Mei Xing sat in the dim glow of her office, staring at the photograph of her stolen son. She gently brushed her fingers across the surface, the ache in her heart deepening with every second. She had cleared her name, but it didn't feel like victory. Not yet.
There was still something missing—something that would complete her redemption.
Her son.
For years, she had been fed lies, misled by those she had once called family. Her daughter, now growing into a smart and beautiful child, reminded her daily of what she had lost. But it was the absence of her son that haunted her—his cries in the delivery room, his warmth in her arms, then the cold void when he was taken from her.
She couldn't let the past bury the truth.
Later that evening, Zhao Chen walked in with a folder in his hand and a conflicted look on his face.
"I think I found something," he said.
Mei Xing straightened immediately. "What is it?"
"It's about Mei Li," he said slowly. "Her medical records. I cross-referenced them with the hospital's delivery logs from the day you gave birth."
Her heart pounded. "What did you find?"
"She never had a child," he said, placing the documents in front of her. "She was never pregnant. There are no maternity records—just forged postnatal documents added months later. It was all fake, Mei Xing. Your instincts were right."
Tears welled up in Mei Xing's eyes, but not from pain this time—from vindication. The truth was finally within her grasp.
"She stole him," she whispered, trembling. "She stole my baby and made the world believe he was hers."
Zhao Chen nodded. "And I think I know who helped her. A former nurse from the maternity ward. She vanished shortly after your delivery—changed her identity and moved to another city."
"Can we track her?"
"I already did," Zhao said with a hint of pride. "She's living in Shizhou under a new name—Lin Yu. I've arranged a trip. If she talks, she could be the missing piece we need."
Mei Xing stood, her hands balled into fists. "Then we leave at once."
That night, they flew quietly to Shizhou. Mei Xing couldn't sleep during the journey. Her mind was consumed with questions—What did her son look like now? Had he been safe all these years? Did he even know who his real mother was?
The next morning, they found the nurse—now a frail woman in her fifties, living modestly in a quiet neighborhood. She was startled by the unannounced visitors, but Zhao Chen quickly reassured her they weren't there to harm her.
When Mei Xing revealed who she was, the woman's face went pale.
"I never wanted to be part of it," she confessed shakily. "I was paid... threatened. Mei Li said it was the only way she could keep her place in the Lin family."
Mei Xing stepped forward. "Tell me everything. I want the whole truth—no more lies."
And the woman nodded.
"It's time you knew where your son really is.