CHAPTER 03
The Cold Betrayal
Upstairs, Adrian pushed open Hannah’s bedroom door and froze. The room used to be a world of color and joy. Now, it looked stripped clean. No toys. No stuffed animals. No drawings. Just an empty room designed to remind a child to stay quiet.
“Dad… I’m scared,” Hannah whispered against his neck.
As Adrian cleaned her hands—red with rope burns and small cuts—he listened to the nightmare she had lived. Vanessa had replaced the staff, blocked her friends, and reduced her meals. Every basic need was a "reward" for exhausting chores.
But the nightmare was only beginning.
Adrian sat in his office, ready to move money and take control.
"ACCESS DENIED. ACCOUNTS RESTRICTED BY COURT ORDER."
The screen flashed red. His passwords didn't work. His private files were gone. His phone buzzed—it was Evelyn, his attorney.
“Adrian, you need to leave now,” she snapped. “Vanessa’s brother, Brent, submitted a medical report claiming you had a mental breakdown overseas. They’re saying you’re unfit to manage your assets... and unfit to care for Hannah.”
The television in the living room flickered to life. Vanessa was on the news, dressed in white, playing the perfect, worried wife.
Heels clicked behind him. Vanessa stepped in with a champagne flute, smiling.
“I warned you,” she said lightly. “No one believes a man once they’ve been told he’s unwell. If you take her, it looks like you’re fleeing. If you stay, they’ll treat you like a threat. Checkmate, darling.”
Adrian stared at her, and the fear drained out. In its place came a cold, focused calm. He was done playing by her rules.