A Heart That Will Never Warm

"Why do you keep hitting people?" Meghan snapped.

She raised her hand to strike back, but Matthew caught her wrist firmly.

"Enough!" he said.

He shoved her hand away and turned to Danielle, his eyes full of disappointment. "Danielle, what's gotten into you?"

He glanced at Meghan. "Let's step outside and give her a moment to calm down."

Matthew dragged the wailing Taylor along while guiding Meghan out of the room.

The moment the door clicked shut, Danielle's composure shattered, and she collapsed against the wall. Tears streamed down her face, filled with the bitterness of everything she had suffered.

Her phone chimed, and the screen lit up with a notification confirming the deposit from her shares transfer.

She wiped away her tears haphazardly and gently patted Olivia, sobbing in her arms, her eyes flashing with resolve.

Tomorrow, they could finally leave this mess behind for good.

…

Danielle spent the night making arrangements for Sandra and erased every trace of herself in the house. At dawn, she got into the cab she had booked, holding Olivia in her arms.

"The airport, please," she told the driver.

"Got it," the driver replied briskly.

Danielle called the person meeting them. "Sorry to keep you waiting. We're on our way."

The voice on the other end was soothing and warm. "Take your time. Be careful on the road."

Warmth had just spread through her chest when the sharp smell of ether hit her nostrils. She jerked her head up and saw the driver staring at Olivia through the rearview mirror, his gaze dark and menacing.

Before Danielle lost consciousness, she pulled Olivia tightly against her chest with all her strength.

…

When Danielle finally regained consciousness, the car sat parked outside an abandoned factory in the middle of nowhere.

In a clearing overgrown with weeds, Matthew stood with his back to her on the phone, cradling Olivia in his arms. Olivia was swaddled in his suit jacket, her small face crumpled in distress.

"She's here. Proceed as planned," Matthew said into the phone.

He turned after hanging up. When he saw Danielle awake, his scowl deepened. "You're up. Good. It saves me the trouble of explaining everything twice."

Danielle's wrists were raw from the coarse hemp rope as she struggled to sit up. "Matthew, what are you trying to do? Let go of my daughter!"

Matthew's voice was devoid of emotion. "Taylor's been kidnapped. The kidnappers demanded my biological child. They made a mistake and assumed Taylor was the only one."

Danielle's voice rose sharply, and her head spun. "Are you going to trade Olivia for him? She's barely a month old! She has a congenital coagulation disorder, and even a minor scratch could be fatal! Have you lost your mind?"

Matthew avoided her eyes. "It's the only way. The kidnappers insisted on seeing Olivia in person before releasing him. Taylor is six years old. He'll remember everything, and this kidnapping would ruin his life."

"What about Olivia?" Danielle asked. She lunged forward to grab her, but Matthew stepped aside.

His tone remained eerily calm. "She's too young to understand. It won't leave a mark on her."

At that moment, Meghan ran over, crying. Her hair was disheveled, and her makeup streaked. "Matthew! The kidnappers called again! They said if they don't see Olivia soon, they'll kill Taylor!"

When she spotted Danielle on the ground, she dropped to her knees with a thud and pleaded desperately, "Ms. Bradford, I'm begging you! Just this once! Let Olivia bring Taylor back to us, and I'll serve you for the rest of my life!"

Danielle kicked her away, her eyes blazing. "Get away from me! You failed to protect your child and got him kidnapped. Why should my daughter pay for your mistake?"

Matthew suddenly crouched down, his voice softening. "Danielle, I'm begging you. Taylor's innocent. Once we get him back, I'll find a way to save Olivia, and we can go back to how things were. Alright?"

Danielle looked at his hypocritical face and laughed as tears streamed down. "Do you really think we can go back to how things were? Are you asking me to trade my daughter's life for your illegitimate son and then live happily ever after with a monster like you? Matthew, what am I to you?"

Taylor's frantic screams echoed from the factory. "Daddy! I'm scared!"

Matthew's face darkened, and he turned toward the factory, holding Olivia in his arms.

Danielle threw herself at him in a frenzy, clutching his legs tightly with her bound hands. "Matthew! Try laying a hand on Olivia and see what happens! If you want Taylor back, go get him yourself. Aren't you his father? Trade yourself for him!"

Matthew kicked her off impatiently. "Stop it! Taylor is my son and the heir to the Gardner family. Nothing can happen to him!"

Danielle dug her nails into his pants, her voice hoarse. "Then isn't Olivia your daughter? She's your own flesh and blood too! How can you be this cruel?"

Matthew paused, his Adam's apple bobbing as he glanced back at her reddened eyes. "I'm sorry."

In the next instant, a needle pierced her neck.

"This is just a small dose of anesthetic. When you wake up, I promise Olivia will be perfectly fine," he said.

With that, he turned and walked toward the factory.

Danielle watched his retreating figure with Olivia in his arms. She wanted to stop him, but she couldn't lift even a finger. The drug took hold, and her world slowly faded to black.

Through the haze, she saw Matthew vanish into the shadows of the factory as Olivia let out a faint cry.