. Sierra, you can't force matters of the heart, you know. Why do this to yourself?"

I turned on her like a lion ready to tear someone apart. I grabbed her by the hair and dragged her toward the blazing house. "If anything happens to my son, Lucy, you're dying in this fire, too!"

She shrieked in pain, thrashing and screaming at the top of her lungs.

Michael rushed over, wedged himself between us, and slapped me across the face, scowling. "Have you completely lost it, Sierra?"

Then, he snapped at the bodyguards standing nearby, "Take her to the hospital for a psych evaluation!"

The two tall, broad-shouldered bodyguards immediately moved in on me.

In that moment of absolute despair, I made up my mind. I would throw caution to the wind and charge into the fire to find Finn, even if it killed me.

All of a sudden, a familiar voice, still shaky with fear, sounded from behind me. "Mommy, I'm over here…"