Chapter 2

The moment I rushed to the hospital entrance, I heard gasps erupt from the crowd.

I looked up sharply, and a dark shadow plunged straight down from the high-rise!

A dull thud echoed, heavily striking my heart.

Time seemed to stand still.

I saw him. It was my son, Luke. He was still wearing the red T-shirt I’d bought for him.

Now, that red was soaked with blood, making it even more jarring.

My legs gave out, and I practically crawled to his side.

“Luke! Luke! Look at Mom!”

My hands trembled, but I didn’t dare touch him, terrified he’d shatter like a porcelain doll.

He struggled to open his eyes, his fractured gaze focusing on my face.

Bloody foam spilled from his mouth. With his last ounce of strength, he clutched the hem of my shirt.

“Mom… it’s… it’s not… sterilization…”

His voice was barely a whisper, each word a knife slicing through my heart.

“They… they gave me… gender reassignment surgery…”

“I… I can’t live like this.”

*Boom!*

My mind went blank instantly, and the world spun around me!

Before I could even process this cruel truth, a group of strangers in black suits rushed over.

They were expressionless, their movements swift and precise. They roughly dragged my dying son and me away.

“Who are you?! Let go of my son! Help!”

My screams and struggles were so futile against them.

A black bag was violently pulled over my head, and I was shoved into a car.

I don’t know how long passed, but the car finally stopped.

Luke and I were brutally thrown onto the cold concrete ground.

The hood was ripped off, and the suffocating smell of mildew and dust filled my nostrils.

It was an abandoned warehouse. The single metal door clanged shut, locked from the outside.

*It’s over.*

They were going to trap us here to die.

I fumbled around. Thank goodness, my phone was still in my pocket!

This was our only hope!

Trembling, I dialed Damian’s number.

“Damian! Save Luke! We’ve been kidnapped, he’s dying!”

On the other end of the line, Damian’s voice was filled with contempt and impatience.

“Chloe, what new trick are you pulling now? It’s just a small procedure, why are you making such a fuss?”

“It’s true! He jumped from the building! He’s bleeding so much! We’re in a warehouse in the suburbs, please…”

Before I could finish, Serena’s delicate cries came through the phone.

“Damian… is Chloe mad at me again? It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have let you get revenge for me…”

“It’s my bad, go comfort her quickly, don’t let her fight with you because of me again…”

Damian’s voice instantly turned cold, full of disgust.

“Enough! Chloe, stop trying to gain sympathy with these tactics, it’s sickening!”

*Beep… beep… beep…*

The call was ruthlessly cut off.

I clutched my phone, my blood feeling like it had instantly frozen.

My last sliver of hope, extinguished by his own hand.

A tidal wave of hatred surged from deep within me, threatening to consume me whole.

At the edge of despair, I looked at my son, whose breathing was growing weaker in my arms. My finger slid across the screen, stopping on a number I hadn't touched in years.

My eyes turned cold and resolute as I dialed that number.

“Please, come save my son! If you save him, I’ll agree to anything!”