Chapter 88: The Cruelty I Endured

Darkness. Cold. Pain.

I barely had the strength to move. Every part of my small body ached, my fragile frame trembling from exhaustion, hunger, and the sting of every bruise that marred my skin. My face was wet—not just from the tears I couldn't stop, but from the blood dripping from my lip where they had struck me. My arms and legs felt too heavy to lift, my breath shallow and weak.

I wanted to sleep. I wanted to close my eyes and drift away from this nightmare, but I couldn't. No, I had to hold on. Mama was coming. My sisters… my dad… they were coming. I knew it. I had to believe it.

The metal door creaked open, and my body tensed involuntarily. Footsteps echoed against the concrete floor, slow and heavy, like a monster creeping closer. A cruel chuckle filled the room.

"Still awake, little prince?" The leader of my captors sneered as he crouched beside me. His fingers gripped my chin roughly, forcing me to look at him. "You're tougher than I thought. But you're still just a weak little boy. No one is coming for you."

His words sent a cold shiver down my spine, but I bit my lip, refusing to cry in front of him. He didn't deserve my tears. He didn't deserve to see how much I hurt.

"Mama is coming for me," I whispered, my voice hoarse but firm. "You… you will regret this."

His smirk faltered for just a moment before he scoffed. "Oh? And what is she going to do? Pay up? Beg for your life?" His fingers dug into my skin painfully before he released me with a shove, making my head hit the cold floor. "I doubt it. But just to make sure she understands how serious we are, I think it's time to send her another message."

I didn't have time to react before a sharp pain exploded in my stomach. I gasped, curling in on myself as his boot connected with my ribs. My small cry of pain only seemed to encourage the others in the room. They laughed as they took turns hitting me—my back, my arms, my legs. I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood, refusing to scream.

"He's too quiet," one of them grumbled. "Maybe we should break something to make him cry louder."

I squeezed my eyes shut. Mama…

Meanwhile

My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the table, staring at the live surveillance feed on the screen. My baby.

Noah was there—so small, so helpless—curled up on the cold, dirty floor. Blood stained his soft clothes. Bruises marred his delicate skin. And then I saw it. A man lifted his foot and kicked my baby in the stomach.

Something inside me broke.

"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible, but the raw, seething rage inside me was undeniable. My breath came in sharp gasps, my heart hammering against my chest. My hands curled into fists, nails digging into my palms. "I will kill them. I will burn them."

Sophia, standing beside me, had gone completely still. Her entire body shook, but her eyes… her eyes were filled with an unholy rage. "They touched him… they hurt him," she murmured, her voice dangerously low. "I swear, I will make them suffer."

Olivia covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling, tears running down her face. Isabella clenched her jaw so tightly I thought she would break her teeth. "We move now. No more waiting. No more negotiations. We end them."

Charlotte sobbed as she gripped my arm, her usual bright and cheerful expression shattered. "Mama… we need to get him now!"

"We're not just getting him," Emily said, her hands furiously typing into her laptop, hacking into the security feeds. "We're making sure these monsters never see the light of day again."

Lily and Mia were already calling every contact we had—private forces, military allies, anyone who could move fast.

And then… my phone rang. I picked it up without a word.

"Emma," my husband's voice was sharp, filled with the same fury burning in my veins. "I saw the footage. I'm on my way. Tell me the location."

I gritted my teeth. "We take them down together. No survivors."

"Agreed."

We moved as one. My daughters and I, along with the most powerful forces at our command, stormed out of the house, heading straight for the people who dared to lay their filthy hands on my baby.

They had no idea what they had unleashed.

I don't know how long I laid there. My body felt so heavy. My mind was fuzzy. Was this it? Would Mama not make it in time?

No. No, I couldn't think like that. She was coming. They all were. I just had to hold on a little longer…

Suddenly, a deep rumble shook the ground beneath me. The walls trembled. The lights flickered.

Boom.

The sound of an explosion rocked the air, followed by the deafening sound of gunfire and shouting.

I forced my swollen eyes open. My captors froze, looking at each other in confusion and panic.

Then, the door burst open.

The first thing I saw was a silhouette against the flashing emergency lights. And then… a voice, so familiar, so filled with love and fury, roared through the chaos.

"GET AWAY FROM MY SON!"

Mama.

Tears blurred my vision as relief washed over me. She was here. She found me.

The last thing I heard before I slipped into unconsciousness was the sound of my sisters' voices screaming my name.

I was safe.

I was going home.