Sweat beaded across Lewis's forehead. He clutched his stomach hard, gasping for breath as another sharp wave of pain stabbed through him. Not again. He remembered this kind of pain—years ago. Back then, Athena had given him something, and the agony vanished almost instantly. Athena… He fumbled for his phone and dialed her number. "The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check the number and try again." Lewis went still. He had expected her to pick up right away. Instead— What? She blocked me? A surge of anger shot through him. How dare Athena cut him off like this? The burst of fury only made the cramps worse. He doubled over with a groan, certain he was about to die right there on the couch. “Lewis! Something's wrong! Dion's having an allergic reaction!" Nina rushed into the room, Dion limp in her arms. The boy's face was flushed red, rashes blooming across his skin as he whimpered in pain. When Nina spotted Lewis lying pale and drenched in sweat, she gasped. "Lewis, what's wrong with you?" Lewis looked at Dion, disbelief flickering through him. Him too? Forcing himself upright, he managed a strained whisper, "Maybe that Cajun boil was too spicy for my stomach…" Before he could finish, Nina burst into tears. "I didn't know this would happen! I just wanted to celebrate moving into the new house. I'm so sorry!" She collapsed beside him, sobbing into her hands. Her crying only worsened the pounding in Lewis's skull. His head felt like it was splitting open. If Athena were here, she wouldn't be crying—she'd already be fixing everything. Damn it. Why is she on my mind again? Does she really think blocking my number will make me chase after her? His fury spiked. He slammed the call through to Ned and barked, "My stomach pain is back. Get an ambulance here, now!" He figured the hospital could fix it. But the pain only got worse there. Even the strong painkillers didn't help. Lewis lost it. "Are you all useless? You can't even treat a minor stomachache?!” "Please calm down, Mr. Belmont," Ned said carefully. Seeing Lewis's condition, he added in a low voice, "Maybe we should call Mrs. Belmont. She might—""Shut up!" Lewis snapped, face dark. So that was her plan—using his stomach issues to control him. If he went crawling back, she'd hold it over his head forever. No. I would never beg her! After a chaotic stretch of misery, Lewis's pain finally dulled. Dion's allergic reaction was under control too. But both father and son looked like they had survived a war—pale, exhausted, miserable. "Dad… I feel awful. Can I have some water?" Dion whispered weakly from his hospital bed. Lewis sat hunched on the nearby couch, still sickly pale. His brows drew together in irritation. "Can't you see I'm sick too?" he snapped. The kid expected his half-dead father to wait on him? Ungrateful. "Lewis, don't be mad at Dion. I'll get the water," Nina said quickly.She rushed to pour him a cup and held it up to Dion's lips. He took one sip—and immediately spat it out. "This water is bitter! It's not sweet at all! I want sweet water!" Nina's eyes welled up again. "It can't be bitter. It's just normal water." "It's bitter! I don't want it!" Dion wailed, kicking and rolling on the bed. Lewis's face darkened. His patience was almost gone. Ned spoke up softly, "Mr. Belmont… when Dion got sick before, Mrs. Belmont always gave him honey water." Nina blinked helplessly. "Where am I supposed to get honey?" Lewis gritted his teeth. "Ned, go buy a bottle." Ten minutes later, Ned returned with a jar. Nina mixed the honey water hurriedly and offered it to Dion. One sip—and Dion gagged, then burst into fresh tears."It's wrong! It doesn't taste the same!" Nina stood frozen, tears streaming down her face. "Lewis… what do we do?" Lewis rubbed his temples, feeling his sanity unravel. How would I know?! Athena had always handled Dion. She never asked him to help, so he never learned any of this. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Lewis nearly snapped at Dion—but the boy cried himself into exhaustion and drifted off to sleep. Lewis pinched the bridge of his nose, defeated. For the first time, nothing went his way. Dion wouldn't listen. Nina couldn't do anything besides cry. And he—he felt like he was drowning. Just then, Ned stepped in again. "Sir, there's a problem with a project at the company." Lewis shot to his feet. "Stay here with Dion. I need to go." "Lewis… it's so late. You're still going to work?" Nina's eyes were swollen red. "If you leave… what am I supposed to do by myself?" She had never cared for Dion alone—not even for a single day. Tonight had already pushed her to her limit. Lewis sighed tiredly. "Athena's still mad. She won't come back for a while. You'll have to hold on for a couple days. Once she cools off and returns, you won't have to worry." Nina sniffed and nodded. “Alright.” … Athena was quietly eating the takeout Zaden had ordered. She never imagined her birthday would look like this—strangely peaceful, yet also the day she lost both her husband and her child. Her phone rang. She answered. Before she could say a word, Nina's frantic voice exploded through the speaker. “Athena! Your son had an allergic reaction! He's in the hospital—you need to come take care of him!" Athena set her fork down and let out a cold little laugh. "How did that happen?" "I—I don't know! Maybe he ate the wrong thing!" Athena knew Dion's allergies better than anyone. She had spent years managing every detail of his diet. Under her care, nothing had ever happened. And now, the moment he was back with Nina, he landed in the ER. It was almost pathetic. "If you don't want to tell me, then forget it," she said, ready to hang up. Nina panicked. "H-he ate a little spicy Cajun boil." Athena's laugh sharpened. "A little? More like you fed him half the pot." Nina's voice trembled. "Athena, your son is sick. Don't you care?" My son? The words stabbed straight into her chest.For years, she had raised Dion like her own—day and night, no breaks, no complaints. And the truth? He wasn't hers. He was Nina and Lewis's child. He had never belonged to her. Athena's expression hardened. Her voice turned cold and steady. "I can't come. You take care of him." She hung up. Athena inhaled slowly, steadying her breath. She refused to break down—not here, not now, not with two people sitting beside her. When she finally lifted her head, she met Zaden's deep, steady gaze—quiet, observant, concerned. "You okay?" he asked softly. His voice was gentle in a way that made her chest tighten.