Chapter 1

My six years at a top-secret agency finally came to an end.

My heart pounded with excitement as I arrived at my wife's office building, eager to surprise her.

But what I saw instead made my blood run cold: a man was yelling at my daughter, even forcing her to kneel and apologize.

Rage consumed me. I charged forward, landing a punch squarely on the man's face.

As I wound up for a second punch, my daughter clung to my leg.

"Please, run! You hit Mom's assistant, she'll never let you go!"

I suppressed my fury, my voice tight with pain.

"He's just your mom's assistant. How dare he make you kneel?"

My daughter was about to explain when the man cut her off.

"You'll regret this! Serena will send her bodyguards to deal with you both!"

I took a deep breath and called my wife.

"Your assistant wants to teach me a lesson. Come out here!"

All I wanted was a straight answer from Serena.

How had she managed our daughter these past six years? How could she let her own assistant bully our precious Lily?

"I don't care who you are, or where you got my number."

My wife's voice was ice-cold through the phone.

"Just for that threat, no one can save you!"

The call ended abruptly, before I even had a chance to say another word.

I stared blankly at my phone, stunned.

She hadn't just failed to recognize my voice; she hadn't recognized the number either.

This was my old number from six years ago, and she hadn't even bothered to save it in her contacts!

Six years of constant longing, all my hopes, shattered in an instant.

Seeing my call disconnected, Serena's assistant sneered, his face full of mockery.

"Kid, I thought you were someone important, but you're just some clown who crawled out from under a rock."

I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my anger in check.

I'd thought there might be some misunderstanding, but now, my heart sank completely.

Of course. For six long years, I'd been completely off the grid, stuck in a classified research facility, a place even satellites couldn't detect, running endless experiments.

It was only natural she would have changed her heart. I should have expected it.

But before I left, she'd promised me she would take good care of our daughter.

The cheerful, laughing girl I remembered, who should be a vibrant teenager now, was instead frail, like a wilting flower, so emaciated from malnutrition. The fear in her eyes was a dagger to my heart, twisting it with raw agony.

"Come on, I'm taking you home."

Tears blurred my vision as I gently took Lily's hand, determined to get her out of here.

I had six years of neglect to make up for.

I would make her the happiest princess in the world again.

"You hit me, and then you threatened Ms. Serena. You think you can just walk away now?"

Brendan blocked my path, a cold smirk playing on his lips.

"Are you saying you're going to hold me here?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Freedom? Haha, you're talking about freedom with me in New York?"

"Kid, I'm telling you, here, even the air you breathe is owned by the Serena Group!" Brendan snarled, his face contorted in a crazed grin.

My expression darkened considerably.

All these years I'd dedicated myself to my country, and to compensate for my efforts, the higher-ups must have secretly supported Serena a lot. But I didn't expect them to grow so arrogant, so out of control.

Suddenly, Lily pulled her hand from mine and dropped to her knees, pleading desperately.

"Brendan, please, just let this man go. He doesn't know you or Mom, that's why he upset you. I'll apologize for him, I promise!"

My eyes welled up instantly at the sight.

This was my precious daughter, whom I thought about day and night, whose photo I had to place over my heart just to sleep peacefully! Now, she was kneeling before these two monsters.

How much had I failed her these past six years?