Chapter 1: The Kidnapping
In a cozy mansion at the heart of Queens, New York, a man who seemed to be in his mid-thirties took quick strides into a tastefully furnished living room. He had an athletic body and a handsome face, but his expression remained impassive. He exuded an air of authority and the butler at the entrance bowed his head to his master in respect.
Behind him was another woman who wore her bright blonde hair in curly waves around her delicate, innocent face. She was younger, in her mid twenties and wore a bright light pink dress that barely reached her mid-thighs.
Turning to face her, the man motioned for the young woman to sit. "Hold on, let me call her."
"Alright sir," She beamed at him, hoping to get at least a polite smile in return, but his expression remained impassive.
“I’ll wait here.” Her smile faltered a bit, and she went and settled on one of the sofas closest to the entrance door. Scanning through the ornately decorated living room, she looked impressed. "You have a very beautiful house." She turned to look at him, but the man didn't hear her. He was long gone from the living room and into the hallway.
Thinking out loud, the lady said to herself, "He seems to have a lot more money than I expected.” A cunning smirk formed on the woman’s face as her eyes scanned the posh rugs, the Chinese tapestry, and the crystal chandeliers. “Seems like everything is falling into place."
"Haley!" The man called out, slowly approaching the hallway.
He waited a little bit for a response. When none came, he walked into the hallway, his eyes scanning the area keenly.
"Have you seen my daughter?" He asked with a worried look on his face when his butler came to stand beside him.
"No, sir." The elderly man responded. "But I think she is in her room."
Arthur gave him no response before he continued on his way. Calling out to his daughter again. "Hayley?"
He went from room to room, checking the wardrobes and under the bed. He seemed to be losing his patience as it had been ten minutes already.
She wasn't in her bedroom, nor was she in any of the eight rooms in the house. He wasn't the only one worried and searching. His butler was really worried too and joined in the search.
"How can my daughter go missing in minutes?" Arthur was displeased to know that his butler didn’t know the whereabouts of his little girl. "She was downstairs when I left. I didn't stay any longer than two minutes outside and she's missing?"
Unfortunately, his butler, Gerald, hung his head in shame, having no idea where the little devil could’ve run off to.
Right then, a familiar giggle made him turn around, his heart thrashing in his chest with worry. He saw a tiny, beautiful girl with light blonde hair running in his direction. Her face was aglow with laughter and a smile.
"I pranked you again," she said, hugging her father. She wrapped her little fingers around his legs, and he lifted her into the air.
"Don't do that again to Daddy, do you hear me? Except you want me to die prematurely." He embraced her tightly, and only let go when she wanted to get down. "I love you so much, baby." He placed a kiss to her chubby cheeks.
She laughed again, louder than she did the first time. Seemingly satisfied by the worry her father wore when he thought she was missing.
"We have a visitor and she is here specifically for you." Arthur told her wearily, unable to find a better way of breaking the news.
"Who is she?" Her expression changed instantly, and the smile on her face vanished.
"She's a surprise," He said, cajoling his daughter into following him to the living room.
"I hope it's not another babysitter," the girl responded as they got to the door, peering into the living room.
"You guessed correctly."
Arthur walked into the living room, his daughter by his side, her tiny fingers wrapped around one of his.
"Hayley, this is Jenny. She's your babysitter." He hunkered down next to his daughter so he could be on the same level as her. "She's sweet, she's kind, she's patient and she'll give you everything you need."
"Hi, Haley."Jenny stood when she saw Hayley and Arthur come into the living room, her smile sickly sweet as she walked closer to the little girl.
But Hayley gave her one look and her expression changed from curious to annoyed in the blink of an eyes.
"I don't like her." Without caring to take another look at her, the bratty little girl turned and headed for her bedroom.
"You don't like anyone, Hayley.” Arthur sighed in exasperation as he chased after his daughter. “This lady is highly recommended and that's why I hired her."
"She's not going to watch me dad, I don't like her!" Tears were welling up in her eyes as she angrily tried to escape to her room but thanks to her father being taller and bigger than her, he was in front of her in an instant, blocking her escape route.
