Chapter 4

"He is my son, Sophia," Ethan repeated, his voice a low, steady anchor in the storm of her hysteria. He held the crying Leo close, a living, breathing testament to the truth she refused to accept. "And I am married."

Sophia's face was a mask of disbelief. "Oh, yeah?" she challenged, her voice rising again. "Then where is she? If this wife of yours is real, then show her to me! Right now! I want to see the woman who thinks she can have what's mine!"

The scene was becoming too much for her father. Mr. Davis, looking pale and utterly bewildered, clutched at his chest, his breathing shallow. An aide materialized at his side, murmuring urgently, and led the powerful mogul away from the escalating chaos.

With her father gone, the last restraint on Sophia's behavior snapped.

She drew herself up, a delusional queen surveying a kingdom that existed only in her mind.

"You belong to me, Ethan!" she declared, her voice ringing with a terrifying conviction. "You always have! I sent you away, and I am the only one who can bring you back! I decide when we're done!"

She spun around, her eyes wild, and pointed a trembling finger at the venue's security guards who were hovering nervously nearby.

"Get that child away from him!" she commanded. "He's just a prop he's using to manipulate me! Take the boy!"

The guards hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances. This was a family dispute, not a security threat.

"Did you hear me?" Sophia screamed. "I am Sophia Davis! Do as I say!"

Under the weight of her name, the guards reluctantly moved in.

Ethan clutched Leo tighter, a protective roar building in his chest. "Don't you touch him," he growled, trying to back away.

But he was outnumbered. Two guards grabbed his arms, pinning them behind his back. He struggled, but their professional grip was iron.

As they held him fast, Sophia sauntered forward, a cruel, triumphant smile on her lips.

"See, Ethan?" she sneered, her face close to his. "You have nothing. You are nothing without me. You always come back to me, one way or another."

The guards tried to pry Leo from his father's grasp.

Leo, terrified, began to scream. "Daddy! Daddy! Don't let them take me!"

His desperate cries tore through Ethan, shredding his composure.

Sophia, annoyed by the child's screaming, reached out and pushed Leo.

It wasn't a hard push, but it was enough to make the small boy stumble and fall to the carpeted floor.

"Shut up, you little bastard!" she hissed, her face contorted with hate.

That was the breaking point.

The sight of his son, pushed to the ground and insulted so viciously, unleashed a primal fury in Ethan.

He bucked against the guards' hold, his muscles straining, a raw, guttural sound of pure rage escaping his throat.

"SOPHIA!" he roared, his voice cracking with desperation and pain. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM! DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH MY SON!"

He was a caged animal, helpless to protect his young, forced to watch as the predator toyed with its prey. His heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest.