Chapter 93Andrew ascended the stairs, the wood creaking softly under his weight as he approached Dora’s room. He paused in front of her door, his hand hovering just above the painted surface. His heart ached at the thought of the pain he had caused her—disappointment that was still fresh in her eyes as she slammed the door shut.He wanted to knock, to tell her again how sorry he was, to hold her and promise that he’d make it up to her. But he knew she probably wouldn't answer, that she needed space. The last thing he wanted was to make things worse by pushing her too hard.Andrew sighed, lowering his hand. The hallway was dark, a single lamp casting a dim light that barely reached Dora’s door. He hesitated for a moment, then turned and made his way to his own room, his heart heavy. He opened the door to his bedroom, the familiar scent of lavender and freshly laundered sheets filling the air. He closed the door behind him and crossed the room, collapsing onto the bed, his body sinking
Andrew ascended the stairs, the wood creaking softly under his weight as he approached Dora’s room. He paused in front of her door, his hand hovering just above the painted surface. His heart ached at the thought of the pain he had caused her—disappointment that was still fresh in her eyes as she slammed the door shut.He wanted to knock, to tell her again how sorry he was, to hold her and promise that he’d make it up to her. But he knew she probably wouldn't answer, that she needed space. The last thing he wanted was to make things worse by pushing her too hard.Andrew sighed, lowering his hand. The hallway was dark, a single lamp casting a dim light that barely reached Dora’s door. He hesitated for a moment, then turned and made his way to his own room, his heart heavy. He opened the door to his bedroom, the familiar scent of lavender and freshly laundered sheets filling the air. He closed the door behind him and crossed the room, collapsing onto the bed, his body sinking into the m
Andrew couldn't get the thought of his daughter almost getting kidnapped out of his memory. What if he hadn't gone to check up on his daughter? What if that man had taken her and they woke up the next morning to realise that their daughter was gone?Andrew shook the thoughts out of his head and tried to get some sleep so he could wake up in the morning. Dwelling on what had just happened was only going to cause his blood to run cold. But as he closed his eyes to sleep, he could only see the images of his daughter being taken away by that strange man. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes with his fist. "What the hell—" he cursed under his breath as he ran his fingers through his hair. More and more thoughts were coming into his head and this time, he could not shake them off. As Andrew sat, staring into space, he wondered who the man that had broken into his house was. From the Stranger's build, Andrew couple tell that the man wasn't Alec nor Reginald but he was certain that the str
Andrew sat on the edge of Dora's bed, watching her tie her shoelaces with a determined look on her face. The morning sunlight streamed through the window, and for a moment, the house felt like it was back to normal, as if nothing unusual had happened last night. But the tension between them remained. Dora had been quiet all morning, her eyes occasionally flickering toward him with a hint of suspicion."Why did you sleep in my room last night, Daddy?" Dora asked, her voice laced with annoyance as she focused on her laces.Andrew cleared his throat, trying to find the right words. He knew that she was still upset about his broken promise the previous day, and he didn’t want to give her another reason to be disappointed in him. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees."Well," he began, "I came in to apologize to you, but when I got here, you were already asleep." He watched her expression carefully, trying to gauge her reaction. "I was so tired... I guess I just dozed off in y
Andrew glanced at his watch as he finished the last of his coffee. He had been at the diner longer than planned, and there was still so much to do. The unsettling news he shared with Patrick had only made everything feel more urgent. He looked at Patrick, who was staring into his empty cup, lost in thought."Patrick, I have to go," Andrew said, breaking the silence. "We’ll regroup later and come up with a plan."Patrick looked up at him, nodding. "Understood, boss. You just be careful, alright? Alec is dangerous, and we can’t underestimate what he might be capable of now."Andrew smiled faintly, appreciating the concern in Patrick’s voice. “I will, Patrick. Thanks. And keep an eye out for anything suspicious—anything at all.”“Got it. I’ll stay in touch,” Patrick said, his expression sincere.Andrew stood, putting a hand on Patrick’s shoulder for a brief moment before making his way toward the diner’s exit. He could feel Patrick’s eyes on him as he walked away, and he knew that his fr
Chapter 97Andrew pulled the car to a stop in front of the ice cream shop, the neon lights of the storefront glowing warmly in the early evening. He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering unease that had followed him all day. His hands gripped the steering wheel for a moment longer, his knuckles white with tension.He climbed out of the car, glancing around the street. There were people everywhere—families, teenagers, couples—but something still felt off. He tried to ignore the sensation, hoping it was just his overworked imagination playing tricks on him. The paranoid feeling of being followed hadn’t left him since the voicemail, but he hadn’t seen anything to back up that fear.As he walked toward the shop, Andrew made sure to turn discreetly, scanning the crowd. He couldn’t pinpoint why he felt that way, but it was as though a heavy presence lurked behind him. He walked past a group of teenagers, pretending to browse the displays of an adjacent store while he looked
The feeling was unmistakable, and his heart sank as he let out a sigh. Valkyron was here. But surprisingly, he couldn't see the screen that Valkyron regularly came with. —Master, you made a terrible mistake.— Valkyron's voice echoed around him. Andrew froze, his heart sinking further as he closed his eyes, gripping the steering wheel even tighter. His breath came in slow, ragged bursts as he tried to calm the storm of emotions raging within him.“A mistake?” he whispered, his voice trembling with both anger and fear. “Did I hit the wrong person? Was he innocent?” He opened his eyes, turning his head slightly, as if searching for Valkyron even though he knew he wouldn’t see the system guide.Valkyron’s response came without hesitation, almost as though it was expecting Andrew’s reaction. “—No, master, the man you hit was indeed the one who broke into your house.—”Andrew’s chest tightened at the revelation, his emotions spinning from confusion to fury in a heartbeat. He felt his ange
Chapter 99"Daddy is back!!" Andrew heard Dora scream when he was getting down from the car. As he parked and turned off the engine, Andrew glanced over at the passenger seat. The tub of strawberry ice cream sat there, completely out of place in the middle of the chaos his day had been. He had promised Dora, and despite everything, he had made sure to keep that promise. He grabbed the ice cream and stepped out of the car, but the moment his feet hit the pavement, his exhaustion became evident. His clothes were in tatters—ripped at the sleeves and smeared with dirt, one of his shoes was missing a lace, and he was nursing a fresh cut above his right eyebrow.There was a maid tending to the garden. The moment she saw Andrew alight from the car, she immediately stopped what she was doing and focused her attention on him. Rosa looked up from the garden and gasped, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of Andrew's disheveled appearance. For a moment, she hesitated, stepping toward hi