Chapter 3: The Misunderstanding
Arthur's POV
At 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 making noise. Maybe Jenny succeeded in putting her to sleep or taming her? Either of which I would be very grateful.
I was getting close to the living room when I noticed that something wasn't right. The door was open, which was strange. An unopened box of food lay unattended at the door, and there were foot marks everywhere, made with dirty shoes. The inky black reside made anxiety crawl at the pit of my stomach as a sense of foreboding hung in the air.
"Isn't this the meal I ordered for Hayley?" It made no sense. "Jenny?" I couldn't fathom what was going on. "Hayley?" I was getting nervous.
I became instantly alert, my mind filling with questions yet I didn’t have anyone to ask them to. "Koko?" Even my chef was away too. There was no sign of life in the whole house.
Not only were all my workers absent, including those who lived in the staff quarters. There were signs of struggle in the living room.
As I took more steps into the house, I noted that the table had been overturned and there was broken glass on the floor. Shoe prints were visible on the floor too. And it made my heart thrash against my ribcage even as I tried to gauze the situation past the worry gnawing at me.
"Alvin," I was calling my bodyguard who had been in the car with me.
"Sir?" He came rushing in within a few seconds. "You called me sir, what's going on?" Even before I said a word, he already noted everything had I had. “Goodness, what happened here? Have we been robbed? I'll get to the bottom of this, right away."
Alvin was an exception man at handling such situation, being an ex-SEAL member. He was my bodyguard for a reason. But at the moment, the robbery or lack thereof wasn’t my primary concern.
"My girl is missing and I need you to find her right now." I snapped at him, even as I called out Hayley’s name over and over again. Where was she? Where was all the goddamned staff?
"Hayley is missing?" Alvin panicked. This was the first time I saw pain in his eyes. "We'll find her, sir. I’ll look for her immediately!"
"My daughter is missing. Everyone is missing.” I snapped at him, even though I knew that it wasn’t his fault. “I can't find anyone here."
"Including the chef?" Alvin asked astounded.
"Every fucking person is missing, you fool. I think my daughter has been abducted." I didn't mean to be rude to Alvin, but I bet he understood how I felt to know that my daughter was missing, a few minutes after she pranked me that she was missing.
"Sir," Alvin said in deep thought. "When we were coming in through the gates, I saw tire tracks outside. I was going to point it out but you seemed very busy and in a hurry. Those tracks might give us a clue. I feel like whatever happened here is related to those tracks I saw outside."
"Show me where the tracks are," I replied, growing eager as a flicker of hope bloomed in my chest.
Alvin dashed out, and I followed suit.
"Right here, sir." He pointed at very bold tracks that didn't seem like they were made by any of my cars. The tire marks seemed dirty, as if they had been through something similar to soot…just like the shoe marks in the living room.
"This seems like tire tracks made by a van. Since it was parked here and footprints are leading to it, it means it might have to do with your daughter's disappearance." He paused to observe it closely, pacing back and forth and staring keenly at the tracks.
"Why is this taking so long? They're probably driving away. Can we get going already? I don't want them to hurt my daughter. I wonder if Jenny is hurt or bound as well. And where the hell are the rest of my workers!"
I was myself talking nonsense, which was very unlikely of me, but it was all because I couldn’t bring myself to stay calm. The only family I had was missing and there were no hints at to what could’ve happened to her. I was on the verge of panicking.
"Speaking of the track, I think it goes all the way down there towards that road behind the mansion.” Alvin concluded finally, looking up at me with concern. “We can trace it, and maybe know what direction they went."
"Perfect. Let’s go!" I got into my car, and so did Alvin. Gerald took the wheel without asking questions, even though I could tell he wanted to. "Any second wasted is a threat to my daughter's life, so step on it!" I said to Gerald, my heartbeat a tattoo against my ribcage.
Gerald did as I asked, driving at a crazy velocity as we left the mansion to follow the tracks. As we got closer to the end of the track, Alvin found something that made him ask Gerald to stop.
"Hold on," he said, looking out through the tinted windows.
"What is it?" I looked in the same direction, wondering what made him want to stop at such a time of urgency.
"The tracks ended here, sir.” Alvin turned back to explain. “There's a major road ahead of us and it has two bends. Which means we'll need to go either left or right."
Shit!
"I was about to ask," my driver added. "Maybe they headed to the left. The right leads to a highway and no sane kidnapper would go in that direction, knowing that there are CCTV everywhere and they could be easily traced at any point after we find out."
"Actually," Alvin paused, still looking through the window the whole time. "Wasn't Hayley wearing a red dress with white dots on it…and a bow on her hair this afternoon when we left?"
"I think so," I responded. "I think that’s what she had on."
When she had been playing that game of hide and seek with me this morning, I had been out of my mind to even properly notice what dress my child had been wearing. But now, I regretted not paying closer attention to her clothing, so I could help in her search.
My palms were damn as I rubbed them against my pants, eagerly waiting for Alvin to tell me why he asked about Hayley’s clothing. And when he finally did, I felt like the breath had been knocked right out of my lungs.
