Chapter 2: A Mother's Last Chance
I drove Emily to the hospital myself.
The entire ride she stared out the window, silently praying.
"I'll never forgive myself if I'm too late," she whispered.
When we arrived, nurses rushed toward us.
One of them recognized Emily immediately.
"You finally came."
Emily's face turned white.
"My son..."
The nurse hesitated.
"He's still alive... but barely."
Emily ran into the intensive care unit.
Inside, a tiny seven-year-old boy lay connected to machines.
His skin was pale.
His breathing shallow.
The moment he heard his mother's voice, his eyes slowly opened.
"Mom..."
Emily collapsed beside him, crying quietly.
"I'm here."
The little boy smiled weakly.
"I knew... you'd come."
Outside the room, the doctor approached me.
"If she'd arrived another hour later, he probably wouldn't have survived."
I leaned against the wall.
One hour.
Victoria had stolen nearly the last hour a mother would ever have with her child.
At that moment my phone rang.
It was my attorney.
"Mr. Cole, your wife just transferred three million dollars from your joint investment account."
I closed my eyes.
This wasn't only cruelty.
May you like
It was preparation.
Victoria was planning to disappear.
