Chapter 3

The moment the paper fluttered down, Susan Thompson saw the scribbles clearly.

A family of three.

Little Daniel had written "My Hero" in crooked letters, next to a drawing of a tall man.

Her heart felt like it was being sliced by a blunt knife. Her Daniel had always longed for a father's love.

"Mommy, don't cry." Daniel weakly lifted his hand to wipe her tears, his face as pale as paper.

By the time the ambulance arrived, Susan's fingers were trembling. The doctors had said Daniel wouldn't live past five. And she had just taught him how to write the word "Daddy."

"Hold on, sweetheart. Mommy's taking you to the hospital."

When the red sports car barreled through the intersection, Susan even caught the cold smirk on Nicole Capra's lips. In the deafening crash, she shielded her child with her body.

"Rh-negative blood supply is running low!"

The nurse's shout pierced the silence of the emergency room hallway. Susan leaned against the wall, her vision blurring.

"Save Miss Capra first." Andrew Lucas's voice was icy. "That bastard doesn't deserve it."

Susan looked up sharply, meeting his bloodshot eyes. His suit was stained with blood—but none of it was Daniel's.

"Andrew, Daniel will die..."

"He deserves it." Andrew gripped her chin. "When you hit Nicole, did you ever think about the life inside her?"

The words struck like a hammer. Susan suddenly remembered her eighteenth birthday, when the boy had whispered under the fireworks, "Susan, you're my only one."

Promises really did expire.

"Backup blood bags have arrived!" A nurse rushed over. "But there's only enough for one patient..."

"Give it to Nicole." Andrew's tone was final. "As for that bastard—"

"He's your son!" Susan screamed. "Andrew Lucas, Daniel is your flesh and blood!"

The hallway fell dead silent. Andrew's expression froze, as if he'd just heard the most absurd joke in the world.

"Susan, your habit of lying needs to be fixed." He slowly released her, his eyes frosty. "Four years ago, you admitted that the man you slept with was a gigolo."

The heart monitor's shrill alarm suddenly blared.