Chapter 2

Nora's POV

As I looked at Bryson's face, beet-red from crying, I felt as though my heart were being torn apart.

Right then, Cindy dropped to her knees at my feet with a thud.

Stroking Bryson's cheek, she sobbed, "Nora, even if you hate me, you can't turn my son against me. Bryson's still so young, and he keeps calling you Mommy. How could you abuse him behind our backs?"

As she spoke, she pulled up Bryson's shirt, revealing the angry red marks covering his back.

Justin's eyes widened, his expression darkening instantly when he looked back at me.

"Nora Shaw! I trusted you enough to let you take care of my son so you could get some experience raising a child, and you actually whipped him? Just because you couldn't have me, you've turned this vicious?" he snapped.

Bryson's back was covered from top to bottom in long, terrifying marks that looked like whip lashes. Justin couldn't bear to imagine what kind of nightmare his son had endured all these years.

What he didn't know was that the marks had come from a scraping treatment for Bryson's fever.

A few days ago, Bryson had caught a cold and spiked a 104-degree fever. Because of his unusual constitution, medication wasn't an option, so the doctor recommended non-drug treatments instead.

And because of that, every maid and butler on duty that night—even the entire team of nutritionists—had been whipped by Bryson's dad and driven out of the estate.

If he ever found out what Justin and Cindy had put Bryson and me through, even a hundred Justins wouldn't be enough to bear the brunt of his fury.

By then, the men I'd brought were already at the door.

Done wasting my time on these two disgusting people, I pointed at them and ordered, "Take them down. Teach them the Ford family rules!"

Justin's face flushed with rage. Even as he fought off the bodyguards, he kept shouting at me, "Nora, keep acting crazy and see what happens! I swear I'll dump you and throw you out of the Ford estate right this second!"

I let out a cold laugh. "Go ahead and try."

These bodyguards had all been handpicked by Bryson's dad. With them here, no one was going to push Bryson or me around.

Realizing they couldn't gain the upper hand—and seeing that the bodyguards were holding back because Bryson was in her arms—Cindy's eyes darted around wildly.

Without warning, she clamped a hand around Bryson's throat and threatened, "Stop right now, or I'll strangle him!"

Bryson thrashed frantically in her grip, his face turning from blue to purple. His cries grew weaker by the second.

I yanked the dagger from my pocket and drove it into her.

She shrieked and immediately let go.

I lunged forward, scooped Bryson into my arms, and tried to help him catch his breath.

"Bryson? Bryson? Don't be scared. I'm here!"

Bryson was convulsing uncontrollably and gasping desperately for air. I quickly pulled out his emergency asthma medication and was about to administer it.

But Cindy, despite her injury, lunged at me from behind. Like a woman possessed, she clawed and bit at me, screaming, "You bitch! Abusing my son wasn't enough for you? Now you're trying to murder him in front of everyone?"

Justin's face drained of color as he roared, "Nora, don't you dare!"

But he was too late.

I'd already gotten the medicine into Bryson's mouth. Almost immediately, his convulsions subsided, and his ragged breathing began to steady.

Only then did the two of them finally shut up.

But the ordeal had taken too much out of Bryson, and he passed out in my arms. He needed an IV immediately.

I ordered the bodyguards to hold them back, hoisted Bryson onto my back, and ran.

Justin's furious roar thundered behind me. "Nora, you've caused enough trouble! If you walk out now, you'll never be my woman again!"

"Like I care!"

Justin sneered. "Keep acting tough. Once I dump you, let's see who'd ever want damaged goods like you!"

I couldn't be bothered to waste another breath arguing with a rabid idiot. I simply gave the order.

"Back to the Ford residence!"