“Have I made myself sufficiently clear?” The question was heavy with finality.

Ernest’s eyebrow arched in cold dismissal. “Well then…”

As the words left his mouth, he retreated into the sanctuary of his domain. “Your presence is no longer required.”

The massive door crashed shut mere inches from her face, the sound reverberating through her very bones.

Elissa stood frozen on the doorstep, unable to speak, her mind struggling to comprehend the brutal swiftness with which she had been cast out of her child’s life.

Her gaze fell to the carefully prepared pastries nestled in their paper wrapping, now symbols of her shattered expectations. Read full story at find?novel.net

The painful truth settled in—her separation from Locke wasn’t just for this day, but extended indefinitely into the future.

Gradually, Elissa’s mind cleared. Ernest had weaponized Locke against her, targeting the most vulnerable part of her existence.

What recourse did she have left?

Could she really surrender so easily, abandoning her maternal rights without resistance?

For a moment, the impulse to flee took over. How thoroughly detestable he had revealed himself to be!

Elissa turned away from the mansion, managing only a few steps before she stopped abruptly. With newfound determination, she spun back toward the imposing barrier that separated her from her child.

An invisible force seemed to anchor her to the ground, making escape impossible.

The raw power of maternal love coursed through her veins, refusing to be silenced.

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The thought of permanent separation from Locke made her limbs heavy, as though each movement away from the mansion was futile.

What was Locke doing right now?

Would disappointment cloud his innocent face when she didn’t show up as promised?

Ernest’s interactions with his son had always lacked the patience Locke so desperately needed. Locke often confided his frustrations about his father’s impatience to Elissa, who listened sympathetically.

Elissa’s eyelids fluttered shut as a wave of anguish swept over her. With trembling hands, she took out her phone and dialed Ernest’s number.

The call connected, the rhythmic ringing echoing in her ear, but it was met with deliberate silence.

Had he purposely ignored her call? Or was the phone simply out of his reach?

Desperation growing, Elissa tried again, feeling she had no other means of reaching him.

Inside the mansion, Ernest held his vibrating phone, staring at the screen with clinical detachment. His brow furrowed in thought as the call went unanswered, the silence hanging in the air.

As the second attempt faded into quiet, a new text message notification appeared on his screen.

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