"Get out. All of you, get out. No one is taking my baby from me."

Vivian Hartley curled up in the corner of the hospital room, one arm wrapped around her baby’s cold little body, the other gripping a syringe so hard her fingers had gone white. The needle was pressed right against the artery in her neck.

Her eyes were red, wild, full of hate and fear as she stared at the man in front of her—her husband, Adrian Holloway.

Adrian’s face was icy. "If you really want to die, then do it. Saves me the trouble. I can collect the bodies of you and your son together today."

His voice was cold, furious, merciless. Every word hit Vivian like an arrow straight through the heart, sharp enough to tear flesh from bone.

"Adrian Holloway, this is your son. Your son." Her voice shook so badly it was almost breaking apart. "He was just born, and now he’s dead. Fine, hate me if you want. Kill me if you want. But why did our son have to die? Why him? Why?"

She was too worked up to notice the needle had already broken her skin. A bead of blood welled up at her neck.

Adrian’s pupils tightened. In one swift move, he seized her wrist and yanked the syringe away. At the same time, a nurse rushed in and snatched the baby’s body from her arms.

The second Vivian realized her child had been taken, she completely lost it.

She struggled like crazy, screaming herself hoarse. "Give him back! Give my baby back! Adrian Holloway, make them give him back to me!"

Adrian clamped down on her wrist and shoved her onto the bed, his whole body radiating rage. "If you hadn’t been so jealous, if you hadn’t tried to hurt Audrey, none of this would’ve happened. She’s still in surgery right now, fighting for her life."

"I didn’t hurt her. She pushed me. She wanted to hurt me and our baby. She told me—"

"She pushed you?" Adrian let out a humorless laugh, so angry it was almost terrifying. "You really think everyone is as vicious as you are? Vivian Hartley, you’ve always done whatever it takes to get what you want. Don’t forget how my mother died."

Just a few hours ago, Audrey Sinclair had come to the house. She had tried to shove Vivian downstairs. In the chaos, Vivian grabbed Audrey, and the two of them fell together.

But in Adrian’s eyes, it was simple.

Vivian had gotten jealous, wanted Audrey dead, and ended up dragging herself down too. To him, this was all her fault. She deserved every bit of it.

Right. If anyone wanted to talk about cruelty, who could beat her?

Back then, it had been her. She had pushed Adrian’s mother downstairs. The woman never made it after the emergency treatment.

Vivian cried until her voice was shredded raw. "So my child had to die to pay for that? Is that it? Adrian Holloway, believe me or don’t, I never pushed Audrey Sinclair, and I never pushed your mother either. If you hate me that much, then take my life. Take it. But give my baby back. Bring him back to life. Bring him back!"

"Still lying?" Adrian was on the verge of exploding. "My mother said it herself before she died—it was you. Vivian Hartley, you’re not just cruel, you’re a liar to the core. This is the debt you owe. And if anything happens to Audrey, I’ll make you pay with your life."

"My life?" Vivian suddenly grabbed his hand—the one still holding the needle—and forced it hard against her own neck. Her eyes were bloodshot, her face pale as paper, but there was something almost mad in the way she looked at him. "Fine. Take it now. Do it, Adrian Holloway. If you don’t kill me today, then this won’t end between us for the rest of our lives. I’m your legal wife, your Mrs. Holloway. No matter how much you love Audrey Sinclair, she’s still just the side piece you can’t bring into the light. I’ll become a thorn stuck between the two of you forever. I’ll make sure neither of you ever knows peace. I’ll use your misery to mourn my son."

Adrian’s eyes turned blood-red. "Vivian Hartley."

"Do it then!" Vivian Hartley roared, her voice raw and cracked. "Adrian Holloway, there’s no clearing this up between us in this lifetime. You say I killed your mother, but Audrey Sinclair killed my son too. One debt after another, one grudge piled on another—none of it can be untangled. So fine, let’s just keep torturing each other. Until one of us dies. Nobody gets to walk away clean."

The moment Adrian thought of his mother’s death, real killing intent flashed in his eyes.

Right then, a doctor rushed in from outside, breathless. "Mr. Holloway, Miss Sinclair’s condition has taken a bad turn."

Adrian shot Vivian a cold, knife-sharp look, then turned and hurried out.