“It’s just one night. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take him to the police department. We can find him a new home or send him back to the orphanage.”

She reached for the lock again—I shoved her back a good two meters.

“Did you even think about this? If his legs don’t work, how did he find our place? And how the hell did he get to the 15th floor?! There’s no wheelchair ramp downstairs!”

Cecily froze.

It hit her instantly.

Outside, Tyrell’s cries got louder, drawing attention.

He started tearing his clothes, showing off all the bruises and injuries.

The neighbors began whispering.

“Whose kid is that? Poor thing looks beat up… Didn’t this family just get back this afternoon? Why won’t they open the door?”

Tyrell, looking pitiful, told them he was an orphan, that we used to help him, and now he had nowhere else to go but our place.

Hearing that, the neighbors started knocking on our door too.

“Come on, Finch, the kid’s in bad shape. Let him stay the night, yeah?”

“Yeah, it’s not like he’s a stranger. He’s just a kid, came all the way here in the middle of the night. You’ve helped him before—what’s one more time?”

“You just got a new car. Taking in an orphan won’t cost you much. Just open the door and take him in already—it’s late. Don’t cause a scene.”

I knew I couldn’t dodge this, so I opened the door.

Tyrell collapsed to the ground, covered in blood.

The second he saw me, he dragged himself over and latched onto my leg.

“Sir! I finally found you—please, you gotta save me!

“They didn’t adopt me out of kindness. They just wanted someone for their mentally disabled son to beat on! When I said no, they started hittin’ me, cussin’ me out… wouldn’t even let me eat!

“If I ain’t run fast enough, they’re gonna drag me into that guy’s room and let him do whatever he wants to me…”

He cried like the world was ending.

The neighbors around us were already stirred up, and now they were full of sympathy.

“In a state of law, people like that still exist? What kind of monsters are they?”

“You and your wife are good folks, Finch. You volunteer at the orphanage every week. Why not take the kid in for real? You’re a company exec, right? It’s not like you can’t afford to feed one more mouth.”

“Exactly. You only have one kid—raising two’s just as easy. He came all this way to find you. That’s fate, man. Don’t turn him away. Poor kid.”

Cecily was clearly moved.

But she wouldn’t say yes unless I gave the nod.