The Mafia's Frozen Bride

[Darcy]

A baby's cry greeted my return from work. I rushed to the nursery and was touched to see the tear-stained infant. I went over and hugged him. Briefly, he stopped crying and sobbed.

"Do you miss Mommy? You know Mommy is coming home, but greet her with your loud voice. Why aren't you laughing? Aren't you tired of crying like this?" I asked.

The six-month-old baby just rested his head on my chest. Keane sobbed because he had cried too much. I went back to work when he was three months old. That was the only time I could give him my full attention.

Keane was like any other baby when his mother was away, but he had a new habit. After he remembered the time I returned home, my son cried. My little one knew when I was coming home. If I were late, he would keep crying until I got home.

"You can't go on like this, dear. I have meetings after working hours. I can't come home at the same time every day," I cooed.

My phone in the bag vibrated. The babysitter took my baby so that I could answer the call. Reading my mother-in-law's name, I frowned. Why was she calling me? We didn't have any appointments at night.

"Hi, Mom," I greeted her.

"Come to the hospital now. Cullen had an accident," she sobbed.

I was stunned to hear the news. My husband was in an accident? I might be a joke. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. There was no need to panic. He would be fine. The car's safety system was excellent. His injuries must not be severe. That was it. I didn't need to panic.

I left the house with a heavy heart. The hospital wasn't a friendly place for children. Therefore, I left my son in the babysitter's care. I took a taxi to the hospital because I couldn't drive.

Arriving at the hospital, the nurse directed me to the ICU. I frowned. What happened? Why did they place him in that room? Why didn't they treat him in the ER or save him in the operating room?

"Darcy!" my mother-in-law called.

I rushed over to her. "How is Cullen? Is he okay?" I glanced nervously at the door behind her.

"He's calling your name. You'd better hurry up and get in," she said, half pushing me.

"Okay," I said obediently.

Her attitude was strange. She loved her son so much. Why did she allow me to enter without protest? Even though she approved of my marriage to Cullen and was happy with her first grandson, Bridget Channing hated me.

However, I ignored her demeanor. My focus was on Cullen. I entered the room, and a nurse asked me to wash my hands and wear specific clothes before seeing the patient.

I was shocked to see Cullen's condition. Many tubes and needles were on his body. Complete medical equipment surrounded his bed. His head was bandaged, his face was pale, and his body was covered in wounds. What kind of accident did he have?

"Cu-cullen?" I stammered. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath to calm myself. "Cullen, it's me. Darcy. Can you hear me?"

My heart raced seeing him unresponsive. I swallowed heavily and turned to the nurse standing across from me. She was checking his heartbeat. "What happened to him?"

The woman smiled sadly. "Cullen Channing had a massive bleed on the head. Also, he had a fractured skull and ribs. Therefore, his lungs are severely injured. The doctor did everything he could to help. Everything depends on the patient's endurance."

My legs went weak. "W-what are his chances of survival?" I muttered.

"Miracles happen every day," she replied diplomatically.

"When was he brought here?" I added.

"This afternoon," she replied. "Excuse me. I have to check on another patient."

"Okay. Thank you," I said.

I placed my hand over Cullen's. He'd been in the hospital since the afternoon. Why did Mom contact me in the evening? He must have gone through a long surgery process. I should have been in the hospital when he was battling between life and death.

"Honey, can you hear me?" I didn't dare touch the rest of his body, worried that my touch would hurt him. "Keane was acting up again tonight. He greeted my return with his cry. He was imitating his attention-seeking father.

"Get well soon. So we can go home, and you can play with him. I can't bring him because the hospital is not a good place for him. The nanny looks after our son at home. I hope he doesn't cry because I'm gone," I muttered.

A long, shrill sound interrupted my sentence. I looked at the monitor and saw a single horizontal line. I widened my eyes. My heart skipped a beat. Was that...?

Several people entered the room, and a nurse asked me to leave. I shook my head because I wanted to stay beside my husband. But the woman forced me out and closed the door before me. Oh, God. Save Cullen. Please.

My legs were weak as I walked out of the room. I looked around me but didn't find Mom or her bodyguards. Where had she gone? I dialed her phone. Unfortunately, she didn't answer my two calls. Strange. Why didn't she pick up the phone?

The ICU door opened, and a nurse approached me. Staring at the look on her face, I could guess what she was going to say. "Cullen Channing passed away."

I was stunned. Cullen died? No way. He was strong and healthy. We parted ways in the morning, and he was fine. I passed the nurse and entered the ICU room. The medics were removing tube after tube from his body.

"What are you doing? Don't remove the tubes. Wait until my husband wakes up!" I held the woman's hand, who had removed the needle from Cullen's wrist.

"I'm so sorry. You need to be strong, ma'am. The patient is gone." She looked at me sympathetically.