Her father was exhausted by this time and gave a frustrated sigh. "Honey, you know Daddy has to go and work, right? I can't stay and watch you myself, I'm very busy. I need her to keep her eyes on you while I'm at work, so I know that you’re safe while I’m away."
"I cannot stay with her, Daddy. I don't like her." Hayley looked up at her father with tearful eyes, her chubby cheeks puffed up and red from defiance.
"You'll have to like her, baby. I'm tired of bringing different people every day." Her father hunkered down in front of her once again. “Please…do this for Daddy?”
Hayley burst out crying despite her father’s best efforts at negotiation. "I don't like her!" She said, pulling on her hair in displeasure.
"What about a treat to make up for my absence?” Arthur was down to desperation despite not liking that his daughter be given junk food. “I'll order your favorite fried chicken and sandwiches with coke before I leave. I have a meeting in about a few minutes. But don't worry, I'll be back soon. And when I get back, I'll listen to all your complaints. That is…if you behave well."
"Leave me alone!" She crossed her tiny arms over her chest and looked away with a frown.
Arthur pulled her frowning princess closer and planted a kiss on her forehead, rubbing her hair affectionately. "I won't be gone for too long, I promise."
Standing up, he left in a hurry. Not taking another glance at his daughter whose eyes were teary and her face moist.
Hayley ran after her father until she watched him walk out of the living room with her Uncle Gerald following him in a hurry.
"I'll take good care of you, dear," Jenny said aloud for Arthur to hear, before he left the house.
Hayley stood still, watching the door close before she finally turned to look at Jenny with an angry frown. "I don't like you," she finally said, when her father was out of earshot.
"Good to know. Because I don't like you, either." Jenny said; an evil smirk on her face. "Show me where your dad's safe is, will you? That's the only way for you to stay out of trouble."
"Why will I show you where my dad's safe is? I don't think he has one. Do you want to steal our money?" Hayley responded in her usual childish and playful nature.
However, it seemed like Jenny didn’t mean it in a playful manner. Because she immediately grabbed Hayley's hair and tried to pull her up.
"Let me go!" Hayley cried out, her face turning red with pain. "Leave me alone! Why are you hurting me?"
None of her father's staff were around at this time of the day, so it was just her and the evil nanny now. Hayley wished desperately that Gerald would’ve stayed, but since Daddy’s driver had called in sick this morning, he was the one who had to drive him to his office. So Hayley was all alone with this seemingly evil woman.
"Do you assume that someone would come to your rescue?" Jenny held Hayley with a punishing grip on her hair. "Too bad, it's just you and me, here. So you have to do as I say else I'll kill you!"
"What do you want from me?" Hayley was now scared for her life, her little form trembling in the face of such adversities. "Please let go of my hair! Please don’t hurt me!"
Hayley’s shiny golden locks were in the grip of the evil woman and she yanked on her hair hard, making Hayley cry out in pain. “Mommy!”
“Your mommy is dead, little brat!” The woman spat at her. "I'll only let go of your hair if you show me your father's safe."
Jenny got increasingly angry when she saw how loud Hayley’s cries were getting, landing two slaps on her face so she would keep quiet."You want to play games with me? I'm not your babysitter, you little shit!” Her voice was filled with venom as she snapped at the little child without mercy, starting to get worried that her cries would draw attention from the neighbors. “Just so you know; I'm not like the others who you insulted and disrespected. What I want if your father’s riches, and if you don’t show me where his safe is, then I’ll hit you so hard that you’ll start to fucking bleed!"
Hayley was weak and had no strength left to reply after her throat had been scrubbed raw from crying so much.
"I..." she stuttered, trying to reason with this nasty woman. “I told you I do not know where my father's safe is."
"In that case, I'll do what I need to." Jenny looked back towards the door, and Hayley saw two hefty and huge men walk into her father's living room.
"Follow me," Jenny commanded the men, dragging Hayley by the arm towards her father’s office room. It was a place she wasn’t allowed to enter, since Daddy had important work there and he didn’t want her to disturb them.
"I don't want to!" Hayley thought of screaming but recalled that no one was home. She still didn't understand how these men came in. "Leave me alone," she pleaded. "My father will give you money if you don't hurt me."
