Amy Sinclair stared at him, her gaze unwavering. "If I could provide for him financially, would you let me have him?"

Alexander Blackwood's response was immediate and firm. "Absolutely not."

Amy didn't back down. "And if I refuse to back off?"

His voice turned icy. "Amy, you don’t have the power to challenge me."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "You're right. In court, I’d lose. A stay-at-home mother with no income? No judge would side with me."

Her voice shook with suppressed fury. "I sacrificed everything—my career, my independence—to raise our son. And now the law says that makes me unfit? Because I chose bedtime stories over board meetings? Because I don’t have a salary to prove my worth?" She swallowed hard. "Tell me, Alexander... do you even believe Liam is still my child too?"

If she had influence, connections, maybe she’d stand a chance. But she was alone. Margaret Blackwood had never approved of her.

Since the separation, Liam had become a stranger. The boy who once clung to her now avoided her gaze, as if ashamed to call her "Mom."

Of course, Amy wasn’t truly fighting for custody. She knew it was hopeless. The moment she decided to leave, she had accepted walking away with nothing.

The divorce papers she drafted were simple—no demands, no claims. If Alexander had just signed them, it would have been over.

But he hadn’t. And Victoria Langley had flaunted herself in Amy’s face one too many times. Even patience had its limits. If they wanted to play dirty, she wouldn’t hold back.

Alexander fell silent. Something about Amy’s resolve unsettled him, as if control was slipping through his fingers.

His tone was cold. "What if I refuse to divorce?"

Amy didn’t flinch. "A clean break is better for Liam. I don’t want this to turn into a public spectacle. You wouldn’t want the media watching us tear each other apart, would you?"

With Sebastian Kingsley backing her, she could cause a scandal that would tank Blackwood Enterprises’ stocks. Worse—it would destroy Liam.

Alexander’s eyes darkened. "Amy, do you realize the consequences of crossing me?"

She met his gaze without fear. "I’m already walking away from my child. What more can you take from me?"

Then he struck low. "Benjamin Carter and Samantha Reynolds—they’re your closest friends, aren’t they?"

Amy’s smile was razor-thin. "Benjamin and Samantha can handle themselves. But Victoria... she’s what, five months along now?"

She tilted her head, feigning thought. "Oh, that’s right. Her last wish was to organize that charity concert. I wonder if she’ll even make it to the stage."

The threat was unmistakable.

Alexander’s voice turned lethal. "If you lay a finger on Victoria, I’ll ruin you."

Amy glanced at the unsigned divorce papers. "Sign them, and you won’t have to worry about it."