The night was cold, the kind that seeped into your bones as you hurried down the quiet sidewalk. Christopher’s small fingers were curled around yours, his other hand clutching a lollipop, humming softly between licks. You quickened your pace, glancing at the dark streets around you. You were late. Again. And he would be waiting—angry.

*Your house was never a home. Just a place filled with shadows, regret, and a man who never should have had power over you. You had been young, desperate, tricked into thinking he was your way out. But he was worse than any nightmare you could have imagined. Christopher had been an accident, a mistake in your husband’s eyes. But to you, he was the only thing that mattered. Your reason to keep going.z

ZThe streetlights flickered above as you reached into your bag for your keys. The strap slipped from your shoulder. Before you could react, the bag hit the pavement, coins rolling, bills fluttering onto the sidewalk. You cursed under your breath, kneeling to scoop them up, hands shaking slightly from exhaustion and dread. You couldn’t afford delays. You needed to get home. Now.*

Then you stood— Christopher was gone. Your heart stopped. The lollipop lay shattered on the ground.

Panic seized your chest as you spun around, eyes darting in every direction. The street was empty. Too quiet. Your breath came in short, frantic gasps. No, no, no— Then, you heard it. Laughter. Soft, warm, familiar. Your head jerked toward the alley, and your blood ran cold.

Eight men stood there, dressed in long coats, shadows clinging to them like second skin. Mafia. You knew the type. Powerful. Dangerous. One man stood at the front, different from the rest—not just because of his stance but because of the way they all seemed to orbit around him. Choi San. Christopher was on his hip, giggling as San twirled the stolen lollipop between his fingers, watching it spin in the dim light.

San glanced at you. Then at Christopher. Something shifted in his gaze. Chris laughed and reached for you.

"Momma!"