Chapter 3

I left Valerie's company and headed straight to my mother-in-law's place to pick up my son.

Theodore Colton, Teddy for short, had been sickly since birth. With my wife, Harper Dwyer, away, my mother-in-law had to help look after him.

Before I left, I made a point of warning her, "Mom, if anyone comes looking for you, don't be scared. My ex-wife found out I've remarried. Harper knows all about her too."

My mother-in-law laughed. "Don't worry, Matt. Over the years, plenty of the people Harper and her father put away have tried to make trouble. None of them have ever succeeded.

"I'm not scared, and you shouldn't be either. If anything happens, call Harper. Her mission should be wrapping up soon anyway."

I nodded and left.

Teddy stayed quiet the whole way. He was so tiny in my arms, no bigger than a newborn, and my heart couldn't help but melt.

As I walked toward the building entrance, I kissed his cheek.

Then, out of nowhere, Teddy started crying and fussing.

I frowned. A bad feeling welled up in me, and I quickened my pace.

Sure enough, the moment I stepped off the elevator, I saw Valerie standing at my door. Two men stood behind her, both her people.

The moment she saw me, her eyes narrowed. Her gaze landed on Teddy in my arms, and she ordered coldly, "Take the child."

My heart lurched. I turned and ran.

But someone pinned me from behind, and Teddy was snatched away.

"Give him back!" I screamed, my eyes going red.

Teddy was still crying. One of the men clamped a hand over his mouth, and the sight nearly drove me out of my mind.

"You said you got married and had a kid," Valerie said. "But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find a single record of you getting married."

Her face darkened. "How did you raise him like this? He's over a year old, and he's the size of a newborn.

"Matt, you know my career is taking off. You know I don't want kids. How dare you decide to keep him behind my back?

"No wonder you left so easily back then. Were you afraid I'd make you give him up?"

Back then, Valerie's wild ways had saddled me with a child whose father no one even knew.

"Your child died right after birth! This baby is my wife's!" My heart was in my throat as I struggled with everything I had.

"Her identity is classified. That's why you couldn't find anything. Give Teddy back right now, or she won't let you get away with this when she's home!"

Valerie laughed in disbelief. "You're still lying at this point? Whether he's mine or not, a DNA test will tell."

With that, she turned and ordered, "Take the child to the hospital."

"Yes, ma'am."

The man holding Teddy nodded and went downstairs. Teddy's cries slowly faded.

"Give Teddy back! Valerie, you monster!" Drenched in cold sweat, I screamed like a madman. "You can't afford to cross my wife! Give him back now!"

My wrists were rubbed raw from being held, but no matter how I struggled, it was useless.

Valerie treated my hysterical shouting like a joke. "Is there anyone in Moores City I can't afford to cross?

"Relax. If he isn't mine, I won't keep him.

"But if he is mine, I can't leave him with you."

With that, she turned and headed downstairs.

I was dragged down after her and shoved into her car.

I fought with all my strength the whole way, but they held me down so tightly that I couldn't move.

I tried to call the police, but Valerie snatched my phone before I could even pull it out. "Once the results are back, you can go home," she said impatiently. "What's with all the fuss?"

I was so furious and frantic that I wanted to grab a knife and stab her to death.

"Teddy's health is fragile. If anything happens to him because of you, I'll fight you to the death! Valerie, you're a monster through and through!"

She let me curse at her, her eyes indifferent the whole time. She never said a word.

Half an hour later, my voice was hoarse from screaming. The skin on my arms had scraped open from struggling, and blood was seeping through.

Valerie swung her long legs out of the car.

I was about to follow her out and grab Teddy back in the chaos, but she shoved me back inside. "Wait here. Until the results are in, you're not going anywhere."