"We won't need to hurt you if you just shut up and lead the way!" Jane said, scooping Hayley into her arms.
Hayley struggled to free herself, fighting against the woman’s grip and kicking the air. But she was no match for her strength.
"Stay still you shitty brat!" Jenny tried using her palm to cover Hayley's mouth, scared that she might scream. But Hayley bit her palm aggressively, hard enough to make her bleed.
Jenny dropped Hayley, letting out a scream and nursing the open wound. And Hayley immediately ran for the door, anxiously making it out of the room as she slammed the door behind her.
Jenny and the two men ran after Hayley, in an attempt to corner her.
"Catch that girl!" Jenny thundered. She watched the men open the door and run in the direction that Hayley fled.
“Fucking hell!” Jenny cursed at the little brat. "If I couldn’t steal his money, then I’ll need to get the brat to get a ransom from her father!"
*Arthur, who was in one of his many luxury cars, on the way to his office, got a notice from his secretary that the clients had already arrived and waiting for him in his office.
He checked the time and found out that he still had about ten minutes before he reached his office. Sighing at his own unprofessionalism, he reached for the seat beside him to take one last look at the presentation before he showed it to the clients…only to find it missing.
“Shit!” He muttered under his breath when he realized that he had left it at home while searching for Hayley.
"Turn this car around, we are going home now!" He said to Gerald, loosening his tie from his collar in frustration.
It seems to him that being a single father was way more fuss than he had initially hoped. Now, he only hoped that he could make it to office on time before the clients refused the contract.
Chapter 2: The Unexpected SaviorKat’s P.O.V"Kathleen! Why the hell aren't you ready yet?" I heard my mother's voice from downstairs, calling out to me angrily.I smiled to myself but said nothing in response as I quickly changed into my work clothes. But my mother continued to speak, annoyed by my lack of response."I asked you to change into something decent and you're taking forever to get ready." She sounded very impatient. "You know how important the delivery time is for our customers. Get going already."Taking my time to fix my collar and tuck my tee into my jeans, I smiled at the image that stared back at me. Satisfied, I made my way out of my room and down the stairs to our little family owned fried chicken joint, where I worked as the delivery girl for my hardworking parents."Kat, I don't want to keep reminding you that you have an important delivery to make. What's the hold-up?" My mother's voice sounded angry now. "If you do not come down now, I'll get mad at you."I eme
Chapter 3: The MisunderstandingArthur's POVAt maximum speed, my driver navigated the car home, while I was occupied with thoughts of work and the meeting that had probably started without me, my secretary equipped to handle the situation while I retrieved the files."You said it's in a few minutes, sir?" Gerald was very worried about the meeting like I was."Yes," I replied with a sigh. "Any faster than this would be considered overspeeding, right?" I asked him while checking my watch."Yes sir," he wished he could help. "Don't worry sir, we'll get there soon."When we passed one of the many places where policemen were usually mounted, he drove a lot faster. Way above the speed limit, but we didn’t get stopped on the way this time."Wait here, I'll get the document and I'll be out in a few minutes," I said to Gerald, who waited in the car as I rushed into the house.Unusual silence greeted me, which was odd except when Hayley was asleep. My girl was vibrant, energetic, and always ma
Chapter 4: The ImprisonmentKathleen’s P.O.VMy heart pounded as I heard the footsteps getting closer behind me. The man, who had been holding my hands behind my back painfully all this time, finally let me go and I hesitantly turned around, and my breath catching in my throat.A police officer was stood there, his hand on his gun and a stern expression on his face. He had an accomplice, whose hands were in his pockets, a scarf around his neck, and a woolen hat on his brown hair. "Don't take another step forward!" The policeman’s voice was both stern and cold. "You are under arrest. Hands where I can see them!"The words echoed in my ears, I couldn't quite believe it. I had done nothing wrong to deserve this, why was I getting arrested?It was a cold winter day and all I did was save a little girl from kidnappers. And now, I was suddenly getting cuffed by the cops.“You have the right to remain silent.” The policeman narrated like a sick 90’s crime show. “Anything you say can and wil
