Raising the Villain's Prodigy

Consider this a favoryouve been obsessed with Sebastian for years, so you can raise his spawn.

Kendall dumps the swaddled bundle into my arms like its a knockoff handbag shes bored of. Her red lips curl into a sneer, expecting me to crumble. Rage flares hot in my chest, and I open my mouth to tell her exactly where to shove her entitlement.

But then, the air shimmers.

A neon blue box glitches into existence, floating right above the babys sleeping face.

[The Male and Female Lead's child! The Genius Prodigy has arrived!]

[Hacker at six. Art prodigy at eight. Multi-millionaire by ten!]

My jaw snaps shut. I look from the scrolling text down to the tiny, squirming face. Kendall thinks shes burdening me with a curse, but the universe just told me shes handing me a winning lottery ticket.

I swallow my insult and pull the baby close. "Fine."

Moments later, I walk into Sebastians office. He sits behind his mahogany desk, radiating that lazy, arrogant power that used to make my knees weak. He barely lifts his heavy eyelids. "Another tantrum, Quinn?"

"I had a baby," I lie, my voice steady. "Im quitting to raise him."

He scoffsa dry, dismissive soundand flicks a check across the desk like hes tipping a waitress. It lands at my feet. "Fine. Take a vacation," he says, waving a hand as if swatting a fly. "When youre done playing house, come back."

I pick up the check. Oh, Im done playing. Im just getting started.

Chapter 1

The story was over.

The Male Lead and the Female Lead had survived every trial, cleared every misunderstanding, and finally confessed their undying love.

But none of that had anything to do with me anymore.

I walked down the boardwalk, Arlos small hand tucked securely in mine.

Suddenly, the air in front of me shimmered. Neon text scrolled across my vision like a glitch in reality.

[As expected of the Leads' child. He's gorgeous even at this age!]

[But the Supporting Character has been raising him for so long. When is she giving him back?]

[Yeah. The Leads were toxic before, so the Supporting Character babysat. But they're together now.]

My grip on Arlos hand tightened. Involuntarily.

"Mom, whats wrong?" He looked up, his voice innocent and soft.

"Nothing." I crouched down, forcing a smile as I pinched his cheek. "Hungry? Want some fries? A burger? Ice cream?"

He shook his head with the solemn gravity of an old man. "Mom, junk food is bad for you."

I stared at him. ""

He sighed, looking at me with pity. "Do you want some?"

"Yes."

Arlo looked at me like I was the hopeless one. He took my hand and dragged me toward the food stand.

The owner dropped a basket of fries into the sizzling oil, chatting with a customer. "Yeah, I saw it too. Massive production. Old money, for sure. Look at that crew just for some wedding photos."

"Handsome groom, beautiful bride. A real feast for the eyes."

Arlo stood quietly beside me. He was sharp. Too sharp. I never mentioned his father. He never asked.

When the fries were done, Arlo took the container for me. "Its hot. Wait for it to cool down."

I sighed. "I know, I know."

The ocean breeze brushed against my face, carrying a hint of peace.

Until I saw it.

A massive blockade ahead. A wedding shoot, sprawling across the best part of the beach.

I stopped dead.

Arlo frowned, his voice low. "They dont own the beach. Why are they taking up so much space?"

I nodded. "Exactly."

As the words left my mouth, the groom in the center of the crowd turned. He moved lazily. Suit jacket unbuttoned. One hand tucked into his pocket. His gaze swept over the crowd with bored, arrogant indifference.

Sebastian.

I spun around. Instantly.

Arlo paused. "Mom? What is it?"

"Sebastian, Kendall, look here!" The photographers voice boomed over the wind.

I froze. My muscles locked up.

Arlo tugged on my sleeve. "Do you know them, Mom?"

Know them? They were his biological parents.

I shook my head, keeping my back to the scene. "No. Lets go the other way."

A hand landed on my shoulder. I flinched.

An assistant stood there, breathless. "Hi, sorry to bother you. Were shooting wedding photos over there. Could we borrow your kid? We have a theme that needs a flower child."

I didnt look up. "No."

The assistant looked annoyed, as if my refusal was a personal inconvenience. "Well blur his face in post-production. You wont even recognize him."

I repeated it, colder this time. "No."

"Tsk. Borrowing a kid for a photo, is it that hard? We can pay."

A womans voice. Sharp. Impatient.

I saw the hem of a white wedding dress out of the corner of my eye.

"How much do you want?"

Before I could react, she stepped right in front of me.

Chapter 2

Kendall saw my face.

She stumbled back, as if burned. Then her gaze dropped. She locked eyes with Arlo.

