Chapter 2

Andrew had just finished a meeting when he checked his messages and saw the girl’s photo.

Her eyebrows, eyes, and nose were nearly identical to his.

Only the shape of her mouth was different.

A cold glint flashed in his narrow eyes, and his fists clenched instantly.

Damn it!

That woman had used those same tactics to get close to him back then, and now she was causing trouble again and disrupting his life!

[Where is Cecily right now?!]

Eric quickly sent a video clip in reply.

In it, Cecily lay in a pool of blood, and the little girl was beside her, crying her heart out.

Someone nearby asked her, "Where's your dad?"

Without hesitating, she replied, "I don't have a dad!"

No dad?

Cecily's intentions when she gave birth to this child had been crystal clear. Yet now, the child was claiming she had no father.

What on earth was going on?!

His face darkened, and just as he was about to throw the phone aside, his fingers tapped the video again involuntarily.

On the screen, the little girl was crying her heart out and calling for her mother.

But Cecily could never answer her again.

His chest tightened inexplicably, and he clenched his fingers so hard that he nearly crushed the phone.

Damn it!

He had actually left a child behind!

How was he supposed to tell Vivian about this?

A message from Eric followed immediately: [You must not let Vivian find out!

Back then, Cecily caused Vivian to lose a kidney and go blind in one eye. She just had a cornea transplant. If she finds out you have an illegitimate daughter, she’ll completely break down!]

He knew that all too well.

That night, he was extremely drunk, and Cecily had disguised herself as Vivian to get close to him.

That night had become an indelible stain on his life.

Who would have thought that this stain still hadn’t been wiped clean?

Suddenly, his phone began buzzing with notifications one after another.

His three sons had sent messages almost simultaneously, each with photos of Yanny taken from different angles.

[Dad, where did this illegitimate daughter come from?]

[We heard you did something to Mom back then. Is this the child from that time?]

[Dad, you’ve really let us down.]

He furrowed his brow, his expression grim.

His children had all inherited his and Vivian's high intelligence, so there was no way he could hide this from them.

However, just because she looked like him didn't mean she was his daughter.

Just then, Eric created a group chat and added all three of his sons.

Eric said: [The three of you already know. I really couldn’t keep it from you. Now, let's discuss what to do with this child. How about sending her to be adopted by someone else?'

The eldest son replied: [If she really is your biological daughter, then she’s related to us by blood. Sending her to be raised by someone else just doesn’t feel right. She might come looking for us later. Why don't we just let her be and let her live her own life?]

The second son suggested, [She's so young. How can we be so heartless? Why not send her abroad to be adopted by a family? That way, she won’t have any contact with us.]

The third son added, [Will she be safe just because she's sent abroad? I think it's best to just let her fend for herself.]

Eric replied helplessly, [You guys are something else. After all, she is your biological sister.]

[Hah, a child born to a woman like that can’t be any good. Don’t call her our sister. Uncle Eric, didn’t you not want her either?]

Eric replied, [I certainly didn't want her.]

Andrew's face turned ashen. After a moment of silence, he stood up. [Find out where she is now. I’m going to get a paternity test done myself.]

He didn’t believe for a second that the child was his!

Yanny sat curled up in a chair at the police station, surrounded by a pile of snacks.

That was the scene the police officer saw when she walked into the room.

The little girl, who was barely four years old, had long hair that cascaded down her back. She looked as delicate as a doll in a store window—so beautiful that it made your heart ache.

How could a child like this have met such a fate?

The policewoman walked over with a heavy heart and asked softly, "Yanny, why aren't you eating? Don’t you like these snacks?”

Yanny timidly lifted her head and whispered, "You left these here. I can't just eat them."

The officer froze upon hearing this. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and her voice was choked with emotion. "Go ahead, sweetie. These were prepared especially for you.”

"Thank you, but I don't want them. I have instant noodles." Yanny obediently pulled out the packet of noodles. "Once Mom finishes her noodles, I can have the soup. When will Mom come back?”

The policewoman was instantly at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.

She can only have the soup after her mother finishes her noodles?

