The house had become like that; I was about to call the police.
I walked right in. The maid couldn’t stop me. In the corner of the yard, I saw a bike, rusted and forgotten. It was barely recognizable.
That bicycle had been custom-made overseas, costing over a hundred thousand dollars, shipped by air as a birthday gift for my daughter.
Even during those three years away, I never missed a single gift, each one chosen with care.
On closer look, the bike was a wreck, completely ruined. Not a single part could be salvaged. It had clearly been left out in the rain, carelessly handled and violently abused.
My daughter, Tatiana, would never treat her things this way; she had always been gentle and careful with her belongings.
Sure enough, I spotted something carved into the frame: Tucker.
My blood boiled. The gift I had lovingly picked for my daughter had been stolen by Carlos and instead of treasuring it, he had destroyed it without a second thought.
Holding back the fury rising in my chest, I asked, “Where is the young lady?”
The maid responded coldly, “What, young lady? There’s only one young master in this house, Young Master Carlos.”
“Where’s Tatiana?”
“Oh, you mean the nanny’s daughter who left? She’s been gone for a long time. I think you’ve been fooled. She was never some young lady.”
My daughter had been kicked out? Unbelievable.
“I’m warning you. Don’t stir up trouble. The bodyguards will be back soon.”
I stared her down. “Do you enjoy working here?”
She lifted her chin proudly. “Of course. Our master and madam are so loving and their son is outstanding. The three of them make the perfect family.”
I replied coldly, “Start looking for a new job. You’re done here.”
She scoffed and rolled her eyes, clearly not taking my words seriously.
I didn’t waste time arguing. Right now, nothing mattered more than finding my daughter.
She was the apple of my eye and I knew she must’ve endured unimaginable pain over the past three years.
As soon as I left the house, I made a call.
“Where is my daughter?”
I didn’t bother calling Alice. I had completely lost faith in her.
Before I left, I had entrusted everything to her. She had turned around and crushed that trust without hesitation.
It didn’t take long to find out where my daughter was staying.
She was living in a rusted tin shack, tucked away in a slum marked for demolition, filthy, cluttered, unfit for anyone to call home.