Chapter 1: The Hidden Folder
Marcus thought the videos were enough.
They weren't.
Two days after leaving the mansion, Detective Harper called.
"Mr. Vale... there's something you need to see."
When officers searched Cassandra's bedroom, they discovered a hidden folder inside a locked vanity drawer.
It wasn't jewelry.
It wasn't cash.
It was a notebook.
Every page carried Lily's name.
Dates.
Punishments.
Rules.
No dessert.
No toys.
No talking unless spoken to.
One line made the detective stop reading aloud.
"If she cries long enough, she'll eventually obey."
Marcus closed his eyes.
His hands shook for the first time since everything began.
Then Detective Harper handed him another piece of evidence.
Dozens of Lily's drawings.
The first showed a smiling family.
The last showed a little girl sitting beside a dog bowl.
In one corner, written in uneven crayon, were five heartbreaking words:
"Daddy, please come home early."
Marcus broke down.
Not because Cassandra had betrayed him.
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Because his daughter had been asking for help...
And he hadn't been there to hear it.