The air solidified. Heavy. Suffocating.

"Forget it. If they dont want to, they dont want to."

A voice from behind her. Deep. Magnetic. Careless.

Kendall snapped out of her trance. She retreated another few steps, spinning around with frantic urgency. "Sebastian, lets switch themes," she said, her words tumbling out too fast. "Lets just do something else."

I didnt turn around. Not once.

But the text in my vision was scrolling faster, a chaotic stream of neon.

[Why isn't the Heroine acknowledging her kid?]

[Makes sense... She dumped the baby on the Supporting Character after a fight with the Male Lead. If he finds out, he'll go nuclear.]

[But it's their kid! They can't just let the Supporting Character raise him forever, right?]

[Exactly. He was born an heir. Now he's living like a commoner.]

I stared at the floating words, my mind drifting. I looked down at Arlo. "If you had the chance to be a billionaire heir, would you take it?"

He scrunched his nose. "Does that mean I get a daddy?"

"No."

Arlo thought for a moment. Serious. "If youre not there, Mom, then no."

A laugh bubbled up in my chest. I ruffled his hair. The tension evaporated.

We turned to leave.

"Stop them."

The voice cut through the air again. But the laziness was gone. It was heavy now. Dangerous. "I want to see who has the nerve to turn down my money."

I once gave my heart to Sebastian. A foolish, girlish thing to do.

Back then, he had laughed, lazy and cruel. "Quinn, do you actually think youre my girlfriend?"

I was young. Thin-skinned. Prideful. I stared into those deep, seductive eyeseyes that could drown youand lied through my teeth. "Dont flatter yourself. Youre just my employer. After all, money is the only interesting thing about you."

He had raised an eyebrow. He didnt call my bluff. "Lets hope so."

But later, I made sure my actions matched my words. Sebastian had nothing but money. But God, he had a lot of it.

In college, I was his gofer. After graduation, I was his executive assistant.

When he got engaged to Kendall, I tried to leave. Kendall hated my guts.

But Sebastian just looked up from his desk, eyes cool. "Who else is going to pay you this much, Quinn?" He had gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. "Be grateful."

Every time Kendall humiliated me, Sebastian wired me a bonus. I took every cent. Guilt-free. Consider it a tax for the emotional damage.

Then Kendall went quiet for a year. I thought shed finally gotten bored of tormenting me.

Then she showed up holding a baby.

I usually kept my cool around her. But that day? My mask cracked. "Whose is that?" I gasped.

"Mine, obviously." She laughed, cold and sharp. "Youve been obsessed with Sebastian for years," she sneered. "You should be thrilled to raise his kid for him."

She wasnt going to raise him? She was dumping him on me?

I opened my mouth to scream at her. Nanny fees are extra!

But then the text appeared.

[The Male and Female Lead's child! The Genius Prodigy has arrived!]

[Hacker at six. Art prodigy at eight. Multi-millionaire by ten!]

[This is generational wealth walking through the door...]

Chapter 3

I froze.

A long silence stretched. Then, I reached out and took the swaddled baby.

Kendall smirked, rolling her eyes. "Youre even more pathetic than I thought. All these years of throwing yourself at him, and what title did you get out of it?"

I stared at her. Silent.

She didnt push it. She looked almost afraid Id change my mind. She turned on her heel, stilettos clicking sharply as she practically ran away.

She didnt get it. Doing it for love with no reward? Thats being a doormat. Doing it for a paycheck? Thats just business.

Later, I went to Sebastian to resign.

He barely looked up. "What is it now? Another tantrum?" Before I could speak, he sighed, impatient. "Kendall is spoiled, I know. But shes my fiance. Dont take it personally."

Spoiled? I thought. Understatement of the century. She just dumped your kid on me.

"I had a baby," I said. "Im going back to my hometown to raise him."

Sebastian laughed. A sharp, cold sound. "Boyfriend? Since when? At least make your lies believable."

I didnt speak. I just held his gaze.

His dark eyes locked onto mine. He scanned me, inch by inch, searching for the crack in my armor. Finally, he scoffed. He scribbled a check and tossed it at me. "When youre done playing house, come back."

I took the check without hesitation. Consider it child support.

I took the baby back to my hometown, a quiet coastal city. I named him Arlo.

Back on the beach, the production crew was paralyzed. The standoff was drawing stares from tourists.

Arlo sensed the shift in the air. He gritted his teeth and stepped in front of me, shielding me with his small body. "Dont you bully my mom!"

Sebastians voice was cold. "Why is your mom afraid to turn around?"

Kendall tugged at Sebastians arm. "Sebastian, lets just go. We dont need them. We can find another kid. Anyone would do it."

