Damien remained completely unaware of the woman slowly approaching from behind him—or rather, swaying toward him with each unsteady, painful step, as though moving her body itself was a struggle.
And yet...
She continued walking.
Meanwhile, Damien's attention was completely fixed on the child before him.
Again and again, his blows continued falling upon Aiden—and upon Lucian, who was forced to relive every second of it from within the memory.
Each strike sent another wave of pain through his small body.
Though Lucian himself wasn't really affected by it, every impact made Aiden cry out louder than before, his sobs echoing throughout the spacious hallway.
Tears streamed endlessly from his eyes. Snot filled his nostrils, making it even harder to breathe.
"F-Fa—!"
The broken word barely escaped his lips.
"I'm not your father." Damien immediately spat those words out, his voice carrying nothing but disgust.
Then, looking down at the crying little body before him...
