Chapter 3 How Could It Be Her

A sudden thud rattled my chest, and my eyes flew up instinctively.

At once, the bodyguards before me parted, their heads dipping in quiet deference.

Through the opening strode a tall, commanding man, his steps unhurried yet tinged with dominance.

A perfectly cut black shirt traced the hard lines of his frame, broad shoulders narrowing to a lean waist.

His features were sharply defined, and within that almost perfect visage, a pair of eyes glinted with lethal intensity-when they narrowed, they became abyssal voids capable of stealing breath with a single glance.

Recognition struck me instantly.

The man was Daniel Edwards, the CEO of the Edwards Group, a billionaire whose decisions could upend markets overnight.

Rumor had it he was unmarried but had a daughter.

What I had never anticipated was that this fragile little girl would be his child. And he'd allowed his girlfriend to treat his own flesh and blood with such cruelty.

That realization ignited something fierce in my chest, my hands curling into fists before I could stop myself.

The moment Daniel noticed the figure on the bed, concern flashed across his face. "Emily!"

He then spun toward me in a fury, his voice sharp enough to cut. "What the hell did you do to my daughter? Are you looking for trouble? Who gave you the nerve to kidnap her?"

Unfazed, I lifted my chin and returned his glare with a frost-edged smile. "You've got the audacity to accuse me? Don't you dare call yourself her father-you're not worth the word! You let your girlfriend mistreat your own child!"

I quickly called the police and explained the situation briefly. Then, I turned to Daniel. "When the police get here, I'll tell them everything. But right now, there's no chance I'm leaving the child with someone like you!"

The instant Daniel shifted toward the bed, my arm shot out to shove him. "Stay away from her!"

A hiss of shocked breaths rippled through the room. The bodyguards stiffened, then surged forward, forming a solid wall in front of Daniel in one instinctive motion.

Daniel's assistant said, "No one speaks to Mr. Edwards like that. You despicable woman, suspected of kidnapping the kid, and you still have the nerve to be so disrespectful?"

A dry laugh slipped out of me. "So? What are you going to do about it?"

Ice settled over Daniel's features. He lifted a hand without looking at me. "Get her out of here!"

The bodyguards lunged forward together, rough hands clamping down on my shoulders with force.

Outmatched, I stood no chance against them.

Right as they started to haul me toward the door, a thin, fragile voice drifted from the hospital bed.

"Daddy... please don't hurt her!"

Emily Edwards stirred awake, blinking as she struggled to sit up.

Daniel's expression changed, and he quickly signaled the bodyguards to release me.

I rushed to Emily's side, bending close with a worried frown. "Emily, are you feeling any better?"

Emily nodded gently, small fingers curling around mine as if afraid I might disappear. "Yeah. Thank you."

A soft smile touched my lips. "You don't have to thank me. How are you feeling now?"

Emily replied, "I don't know why... but when you're here, I feel a lot better."

As the words left her mouth, she tipped her small head against my side, clinging to me with unquestioning trust.

Warmth swelled in my chest before I could stop it, a quiet, unfamiliar joy spreading through my body.

Only then did I register the sharp intake of breath around us-the bodyguards staring as if they'd just witnessed something impossible.

Their stunned expressions struck me as odd, but I had no time to dwell on it.

At that moment, the police arrived.

Without hesitation, I laid out everything that had happened from start to finish. Then, right in front of everyone, I accused Daniel of failing as a guardian, insisting that leaving Emily in his care would only put her in further danger.

After reviewing the surveillance footage and confirming I hadn't abducted the child, one of the officers turned to Daniel and asked evenly, "Is it true that your girlfriend has been mistreating your daughter?"

Daniel's expression hardened at once, shadows pooling in his eyes as his presence turned oppressive. Lowering his voice, he replied in a cold tone, "I'll take care of this myself. I won't allow anyone to harm my daughter!"

A moment later, the edge in his demeanor eased. He bent down, carefully lifting Emily from the hospital bed. "Emily, let's go home."

Instead of responding to him, Emily tightened her grip on my hand, small fingers trembling with reluctance. Her eyes searched my face as she asked, "Will you go home with me?"

Something inside me softened instantly. Meeting her gaze, I lowered my voice and reassured her, "Don't worry. I'll visit you whenever I can."

Only then did Emily release my hand and nod, docile but serious. "You have to keep your word."

She was cradled in Daniel's arms, yet her gaze clung to me as they left.

Just as they were about to vanish down the corridor, a sudden thought struck me-Emily's asthma was severe, and she couldn't afford intense emotional swings.

Acting on instinct, I hurried after them.

Turning past a pillar, I saw a man in a tailored black suit lean closer toward Daniel, his posture deferential as he whispered, "Mr. Edwards, after Miss Harris died following the birth of Miss Edwards, the child grew up without a mother's care. She became withdrawn, rarely engaging with anyone. Even when you're with her... she almost never speaks. Yet today, she's clinging to that unfamiliar woman with unusual affection. It feels odd. From what I can tell, that woman may have ulterior motives."

At those words, Daniel went still for a moment, the air around him turning cold.

"Dig up everything about her!" he ordered.

Distance blurred the bodyguard's words, so I didn't know what he had said. But I didn't need to hear more to know the target of Daniel's order was me.

That clipped command slid straight down my spine and left a lingering shiver.

Just as the rumors claimed, Daniel was paranoid, cautious, and obsessed with control.

What unsettled me the most wasn't his suspicion, but his power. In Atokton, a man like him could uncover anything if he wanted.

Secrets simply didn't survive under his scrutiny.

If he were to find out my true identity from some tiny clue, that would be disastrous.

For a brief moment, unease coiled in my chest. Then, I forced it down.

Keeping my distance from him was the only sensible choice. Otherwise, it would invite nothing but disaster.

***

An hour later, inside Rose Manor, Joshua Adams, Daniel's assistant, placed a thick, meticulously prepared file into Daniel's hands.

Daniel's eyes skimmed the file before stopping abruptly at the name-Alexandra Harris.

In an instant, his expression hardened, pupils contracting as his eyes turned icy.

How could it be her?