"No. Cullen won't leave me! Save him! Cullen can't be dead!" I felt my chest tighten. Cullen couldn't be dead. "He loves me and won't leave me alone."

My bodyguards held me to prevent me from interfering with the medics' work. I struggled to get free as they removed the life support from Cullen's body. My voice was hoarse from calling his name, but he didn't answer or open his eyes.

No. That couldn't have happened. Cullen was everything to me. How could I live without him? I had no one else in the world but him. I must be dreaming. That was it. It was just a dream. I would wake up, and everything would be fine. Cullen, Keane, and I planned to go on vacation for the weekend.

Except it was real. Cullen didn't open his eyes even though I shook his body and screamed his name. His beautiful eyes used to look at me lovingly. His lips never stopped calling me with affection. Oh, God. My husband was gone.

I followed my husband's body back to his parents' house. Cars filled the curb and the front yard when we arrived. A servant asked me to follow her and helped me change. I sat by my husband's coffin because I didn't want to be away from him.

We held his funeral service at the church and drove him to the cemetery. I saw his coffin go into the hole and be covered with dirt. But I still couldn't believe he was gone.

"I'm so sorry, Darcy," Heather said.

I chuckled. "Why did you come? You should have said you were happy about my misfortune," I quipped.

"Cullen was my brother-in-law despite our complicated relationship. I feel your loss," my sister muttered sincerely.

I hated her and her theatrics. "Liar. You and your husband must have laughed when you came here."

"I am not you, Darcy. We are not the same. I don't laugh at others' suffering, much less over my family. You may believe it or not." Heather caressed my arm. "I'm leaving. Stay strong for Keane's sake. You're all he has after his father is gone."

My eyes heated up. I bit my lip to keep from crying before her. Heather turned around, and a handsome man approached her. Her husband wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her head, the man who should have been mine.

My tears welled up. I lowered my head, unwanting anyone to notice. Cullen left me alone. The person my life and my son depended on was gone. How did I live and face people who hated me without him?

Returning home, I walked sluggishly to Keane's room. I didn't hear him cry. Didn't he miss his mommy? I opened the door to his room, but the sight in front of me shocked me.

Keane's favorite stuffed animal wasn't on his bed. Some of his favorite toys weren't on top of the dresser either. I checked his drawers. It was empty. No. Who took my son? Could the babysitter have kidnapped my baby?

I rushed out of the room and checked the nanny's bedroom. Her wardrobe was empty, and the suitcase wasn't beside the closet. Oh, my God. It couldn't be happening.

I dialed the woman's phone. Hearing the dial tone, I waited impatiently. But until the ringing ended, the woman didn't answer. Olivia didn't pick up after two calls. Shit! Where did the nanny take my son?

My phone vibrated as I descended the stairs. Reading the name, I answered immediately. "What did you do to Keane? Where is he!?"

"I'm at Channing's house, ma'am. Keane is with me," she answered.

"Oh." I was stunned. That was right. Maybe Mom asked her to bring my son there because I stayed in Cullen's room yesterday. "I'm coming."

I felt relieved knowing my son was in safe hands. Thankfully, I was mistaken. I could have died if I'd lost Keane, too. Cullen had gone suddenly and left no message. I only had my son.

The guard opened the gate, and I parked the car in the front yard. I got out of the vehicle and ran to the door. The butler opened it before I knocked and greeted me kindly.

"Where is my son?" I asked impatiently.

"Sorry, ma'am. You can only enter up to here." The butler held out his hand, preventing me from entering further.

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. "This is my in-laws' house."

"I'm not your in-law anymore," Mom said. She walked down the stairs.

I furrowed my brow. "Mom? What do you mean?" I questioned.

"You and Cullen were married until death do you part," she replied casually. "My son is dead. So you're no longer my daughter-in-law. Go. You can stay at Cullen's house until you remarry."

It was our wedding vows, but that didn't mean death broke our relationship. Cullen remained my husband even though he was gone. Keane united me with him and his family forever. His mother couldn't deny our relationship.

"I came to pick up my son."

She scoffed. "Keane is my grandson. He will be Channing's successor. We'll raise him according to our family traditions. Go, Darcy."

"What do you mean? Keane can't stay here. He must stay with his mother."

"Do you think I would entrust him to a wicked woman like you? I accepted you as my daughter-in-law because Cullen begged me to. He said he couldn't live without you. Foolish child. Why would he marry a cheater?

"Even in front of his grave, you dare to gaze lovingly at your affair. What an ignorant woman! I don't want you using my grandson to control Channing's wealth. Get out of here, or I'll call the police!"

Realizing I was at a disadvantage, I lowered my ego. I couldn't melt my mother-in-law's heart if I were as harsh as her. Channing was my family, and I had to be nice to them. I did it for my son.

