I heard the sizzling sound of burning flesh, and my whole body collapsed like mud on the ground. I could only stare blankly as Sophia ordered those men to dump my body deep in the mountains.
It was Ms. Anderson and several staff who searched tirelessly day and night until they finally found me and arranged my burial.
Ms. Anderson’s face was full of sorrow as tears rolled down.
After a long pause, she sighed deeply and said,
“Grace passed away six years ago.”
Daniel studied her for a while before sneering,
“Dead?”
“How could Grace bear to die? What did she promise you to make you lie for her?”
He swept his gaze over the orphans and suddenly raised his voice:
“Grace, let’s play a game.”
“There are fifteen people here, including the director. From now on, every ten minutes, one of them will lose a hand or a foot—until you show up.”
Ms. Anderson panicked and rushed forward, saying,
“Grace really is dead, I’m not lying to you. If you don’t believe me, I can take you to her grave.”
Daniel simply glanced at his watch. Ten minutes later, he casually twisted Ms. Anderson’s hand, breaking it.
Lily, witnessing this, bit down on the bodyguard’s hand and, taking advantage of his pain, crashed hard into Daniel, knocking him off balance. Daniel reflexively kicked Lily.
Ms. Anderson hurried over to support Lily, but Lily steadied herself and pulled Ms. Anderson behind her, shouting,
“You’re a bad man! Ms. Anderson already said my mom died six years ago. If you keep bullying us, my mom will punish you from the sky!”
Daniel froze for a moment, then studied Lily closely.
I instinctively moved in front of my daughter, but Daniel’s hand passed right through me as he grabbed her, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
“So you’re the little bastard from back then.”
He ordered the bodyguards to restrain her, his voice filled with fury:
“Grace, if you don’t come out right now, I’ll break this brat’s legs.”
I looked at Lily’s reddened face, floated to Daniel’s side, and pleaded desperately,
“Daniel, I’m right here. Don’t hurt Lily or Ms. Anderson.”
But he couldn’t hear me.
At that moment, Ms. Anderson forced herself forward despite the pain and said,
“Mr. Harris, Lily is your—”
Before she could finish, Daniel gestured to his men. I threw myself over my daughter, only to hear her muffled cry of pain.
Daniel glanced coldly at those around him and said,
“I’ll give Grace five more days.”
“If she doesn’t show up, you won’t want to know the consequences.”
I lunged at him in fury, biting and clawing, but only met empty air, collapsing weakly to the ground.
As I prayed daily for some miracle to let me appear again, Daniel returned with Sophia.
I saw the necklace on Sophia’s neck—the very one Daniel had once commissioned from a jeweler for me, symbolizing eternal love. Now it hung on Sophia instead.
Daniel carefully supported her, his voice cold:
“Five days are up. Where is Grace?”
Ms. Anderson trembled as she answered,
“Mr. Harris, Ms. Miller really is dead. Here, this is her death certificate.”
Sophia leaned coyly against him, feigning concern.
“Mr. Harris, is Ms. Miller really dead?
Or is she just angry with you?”
Daniel sneered,
“Grace was always promiscuous. She could mix a drink for anyone, and someone would happily forge a death certificate for her.”
