The glass vase shattered against the nursery wall, missing Elara's head by inches. It burst into a spray of glittering shards that tumbled onto the thick blue carpet.
"Get out! You are not my mother! I hate you!" Leo screamed.
Elara didn't flinch. She didn't even move. She just looked at him—this five-year-old boy, the same one she'd shielded at the party hours ago. Now he was wild, all storm and heartbreak, trying to kick a hole through the heavy door. He looked so small in a room that felt too big and too cold.
Behind her, the door creaked open. Killian Thorne walked in, sucking the air out of the room just by being there. He wore a dark suit, his face granite-hard.
"This is how you handle my son, Elara?" Killian's voice cracked through the air, sharp and cold. "I hired you to be a mother, not a statue. Do something."
Elara turned and met his eyes. Her heart raced, but she felt something fierce rising inside her. She was tired—tired of being pushed around, tired of being the "weak" one.
"He's terrified, Killian," she said, her voice steady. "Tonight he almost got kidnapped. He saw men with guns, with knives. And now you're forcing a stranger into his life and calling her 'mother.' He doesn't need a statue, and he definitely doesn't need you barking at him."
Killian moved so fast she barely saw it. He grabbed her arm and pinned her against the wall, right beside the shattered glass. His body blocked out everything else. His hand slammed against the wall by her head.
"Careful, Mrs. Thorne," he whispered, his breath hot on her skin. "You're only in this house because I say so. Remember the contract you signed. You're here to keep my son quiet and keep my enemies away. Don't start thinking this is your home."
The truth of her new life hit her hard. This wasn't a fairy tale. This was a battle—a woman trapped in a gilded cage, forced to play a part, hiding secrets that could blow everything apart. A man who used power to hide his pain. And a mother who loved like a shield.
"I remember the contract," Elara whispered. Her breath caught when his face came close enough that their lips almost touched. "But tools don't have hearts, Killian. If you want me to save your son, you have to let me do it my way. Let me be a mother."
Killian stared at her, silent and intense. The tension pressed down on her chest. For a second, his eyes dropped to her mouth, and suddenly their fake marriage felt dangerously real. The anger in his gaze shifted into something darker—something that made her knees go weak. Then he stepped back, straightened his tie, and the moment was gone.
"The doctor's coming in ten minutes to check on Leo," Killian said, all business again. "And your daughter is here. She's in the guest wing."
Elara's heart leapt. "Maya? She's here? Can I see her?"
"No," Killian said. "My staff is taking care of her. You'll see her when I decide you've earned it. Right now, you have a son to calm down. Do your job, Elara."
He walked out, the door clicking shut like a prison lock.
Elara turned back to Leo. Now he sat on the floor, sobbing into his hands. She didn't rush to him. Scared animals needed space. So she sat down a few feet away and started to hum—a song she'd sung to Maya every night since she was born.
Leo's crying faded. He peeked up at her, eyes wet and huge. "That song..." he whispered. "The lady in my dreams sings that song to me."
A lump rose in Elara's throat. She wanted to cry, but she stayed strong. He remembered her. Even before he was born, he must have heard her voice. "It's a song for brave boys," she said softly. "And you are the bravest boy I know."
For the next hour, Elara let go of the fear and anger. She became a mother again. She cleaned up the broken glass so Leo wouldn't get hurt. She tucked him into bed, stroked his hair until he finally drifted off. She'd won the first battle. But she knew the war was just beginning.
When the moon rose over the Thorne estate, Elara slipped out of the nursery. She had to find Maya. She moved through the mansion's shadowy halls, winding through marble and darkness, searching. Every shadow felt like a person, watching her. Elara finally reached the guest wing. At the end of a long hallway, a heavy door waited. Two men in black suits blocked her way.
"I need to see my daughter," Elara said. She tried to sound like she was in control, even if her voice shook a little.
"Mr. Thorne gave us orders, ma'am," one of the guards said. "No visitors allowed. Not even you."
"I'm his wife," she snapped, letting her new name cut through the air. "Move."
The guards exchanged glances, clearly confused. Then, before either of them could answer, a door farther down the hall swung open. A woman stepped out. Tall, striking, dressed in a white doctor's coat—she studied Elara with sharp, clever eyes.
"You must be the new Mrs. Thorne," the woman said. "I'm Dr. Aris. I've been watching over the little girl you brought."
"How is she? Is she breathing all right? Did she get her medicine?" Elara hurried toward her, voice rising.
"She's stable, for now," Dr. Aris said, but she didn't budge from the door. She held up a folder thick with medical papers. "But I found something strange in her bloodwork, Elara. Something that shouldn't be possible."
A cold shiver ran down Elara's spine. "What do you mean?"
"This little girl has a rare genetic marker," the doctor whispered, leaning in so close Elara could smell her coffee breath. "It's only ever found in the Thorne family. And it matches Leo's exactly."
Elara's breath stopped. The secret was out, fighting to be free. She glanced at the guards, then back to Dr. Aris. "Please," she whispered, "you don't understand what happened."
"I understand plenty," Dr. Aris said, her eyes bright with a dangerous kind of knowledge. "Killian Thorne thinks he only has one child, but he actually has two. And you've been hiding this from him."
Suddenly, the hallway lights flickered and died. The whole mansion crashed into darkness. A second later, a blaring red alarm started up, shrill enough to make Elara wince.
"Security breach! Security breach!" a voice shouted through the speakers. "Intruders in the guest wing! Lock down all doors!"
The guards whipped out their guns and shoved Elara against the wall to shield her. In the chaos—darkness, flashing red, the wail of alarms—Elara caught a glimpse of a shadow darting down the hall. Not Killian. Smaller, quicker.
Then a strong hand grabbed her arm. Elara tried to scream, but a hand clamped over her mouth. She got dragged into a dark storage closet. The door slammed behind them.
"Be quiet if you want to live," someone hissed.
Elara gasped. Killian. Even in the dim light, she saw his shirt was half unbuttoned, his chest heaving, eyes wild. He pressed her against the wall, his body shielding hers.
"What's happening?" she whispered, heart pounding like a trapped bird.
"My enemies," Killian growled. "They know I brought a new woman and a child here. They think you're my weakness. They want to take what'll hurt me most."
He looked down at her, his face so close she could feel his breath. The alarm kept screaming. Heavy boots thundered in the hall outside. Elara realized—the "fake marriage" wasn't just a cover for Leo anymore. It was a target painted on her back. She wasn't a maid or a surrogate now. She was caught in the middle of a war.
Killian gripped her shoulders, hard enough to hurt. He looked like he wanted to kiss her and shake her all at once.
"They're looking for the girl, Elara," he whispered, his voice trembling with the fear he almost never let show. "They want the child with Thorne eyes. The girl in that room."
He pulled her closer, staring into her face like he was trying to read her thoughts. "I didn't know yet, but the man I hated would be the father of my children…and the one who might destroy them both."
His gaze flicked to the closet door, then back to her. He looked desperate.
"Elara, tell me the truth—right now—before they break that door down and take her…"
He leaned in, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.
"Why does your daughter have my eyes, and who else is coming to take what belongs to me?"