Chapter 4

Olivia' s screams echoed Eleanor' s. She fought against the guards holding her, her eyes wide with horror as she watched them drag her son, Leo, back into the room. The boy' s face was a mess of tears and terror, his small body trembling.

"No! Please, don' t!" Olivia begged, her voice raw. "He' s just a child! He' s David' s son!"

Eleanor just watched, her face a mask of cold fury. "He should have thought of that before he disrespected me. Before he hurt my grandson."

She gave a sharp nod to one of the men. He held a small vial of clear liquid. He uncorked it, and the sharp, chemical smell filled the air.

"Do it," Eleanor commanded.

Just as the man reached for Leo, the doors to the living room burst open. David stood there, his face pale, his chest heaving.

"Mother, stop!" he yelled, rushing forward to stand between the man and his son.

He scooped Leo into his arms, holding the sobbing boy tight. He turned on Eleanor, his voice shaking with a rage she had never seen before.

"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind? This is my son!"

Eleanor looked stunned. "He hurt Liam. He insulted me."

"He' s a child!" David roared. "This... this is monstrous."

Eleanor swayed, her hand flying to her chest. The reality of what she had almost done seemed to crash down on her. She had nearly ordered the torture of her own grandchild.

The front door of the mansion opened, and Sarah walked in, Liam holding her hand. They both stopped in the foyer, taking in the scene. David, holding a crying Leo. Olivia, a sobbing mess on the floor. Eleanor, looking faint and horrified.

David' s eyes found Sarah' s. His rage shifted, finding a new target.

"You," he seethed, his voice low and dangerous. "You did this. You planned this."

"I did what was necessary to protect my son," Sarah said, her voice calm.

"You' re a monster, Sarah."

"Am I?" she asked, her gaze unwavering. She gestured to Liam' s bandaged face. "Look at him, David. Look at what her son did to ours. You weren' t there. You didn' t answer my calls. But you answered hers."

The truth of her words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.

David' s face contorted. He couldn' t argue, so he attacked. "Fine. You want to play this game? I' ll have Liam kicked out of Northwood Prep. Let' s see how you protect him then. He' ll be ruined."

Sarah' s calm finally broke. A flicker of panic crossed her face. She remembered the years she had spent building relationships, the massive donations she had made in David' s name, all to secure Liam' s place at that prestigious school.

Eleanor, having recovered slightly, joined in. "That' s right. We' ll see you grovel when your son has nowhere to go."

Sarah pulled out her phone and walked away from them, dialing the school' s principal, Mr. Johnson.

"Mr. Johnson, it' s Sarah Miller," she said, her voice tight. "I need your help."

"Ah, Mrs. Miller," the principal' s voice was smooth, but cool. "I' ve heard about the unfortunate incident. A terrible business."

"David is threatening to have Liam expelled. You know the contributions our family has made to the school..."

"Yes, of course," Johnson interrupted, his tone dismissive. "But David Miller is the one on the board, isn' t he? My hands are tied. Perhaps a less... demanding school would be a better fit for Liam. I hear the public schools in the city are improving."

The line went dead. Sarah stared at her phone in disbelief. The man she had personally secured millions in funding for had just brushed her off like she was nothing.