Faded Oaths

I could no longer suppress my emotions as soon as I saw Lucas. I called out his name as I rushed forward, but he simply ignored me and ran toward Liam and Clara, exclaiming, "Mommy!"

My outstretched arms awkwardly lingered midair.

Meanwhile, Liam had called the doctor and left in a hurry with Clara, leaving only me and Lucas in the living room.

I tried to call out for him again. "Lucas, it's me, Mommy. Your real mommy."

He instinctively took a few steps back, his eyes full of wariness. I took a deep breath and forced a gentle smile. "How have you been? Is Clara good to you?"

He seemed to have a lot to say when it came to Clara. "She's very good to me. Not only did she not force me into studying, but she also supported my hobbies. Even if I don't do well in class, she'd never punish me for it."

Frankly, I disagreed with Clara's way of teaching; hobbies were important, but so was basic learning. Of course, I didn't argue about it.

I was content as long as I knew he was happy.

"So, are you back to kick her out?"

Shock overcame me as I heard those words. I quickly shook my head. "I've actually married someone else. I'm only here today to see you, Lucas."

"You married someone else?" Lucas' eyes widened. He was shocked as he questioned, "Daddy was nice to you. How could you get into someone else's bed without his knowledge?"

I didn't reply immediately, but frowned. "Who taught you to say such a thing, Lucas?"

Realizing he had made a mistake, he quickly sealed his lips and turned to the side. I was baffled at how foreign my son felt to me.

I couldn't be sure how exactly Clara had been educating him all these years, but I was confident, judging from his words, that he had been led astray. Bitterness surged in my chest.

Before coming here, I thought I could take him away with me if he wasn't doing well. Boy, did I overthink it. He already saw Clara as his mother. There was no way he would ever come with me.

Thus, I took off the ruby bracelet from my wrist and handed it to him. "Lucas, if you ever find yourself in trouble one day, bring this bracelet to me. I'll help you. But remember, it only works once."

Lucas took it without a word, his expression blank. When I turned to leave the villa, I saw that the bracelet had been tossed into the garden grass.