"Well," Alvin said, this time leaning his head further out of the car. "I see a woman carrying a girl in a brightly colored red dress down that road…and she's trying to hail a cab."
"Where?" I looked in the direction he was pointing at, squinting my eyes, but saw nothing.
Before Alvin could respond, my driver swerved to the left and headed for the spot. As he got closer, I saw the woman Alvin had mentioned. In a black polo shirt and blue jeans, with a blue vest on top with the name ‘Moore Chicken’ written at the back. She had my Haley in her arms.
"What the fuck!" I didn't wait for my driver to stop the car, I alighted immediately.
"What do you think you're doing with my daughter?" I was speaking to the woman who noticed our vehicle coming close and began moving away from us immediately. "Hey!" I yelled, chasing after her. "What do you think you're doing with my daughter? You abducted her."
The woman seemed very scared and was going to cross to the other side of the road, but Alvin appeared in front of her right then, stopping her flight.
“Get the abductor, Alvin!” I ordered and Alvin immediately grabbed her shoulders.
However, when she turned to me, the sight of blood on Hayley’s forehead made the blood freeze in my veins in fear.
The woman who was trying to abduct my daughter turned to me, her eyes shining with relief. "Are you her father?" She responded with a sigh. "Thank God you're here. My name is Kat and I'm-"
I didn't care to hear the lie she had planned out. I had caught her red-handed trying to abduct my daughter and I was going to make sure she paid for her sins.
"I don’t want to listen to you filthy lies!” I snapped at her, snatching Hayley away from the scheming woman and holding her tightly in my arms. “You kidnapped my girl, you hurt her! I guess your van broke down and that’s why you were trying to flee by a car?”
“What? No!” The woman shook her head, panic evident in her eyes. “That’s not what-”
“And even though I caught you red-handed, you're still trying to deny the obvious?” I spat. “Do you think I am so stupid!"
"No! Please!” The woman begged me, her green eyes desperate. “Listen to me. I’m-”
I didn't care to listen. I turned away with my daughter in my arms, motioning for Gerald to open the door. For once, I was grateful that I had forgotten the documents at home, because now, I was at least able to save my daughter in time from being kidnapped.
"This is a misunderstanding! Please.” The woman kept on saying. “I saved your girl-"
I whipped around to face her, Hayley’s unconscious form held tightly to my chest as I sneered at her. "What annoys me the most is the audacity with which you can lie. What do I look like? A fool who would fall for your tricks?" I hissed, before calling out to my bodyguard. "Alvin!"
"Sir?" He held the woman in place despite her struggles to break free. "What should I do with her?”
"Make sure this woman ends up in jail.” I snapped, meeting green eyes gone wide in fear. “My daughter is my life and you do not mess with her and get to walk away freely. Alvin! I need you to put her in prison. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir," he nodded in response.
The kidnapper watched dumbfounded, not saying another word. I think I saw tears in her eyes when Alvin held her hand behind her back and pushed her in the opposite direction. I was surprised to see that a woman so beautiful would stoop so low as to abduct my child. But what did she do to my employees? And what happened to Jenny?
Kat; that was the name, right? Maybe I should have heard her out? Maybe I should let her explain things better?
But looking down at my unconscious girl in my lap as I entered the car, I concluded that Kat, or whatever the kidnapper said her name was, was the least of my problems. The police would be a better option to deal with her.
"Step on it, Gerald!” I instructed as the car started to move. “My daughter is unconscious and I need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible. I don't want to lose her like I lost her mother."
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
Chapter 10: The Unexpected Appointment Kathleen’s P.O.V "Pleaseeeee," She pleaded with so much desperation, her beautiful blue eyes watering at she looked up at me. I sighed, looking down into her face. She was a gorgeous baby, and one day, she would grow up to be an even prettier woman that no one will be able to refuse. I loved how she politely asked me to be her babysitter, and it hurt me to refuse her offer. But it wasn’t her fault her dad was an asshole. "I would love to," I began, thinking of bow best to keep the conversation going. "Thank you so much Miss Kathleen, thank you so, so much!" She immediately started cheering, jumping up and down while clapping her hands, when she thought that I had accepted her request. "No, I didn't say yes yet." I swallowed, trying hard to say the words that I knew would crush her joy. "I c
Chapter 11: The Right ChoiceArthur’s P.O.VHayley, elated to hear that Kathleen was finally accepting to watch over her, ran crashing into her arms with watery eyes, surprising all of us.Kathleen hugged her back just as passionately, rubbing her hair and kissing her forehead.I watched expressionless, wondering why my daughter was suddenly so attached to Kathleen, despite her dislike for people in general. This had to be something more than being saved…right?I was glad to know that she was getting a babysitter that cared about her. However…as to how good of a caretaker she would turn out to be? That was still under debate."Thank you so much," Hayley said now, looking up at the woman with her big blue eyes. "I promise to be a good girl." She added, crossing her heart. "When would you come? Will you live with us or would you come in the morning and leave in the evening?" She was super eager to find out, and was getting ready to ask many more questions."I'll come soon, I'll need to