Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 13

The blood instantly drained from her face.

It was torn to confetti, but from the distinct patch of vivid green, Madeline immediately recognized it. It was the only surviving photograph of her grandmother in the entire world.

It was taken years ago, back before her grandmother's health declined. Madeline had bought her a beautiful new outfit, and the sweet old lady had posed happily in front of the woods in their rural hometown.

Madeline and Lucius hadn't had a grand wedding, so there were no professional family portraits. In this singular photograph, her grandmother was smiling, radiating pure, comforting warmth.

Cradling the torn scraps in her trembling hands, Madeline glared at the boy with icy fury. "Who gave you permission to destroy this?"

Leo stared back, completely unbothered. "Auntie Lily said broken things belong in the trash, Mommy."

"How could you call this broken? This is the only family I had left." Agony ripped through her chest.

Leo just giggled. "Don't be mad, Mommy. The old lady is dead anyway. Auntie Lily said when people die, you throw their pictures away."

To a stranger, it might have sounded like childhood innocence, but to a grieving Madeline who had just buried her grandmother, it was pure, unadulterated malice.

She grabbed Leo by the arm, the urge to strike him flashing through her, but she forced herself to let go. She knew Liliana had orchestrated this. She couldn't take her rage out on a manipulated child.

But Leo panicked and threw his arms around Liliana.

He burst into theatrical wails.

He sobbed wildly. "Mommy is trying to hit me! I don't want her anymore! I don't want Mommy!"

Liliana's lips curled into a victorious smirk. "Madeline, Leo is just a little boy. He doesn't know any better. You can't hit him over a dead old woman's picture. It's not worth upsetting him. After all, he's Lucius's only heir."

Madeline knew exactly what Liliana was doing.

She had deliberately provoked Leo into destroying her most prized possession, hoping to push Madeline into an ugly, hysterical breakdown. That was Liliana's end game.

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