CHAPTER 1

The hospital room was quiet except for the soft sound of the heart monitor. Sienna was completely exhausted. Her hair was soaked with sweat, and her whole body was trembling after long hours of labor. She felt like all her strength had been drained, but even though she was so weak, she forced herself to reach out her hands. She wanted to hold the baby who had just been born. She wanted to hear the baby's cries a little closer.

"M-My baby... Please, let me see my baby..." Sienna's voice was hoarse and trembling as she fought against sleep and exhaustion.

But before she could even touch the baby's blanket, a nurse quickly stepped in front of her. Her face was serious, and her eyes showed no emotion. "I'm sorry, Miss Cruz. According to the contract you signed, you have no right to hold, see, or go near the baby once the child is born."

Sienna's lips trembled. The pain was unbearable, as if her heart had been shattered. She knew what she had agreed to—it was only a transaction to save her family from the huge debt her father had left behind.

But she never imagined it would hurt this much in real life. The baby she had carried in her womb for nine months, every little kick that brought her happiness—it all felt like the child was nothing more than something to be taken away now that the payment had been made.

Before Sienna could beg again, the door suddenly opened.

A tall and serious-looking man walked into the room, and the atmosphere instantly became heavy because of his presence. He was wearing an expensive black suit that fit him perfectly without a single wrinkle. His hair was neatly trimmed, his jaw was sharp, and his eyes were so cold and intimidating that they held no emotion at all.

He was Don Xavier De Luca. The most feared leader of the underworld, the boss of the De Luca syndicate. And the father of the baby Sienna had given birth to.

Xavier didn't even look at Sienna. To him, the woman lying on the bed, barely able to breathe from exhaustion, was nothing more than a stranger who had been paid to do a job. He walked straight to the baby's crib. With both care and authority, he picked up the tiny infant—his only heir.

"The documents are ready, Don Xavier," said the family's lawyer and trusted right-hand man as he entered behind him. He placed a black briefcase on the table beside Sienna's bed and opened it. Sienna saw bundles of dollars inside. The money that would pay off her family's debt in exchange for her own child.

"Sign this, Miss Cruz. And remember the final condition," the lawyer said as he handed the pen to Sienna. "From this moment on, you have nothing to do with this child. Never try to show yourself to the De Luca family again. Otherwise, you'll pay with your life."

Sienna looked at Xavier through her tears. She hoped to see even the slightest emotion on his face—even just a little gratitude or a little pity. But Xavier's face remained cold and expressionless as he looked at the sleeping Lucas. He walked out of the room carrying the baby without even asking if Sienna was alright after giving birth.

With trembling hands, Sienna took the pen and signed the papers. As tears streamed down her face, the unbearable pain of losing every right to her own child finally sank in. He had been taken away from her forever.

THREE YEARS LATER...

The pain had never gone away. For the past three years, Sienna had thought about her son every single night. Her family was finally safe from the dangerous lenders because of the money she had received, but she felt like she had lost her own life in return. She couldn't live like this anymore. Even if it put her in danger, she had to see Lucas. She had to make sure her son was doing well.

And now, here she was. Standing in front of the huge iron gate of the De Luca mansion outside the city. She was wearing a simple gray maid's uniform, her long hair neatly tied back, and she was holding a small bag close to her chest. She had done everything she could, even using a different name, just to be accepted as one of the new maids in the mansion.

She took a deep breath to calm herself before stepping inside the vast estate.

As she walked through the long and quiet hallway on the second floor to begin her duties, she heard the sound of little feet running toward her.

When she turned around, she saw a three-year-old boy with curly hair and painfully familiar eyes trip over the carpet just a few steps away from her.

"Ouch..." the little boy whimpered softly as he held his knee.

At that moment, Sienna forgot every warning and threat the lawyer had given her. The only thing that mattered was that she was a mother. She quickly knelt on the floor and carefully helped the little boy sit up. His soft skin and familiar baby scent left no room for doubt. This was her son. This was Lucas.

"Are you alright?" Sienna whispered. Her voice was hoarse as she struggled to hold back her tears while gently brushing the dust off the little boy's knee. She wanted nothing more than to hold him tightly, but she knew she couldn't.

"Lucas."

A deep and icy voice suddenly spoke from the end of the hallway.

Sienna froze.

That voice... she would never forget it, no matter how many years passed.

Standing in front of her was Don Xavier De Luca. One hand was tucked into his pocket while his serious eyes were fixed on Sienna's hand, which was still resting on his son's arm.