"I asked you," his voice dropped, heavy with ice, "why wont you turn around?"

He was talking to me.

Heavy footsteps crunched on the sand. Getting closer.

Arlos small frame trembled. "Stay back!"

Sebastian chuckled. Dark. Mocking. "You think you can protect her? Like that? Dream on."

The cruelty in his voice snapped something inside me.

I spun around. "Bullying a child, Sebastian? Is that what makes you feel big?"

Years hadnt touched him. Or maybe they had. He looked more dangerous now. More oppressive. Especially when those dark eyes locked you in place.

His gaze was freezing. He dismantled me with a look. Then his eyes dropped to Arlo. Then back to me.

I covered Arlos eyes instinctively. "Dont scare him."

"Scare him?" Sebastian tasted the words, rolling them around in his mouth. He smiled, but it didnt reach his eyes. "You certainly care about him."

"Quinn." He took a step closer. He looked confused. And furious. "You actually have a child How dare you?"

Kendall rushed over, clinging to his arm. "Its Quinns life, Sebastian. We have photos to take."

Sebastian ripped his arm away. He didnt even look at her. He loomed over Arlo. "How old are you?"

Arlo pressed his lips together. Silence.

But the answer was written on his face.

"Five? Six?" Sebastian looked up at me, his expression terrifyingly calm. "Quinn. When you quit you were already pregnant."

Chapter 4

Kendall wasnt exactly known for her patience. Being ignored twice? That was her limit.

She let out a cold laugh. "Sebastian, you always bragged about how obsessed Quinn was with you. But while she was playing the devoted assistant, she was sleeping around behind your back. Dont you feel like a joke?"

I narrowed my eyes. Our gazes locked.

She knew I wouldnt fight back. Because fighting back meant telling the truth. And the truth meant Sebastian finding out Arlo was his. He would take him.

I would never let that happen.

"Sebastian and I had a strictly professional relationship," I said, my voice even. "I fell in love. I had a child. Thats hardly sleeping around. Watch your mouth, Kendall. Theres a child present."

Arlo bit his lip, glaring daggers at Kendall. "Dont you dare talk about my mom like that!"

Kendall froze.

She opened her mouth to snap back, then closed it. She looked down at Arlo. Her expression shifted. Something complicated flickered in her eyes.

"Youve grown a spine, Quinn," Sebastian said. His voice dripped with ice and sarcasm. "What is this? Motherhood makes you tough?"

"Flattered," I deadpanned. "If thats all, were leaving."

I grabbed Arlos hand and walked away before they could react. This time, no one stopped us.

The neon text was scrolling frantically again.

[The Heroine must be heartbroken. Watching her own kid defend someone else.]

[If Arlo knew he was treating his bio-mom like that, he'd be devastated.]

[Ugh, if the Heroine just confessed, they could take their kid back.]

[She can't. Her pride won't let her.]

[Why doesn't the Supporting Character just tell them?!]

[Are you kidding? She's probably terrified. If Arlo finds out the truth, he'll run back to Sebastian's family. Why would he look at her twice? She's not his real mom. Only a rich family can give him a real future. It's a waste for him to stay with her.]

[True. He'd be way happier with his biological parents.]

I ignored the floating words. My face remained a mask of calm. We walked until the crowd was a blur behind us.

"Mom" Arlos voice was small. His long lashes cast shadows on his cheeks.

I crouched down, forcing a smile. "Whats wrong, baby?"

He pressed his lips together, looking at me with worry. "Youve known them a long time, right?"

I nodded.

"Did they always bully you?"

I paused. Bully? I looked down. Getting paid to do a job does that count as bullying?

Sure, Sebastian ordered me around like a dog. Kendall humiliated me for sport.

I remembered the time Kendall smashed a dozen glass bottles on the floor and made me pick up the shards. By hand.

One slip. A jagged edge sliced deep into my palm. Pain seared through my nerves, white-hot. I collapsed, clutching my hand as crimson bloomed against the cold white marble.

Only then did she look bored. She walked away, heels clicking, like shed just finished a game.

Even Sebastians friend had looked sick. "Thats intense. Even for her."

Sebastian just shrugged. "Its good for her. Being too soft just gets you crushed."

He looked at me. No pity. No emotion. He tilted his chin. "Get up. Ill take you to the hospital."

I didnt want that life anymore. The misery. The coldness. Thats why I left.

I rubbed Arlos head. I didnt say anything for a long time.

He reached out his small arms and hugged me tight. "Mom, Im going to protect you. I promise."

Chapter 5

I promised Arlo a few days of fun before he started elementary school.

