Chapter 7 - The Devil's Bargain
I stared at the security monitor in absolute disbelief and conflicting emotions.
This was the exact same boy who had mocked my daughter and hired a sniper to end my life.
Julian sternly warned me that it was an obvious trap and urged me not to let the boy inside.
But the stubborn motherly instinct I had tried so hard to bury screamed at me to help a child in pain.
I pressed the unlock button and instructed the lobby guards to safely escort him up to our floor.
Tristan stumbled out of the private elevator and collapsed right onto the expensive penthouse rug.
He was weeping hysterically, tightly clutching his bruised ribs with violently trembling hands.
I knelt beside him on the floor and gently asked what Vanessa had done to him.
Tristan choked on a heavy sob and confessed that Vanessa had found out about the failed sniper attack.
She was furious not because he tried to kill me, but because he foolishly used her traceable bank account.
She beat him ruthlessly and coldly told him he was nothing but a useless, expensive liability.
Tristan looked up at me with tears streaming down his face and desperately begged for my forgiveness.
He admitted that he only acted cruel to me because he was incredibly desperate for his father’s approval.
I felt a sharp ache in my chest, completely torn between genuine pity and overwhelming caution.
Julian stepped forward and coldly asked Tristan where his dangerous mother was currently hiding.
Tristan hesitated for a long moment before whispering an address near the abandoned shipping docks.
He claimed Vanessa was preparing to flee the country on a private cargo ship later tonight.
Julian immediately dispatched the local police and his elite security team to aggressively intercept her.
I carried Tristan to the soft sofa and grabbed a first-aid kit from the bathroom to clean his wounds.
As I gently wiped the dried blood from his cheek, I noticed something very strange about his bruises.
The dark purple coloring smeared slightly when the damp antiseptic wipe lightly touched his skin.
My heart stopped entirely as I realized the bruises were nothing but expensive theatrical makeup.
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I looked down in horror and saw Tristan quietly slipping his hand into his dark jacket pocket.
He pulled out a sleek silver syringe filled with a cloudy liquid and jammed it violently toward my neck.
