Chapter 2

2.

"Caleb! Caleb, no!" Mila cried out, her voice cracking.

She lunged forward, shivering as she knelt beside her brother, clutching the hem of Sienna's dress.

"Miss Sienna, please don't hit him! We'll go! We'll leave right now!"

"I don't want the picture of Mommy anymore! We'll leave the Sterling house and never bother you or Dad... or Mr. Sterling again! Please!"

Their heartbreaking cries felt like a serrated blade sawing through my chest. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

A picture. All of this was over a single photograph of me.

My children had been tortured and starved just because they wanted to know what their mother looked like.

For seven long years, I had been fighting for a world they were supposed to be safe in. What had I done?

The sight was so pathetic that even a few of the guards began to hesitate.

"I mean... they are Mr. Sterling's kids," one whispered. "They're so small..."

"So what? Does it look like Marcus cares?" another retorted. "Miss Sienna is the one who makes the calls around here."

"Exactly. Did you forget last winter? She made them kneel in the snow all night. They ended up in the ICU with pneumonia, and Marcus didn't even visit once."

I clenched my fists so hard my nails drew blood from my palms.

Sienna remained unmoved, looking down at the children with nothing but disgust.

"Now you're begging? It's too late!"

"My dogs are elite champions! Each one is worth millions! I could sell both of you into a labor camp and you still wouldn't be able to pay for their trauma!"

The children's faces went white. Their sobs turned into silent, desperate tremors.

Then, Sienna turned her gaze toward me, her lip curling in a smirk.

"Why don't you ask your brave little savior here? If she pays for the damages, maybe I'll consider letting you two live."

She scanned my simple, travel-worn clothes, her eyes dripping with condescension. She clearly thought I was a nobody.

The guards began to mutter again.

"Yeah, she should pay. She's the one who hit the dogs. If she hadn't interfered, this wouldn't be such a mess."

"But the dogs were going to kill those kids! Those Shepherds are huge. One bite and that girl's arm would have been snapped like a twig!"

"Doesn't matter. Look at her. She looks like she couldn't afford a happy meal, let alone a million-dollar vet bill."

Suddenly, a tiny, cold hand grabbed mine.

Mila looked up at me, tears streaming down her face, but her voice was surprisingly steady.

"Ma'am... you only did it to save us. It's not your fault. Don't give her anything."

Caleb wiped his eyes and stood up, trying to look brave.

"You should run... you're fast and strong. They won't catch you."

"She won't let us go anyway. We don't want you to get hurt because of us."

In that moment, my vision blurred. My beautiful, selfless children.

How could you, Marcus? How could you let them become like this?

I took a deep breath and placed my hands on their shoulders, my voice as cold as tempered steel.

"Don't be afraid, my loves."

"From this second on, no one will ever lay a finger on you again."

I stood up straight, my eyes locking onto Sienna's. The air around me seemed to drop twenty degrees.

"If you want these children, you'll have to go through me."

"You want to play the big boss? Fine. I'll give you a show you'll never forget."

Sienna's face twisted with rage. She screeched at the top of her lungs.

"Guards! Beat her! I want to see her fed to the dogs piece by piece!"

The guards shared a look and began to lung toward me.

But before the first blow could land, a thunderous roar erupted from the estate gates.

"STOP! EVERYBODY STOP!"