Lu Estate – 3:00 AM
The once-grand estate echoed with the chaotic footsteps of bodyguards and servants frantically searching every room.
Selina ran barefoot across the cold marble floors, her silk nightgown trailing behind her like a ghost.
Her chest heaved with every breath, hair clinging to her tear-streaked face. Her hands shook violently as she tore open every door, her voice raw from screaming.
"Baby! Answer Mama! Please!"
How could this be happening again? She had held him in her arms just hours ago. His small, warm body pressed against hers, his soft voice whispering, "Don't cry, Mama…"
The cruel silence now ringing through the halls was worse than any scream.
It felt as if the entire world had tilted on its axis, sending her spiraling into an endless, cold abyss.
In the command room, Damian stood like a man possessed. His eyes were bloodshot, the veins in his neck bulging with the force of his restrained rage.
"If you don't find my son in the next hour, none of you will live to regret it!"
He slammed his fist into the reinforced glass table, shattering it into a thousand deadly fragments.
For the first time, the great Damian Lu wasn't facing a corporate war or a political enemy. This time… he was facing the one nightmare he couldn't outfight—losing his son.
Scene Cut – A Dark, Underground Chamber
A faint whimper echoed in the darkness.
The little boy sat on the cold stone floor, his tiny arms wrapped around his knees, trying to stay brave like Mama taught him.
"Papa will come," he whispered to himself. "He promised."
A tall figure emerged from the shadows.
The child's eyes widened.
"Who… who are you?"
The figure crouched, his voice low and chilling.
"You'll know me soon enough, little prince. But first, tell me… do you miss your father?"
The man pulled out a thin, sharp blade and held it up against the dim light.
"Let's see how far your father is willing to go… to save his precious heir."