Chapter 1

A chilling scream pierced the air. "Stop, leave me alone!" A woman, likely in her late 20s, wailed in anguish, her voice cracking with desperation.

The man's relentless blows rained down on her, unfazed by her pleas. Another woman stood by, her eyes gleaming with a disturbing amusement as she watched the brutal scene unfold.

Just as the situation seemed too horrific to bear, the door swung open, and a tiny figure appeared. A 10-year-old child, innocent and unsuspecting, stepped into the room, oblivious to the nightmare unfolding before them.

The little boy's eyes widened as he turned toward the source of the commotion. His bag slipped from his grasp, and his mouth hung open in stunned silence.

Composing himself, he took a tentative step forward. "Dad, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice trembling with shock and confusion.

Tears brimmed in his eyes as he pleaded, "Stop hitting Mom!" But his father remained unfazed, his attention fixed on the helpless woman, oblivious to his child's desperate cry.

The little boy's eyes blazed with anger as he watched his father continue the brutal assault. His mother's life hung in the balance, and the other woman's sadistic laughter fueled his rage.

Without thinking, driven solely by instinct and desperation, he rushed into the kitchen. His tears of sorrow turned to tears of fury as he grabbed a knife.

With a fierce cry, he charged forward, the blade glinting in his small fist. In a shocking display of bravery and despair, he stabbed his father multiple times, stopping only when his mother's attacker slumped to the ground.

The room fell silent, except for the sound of heavy breathing and the woman's sudden, shocked gasp. The little boy stood frozen, the knife still clutched in his hand, as the reality of his actions began to sink in.

Alex's mother, despite her weakened state, stretched out her arms, beckoning him closer. "Honey, come here," she whispered, her voice laced with exhaustion.

As Alex hugged his mother tightly, the other woman's voice pierced the air, tinged with shock and horror. "What have you done?" she exclaimed.

Her accusatory finger pointed at Alex. "You... you killed him!" she stammered.

Alex's mother, still clinging to her son, managed to ask, "Where's your sister?"

Alex's voice trembled as he replied, "She's at her friend's place."

The other woman's voice cut through the air, "I'm calling the police!"

Alex's body shook at the mention of the police. His mother's weak voice reassured him, "Listen, honey, everything will be fine. I'll take the blame. You did it to protect me."

As his mother spoke, Alex's tears flowed uncontrollably. "I want you to take care of your sister, just in case I don't make it," she continued.

"No, Mom, you'll make it!" Alex exclaimed, his voice cracking with desperation.

Before they could say more, the police burst into the room. "What happened?" one of the officers asked gruffly, scanning the scene before him.

The other woman, still in shock, pointed at the lifeless body. "They... they killed him," she stammered.

Alex's mother, struggling to speak, weakly countered, "Officer, I was the one who killed him."

She gasped for air, her voice fading. "He... he..."

One of the officers rushed to her side. "Madam, are you alright?"

He guided her to a seated position. "Calm down, take it easy. Now, tell us what happened."

With labored breaths, Alex's mother recounted the events. "He hit me. He's the reason I'm like this. My son begged him to stop, but he refused."

Tears streamed down her face. "If I hadn't stabbed him, he would have killed me. I only did it in self-defense."

The policeman offered a sympathetic apology. "We're sorry about that, ma'am. But you'll need to come with us to the station to give a statement. Afterward, we can take you to the hospital, or if you prefer, we can do it the other way around."

Alex's mother nodded weakly, but before she could respond further, her body went limp. She fainted, her head lolling to the side.

Alex's tears flowed freely as he cried out, "Mom, Mom, please wake up!" His small voice cracked with desperation.

One of the officers rushed to her side, concern etched on his face. "Ma'am, are you all right?" When she didn't respond, he swiftly lifted her into his arms and hurried toward the ambulance.

"Move, move!" the officer urged, as Alex's cries for his mother echoed through the air.

*Present Day*

"Sir, sir!" Alex's secretary, Sasha, called out, trying to rouse him from his trance-like state.

Alex's gaze remained distant, his mind still reeling from the haunting memories. Sasha's voice cut through the fog, finally breaking the spell.

"Sir?" she called out again, concern etched on her face.

Alex blinked, snapping back to reality. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes focusing on Sasha's worried expression.

"I'm fine, Sasha," he reassured her, his voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside.

Alex's voice was icy as he asked, "What's my schedule for today?"

Sasha replied briefly, "You have a meeting with the CEO of Zion's Enterprise at 6, sir."

Alex nodded curtly, his expression unreadable. "You may leave."

Sasha nodded and departed, closing the door behind her.

Alex swiveled his chair to face the window, his gaze drifting into the distance. A flicker of concern crossed his face as he whispered to himself, "Mom, I hope you're okay."

Alex emerged from the meeting room, his expression unreadable. His hands were casually tucked into the pockets of his tailored blue tuxedo.

"Daniel, tell Aaron to get the car ready. I'll be heading to the hospital," he instructed his right-hand man.

Daniel nodded and swiftly departed to relay Alex's message. Meanwhile, Alex returned to his office.

"Sasha, ensure everything is secured when you're finished. I have a personal matter to attend to, so I'll be leaving early," Alex directed.

Sasha acknowledged with a crisp "Yes, sir."

Alex entered his office, gathered his belongings, and departed, leaving Sasha to wrap up the day's tasks.