The beach was out. Too risky. I brainstormed.

The next day, I took him to an amusement park. Kids everywhere. Screaming, sticky, chaotic. No one in their right mind would shoot wedding photos here.

"Smile for the camera!"

Arlo sat on the carousel horse. He turned, grinning. Two shallow dimples appeared on his cheeks. Click.

I looked at the photo on my phone. Warm. Happy. I couldnt help but smile.

After a few rides, my stomach churned. Cotton candy. Churros. Ice cream. Corn dogs. Something in that unholy mix was fighting back.

"Wait right here," I told Arlo. "Mom needs to use the restroom. Ill be right back."

He took the half-eaten corn dog from my hand and nodded obediently. Arlo was responsible. I wasnt worried.

Until I came out.

I scanned the crowd. No Arlo.

Ice water flooded my veins. The world tilted on its axis. I grabbed my phone to call the police.

"Quinn."

A low voice. I whipped around.

Sebastian looked down at me.

I didnt care why he was there. I didnt care about the coincidence. "Where is Arlo?" I snarled.

"Worried?" Sebastian asked. He didnt wait for an answer. "My people took him to play. You just need to answer one question."

"Who is the father?"

I froze.

He was asking about the biological father.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "When you were with me, there were a few idiots who had eyes for you. Which rich boy was it? Who made you willing to have a bastard child with no title, no marriage?"

I stared at him.

He loomed over me. "Come back to me. I wont hold the child against you." He paused, then let out a cold laugh. "I can even help you dump him back on his deadbeat dad."

""

I looked Sebastian dead in the eye. "He is my child."

His face went cold. "Quinn. Years of this. Havent you had enough? All over a kid?" He curled his lip. "Fine. Mother of the year."

He pulled out his phone. Dialed. He didnt break eye contact. "Did you get hair samples from everyone in my circle back then?"

He listened for a second. Smiled.

It was terrifying.

His dark eyes swept over me. "Im going to find that bastards father."

What?

He was going to DNA test every man I knew?

I stood there, paralyzed. It was absurd. It was hilarious.

"And when you find him?" I whispered. "Then what?"

"You dont plan on keeping him forever, do you?" Sebastian asked, his face blank.

He wanted to find the father so he could send Arlo away.

Good luck with that.

Chapter 6

"One," I said, my voice steady. "I love my son. Im not giving him to anyone. Two, I am never coming back to you. I like my life."

Silence.

"Mom!"

A cry. A small figure sprinting toward me.

Behind him, a group of bodyguards scrambled, looking panicked. Arlo slammed into my legs, burying his face in my stomach.

Sebastian let out a sharp laugh. He looked at his men. "You cant handle one child?"

The head bodyguard wiped sweat from his forehead. "Sir, the kid is smart. He"

"Enough." Sebastian cut him off. He looked down at Arlo. "Dont you want to know who your real father is?"

Arlo froze. My blood ran cold.

Arlo was a child. Even if he never asked, he had to wonder. He had to care.

Sebastian smiled. A predators smile. "I can find him for you. What do you say?"

The air grew thin.

Arlo looked up at me. Tears still clung to his lashes. He shook his head. Firm. "I have my mom. Thats enough."

My heart squeezed. Hard.

Sebastians face darkened. A storm brewing behind his eyes.

I grabbed Arlos hand and turned to leave. Sebastians hand shot out. He gripped my wrist. Hard.

"Sebastian! What are you doing?"

A crowd approached. Massive. Loud.

Kendall stood there, fresh from her solo shoot. Her expression was unreadable. Assistants, makeup artists, photographers swarmed around her.

Sebastian didnt let go of my wrist. He looked at Kendall, calm. "Quinn and I go way back. I cant let her child grow up not knowing his own father, can I?"

Kendalls gaze shifted. From me. To Arlo.

"I said I dont want to know!" Arlo wiped his tears, his voice fierce. "Youre bad people! Leave my mom alone!"

Kendalls face twisted. She marched over, her expensive gown rustling. "Bad people? Did Quinn teach you that?"

She looked ready to strike. I pulled Arlo behind me. "So what if I did?"

Kendall grit her teeth. "Is that how you raise a child, Quinn?"

"She didnt teach me," Arlo piped up, glaring. "If you keep bullying my mom, karma is coming for you."

Kendalls fingers twitched. She turned to Sebastian, who was watching with a blank face. "Helping someone find a baby daddy? Since when are you a saint?"

She sneered, her red lips curling. "Its just a bastard anyway. Whats the point of looking"

Slap.

My hand connected with her face. Hard. The sound cracked through the air like a whip.

"You make me sick," I spat