Chapter 336

Chapter 336

I didn't hesitate for a second. I lunged forward, pinning her back down with my knee, and reached for the glass bottle in Sophia's hand.

"Lucinda, let go!"

Sophia struggled wildly, her strength surprisingly powerful.

I didn't say a word, fighting desperately for the bottle. Just as I managed to grab it and was about to push it away, Sophia suddenly surged up and smashed the bottle on the ground.

With a loud crash, the bottle shattered into pieces.

I instinctively raised my hand to shield myself from the flying shards.

But Sophia grabbed a piece of broken glass and stabbed it viciously toward me.

"Bad lady! Don't hurt my mommy!"

Recognizing Orion's voice, I lowered my hand and saw a small dark figure charge out from the shadows.

"Orion."

He bit down hard on Sophia's arm.

Sophia cried out in pain, and the glass shard fell from her hand.

Without looking back, she slapped Orion hard across the face. "Little bastard, looking for death!"

Before I could cry out, I watched Orion get knocked down hard, the back of his head hitting the ground. He didn't move.

"Orion!" My eyes went bloodred.

The last thread of my sanity snapped.

I grabbed a glass shard from the ground and slashed it toward Sophia.

Sophia reacted quickly, leaning back to dodge.

I immediately got up, using my body's momentum to pin her beneath me, pressing the sharp glass directly against her throat.

"Don't move."

My voice was devoid of warmth, but my eyes burned with fury.

Sophia froze instantly.

But she didn't beg for mercy. Instead, she sneered. "Lucinda, you don't dare kill me. I may have nothing left, but you do."

"Leopold's already being impeached by the board. If news breaks that his fiancée killed someone, he'll definitely be kicked out of the Percy Group."

"And your child is right there. You couldn't possibly kill someone in front of him."

Every word she spoke hit my vulnerable spots with precision.

I gripped the shard tighter. The sharp glass edge cut through Sophia's skin, drawing thin lines of blood.

"I won't kill you. But I can collect some interest."

Sophia initially maintained her composure, but when the shard moved from her neck to her face, fear flashed in her eyes.

"You... don't you want to know why Orion's here?"

I stared at her coldly. "If you hadn't said anything, I would've almost forgotten that you're the one who brought Orion here. Sophia, I used to think you'd truly reformed. I never expected you'd still be so shameless!"

Sophia's eyes locked onto my hand, as if terrified I'd ruin her face.

"It wasn't me!"

I froze. Then I heard her say, "Orion came with me willingly."

"You're lying!"

Orion might be young, but he wasn't stupid. Sophia had hurt him before. How could he possibly go with her!

Sophia said with certainty, "It's true. If you don't believe me, ask him yourself."

My gaze shifted over. Orion, who'd been motionless just moments ago, was now sitting up.

Hearing Sophia's words, he looked at me in panic.

When our eyes met, he immediately lowered his head, his small shoulders hunched together.

"Orion?" My voice trembled. "She's lying to Mommy, right? You were tricked into coming here, weren't you?"

Orion didn't lift his head. His two small hands twisted together tightly. He mumbled but couldn't force out a single word for a long time.

This guilty expression made my blood run cold.

My mind went blank.

Seeing this, Sophia twisted the knife deeper. "Lucinda, did you think your maternal love was so great? Let me tell you the truth—this little bastard was Ethan's spy planted by your side from the very beginning!"

My entire body shook. I stared blankly at Orion.

I couldn't say a word.

Orion was so young.

And Ethan had used him as a spy!

Sophia took the opportunity to shove me off, clutching her neck as she ran to the door.

"Someone like Ethan has no sympathy. The only reason he was willing to raise this little bastard was to wait for the right moment to send him back to you—to ruin your relationship with Leopold so he could take his place."

My grip loosened. The glass shard slipped from my palm.

No wonder. Whenever Leopold and I were together, Orion would make a fuss about seeing him.

Every time I planned a family outing, Orion insisted Ethan come along too.

Even when he was poisoned and hospitalized last time, he kept asking for Ethan.

"You're lying! You're lying!"

From the corner, Orion suddenly erupted in heart-wrenching sobs.

He scrambled to his feet and charged at Sophia like a little bull.

"Orion." I wanted to stop him but couldn't react in time.

Sophia kicked Orion, sending him flying back.

"Little beast, if you weren't so useless, I would've been Mrs. Percy long ago. What are you to throw a tantrum at me!"

"Orion!" I rushed to him and carefully checked his body.

But Orion was crying so hard he could barely breathe. "Mommy, I'm sorry. I'm a bad boy, but I... I didn't mean to..."

Seeing him so distressed, my heart felt like it was being carved with a knife.

If not for Ethan, Orion should have grown up with Leopold and me.

I couldn't imagine how a child so young had lived under Ethan's control.

The more I thought about it, the more heartbroken I became.

Tears streamed down my face.

"Mommy, I'm sorry. Please don't leave Orion. Orion will change. I'll change everything..."

His young voice was wrapped in helplessness and fear. It shattered my heart.

I didn't know what to say. I could only hold him tightly.

But Orion kept trying to explain, stammering out even more painful truths.

"Mr. Guise said... if I helped him finish this one last thing, he'd never come looking for me again..."

"He said I could live with Mommy and Daddy forever. Orion isn't a bad boy. Orion really loves Mommy and Daddy. I just wanted to stay with you forever..."

My tears wouldn't stop flowing.

Yes. What does a child know about schemes and manipulation?

He just wanted a family.

Ethan had seized upon Orion's desperate longing for love and given him a false, deadly promise.

My heart ached so much I couldn't breathe. I held him tighter. "It's not your fault. Mommy doesn't blame you..."

Orion buried his little face in my chest, his small body trembling with sobs.

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine!

I quickly shielded Orion in my arms and looked behind me.

"Lucinda, go to hell!"

Sophia's face twisted with malice. She held a long glass shard and stabbed it toward me.

I couldn't dodge in time. Instinctively, I curled my body, doing everything I could to protect Orion.

Just then, a gust of air surged through the room.

Like someone had entered.

Then Sophia let out a scream. Her entire body flew in an arc over my head and crashed heavily to the ground in front of me.

Dust flew everywhere.

My heart stirred.

The next second, Leopold's voice reached me.

"Cindy!"

My taut nerves relaxed instantly. I turned to look at him.

His suit jacket was gone. He wore only a thin black dress shirt, covered in dark wet stains.

I couldn't tell if they were bloodstains or sweat.