Chapter 1

After my son's high fever subsided, a heavy sense of dread washed over me. I decided to take him for a full medical check-up.

When the blood type report was handed to me, my heart stopped. His blood type didn't match mine, and it didn't match my husband's either.

Desperate for answers, I sent samples from the three of us for a DNA test.

The results were a nightmare. My husband was the biological father, but I had no biological connection to the boy I had raised as my own.

As I stood there in shock, the nanny's voice suddenly pierced through my mind like a jagged blade. It was her inner thoughts.

【You stupid bitch! Are you finally getting suspicious?】

【I swapped your brat years ago. That boy you cherish is actually my biological son, the future heir to the Cillian's fortune!】

My face went bloodless. It felt like I had been plunged into a lake of ice.

I rushed back to the hospital where I had given birth and grabbed a staff member, my grip trembling with rage.

"Was there a baby girl born at the same time as me that day?" I screamed.

The staff member avoided my gaze, his voice thick with hesitation.

"The records... well, the records show that the child went missing..."

1

I clutched the DNA test results, my knuckles white as I stepped into the house. Before I could say a word, I heard voices coming from the living room.

Rosalie was leaning against Cillian's chest, her fingers tracing slow, suggestive circles over his heart.

"Cillian, you hired me as your live-in nanny. Aren't you afraid Seraphina will be upset if she finds out about us?"

Cillian's voice was cold and indifferent, lacking even a hint of guilt. "She's lucky to have someone taking care of her daily needs. She should be grateful."

Next to them, Cillian's childhood friend started hooting and cheering.

"Rosalie is so much more attentive and gentle. She runs circles around Seraphina."

"Seraphina probably has no clue that Rosalie has been by your side for three years. Right from the moment you two got married."

"She really thinks she's the queen of the Cillian Empire. In reality, she's absolutely nothing to him."

My heart twisted into a knot, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

It was him. He was the one behind all of this.

Not only that, but he had been keeping Rosalie as his mistress for three years.

I had been a complete and utter fool.

On the way home, I was still making excuses for him. I kept telling myself he must have a difficult reason for the blood type discrepancy.

But everyone was lying to me!

The noises from the room grew louder and more intimate. Swallowing the bile rising in my throat, I turned and walked out of the house.

I dialed a number I hadn't called in years. It was Xavier, my childhood best friend and a billionaire living abroad.

The call connected, and his deep, steady voice came through.

"Sera?"

I didn't waste time with small talk. I went straight to the point. "I'm ready to move abroad with you. But you have to promise me two things."

"First, I want you to intercept and crush every single one of the Cillian family's overseas business deals."

"Second, help me find my missing daughter."

"Consider it done," he replied without hesitation.

I went back inside and acted as if nothing had happened. I played the role of the devoted wife Cillian was so proud of.

Meanwhile, I spent every waking moment secretly investigating the whereabouts of my stolen child.

It was the anniversary of my parents' death.

Cillian came home early from the office and wrapped his arms around me.

"I've prepared everything your parents would have liked. We'll go to the memorial park together tomorrow to pay our respects."

I nodded obediently, masking the loathing in my eyes.

Cillian patted my head and pressed a kiss onto my forehead.

Looking at his retreating back, memories flooded my mind.

He had chased me for three years during college.

When my parents suddenly passed away in a car accident, my world turned black.

He was the one who stayed by my side every second. He kept whispering, "Don't be afraid, Sera. I'll always be here. I'll love you forever."

That warmth was once my only lifeline in a stormy sea.

A cold, bitter smile touched my lips.

I guess "forever" only lasts until the next shiny thing comes along.

The man who once treated me like a treasure had become a monster I didn't recognize.