Meanwhile, Axel had already rejoined Elena.

She had no idea what just happened at the train station—or that her son had just pulled off a full-blown chaos mission. Seeing him run back all flushed and breathless, her face was full of worry.

"Axel, where did you run off to? Mommy's been looking for you everywhere."

Axel could tell from her tone—his silly mommy clearly didn't know a thing.

He gave her a big, innocent smile. "Don't worry, Mommy! It's my first time here, I just wanted to look around. Everything's so exciting!"

Elena sighed. "Of course it is, this is one of the biggest cities in the country. But there are a lot of people here, Axel. You can't just run off like that! What if some trafficker tried to snatch you away? What would Mommy, Jamie, and Ollie do without you?"

Axel puffed up his little chest. "Don't worry, Mommy! If a trafficker ever tried to mess with me, you should be worried for them! Do you know who my mommy is? I'm way too smart to be kidnapped!"

"You're such a little talker.," Elena scolded—but her eyes were full of love.

Axel leaned in and nuzzled her.

"Come on, Mommy, don't be upset. See? I'm back safe and sound, right? Let's go get food! I'm starving, and Jamie and Ollie probably are too."

He was secretly worried that awful woman from before might show up and make Mommy mad.

Elena smiled. "Alright, alright. Let's go find something good to eat."

"Yay!" the three boys cheered in unison.

Jamie took the suitcase from her hand. "I got it, Mommy."

Axel grabbed her backpack. "Ladies are meant to be lovely, not do heavy lifting. Leave the grunt work to us gentlemen."

Ollie reached out his tiny hand. "Hold hands, Mommy. I'll help you walk."

Elena looked like a pampered princess surrounded by her little knights. Her heart was full, her face glowing with happiness. Holding Ollie's soft hand, she led them out of the station.

None of them noticed—

A pair of eyes was watching them from the shadows, cold and calculating.

There was a smile on that face, but it was the kind that made your skin crawl.

Since dragging luggage around wasn't convenient, Elena picked a cheap motel near the station.

She couldn't afford anything fancy yet—her savings were tight.

Her plan was simple: Divorce Damien, get the kids' birth certificates sorted, then leave Havenport for good.

She'd move to a quiet, warm little city and find a job to settle down.

"Mommy, are we staying here tonight?" Jamie asked.

She knew her oldest had a bit of a cleanliness obsession and probably hated the place. She knelt down beside him.

"Mommy doesn't have a lot of money right now, sweetie. I can't afford a nice hotel, so we'll have to stay here for a bit. But don't worry—I'll clean the room top to bottom and use our own sheets. We won't stay long. Once I finish what I came here to do, we'll move somewhere better."

Jamie thought about the billions in his name and sighed quietly.

His mommy was perfect in every way… except for one tiny thing:

She's kinda dumb.

Two years ago, when he made his very first fortune—ten thousand dollar—he tried to give it to her.

She freaked out.

She thought it was some kind of scam from human traffickers—like they were using that cash to lure kids in.

She was so scared, she couldn't sleep for days. Her smile disappeared.

So when he made his next fortune—a hundred thousand—he didn't dare tell her. And then the money just kept piling up. It was all sitting in the bank, untouched.

When they came down the mountain and she had nothing, he secretly gave Axel five grand to pass her—said it was a lottery prize from a convenience store.

Jamie looked at his sweet, silly mommy and sighed again. Then he smiled.

"Don't worry, Mommy. I was just asking. I don't mind staying here at all. As long as I'm with you, I'm happy anywhere."

Elena's eyes softened. "Jamie, you're such a good boy. Don't worry—Mommy will work hard, and someday we'll live a better life!"

"You got this, Mommy!"

"You're the best, Mommy!"

Axel and Ollie chimed in, full of enthusiasm.

Elena laughed. "Alright, let's go settle in first, then we'll go eat."

After dinner, the boys went to wash up while Elena changed the sheets.

Suddenly—knock knock knock!

Thinking it was the motel staff, she opened the door.

"Yes, can I—"

"Take her."

Before she could finish, two men in black rushed in and grabbed her.

"W-What are you doing?! Who are you?! Let me go! Don't—mmph!"

A hand clamped over her mouth, and she was dragged out of the motel.

She was taken to a nearby office building.

Damien was inside.

He was a textbook workaholic—his only two interests in life: his son, and his company.

After dropping Kayla off earlier, he'd come here for a business inspection. He was planning to acquire the building.

Damien sat in his office reviewing documents when Caleb knocked and entered.

"Dami, we've got everything. The four tires were destroyed by micro-explosives. As for the kid—his background's completely normal. No father, raised in a mountain village with his mom and two brothers. They just arrived in Havenport. No red flags. We've already brought his mother in—she's in the conference room now."

Damien's brows furrowed. Micro-explosives?

He tossed the file aside and got up.

Caleb followed. He knew Damien's mind.

Those explosions were precise—enough to wreck the tires, but not the car or passengers. That took serious skill.

No five-year-old pulled that off alone.

Damien suspected someone was using the kid to get to him.

He had enemies—plenty.

Inside the conference room, Elena was still shaken.

She had no idea what was happening. Her heart was racing, pounding in her ears.

"Who are you?! Why did you bring me here?! What do you—"

Creak.

The door swung open.

Damien walked in.

He led the group, a storm of dark energy surrounding him. He looked like a king descending from Olympus.

Six-foot-three. Tall, cold, ruthless.

Every step he took screamed authority.

Elena's eyes locked on him.

And then—they went wide.

She stopped breathing for a second. Looked again.

No way.

He looked almost identical to Jamie.

And Axel.

He's… he's their father?!

He's the man from that night?

The one who ruined her life?

Her fists clenched. Her heart thudded. Her blood boiled.

That night had destroyed her.

She got pregnant. Her reputation was shattered.

People called her names—slut, whore, homewrecker.

She was humiliated. Cast out.

As a mother, she was grateful for her three angelic sons.

But as a woman… she'd suffered more than anyone would ever know.

And it was all because of him.