Chapter 2

"Nina, have you lost your mind?!"

Disbelief was written all over Lucas's face.

I repeated myself.

"I want that child."

"Stop this nonsense!" He lowered his voice.

"That's not your child!"

Right. My child is gone. Dead...

"Your child is my child, isn't it?" I asked softly.

"Or would you prefer your child to be born with the stigma of being illegitimate?"

Lucas was instantly speechless.

He and I grew up together. Our families had been friends for generations.

Both the Knight family and the Sanders family were elite, prestigious families that valued reputation above all else. Rules mattered.

The woman in the hospital bed, Emily, finally understood what was happening.

She struggled to sit up, her voice shrill. "Lucas! You can't give my child to her! This is my only..."

This was her only weapon to climb the social ladder.

I watched Lucas's conflicted expression and suddenly found it all so ironic.

I used the last of my strength to push him aside and walked step by step into the room.

Emily's body shrank back, and she clutched the baby in her arms even tighter.

"Hello, mistress. I'm Lucas's wife, Nina. From today on, I'm this child's mother."

Emily broke down into hysterical screaming and grabbed the pillow from the headboard, throwing it at me.

"You're lying! This is my child! Mine!"

Lucas followed me in, looking troubled.

"Lucas, you can't let her take our child!" Emily cried, begging him for help.

Lucas looked at me, clearly torn.

"Nina..."

I leaned close to his ear and whispered:

"That property on the west side... Grandpa really values it. And it just happens to be in my brother's hands."

Lucas's body went rigid.

The west side property was crucial to the Knight family's strategic plans for the next decade. It was also key to proving his competence to his grandfather.

He spun around to look at me—anger, resentment, and a hint of fear in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and said to Emily:

"Listen to me. Let Nina raise this child."

I turned to my nanny and ordered:

"Go bring that child to my room."

I walked out of the room and called my assistant.

"Make arrangements with the hospital. I don't want anyone except us to know about this. On the birth certificate, the mother's name can only be mine."

Soon, louder arguments erupted from next door—the sound of things being thrown and Emily's heart-wrenching sobs.

I looked down at the baby boy in the bassinet.

He was sleeping soundly, his little mouth opening and closing.

A cold smile curved my lips.