I reached over and took Mom's hand. "Please don't do this," I begged. "Keane will cry nonstop if he doesn't see me for days. I'm not asking anything of you. I work and have enough savings. I can raise my son.

"Please draw up a letter of agreement. I don't care what it says. I won't demand any share. I beg you. I can't live without Keane," I pleaded.

Mom smiled and pulled her hand away roughly. "Good. I want to hear that. I want you to know how it feels to be half alive when someone takes your son away from you. Because that's how I felt when you betrayed Cullen and acted like a saint asking for him back."

"Mom?"

"I want you to feel the pain of watching your son from afar, unable to do much for his life. Thankfully, I love Keane and would never hurt him. Goodbye, Darcy. Thank you for bringing Keane into the world. You did a great job." Mom turned around.

"No, Mom. Please don't do this. Mom!" I panicked as I saw her walking towards the stairs, ignoring me.

"Ma'am, you can't come in. Please leave." The butler blocked me, but I dodged.

I looked around me. "Keane! Keane! Where are you, Son!? Mommy's coming! Mommy's coming for you!" I approached the stairs, but the butler stopped me.

"Ma'am, you can't come in," he insisted.

My heart raced. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but there was no response. Couldn't Olivia hear me? She was loyal to me and Cullen. She wouldn't have stayed silent if my baby were crying. Oh, God. Where was my son?

"Move aside! I need to see my son!" I tried to get past him, but two hands came from behind.

"Please come with us, ma'am," the security guard said.

I stared at him in disbelief. Bridget must have told them to kick me out of the house. I turned my head toward the stairs. My chest ached. My son was so close to me, but I couldn't reach him.

My world was slowly collapsing with every step away from the house. I couldn't fight the two large security guards. They forced me into the car and closed the door.

Tears blurred my vision, but I wiped them away. My hands on the steering wheel were shaking. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm myself down. I didn't need to worry. Keane was my son. I would get him back.

Blinding light came from my car's three mirrors. I glanced at the rearview mirror. There was a car behind me that had its headlights on. Had he gone mad? Why would he do that? A person could get into an accident if the high-beam headlights compromised their vision.

I turned on the right blinker to signal I was slowing down and let the car pass through. The driver aligned his SUV, and a man yelled, "Pull over! Stop your car!"

My heart was beating fast at the sight of the creepy-faced man. The man sitting behind the steering wheel was even creepier. Could it be they wanted to rob me or hurt me slowly? Realizing I was in danger, I stepped hard on the gas pedal.

"Hey!" the man shouted.

I ignored the car horn and drove on. Fortunately, it was after work. The highway wasn't jammed. I drove as fast as I could so they couldn't catch me. However, some cars seemed to block my way and lead me somewhere.

"Shit!" I cursed, seeing that I was in a deserted place.

I looked back, and the car was following me. Please, please, please. I was in a row of empty warehouses. The fact that no vehicles or people passed by was a bad sign. Why didn't I quickly realize they were leading me to that place?

Two cars were coming from ahead of me, and there was no opening to turn right or left to avoid them. I had to stop the car before we crashed. The three vehicles screeched to a halt, simultaneously surrounding my car.

My heart was pounding, suffocating my chest. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. My hands were tingling because I was gripping the steering wheel tightly. I breathed and hurried to get my phone from my bag.

"If I were you, I wouldn't do that," a man said through the front door glass beside me. His friends stood in front of my car, pointing their guns at me. "Don't try to call the police, and get out of your car carefully."

I swallowed hard. Who among my enemies had sent those people? Were they going to kill me or hurt me slowly? My whole body was trembling. Catching my breath couldn't help me calm down.

"Get out!" The man beside me knocked loudly on the door glass.

I unlocked the car and opened it. The man pulled my body impatiently. "What the hell is this!? Who are you!?" I scolded, trying to get up the courage.

"You don't need to know who we are." The man glanced at the companion at his side. The second man placed a piece of paper near my face. "Pay your debt."

I scoffed. "Debt? I have no debt to you." I looked around me. "Who are you? I don't know you, let alone owe you money!"

"Read the name of the person who signed it," he ordered.

I heaved a loud sigh before glancing at the paper his men had placed near my face. I leaned closer to read the paper carefully. The borrower had to pay a total debt of fifty million, and there was George Bailey's signature, my father.

"I can't believe it," I muttered.

"You can read the transfer slip. You must know George Bailey's account number by heart. He said he needed funds to open his new hotel," the man explained.

Dad didn't mention the loan. I thought all the money we used to build the new business was our family's remaining savings. I gave everything I had for the hotel. Why didn't he tell me about the debt?

"My father borrowed the money. Why should I have to pay for it?" I challenged him.

