Ten days. That was all the doctor believed my six-year-old twins had left, and for the first time in my life, all the money, guns, fear, and power I had built as one of Chicago’s most feared mafia bosses meant absolutely nothing. By three that afternoon, while death waited inside my mansion, a penniless woman stood outside my gates refusing to leave, and I had no idea she was about to change everything.

I stared at the live video feed in pure, paralyzing horror as Viktor waved directly at the hidden camera.

He was standing right outside the heavy steel doors of my underground medical wing.

Viktor's cruel, arrogant voice crackled clearly through the computer speakers on the desk.

He mocked me, laughing about how easily the great Lawson Mercer had fallen for a simple distraction.

He proudly explained that this bunker was entirely empty, designed specifically to lure me away from my estate.

I gripped the edge of the desk, my knuckles turning completely white as blind rage consumed me.

I screamed into the microphone, demanding to know how his men had bypassed my remaining security forces.

Viktor smiled wickedly and stated that heavy security is completely useless when you hold the right keys.

He stepped aside on the video feed, revealing the shocking truth of his infiltration.

Prescott Hale, my most trusted advisor and oldest friend, walked into the frame holding a set of master keycards.

Prescott looked directly into the camera with an expression of deep, painful regret.

He used the master keycard to unlock the final blast door leading to where the twins were sleeping.

I completely destroyed the computer monitor with the butt of my rifle in a fit of absolute fury.

I had trusted Prescott with my life, my secrets, and the safety of my dying children.

Elara grabbed my arm and told me we needed to move immediately if we wanted to save them.

We sprinted back through the empty concrete tunnels, our footsteps echoing loudly in the silence.

We burst out of the access hatch and threw ourselves into the unmarked black SUV.

I slammed my foot aggressively onto the gas pedal, tearing out of the shipping yard.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

As we sped down the highway, my phone suddenly buzzed with a message from an unknown number.

The message simply read: "Your children are already dead."

Chapter 6 - The Decoy