Sophia stared at the video still playing on the floor, Ethan's soft cries echoing in the silence like knives through her chest.
Adrian picked up the phone, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might snap.
Sebastian's voice came through again in the background of the clip.
"You took everything from me, Sophia. Now, I'll take what matters most to you. Let's see how perfect your little life stays without your precious boy."
The video ended.
Sophia's legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the couch. "No. No, this can't be happening..."
Adrian caught her trembling hands in his. "He's playing a sick game. But he made a mistake—he showed us Ethan is alive."
Tears streamed down Sophia's face. "What does he want? Money? Control? He never even loved Ethan…"
"No," Adrian said darkly. "He doesn't care about Ethan. He cares about hurting you."
Suddenly, Sophia stood up. Her usual cold, CEO demeanor shattered, replaced by something fiercer—a mother's rage.
"I'll give him what he wants… until I'm close enough to end him."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Then we do it smart. I'll contact someone from my side—an ex-military friend. We don't involve the police. Not yet. We handle this clean and fast."
Sophia nodded. "For Ethan. I don't care what it costs."
Her phone buzzed again—another message from Sebastian. This time, just a location.
"24 hours. Or you'll never see him again."
Sophia's voice was low but clear. "He picked the wrong mother to mess with."