LOGINLately, Sophie couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.But every time she looked back, there was no one there.The day before her engagement party, she'd just stepped out of her car when someone clamped a damp, strange-smelling cloth over her face.She tried to fight and scream, but before she could do anything, she blacked out.When she came to, she was lying on the floor of an abandoned warehouse. A man with a horribly burned face glared down at her, and Sophie screamed in terror. The man leaned closer."I look pretty scary now, don't I? This is all your fault!"Sophie knew that voice instantly. She couldn't believe it. "You... you're John?!"His face a mass of twisted burns, John gave her an eerie smile. "That's right, it's me! Disappointed I'm not dead, aren't you?""John, you... you need to calm down. Whatever you want, I can give it to you!"John ignored her completely. He pulled out a sharp knife, pressed it to her throat, and roared,"I want you dead!"So
Trash Dad jolted. His eyes went to the baby boy with the mismatched eyes, lying in the crib.I was sure he'd refuse.Instead, he grabbed a pillow and actually tried to smother the baby boy!Mom raised a hand, and Grandpa's men rushed in and pinned Trash Dad to the floor.Mom looked at him with open disgust. "Even animals won't hurt their own young. John, people like you belong in hell!"Right then, Mom's phone rang. Surprisingly, it was a video call from Sophie.The moment it connected, Sophie gave Mom an apologetic smile through the screen. "Ms. Brunetti, there's something I need to clear up with you and your father. John is the one who's been chasing me this whole time. His feelings are entirely one-sided. I've only ever thought of him as a little brother."And that baby boy has nothing to do with me either."Then Sophie held up her hand to the camera, displaying a huge diamond engagement ring."In fact, I'm engaged. The wedding's set for next March."I'm so sorry for the pain John
Anna looked at Mom in horror and forced a laugh. "Serena, you... you're joking, right?"Mom didn't answer. She looked at Grandpa's men instead. "Help Anna out."The words were barely out of Mom's mouth when Anna scrambled up to run. She made it two steps before one of the men grabbed her by the hair."Serena, please! Don't... don't do this, I know I was wrong, I... mmph!"They ignored her pleas, pried her mouth open, and forced every last pill down her throat.The moment they let go, Anna shoved her fingers down her throat, trying desperately to throw the pills back up.Mom looked down at Anna, who was kneeling on the floor.Expressionless, she said, "Even if you throw them up, I'll make you swallow every last one all over again. Don't believe me? Try it."Her face wet with tears, Anna looked up at Mom's calm expression and completely snapped.She started screaming at Mom like a madwoman,"That's right, it was me! All seven of your miscarriages were my doing! I planned every one of t
The second Mom saw me, she set the baby boy down and rushed to me without a thought for herself. The sharp shards of porcelain cut her knees and fingers. "My precious girl, I finally found you!"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I never should have doubted you..."Please! Please, just open your eyes and look at me!"Her hands shaking, Mom carefully worked the bloody gauze out of my mouth.Blue and purple all over, I sucked in one huge breath and finally let out a wail. It was the first cry of my life.Mom held me and sobbed for joy.But Trash Dad and Aunt Anna both went deathly pale.Sweat kept trickling down Aunt Anna's temples, but she kept pretending to be innocent and composed."Oh my goodness, whose baby is this? Who would stuff a baby inside a statue of the Virgin Mary! That poor little thing!"Trash Dad quickly backed her up. "She's right, Serena. This is just some poor baby girl nobody knows. How could she possibly be ours?"Grandpa ordered,"Run DNA tests on both of these
"John, how dare you treat my daughter like this! You've got some nerve!"Just before the needle could pierce Mom's skin, the door opened again.My grandfather, Don Vincent Brunetti, stood in the doorway, his face thunderous, his heavily armed men behind him.Mom burst into tears and cried out desperately, "Dad, help me!"John brought in the baby he had with his stepsister and swapped him for my daughter. And he's hidden her somewhere so I can't find her!"Grandpa's face hardened.He gave a small wave of his hand, and one of his men pulled a gun and pressed it to Trash Dad's head.Trash Dad went white with panic. "Don Brunetti, please, let me explain. Serena's sick."She's imagining all of this."She had a boy, but she keeps insisting it was a girl. She says she can hear her daughter talking. How is that even possible?"Trash Dad sounded more heartbroken with every word.He carefully picked up the baby boy, who was wailing his head off, and held him out to Grandpa.Mom shook her head wi
The gauze stuffed in my mouth was suffocating me, and my eyes kept rolling back. With the last of my strength, I screamed.Mom, the red-haired nurse just wheeled the bin into the hallway!My... my mouth is stuffed with gauze. I... I can't breathe. Help me!The second I finished, the whole world spun.Tessa had panicked so badly that she'd tipped the bin over on its side.That was when Trash Dad rushed over.He snatched me up and, stone-faced, jammed me into another dark little space, even tighter and colder than the first.I couldn't turn over. I couldn't even move a finger.Worse, I hadn't seen where he put me!Mom finally broke free of Aunt Anna.She rushed to the overturned bin, dropped to her knees in the filth without a second thought, and reached right in to dig through it. Of course, she didn't find me."No! Where's my daughter?"Trash Dad heaved a fake sigh. "Serena, I told you. There never was a daughter."Mom ignored him completely. She grabbed Tessa by the collar and demand







