Chapter 1

Her daughter, Maya Hall, nuzzled her cheek against Sofia Reyes’s and called out sweetly, “Mommy!”

Her son, Leo Hall, chimed in right after, “Mommy! You promised you’d take us out for ice cream today!”

Eliza was stunned, and she felt her world spin before her blood ran cold.

Mommy? Did that mean Connor Hall never actually sent Sofia away?

Not only had he kept her around, but he also allowed her to insert herself into their children’s lives. He had even… allowed the children to call her “Mommy”?

Overcome by shock and rage, Eliza lost all reason. She rushed forward and yanked both children out of Sofia’s arms!

“What did you just call her?”

Eliza’s voice trembled, and her face was terrifyingly pale.

Both children were startled by her sudden outburst. When they recognized who she was, a flicker of panic crossed their faces, but it was quickly replaced by resentment.

Leo furrowed his little brows, stepping right in front of Sofia. “What are you doing? You scared Sofia!”

Maya pouted as well. “Yeah! Why did you push Sofia?”

“I said, what did you just call her?” Eliza demanded, her eyes locked onto both children.

Leo raised his head and said with an innocent cruelty, “We called her Mommy! Sofia is kind and beautiful. She plays with us, reads us stories, and buys us tons of yummy snacks and toys! What about you? You’re always busy with work, and when you’re home, you just lock yourself in the study or lose your patience with us!”

Maya added in a quiet voice, “Sofia never yells at us…”

Every word stabbed Eliza’s heart.

Sofia quickly scrambled to her feet, her face wearing a perfectly measured expression of panic and apology. She reached out, attempting to take Eliza’s hand.

“Eliza, please don’t be angry. The kids are still young. They just say whatever comes to mind. Don’t take it to heart–”

“Don’t touch me!” Eliza flung Sofia’s arm away hard.

Sofia gasped dramatically and stumbled backward several steps before falling onto the concrete ground. Her knees scraped against the rough pavement, tearing the skin, and blood instantly oozed out.

“Sofia!”

“You’re mean! You pushed Sofia!”

Both children started screaming at once.

Leo rushed forward like a furious lion cub, throwing punches and kicking at Eliza’s shins. “Get away! You’re not allowed to bully Sofia!”

Meanwhile, Maya quickly pulled out a smartwatch from her little backpack. She deftly pressed a few buttons and cried into the watch, “Hello, 911? A bad lady hurt my mommy! She’s bleeding! Help!”

Eliza stood frozen in place. She watched her own son kicking and punching her, heard her daughter reporting her to the police as a “bad woman,” and looked at Sofia sitting on the ground with tears welling up in her eyes while wearing a subtly provocative smile.

Her body went numb, and she could not move an inch. She felt as though she was in a surreal, cruel nightmare.

The police arrived shortly after, and the entire group was taken to the station.

The two children snuggled close to Sofia, eagerly chattering away as they recounted Eliza’s “evil crimes” to the officers. Meanwhile, Sofia, with reddened eyes, was quietly sobbing. She looked as if she had suffered a tremendous injustice but was struggling to hold it in.

Eliza sat numbly on the opposite side. As she watched this absurd scene unfold, she felt the hollow void in her heart grow.

Before long, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the police station. Connor stepped inside with hurried strides, flanked by two bodyguards. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his handsome face showing the weariness of a long workday, but mostly impatience and displeasure.

His gaze swept over the room, pausing briefly on Eliza’s pale face before settling on the crying Sofia and the two children. Immediately, his brows knitted into a tight frown.

He spoke in hushed tones to the officer on duty and presented a few documents. The officer’s attitude instantly shifted to one of deference as he nodded repeatedly.

“Of course, Mr. Hall. We understand completely. It’s all a misunderstanding. You are free to take everyone home.”

“Daddy!”

“Daddy! She pushed Sofia! She even brought Sofia to the police station!”

Both children threw themselves into Connor’s arms, competing to tell on Eliza first. Sofia stood up as well, looking timidly at Connor. Her eyes grew even redder, but she bit her lip, staying silent as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Connor patted the two children reassuringly and cast a complex look toward Sofia. Then, he walked over to Eliza, leaning down as he lowered his voice. His tone carried no effort to hide his irritation and accusation.

“Eliza, what are you up to this time? I just wrapped up an exhausting international video conference, only to get a call saying you beat someone up and got dragged to the police station? And you did this right in front of the kids?”

Eliza lifted her head, staring at the face that was both so familiar and yet so foreign.

Once, he would look at her with love and affection. Now, he looked at her with impatience and blame.

“What was I up to?” The corner of Eliza’s lips twitched into a smile that looked far worse than crying. “Connor, shouldn’t you explain yourself to me first? Didn’t you swear to me that you’d sent Sofia Reyes away? Why is she here? And why are the kids calling her Mommy?”