Chapter 4 4

The ballroom was suffocatingly warm. The scent of expensive lilies and even more expensive perfume hung heavy in the air. Serena walked in, the Lego box tucked under her arm like a shield.

The chatter died down as she entered. It was a ripple effect, silence spreading from the door outward.

Julian was standing by the massive stone fireplace. His hand was resting on the small of Victoria's back. They looked like a magazine cover come to life. He was laughing at something she said, a genuine, relaxed sound that Serena hadn't heard in years.

Then he saw her. His smile vanished. His eyes went to her mouth, the red lipstick a glaring act of rebellion.

"Mommy!"

The scream was pure joy. Leo scrambled up from the Persian rug where he had been playing alone with a toy car. He ran toward her, his little legs moving as fast as they could.

Serena dropped the Lego box and crouched down just in time to catch him. He slammed into her, burying his face in her neck. He smelled of baby shampoo and milk.

"I missed you!" Leo cried, his voice muffled against her hair.

"I missed you too, baby," Serena whispered, squeezing him tight.

A cane tapped sharply on the hardwood floor.

"Leo," Katherine Sterling's voice was like a whip crack. "We have discussed this. She is not your mommy. She is the nanny."

Serena flinched. She felt Leo stiffen in her arms. He pulled back, looking at her with wide, confused eyes. "But... you are Mommy."

Victoria stepped forward. Her silver dress shimmered under the crystal chandeliers. She had a benevolent, pitying smile plastered on her face.

"It is okay, Katherine," Victoria said, her voice smooth like honey. "It is natural for him to be confused. Serena has been very... helpful."

She crouched down next to Serena, invading their space. She reached out a manicured hand toward Leo.

"Hi, Leo," she cooed. "I am Victoria. I brought you a limited edition Iron Man figure. It is in the other room. Do you want to see it?"

Leo looked at her hand, then at her face. He recoiled, pressing his back against Serena's chest. "I don't want it."

Victoria's smile faltered for a fraction of a second.

Julian stepped in. His shadow fell over them. "Leo, be polite."

Katherine tapped her cane again. "Enough of this charade. Since everyone is here, we might as well rip the bandage off. Leo needs to know his true lineage."

Serena looked up, a cold dread pooling in her stomach. "What do you mean?"

Katherine pointed a bony finger at Victoria. "Victoria is Leo's biological mother."

The room spun. Serena felt the blood rush out of her head. The sound of the jazz music seemed to distort, becoming a grotesque screech.

She looked at Julian. He wouldn't meet her eyes. He was looking at the floor, his jaw set tight.

Victoria sighed, a tragic, rehearsed sound. "My career was just taking off... I couldn't have a baby out of wedlock. It would have ruined me. Julian and I decided it was best to... hide him. Until the time was right."

"Hide him?" Serena's voice shook. She stood up, pulling Leo with her. "You abandoned him. For five years!"

Julian finally looked at her. His eyes were cold, dead. "It was a necessary arrangement. We needed a caretaker. You were... available."

A caretaker.

Serena looked down at Leo. The boy she had nursed through fevers. The boy she had taught to walk. The boy whose first word was her name. He wasn't an orphan. He was the secret love child of her husband and his mistress.

She was just the incubator for their reputation.

A wave of revulsion washed over her. She felt dirty. Used.

Leo started to cry. The tension in the room was terrifying him. "I want Mommy! I want to go home!"

Victoria reached for him again. "Come here, sweetie. Mommy is here."

Leo screamed. He slapped Victoria's hand away. "No! Go away!"

Victoria gasped, clutching her hand as if he had broken it. Julian stepped forward, his face darkening with anger. "Leo! Apologize to your mother!"

"Do not yell at him!" Serena roared.

The silence that followed was absolute. Serena Vance never raised her voice.

She was breathing hard, her chest heaving. She glared at Julian, hate burning in her eyes. "You make me sick. Both of you."

She hoisted Leo onto her hip. He wrapped his legs around her waist, sobbing into her shoulder.

"Where do you think you are going?" Julian demanded.

"Away from you," Serena spat.

She turned and marched toward the heavy oak doors. She didn't care about the contract. She didn't care about the money. She just needed to get the innocent child out of this nest of vipers.