chapter 3

"You have been very obedient these days. I'll reward you with a birthday banquet."

Even I forgot it was my birthday today, but he remembered.

Ethan booked the largest hotel in Beijing, spending a fortune to celebrate my birthday.

Precious and luxurious gifts piled up like they were nothing.

Just as he was cutting the cake with me, the secretary rushed in a panic.

"Mr. Vanderbilt, Miss Zoe has been kidnapped at the door!"

The next second, the cake knife was pointed at my carotid artery.

"Where is Zoe?"

"How would I know!"

A sense of powerlessness spread through my body, he once again baselessly suspected me.

I don't know how many times this has happened, but my heart still ached.

Ethan snatched my phone and checked it, his voice cold.

"Zoe wished you a happy birthday, and you cursed her to die?"

"This unknown number must be the kidnapper, you guys called four or five times!"

After her disappearance, he became more suspicious, and these clues made him more convinced.

"I have solid evidence, do you still want to deny it?"

I retorted, "A few calls, one message, why accuse me?"

"Instead, why don't you ask, what are the dozens of messages Zoe retracted?"

He pressed the blade down, cutting a bloody mark on my neck. "Because you have a criminal record."

I sneered, thinking of the message Zoe sent last night, as a chill ran through me.

The corpse photos were deliberately posted on the wall to disgust you, the thugs and the crazy horse were all staged by me.

I just used a little trick to firmly grasp Ethan, proving that he loves me!

Amelia, your son is in a sanatorium? Just in time for your birthday tomorrow, I'll give you a big gift.

Happy Birthday, Amelia!

Her disappearance was staged by herself, but Ethan believed it.

Ethan patiently said, "Amelia, tell me where Zoe is."

As time passed, I kept my lips tightly sealed, and he ran out of patience.

"I heard that after I disappeared, you adopted a little boy?"

A chill ran up my spine, and I shouted, "Ethan, don't be foolish!"

He snapped his fingers, and the bodyguard threw a sack on the ground.

Inside was a small squirming body, coughing from time to time.

"Henry!" I yelled and rushed over, but the bodyguard held me down.

Ethan stepped on the child's head with one foot, holding an iron rod in the other hand.

"Amelia, tell me where Zoe is, and I'll let him go."

I crawled to his feet, grabbing his pant leg and pleading.

"Please let him go. I'm his mother. Take me instead."

"I really don't know where Zoe is, but I can find her and bring her back!"

"Find her? Bringing back a corpse is also considered finding her." Ethan's eyes coldly swept over me, and he viciously hit the sack with a stick.

"No!" I hoarsely shouted, "Henry is your own son!"

Ethan's pupils shrank, stunned in place.

Just then, my phone rang, and it was an unfamiliar number.

Ethan decisively answered, and a deep, hoarse voice came from the receiver.

"Everything is arranged. I'll come and pick you and Henry up."

Ethan clenched his fists, and when he looked at me again, his eyes were filled with venom.

"I've been missing for three years. Where did this little son come from?"

The tip of his shoe ruthlessly crushed my fingers, "Amelia, how dare you cheat on me!"

"I'll kill this little bastard!"

He went crazy and mercilessly beat the sack, blood seeping out and staining the ground red.

Henry cried out with his last bit of strength, "Dad... Mom..."

I held onto his shoe with my broken hand, "Stop it! Please! He really is your son!"

Ethan squatted down, grabbing my chin.

"Honey, as long as you behave and listen to me, I won't mind you having a bastard child."

I nodded, a bloodstain on my forehead, "I'll behave, I'll listen to you! Please let him go!"

"Tell me, where is Zoe?"

Despair completely engulfed me, "I really don't know! Her disappearance was all her doing!"

The man's expression turned cold, he threw away the iron rod and pulled out a gun from his waist.

"You still won't admit it?"

"No!"

A bang, blood splattered.

I also spat out blood, shaking violently all over.

Bang bang bang... Countless bullets sprayed onto the sack.

There was no movement inside, only bloodstains all over the floor.

I crawled over, calling out Henry's name repeatedly, but he could no longer answer.

He had just learned to call out "dad", and now he was dead at the hands of his own father.

I protected the sack like a fierce mother beast, glaring fiercely at Ethan.

Through gritted teeth, I cursed, "Ethan Vanderbilt, I curse you with a childless and miserable life."

He shuddered, his gaze sweeping over the cake, a flash of guilt in his eyes. He was about to say something when his secretary interrupted.

"Mr. Vanderbilt, Miss Zoe has been found. The kidnappers want to negotiate with you."

Ethan immediately turned around and left without looking back.

Shortly after, the bodyguards suddenly came to grab the sack.

I fiercely bit down on their hands, "No one is allowed to touch Henry!"

"Mr. Vanderbilt ordered to throw these despicable scum to feed the wild dogs."

"You dare..." With a slap, the bodyguard slapped me across the face.

"You bitch, Miss Zoe is the future Mrs. Vanderbilt, who do you think you are!"

They picked up the electric batons, turned them up to full power, and struck me.

The excruciating pain hit me like a knife, as the thugs took the sack.

Henry was chopped into pieces with an axe by them, then wild dogs were brought in to tear at and eat him.

I lay on the ground in despair, letting the remnants splash on my face, convulsing and vomiting uncontrollably.

When Ethan brought Zoe back, he caught me picking up the bones that were left after Henry had been gnawed on by the dogs.

"Did you let them feed Henry to the dogs?"

He looked at me as if it was obvious, "You kidnapped Zoe and caused her to miscarry."

"Let that bastard die without a proper burial, it's revenge for my child."

"Ethan, how could she get pregnant again right after a miscarriage? You truly are the dumbest pig in the world!"

I looked at them with resentment in my eyes, cursing as I cut my fingertips.

"I sacrifice my soul, cursing you to die without a burial place."

Ethan was furious, "Bring those kidnappers here, punish this crazy woman properly!"

"Whoever tortures her the most, I will forgive their sins!"

Seven or eight thugs laughed obscenely and pounced on me, sending chills down my spine.

As the door closed, my clothes were torn, my struggles and screams drowned out by their curses.

That night, not even the wild dogs spared me.

In the morning, I was thrown naked next to a garbage heap, unable to shed any more tears.

My child was dead, and I was violated by those animals again and again. I would be better off dead, to be with Henry.

I picked up a broken bottle from the roadside, slashed my wrists, and watched as my life slowly slipped away with the blood.

The phone buzzed, but I could no longer answer the call from that unfamiliar number.