Chapter 3

Around midnight, a tiny cry echoed through the room.

Kylie woke instantly.

His daughter was crying.

He gently lifted her into his arms, his heart racing as he tried to figure out what was wrong.

He checked her diaper.

Dry.

He warmed a bottle of milk and carefully held it to her lips.

The baby frowned, pushed it away with surprising determination, and let out an even louder cry.

"What is it, little one?" Kylie whispered helplessly.

Unsure of what else to do, he began pacing the room with her in his arms.

Without realizing it, he stepped out onto the balcony.

The cool night breeze brushed against them.

Almost immediately, the crying stopped.

The little girl blinked up at the moonlit sky, her tiny fingers wiggling in the air. A soft coo escaped her lips, followed by the sweetest smile Kylie had ever seen.

For a moment, time stood still.

His exhaustion vanished.

His sleepless night no longer mattered.

All he could see was the tiny life resting peacefully against his chest.

A smile found its way onto his face.

It was small.

It was gentle.

And it carried a warmth he hadn't felt in years.

Perhaps...

He was already in love with his daughter.

As Kylie turned to walk back inside, the baby scrunched up her tiny face, her lips quivering as if she were about to cry again.

He stopped immediately.

"Oh? Is that a warning?" he chuckled softly. "One more step and I'll have to face Her Highness's wrath?"

The little girl answered with an excited coo.

Kylie laughed helplessly.

"I suppose I'll have to get used to fulfilling all your wishes, Princess."

He gently brushed a finger across her tiny cheek.

"But not tonight, my lady. It's getting too cold."

The baby only wiggled happily in his arms, as though insisting,

"I'm fine, Dadda."

Kylie looked up at the stars, his smile slowly fading into something softer.

"Jennifer..."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"You asked me to keep living."

"I thought it would be impossible without you."

He looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms.

"But now... I think I can."

"Maybe not perfectly."

"Maybe not without missing you every single day."

"But... just enough."

He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Keep watching over us."

"Bless our son..."

"And bless our little daughter a little more."

As he spoke, he felt something warm against his chest.

Looking down, he saw the baby had fallen asleep with one tiny hand resting directly over his heart.

A smile tugged at his lips.

"So..."

"You're already claiming your territory, are you?"

He kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry, little one."

"This heart is yours."

"...Though I hope you won't mind sharing a little space with your mother."

"And perhaps... a tiny corner for your brother."

Still holding her close, Kylie walked back to his room.

The expensive cradle stood ready beside the bed.

He looked at it.

Then at the sleeping baby.

"...Maybe tomorrow."

Instead, he lay down carefully, placing her beside him, one protective arm around her.

For just one more night...

He wanted to feel the warmth of his daughter.

And for the first time in two long years...

He fell asleep with peace in his heart.

The morning sun had barely risen when the silence of the Sterling mansion was shattered by the ringing of a phone.

Darren Sterling answered immediately.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Sterling?" the voice on the other end said. "We've found a lead regarding your missing granddaughter."

Darren's heart lurched.

"Are... are you telling me the truth?"

"Yes, sir."

His legs nearly gave way.

"Oh, thank God..."

He closed his eyes, relief washing over him.

"Tell me. Where is she? Is she safe?"

There was a long pause.

"Sir... I must warn you. This may not be the news you were hoping for."

Darren's grip on the phone tightened.

"What do you mean?"

"Our investigation suggests that the kidnappers intended to sell your granddaughter into slavery. However, before they could carry out their plan, they were attacked and forced to flee."

Darren felt the blood drain from his face.

"One of the kidnappers escaped into an area the locals call the Forest of the Dead."

Another painful silence followed.

"We recovered his body this morning."

"It... was not in a condition that suggested anyone could have survived alongside him."

Darren could barely breathe.

"And..."

The officer hesitated.

"We also found a yellow baby blanket."

"It was soaked in blood."

"There was an embroidered 'S'... along with the Sterling family crest."

For a moment...

Time stopped.

The phone slipped from Darren's trembling hand.

The sound of it hitting the floor echoed through the silent mansion.

Christen, who had been standing nearby, rushed forward.

"Father...?"

Darren's lips trembled, but no words came.

Christen picked up the phone with shaking hands and listened to the officer's final words.

"The evidence suggests that your granddaughter did not survive."

Christen stood frozen.

His mind refused to accept what he had just heard.

"The... Forest of the Dead..."

His voice cracked.

"My daughter..."

The words barely escaped his lips before he collapsed to his knees, the weight of despair finally breaking what little hope he had left.

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