"I beg of you, Hunter," she said desperately, "give me back my child. I truly have nothing to do with that matter."

Daphne Knight lay in bed, feeling weak after her delivery, and the antiseptic scent in the luxurious villa seemed to make her feel worse.

The room echoed with the piercing cries of the newborn, and the doctor, with a delicate touch, passed the bundled baby to the man lounging on the sofa.

She was completely immobilised, with the doctors and nurses holding her hands and feet, and she felt a sense of powerlessness wash over her.

Her heart raced with fear and anticipation as she awaited the verdict, feeling as though she were awaiting her execution.

She had a sinking feeling that the man was going to demand that she make amends for what she had done. She was convinced that what awaited her would be more terrifying than any torture she had endured.

"It's a boy, sir," the doctor said.

With the lights off, she could only imagine the expression on the man's face as he sat on the couch. She watched as he uncovered the swaddling cloth, looked at the child briefly, and then turned away. He had no interest in the baby.

His voice was cold as ice. "Take him away."

"Yes, sir."

The child was taken away, and soon the sound of crying disappeared. After who knows how long, Hunter finally stood up from the couch, and his tall figure slowly approached the side of her bed.

"Daphne, I've said it before. When you make a mistake, you have to pay the price. Ivy can never have children anymore, but you at least have a child of your own. Why should you keep this uterus to yourself?"

His eerie tone sent chills down Daphne's spine, making her heart race.

She shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I wasn't the one driving. I didn't cause her to be unable to have children. Why don't you believe me?"

"I've heard enough of your reasons."

Hunter's voice was completely devoid of sympathy, and his thin lips moved slightly as he coldly ordered the doctors on both sides, "You can proceed."

The doctors and nurses were all shocked. Mr Storm's cruelty towards the woman, who was not only his legally wedded wife but also the eldest daughter of the Knights with whom he had been married for two years, was a complete surprise to everyone.

But no one dared to openly defy Hunter. After a momentary pause, they immediately took action.

Scalpels, forceps, scissors, gauze...

One doctor had already put on white gloves and reached out toward Daphne.

"No, don't..." Daphne was terrified, but immediately her hands and feet were met with even harsher restraints. She couldn't escape that hand at all.

"Ah-"

The room filled with piercing screams. Daphne felt as if her whole body had been torn apart. The pain in her lower body was a hundred times worse than giving birth. She could feel the disturbance deep in her bones and in the pit of her stomach. She strained her eyes, but the darkness ahead seemed to stretch on forever.

Hunter expressionlessly watched as basin after basin of blood was carried away, coldly observing her agonised appearance. "Daphne, this uterus is what you owe Ivy. I'm sparing your life, but remember, the grudge between us is not over."

The overwhelming sensation of fear caused Daphne's mind to buzz and her body to tremble uncontrollably.

Before she completely passed out, she vaguely saw Hunter pick up his phone and dial a number. "Tell the Knights that Daphne has postpartum depression and needs to be sent to a mental hospital. I'll keep the child with me, so they don't need to worry. The Knights' account was short by a staggering 8 million, but I'll bail them out this one time."

In other words, he would silence the Knights with 8 million pounds.

Daphne laughed hysterically, with tears streaming down her face. "Child, mommy is sorry."

Two years later-

October had entered the harsh winter, and Yorkshire finally experienced its first snowfall of the season.

In the mental hospital, Daphne leaned against the window, staring blankly at the pure white snow outside. She kept muttering two words, "Maxime."

"Maxime."

Maxime was the name she gave to her child.

During the two years she had been confined in the mental hospital, her only concern was her son.

She combed through all the newspapers related to the Storms, searching for any mention of her child, but found nothing, despite multiple articles featuring Ivy Clark and Hunter holding hands on various media platforms.

How was her child doing?

"Hey! It's time to eat!" The doorbell rang, and the caregiver in charge of meals dropped the tray on the ground carelessly, spilling some of the food.

Daphne's eyebrows and eyes showed some movement, and her hands, which were clenched tightly, slowly loosened.

She didn't know where she found the strength, but she got up and rushed to the door, gripping the railing and shaking it loudly, shouting hoarsely, "I said I won't eat! Get Hunter bring the child to see me! I want to see my child!"