Chapter 2

Cordelia's POV

"The treatment is two million," Giulia added..

"I'll get the two million," I replied, shoving the medical report into my bag. "The second it's paid, I'm taking him."

I sprinted out of the children’s home, hailed a cab, and went straight to the Ferrara Group headquarters. The security guards recognized me but didn't bother hiding their sneers as they eyed my ragged coat.

"I need to see Silvano."

"Mr. Ferrara isn't seeing you."

"Then I’ll wait right here."

I stood at the bottom of the steps until noon. Finally, a black sedan pulled up to the entrance. Silvano stepped out, sharp and immaculate, his watch catching the harsh sunlight. He saw me but didn't break his stride.

"What do you want now?"

"Loan me a million."

He stopped and looked at me like I had just told a hilarious joke. "Why the hell would I do that?"

"Lior is incredibly sick. He needs treatment right now."

"That kid shouldn't have been born in the first place." He sneered. "With a body that pathetic, keeping him alive is a waste of resources."

My chest seized. "You give Soraya the absolute best schools, the best doctors, but you won't even look twice at your own son."

His face darkened. "Shut your mouth."

"You’ve never loved him, not even the day he was born. Because Romina told you I picked him up off the streets—that he wasn't your blood. Isn't that right?"

Silvano closed the distance in three strides, grabbed my jaw, and slammed me against the car door.

"Thirty-three days in a cell and you still don't know how to keep your mouth shut."

"I'm telling the truth."

"Say one more word, and you won't get a single dime."

I gasped through the pain. "Then you watch him die."

His fingers dug in violently, then abruptly let go.

"You want money?" he hissed. "Come upstairs."

The heavy mahogany doors of his office locked behind us. He walked over to his safe, pulled out a black briefcase, and popped it open. Stacks of crisp cash sat perfectly aligned inside.

He sat down in his leather chair, his gaze locking onto mine.

"Take off a piece of clothing. Two hundred thousand."

I froze.

"Didn't you say you'd do anything?"

"The money goes to Lior."

"Of course." He leaned back in his chair. "Provided you satisfy me."

I unbuttoned my coat and let it drop to the floor.

"Keep going."

My blouse. My skirt. Piece by piece, they fell. He watched me the entire time with dead eyes, inspecting me like cheap merchandise. When the last piece of fabric hit the ground, I stood before him, shivering uncontrollably from the cold.

He grabbed a stack of cash and threw it hard against my face.

"This is how much you're worth now."

I bent down to pick up the bills, my fingers trembling so badly I could barely hold them.

I don't ever want to relive what happened next. The blinds were drawn, the door was locked. He used the most vile, degrading words imaginable to break me down, treating me like a lifeless doll he could use and discard. All I remember is biting my lip so hard I tasted copper, repeating the same words in my head like a prayer: Lior is waiting for me. Lior is waiting for me.

When he was done, he shoved a thick stack of cash toward the edge of the desk.

"The rest will be wired to your account. Get the hell out."

I put my clothes back on, shoved the cash into my bag, and stumbled out the door. As I walked past the reflective glass wall in the lobby, I caught a glimpse of myself: hair completely disheveled, face ghostly pale, dried blood still in the corner of my mouth.

I used to be Mrs. Ferrara. Now I looked like a discarded joke.

I didn't stop to rest. I hurried back to St. Giulia.

The kids in the yard spotted me first.

"Look! It's the lady from the news!" "That's the shameless, bad mommy!" "I heard she takes her clothes off for money!"

A nurse had carried Lior to the doorway. He was frail, but the moment he heard them, he began struggling wildly in her arms.

"Don't talk about my mommy!" he screamed, his little three-year-old voice breaking in desperation.

An older kid pointed at me and laughed. "Your mom strips for cash!"

"She doesn't!" Lior burst into tears. "Mommy is here to take me home!"

I lunged forward to hold him, but Giulia stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

My phone buzzed. A series of photos loaded on the screen. It was me, in Silvano's office, completely naked. My blood turned to ice. The entire city of Kestrel had already seen them.

I dialed Silvano's number with shaking hands. "You leaked these?"

"I did." His voice was horrifyingly calm. "Take that bastard and leave this city. Never come back."

The line went dead. Giulia approached me with a document in her hand.

"The adoption committee just notified me. Because of this scandal, your application has been permanently denied. You have lost all rights to take him."

I shoved the cash and all my bank cards into her hands. "Use this to pay for his treatment."

"What about you?"

I looked through the glass at my son. "I'll leave. As long as he lives, I'll go anywhere."

Late that night, sitting in the desolate airport terminal, I told myself over and over: The money is there. He’s going to get his treatment.

Just as they announced boarding for my flight, Giulia called.

"Cordelia! You need to come back right now!"

"What's wrong?"

"He's crashing! The doctor says he might not make it through the night!"