Chapter 5: The MistakeArthur’s P.O.VThe pediatric private ward was quiet and dimly lit, with a soft, hushed atmosphere. My little girl lay on the bed, her golden hair spread out around her like a halo. A teddy bear sat at her side, the one that she never left alone because it was a gift from her mother…the last gift that she received. She was the only occupant of the room, and I was the only one who was allowed in. I sat on the chair next to her bed, my face etched with worry and fear. My brow furrowed as my eyes scanned her unconscious form, looking at the bandage on her head.God! She must have been in so much pain!Since she was saved from the claws of the kidnappers, she hadn't opened her eyes. Many hours had passed, each tick of the clock feeling like an eternity, and yet…she lay still on the bed like an unmoving statue.A few moments later, as I stared at her to notice every tiny rise and fall of her breath, she moved her arm a little bit. "Hayley?" I called her, delighted, h
Chapter 6: The EvidenceArthur’s P.O.V"Are you sure you remember everything correctly?" I wanted to be sure. "I want to know if you remember who Jenny is. Jenny is not the name of the delivery lady…she is the babysitter I hired to take care of you.”How could this be happening? Jenny was the kind babysitter who has many awards to her name. She had worked for celebrities and top people in the society. Then how could that woman have tried to kidnap my daughter?Was I deceived by a fake profile? Or did the woman I hire never make it to my house? Everything was getting so confusing…"Of course, I know who Jenny is. She is the ugly little lady that you forced me to stay with. I remember her!" Hayley snapped at me, clearly angry at this woman. "Why don’t you believe me, daddy? I’m telling the truth!""I trust you, baby…I’m just trying to understand correctly…” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “And you also claim that the other lady…was the one who saved you?" I was finally piecing
Chapter 7: The Clash of WillsKathleen’s P.O.VMy auburn hair fell around my shoulders, hiding my face from view from the other inmates. For hours, I sat here in silence, as tears streamed down my face relentlessly.Why was I being punished for things I didn’t do? And the charges pressed against me weren’t simple ones either. My eyes were red-rimmed and tired, and there were dark circles underneath them. I was still wearing the clothes I had been arrested in, even though they were wrinkled and stained. It had been many hours since the incident, and I was beginning to lose hope of leaving the cell. Maybe the man I met was right when he told me that I was going to stay here for a very long time, given that the man in question was wealthy."She's going to end up with a splitting headache, tired and weak if she doesn't accept her fate." The oldest of the inmates said to the other two whose gazes were equally on me."I cried too. She'll learn, she'll accept her fate, she'll adjust. She ha
Chapter 8: The RepercussionsKathleen’s P.O.VHating a person yet thinking about them often had to be the greatest form of self-torture. I disliked Arthur so much, but images of him refused to leave my mind.The way he had stood so tall and his hands in his pockets, towering a foot over me…the tone with which he spoke to me was proof that our societal classes were completely different. However, what really made this incident impossible to forget was the disrespectful apology he gave me.Although he claimed he was going to do his best to make sure my image stayed clean, the story found its way into the little town by itself. Walking past the young children of our neighborhood, who used to once run to me for warm hugs and chicken crumbs, all I got now were whispers and shared glances as they paused what they were doing to avoid me. The dramatic ones started running off towards their homes each time they saw me walking in their direction. I hated the look on their faces whenever I greet
Chapter 9: The Proposal Kathleen’s P.O.V I already told my mom I would be in my room, talking to Cole. Then why could she be calling me all of a sudden? Just in case I didn't hear her the first time, my mother called me again, her voice unusually high-pitched. "Kathleen!" I realized then that whatever it was, was urgent. My phone beeped at the same time, and it was a message from my mom, followed by a missed call. What the hell was even going on? I had never seen her being so paranoid like this before. I opened the message just to be safe and saw that it was another demand for me to come downstairs immediately. "Is she the one calling?" Cole asked, looking up at me in surprise. “Is something wrong? Kat…let’s be careful as we go downstairs, okay? Is this some kind of debt collector?” "If it was a debt collector then they would have called me." I frowned. “Besides, I’ve been paying the bank back on time and there hasn’t been any issue with the debt yet. So why would they suddenly