Chapter 8
“It’s always violence with you!” Blanche raised her hand, ready to strike back-but Edmond grabbed her wrist before she
could.
“That’s enough.” He shoved her hand away, then turned toward Amelia, eyes clouded with disappointment.
“Amelia… what happened to you? When did you become like this?”
“We’re leaving. Let her calm down.”
He dragged a still-sniffling Finn with one hand, steering Blanche out with the other.
The door shut behind them with a decisive thud. Amelia collapsed to the floor, sliding down the wall like her strings had been cut. Tears poured freely now, mixing with the bitterness in her mouth-salt stung her throat, her eyes, her chest.
Ding.
Her phone lit up-a notification. Funds received: Equity transfer complete.
She wiped her tears roughly and held April tighter against her chest. A flash of resolve ignited in her eyes.
Tomorrow, she thought. Tomorrow, we leave this hell for good.
That night, she arranged everything-the nanny, the house, erased every trace of their presence. At sunrise, she boarded a
pre-booked taxi with her baby in her arms.
“To the airport, please.”
“You got it,” the driver said cheerfully.
Amelia made a quick call. “Sorry to keep you waiting. We’re on our way now.”
The voice on the other end was gentle, warm like spring snow melting under sun.
“No rush. Just drive safely.”
For a moment, peace spread through her chest. But then-a sharp chemical scent invaded her nose.
Ether.
She snapped her head up.
In the rearview mirror, the driver’s eyes were cold and gleaming-like a dagger soaked in poison-locked on the baby in her arms. Before she could scream, the world tilted into black.
When she came to, the car was parked outside an abandoned factory in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by overgrown weeds and rusted fencing.
Edmond stood nearby, back turned, speaking into his phone. In his arms-was April.
Wrapped in his tailored coat, her tiny face scrunched up, whimpering.
Chapter 8
“She’s here. Proceed as planned,” he said into the phone before hanging up.
He then turned to see Amelia awake and scowling.
“Good. Saves me the explanation.”
Her wrists were tied, red and raw from rope burns. She struggled to her feet, voice hoarse.
“Edmond Robinson, what the hell are you doing?! Put down my daughter!”
“Finn was kidnapped.”
His voice was empty, hollow. “They demanded my biological child. They thought Finn was the only one.”
“So now you want to use April as a replacement?” Amelia’s voice exploded. Blood pounded in her ears.
“She’s barely a month old! She has a congenital clotting disorder! One mosquito bite could kill her-have you lost your
damn mind?!”
“This is the only way.” Edmond looked away.
“They want to see the child before making the exchange. Finn is six-old enough to remember everything. This’ll scar him
for life.”
“And what about April?!” Amelia lunged, but he sidestepped her easily.
“She’s just a baby. She won’t remember any of this.” His voice was disturbingly calm.
Just then, Blanche came running toward them, hair a mess, mascara streaking down her face.
“Edmond!” she cried. “The kidnappers called again. They said if they don’t see the child now, they’ll… they’ll kill him!”
She caught sight of Amelia, then suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud, banging her forehead to the ground.
“Miss Austin, please! Just this once-let April help us get Finn back. I’ll be your slave, I’ll do anything!”
“Get away from me!” Amelia kicked her aside, rage burning in her chest.
“This is your fault! You lost track of your kid, and now you want to trade mine to cover it?!”
“Amelia, I’m begging you.” Edmond crouched beside her, voice suddenly soft.
“Finn’s innocent. Once we get him back, I swear, I’ll find a way to help April too. We’ll go back to how things were. Please.”
Amelia stared at his face-still the same, but twisted with hypocrisy. She laughed bitterly, tears pouring from her eyes.
“Go back? After sacrificing my daughter to save your bastard son, you think we’ll just go back? Who do you think I am?”
From the depths of the warehouse came Finn’s terrified scream:
“Daddy! I’m scared!”
Edmond’s face hardened. He turned and began walking toward the warehouse, April cradled in his arms.
Chapter B
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Amelia went berserk. She launched herself at him, bound wrists clinging desperately to his leg
“Edmond Robinson! I dare you to take one more step! If anyone should go-it’s you! You’re his father, aren’t you?! You go
make the trade!”
“Stop it!” Edmond snapped and kicked her off. “Finn is the successor to the Robinson family-he cannot be harmed!”
“And April isn’t your daughter?!” Amelia clawed at his pants leg, her voice shredded from screaming.
“She’s your flesh and blood too! How can you be this heartless?!”
He paused. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
I’m sorry.”
Then-a sharp pain.
A needle sank into Amelia’s neck. She gasped.
“It’s just a light sedative,” Edmond said quietly. “When you wake up… I promise, she’ll be fine.”
And with that, he turned and walked toward the warehouse, each step taking her daughter deeper into the shadows.
Amelia tried to scream, to crawl, to reach-but her limbs were lead.
Her vision blurred as the drugs took hold. In her last fading moment of consciousness, she saw Edmond’s figure
swallowed by darkness.
And from within his arms-April gave the faintest, most pitiful cry.
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