Chapter 2

Bridges turned his head. He dodged my son Isaac's punch, the corners of his eyes slightly upturned with careless roguishness.

That face—it haunted my nightmares.

I took a deep breath, then another deep breath, then one more deep breath.

Isaac had told me he was very well-behaved at school.

Looking at his practiced fighting stance, he seemed more like someone who frequently caused trouble and got into brawls.

That left hook was fierce, the angle tricky, and he even knew to feint before throwing the real punch.

A circle of parents had already gathered around. Some were holding up their phones filming, others were cheering them on.

"Whose kid is this? Pretty impressive!"

"Go for it, little guy!"

I covered my face, wishing I could find a hole to crawl into.

Isaac stood with his hands on his hips, head tilted back.

"You're blocking my way."

Bridges glanced down at him and snorted.

"Did your family build this road?"

"It's not my family's, but you're blocking the school gate and affecting my classmates getting out of school."

Bridges actually laughed at his audacity.

"Who's your mother? How'd she raise such a little tyrant?"

I rubbed my forehead. This child had completely inherited both my and Bridges' bad tempers.

Everyone knew that whenever Bridges and I met, we'd fight, and our fights always drew blood.

The day I found out I was the child the Gibbs family had mistakenly raised, Bridges was the first to come watch the drama unfold.

"Lewis, so you're a fake. No wonder you have no manners."

I lunged at him directly and bit down hard on his neck.

He used all his strength but couldn't push me off.

Blood seeped through my teeth. He groaned in pain and looked at me in shock, his eyes full of disbelief.

"Are you a dog?!"

Only then did I release my mouth and licked the blood from the corner of my lips.

I just hadn't expected he wouldn't get along with Isaac either.

Bridges reached out and grabbed Isaac by the back of his neck.

"Come on, let's find your parent. I want to see what kind of parent could raise a little demon like you."

My throat tightened, and I prepared to make my escape.

Just then, an angry shout came from the school gate.

The homeroom teacher, clicking along in high heels, charged over with fury on her face.

"Which class are you from? Bullying our students?"

Bridges looked unusually embarrassed. Just as he was about to speak, a woman in a beige trench coat emerged gracefully from the crowd.

She naturally hooked her arm through Bridges' and smiled slightly at Ms. Anderson.

"Hello, teacher. I'm sorry, we were presumptuous."

"We're investors in this school. We happened to be passing by today and wanted to see the school environment. My husband doesn't really know how to interact with children. If he's offended your student, I apologize on his behalf."

As she spoke, she bowed slightly, her manner elegant and proper.

Ms. Anderson's anger dissipated by more than half.

"Oh, investors... well, you still can't get physical with students..."

Gina turned to look at Bridges, her tone carrying a hint of reproach.

"Bridges, really, why are you being so serious with a child?"

I looked at their linked arms and clicked my tongue in wonder.

After Gina was taken back to her real family, she targeted me at every turn.

"Bridges is mine too, Lewis. You're not going to try to take him as well, are you?"

I was shaking with rage. Since she said I was a cuckoo in the nest, I'd show her just how much I could take.

That very night, I drugged Bridges and slept with him, then fled overnight.

I pressed down the brim of my hat. As long as I wasn't recognized, everything would be fine.

Just then, the homeroom teacher suddenly called out to me.

"Hey, Ms. Lewis, you're here? I was just about to call you."

My steps halted.