I hadn’t eaten in three days, and my stomach growled in hunger.
Desperate, I followed the scent of food wafting from the window sill and saw the owner of the house next door eating, setting up a table.
My room was on the second floor, with about a foot of space between the fence of the house across from mine. For food, I had no choice but to take the risk.
Weakly, I grasped the railing and climbed out.
From below, I heard frantic shouting, voices filled with concern.
“Hey, which young lady is losing her mind?”
“Go back, miss!”
This was a suburban villa area. While it wasn’t the best location, it wasn’t bad either. Most people living here had some money.
My father chose this place because my mother worked in a government position and needed to keep a low profile.
But my father wanted both money and power, so he used my mother to do a lot of favors for him.
He had only been a lucky college dropout who had come from a rural background, but with some smarts, he made a fortune. His business grew bigger than he ever expected, and he chose this place to avoid interruptions from the poor relatives back home.
Panicked people rushed upstairs to call the police, but by then, I had already climbed over the opposite stairs and landed right in front of them.
I touched my growling stomach, my eyes reddened, and said, “Uncle, Aunt, I haven’t eaten in three days. I’m starving.”
Anyone who lived in this villa area knew what to say and what not to say, but they couldn’t stop themselves from treating me as a post-meal joke.
After they ate and drank their fill, my father tied me up and gave me a beating.
This time, he went all out.
I spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed bitterly. “I told you, how can you kill me with such a small stick? You should switch to a bigger one and just knock me out in one hit!”
My father stared at me in disbelief. Then, as if my words had challenged his authority, he crazily grabbed the stick and aimed it at my head.
“Go ahead! If I die, everyone will know you killed your daughter!” The pain in my body was sharp, but I still smiled with a twisted grin. “Kill me, and you’ll make the news tomorrow! Watch as Mr. Vance is exposed for beating his daughter to death. Is he insane or just a violent freak?”
As a businessman, my father was sharp enough to catch my intent. Otherwise, in this day and age, he wouldn’t have built such a large business empire.
He was still furious, but he didn’t strike again. Instead, he pressed the stick against my head. “Tell me, what do you want from me?”
I looked up at the rope tying me and replied, “First, untie me. Then apologize.”
My father glared down at me, his fists clenched. “Do you think I won’t send you to a mental institution? With your behavior, I’ll tell everyone you’re mentally unstable, and they’ll believe me!”
I sneered, then sighed. “After everything that’s happened today, do you really think anyone would believe your lies? Even if I’m crazy, you’re just as crazy. Once that gets out, who’s going to want to do business with you? Mr. Vance, think for a second!”
My father stared at me with intense fury before grabbing my neck. “You could also be my adopted daughter, couldn’t you?”
I laughed maniacally. “Oh, the people in this villa area will just think my mom put a green hat on you. But Mr. Vance, how impressive. When Nina wanted a son, you wanted to adopt someone else’s daughter!”
I knew the high-society rumors were endless. It was just a matter of finding an excuse to shut their mouths. Even if it were true that I was adopted, who would believe it?
My father froze, his expression suddenly blank. Then, as if crushed by my words, he stood silently, looking like he had been punched in the gut.
“Mr. Vance, how about we have a talk? I have conditions that are easy to meet, and you’ll find that you’ll fulfill mine as well.”