What kind of mother is that?!

The policewoman felt heartbroken. She gently pulled the girl into her arms. "Yanny, your mom...she can't come back."

Yanny’s heart sank. "Why can't she come back?"

"Because..." The policewoman opened her mouth but couldn't bear to say the word dead. Instead, she chose a different way to explain it. Her voice was filled with difficulty. "She went to Heaven to become a heroin."

Yanny tilted her head. “What’s a heroin?”

“Well, it’s like what you see in movies—a superhero who’s really brave and helps a lot of people.”

"Is it like Wonder Woman?" Yanny’s eyes widened slightly.

The policewoman nodded quickly and said softly, "Yes, she's gone to a place that needs her, just like Wonder Woman. So she can't come back to take care of you for now."

Yanny lowered her head sadly.

The policewoman froze. "Yanny, you...you don't blame her for not taking you with her?"

Several other officers walked over one after another, gathering around to watch.

The little girl’s pretty face was etched with sadness. She shook her head gently. "Mommy told me a long time ago that if she ever found a good place, she’d leave me here to fend for myself and wouldn’t take me with her."

At this point, she puckered her lips, fighting back her tears and trying hard not to let them fall. "Yanny understands. Mommy will leave one day. When that happens, Yanny should be happy for Mommy and not cry.”

But she couldn’t hold them back. She covered her eyes with her small hands, her voice breaking with sobs. "But Yanny will be alone again."

The police officers listening felt a heavy weight in their hearts, a pain they couldn’t put into words.

Even the seasoned police chief, witnessing this scene, wore an expression of deep pity, his heart aching.

Such a young child had suffered so much.

Just then, Andrew stepped inside and witnessed the scene.

The little girl, who looked almost exactly like him, leaned tearfully against the female officer’s chest. She still clutched a packet of instant noodles tightly in her hand. She looked so small and fragile. She was simply adorable, and it made his heart melt!

Even the three teenagers behind him looked at her more closely.

But the next second, they all snapped back to reality.

This child was that woman’s daughter, and that woman was a master at playing the victim to elicit sympathy.

There was no guarantee that this little girl wasn’t putting on a show, too.

Andrew’s gaze grew colder by the second, a storm brewing within him.

The three teenagers behind him tried to step forward, but he raised his hand to stop them. “Don’t move yet. Let’s hear what she has to say.”

The sheriff noticed Andrew and was about to greet him, but he shook his head slightly, signaling the sheriff to stay silent.

The sheriff immediately clamped his mouth shut, though he couldn’t help but mutter to himself,

Huh?

How come this little girl looks so much like Mr. Shane?!

The sheriff’s eyes lit up instantly. He sensed that this couldn’t be as simple as it seemed.

The female officer standing nearby also noticed Andrew. Startled, she hesitantly turned to Yanny and asked, "Little one, do you really not have a father?"

If not, then who was this strikingly handsome man with such a commanding presence standing in front of her?

There were also three teenagers standing beside her whose features resembled hers.

With tears in her eyes, Yanny first nodded, then shook her head.

Andrew narrowed his eyes dangerously.

What did she mean by that?

Yanny whispered, "I do have a dad."

The moment those tearful words left her lips, everyone’s gaze turned to Andrew.

His expression grew even darker.

The three teenagers behind him let out cold, scornful smirks simultaneously.

Sure enough, she was already trying to pull strings.

But Yanny sniffed and said softly, her voice still choked with tears, "Mom said I'm a child who shouldn't have been born. She said Dad doesn’t want me or like me. So, I don’t want to look for Dad.”

The words struck like a thunderclap, stunning everyone present.

She doesn't want to look for her dad?

The female officer’s mouth twitched slightly, and she instinctively looked at Andrew.

“But what if your dad is right here? What if he’s come to take you home?"

Yanny shook her head. “Dad won’t come. He doesn’t know I exist. Mom said he wanted to kill me, and if he sees me again, he’ll definitely kill me.”

Hearing this, everyone was shocked.

What kind of terrifying plot twist was this? Was it too late to call the police?