He raised his hand when a colleague put a gun to my head. "You know why," he said calmly.

"My father is in jail, but there's no information that I'm his co-signer or guarantor," I added.

"Do you love your parents?" he asked in a very calm tone.

One of his colleagues came over and showed me the tablet's screen. He played a video. Several women were in a dimly lit room. I gasped as I recognized my mother. She was getting beaten by a woman in the same outfit as her.

"Your mother was detained for a very long time. Her comfort in that place depends on your answer. Pay your debt," he repeated.

I closed my eyes, unable to bear the sight of a woman punching my mother in the face. My whole body trembled, and my eyes heated up, but I held my tears. Even though my mother deserved it for her selfish actions, I couldn't let her suffer.

"Give me some time. I'll send the money as soon as possible," I promised.

The man smirked. "George said the same thing over and over, but failed to pay. I'm sure you'll do the same, giving false hope."

"My husband just passed away. I need time to manage his heritage and claim his life insurance. I can give you fifty million by selling my jewelry, but that will take time. Please. Give me time," I pleaded.

"Twenty-four hours. We'll collect the money tomorrow at the same time," the man said.

He glanced at his friends. They loaded their weapons and walked over to their respective cars. The three vehicles drove off, leaving me alone in that deserted place. The empty place and the chilly air were raising goosebumps on my skin. I hurriedly got into the car and drove off.

I headed for the office. My father's company went bankrupt three years ago because of his financial mismanagement and tax evasion. Therefore, we built a small hotel from scratch with our remaining savings. They trusted me to be the CEO.

However, no one knew. The scandals in my family forced me to keep a low profile. Cullen asked me to wait until things calmed down and people stopped talking about my disgrace before appearing in public.

"Good evening, Mrs. Channing," the security guard greeted me kindly.

"Good evening," I replied.

I entered through the back door so no one would see me coming. Arriving at the fifth floor, I exited the elevator and marched to my office. My assistant's desk was empty, indicating that she had gone home.

No wonder. The young woman didn't know I would come on the day of my husband's funeral. I opened my office door and closed it. Realizing there was someone in the room, I turned to my desk.

"Oh." I looked around, but I hadn't entered the wrong room. "Excuse me, who are you? It's my office."

The man smiled. He stood up and approached me. "Hi. You must be Darcy Channing." He extended his hand. "My name is Idris Sanders, CEO of Brand New Corporation."

I wrinkled my forehead. "You must be joking. I'm the CEO of this company," I corrected.

"Oh. The top shareholder held an impromptu meeting yesterday to talk about that. Everyone agreed to elect a new CEO after reading the latest financial report, which you failed to deliver." The man smiled.

"Who is the shareholder you're referring to?" I asked anxiously.

"Bridget Channing," he answered.

I clenched my fists. "I need to check something. Can I use that computer for a moment?" I glanced at his desk.

"Go ahead," he said.

I approached the CEO's desk and sat down in the chair. I opened some documents and found the problem. Mom, no, Bridget Channing found out that I borrowed money from Channing Enterprises for operating expenses.

However, the payment hadn't been due. Gosh. Bridget must have taken over Cullen's shares. That wasn't right. I was his legal wife. I was entitled to my husband's inheritance. That woman took my son. And she snatched my company, too?

After taking the confidential papers from the vault, I left. I studied our prenuptial in the car. My whole body went limp. I forgot a crucial point. All compensation and rights as an heir would take effect after our fifth wedding anniversary.

I took out my phone and quickly called Cullen's attorney. I asked the man many questions after he picked up the call. His answer made me even more uneasy.

"Sorry, I can't help, Mrs. Channing. The prenup is legally valid. Although you are Cullen's wife, you are not automatically his heir. The provisions regarding children and property only take effect after your marriage is five years old," my attorney explained.

"Keane is my son. As his biological mother, I have more rights to my son," I stated.

"If this agreement didn't exist, we could help you win custody of Keane. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about it," he replied. He was Channing's attorney. Of course, he wouldn't help me.

Shit. Shit. Shit! I didn't care about Channing's fortune, but my son and my parents' business were mine. I had time to pay my loan to Channing Incorporation. Bridget shouldn't have eliminated me from my seat.

How stupid of me. I shouldn't have been so arrogant as to agree to that five-year deal. Cullen was young. Therefore, I believed he would live a long life. Moreover, he was healthy and didn't have any diseases. But the accident ended everything.

I needed the money to pay a good lawyer to help me win my claim for custody of my son. Keane wasn't Cullen's inheritance. There had to be a way to get him away from them. And Dad .... My God. I had to pay for his debt.

I returned home and headed upstairs to my room. I entered the walk-in closet, but something was different about the place. The clothes, bags, shoes, and other accessories were in place. However, I felt something had changed.