Daniel narrowed his eyes and asked, "So, what's your name? Why on earth did you scribble something like that all over my car? And who was the person standing with you a moment ago?"

Olivia folded her arms across her chest, tipped her chin upward, and stuck out her lower lip in a stubborn pout. "I will never tell you that my name is Olivia! I did everything myself. Nobody else was there!"

Her fierce loyalty was oddly impressive, though it came with a touch of childish foolishness.

"Since you refuse to tell me who helped you, then at least tell me your mother's name," Daniel said.

"Not happening!" Olivia shot back with a scoff.

"Then it seems I have no alternative but to take you back with me," Daniel replied in an even, composed tone.

Olivia's wide eyes shimmered with tears that threatened to spill over the moment she heard she might be taken away.

Daniel gently lowered her to the concrete floor.

In an instant, Olivia swiped the moisture from her cheeks, spun around without a second thought, and bolted forward as fast as her little legs could carry her, her arms pumping with fierce determination.

Under her breath, she murmured, "Run, Olivia, run faster…"

Daniel lifted an eyebrow, calmly watching her dash off instead of chasing her right away.

Only when she believed she had successfully escaped did he take a few long strides forward, catch up to her, and scoop her back up again.

Dangling helplessly in midair, Olivia kicked her legs wildly before realizing that struggling was completely pointless.

"Go on then, keep running," Daniel said with a teasing edge.

Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, puffed out her cheeks, and lowered her head, looking exactly like a tiny, irritated pufferfish.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Daniel's mouth. To his surprise, he found her somewhat adorable. He led her over to his car and gestured toward the words scrawled across it. "Why did you write this?"

Olivia pressed her lips together tightly, refusing to utter a single word.

"Daniel, what exactly is going on with this child?" Isabel asked, her brows knitting together in confusion.

"She admitted she did it, but she refuses to say anything else. Archie, call the police," Daniel instructed.

"Got it. But what are we supposed to do with the little girl?" Archie asked.

Daniel glanced around the area. Not a single person was nearby. There was no way he could simply leave a little girl standing here alone.

He opened the car door and placed Olivia inside. "We'll wait for the police to get in touch with her parents. They can come and take her home."

Olivia felt like her whole world just fell apart.

She remembered what her mother had said about her father—that he would really take her away. The thought that she might never see her mom again made her break down in tears.

The moment Daniel climbed into the car, he noticed that the bold little girl who had bravely taken all the blame moments earlier was now crying. He had never been good with children and absolutely hated it when they cried in front of him. But seeing her sob so miserably caused even his usually hardened heart to soften, if only slightly.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, his voice noticeably softer.

Olivia scrubbed at her eyes with both hands. "A bad man caught me! I'll never see Mommy again. I…"

Her little heart was completely shattered. She sobbed so fiercely that the words refused to come out.

Daniel watched her in silence for a moment before saying, "Once your mother contacts me, I'll let you go back home."

"Really?" Olivia's crying stopped at once as she lifted her tear-streaked face and stared at him with bright, watery eyes.

For a second, Daniel even wondered if the whole crying fit had been an act.

"Yes. But first you have to tell me why you wrote those things on my car," he added suddenly.

Olivia pressed her lips into a tight line and gazed at him with wide, stubborn eyes, her expression making it clear that she had already decided she would not reveal a single thing.

Daniel, a formidable businessman who could handle ruthless competitors, found himself completely helpless when faced with this tearful little girl.

Watching Olivia being taken away left Leo and Asher in a state of panic.

Asher wanted to dash out and save her, but Leo quickly grabbed him and held him back. In a steady voice, he said, "We look a bit like Dad. If we show ourselves now, we won't rescue Olivia. We'll only make things harder for Mommy."

"Then what about Olivia?" Asher asked anxiously.

"Let's find Mommy first," Leo replied, still perfectly calm.

Asher trembled all over, clenching his backside tightly and covering it with both hands, already worried that their mom would spank him.

Just then, Asher's smartwatch began to ring. Emilia was calling.

She had already been frantic when she realized the children were nowhere to be found.

"Oh no. It's Mommy!" Asher scratched his head anxiously.

"Answer it," Leo said, already accepting the call.

Emilia's voice came through the watch, tight with worry. "Leo, Asher, where are you? Where's your sister? Isn't she with you?"

"Olivia… Um…" Asher stuttered, far too nervous to form a proper sentence.

"Mommy, Olivia was taken by Daniel Wright," Leo explained calmly, even though the situation was urgent.

When Emilia heard that, she could hardly believe it. She remained silent for a full ten seconds before the meaning of his words finally sank in. It felt as if the world around her was collapsing.

"You… Olivia… Oh God…" she stammered, panic choking her words. At last, she managed to ask, "Did he recognize you?"

Leo replied, "No."

A small wave of relief washed over Emilia as she realized that, at least, the situation hadn't turned into a complete disaster.

She drew in a deep breath, forcing herself to remain steady. "Come back here. I'll figure something out."

"Okay," Leo and Asher replied.

Just after the call ended, Emilia's phone rang again, this time from an unfamiliar number.

An uneasy feeling crept into her chest.

Her hand trembled slightly as she answered.

A man's deep, icy voice came through the line. "Are you Olivia's mother?"

"I am," Emilia replied, her voice tight with tension.

"Your daughter is with me."

Emilia recognized Daniel's voice at once, and a cold shiver ran down her spine. "What do you want?"

"I'm at the Horizon Hotel with her. Come and take her home," Daniel said.

In the background, Olivia's sobs echoed faintly, and Emilia's heart lurched in panic. "I already know what happened. Let's discuss this calmly. I'll pay any compensation required. Please don't hurt my child."

Daniel's brows drew together in a frown. The woman's voice on the other end sounded strangely familiar.

Just then, Olivia, who was beside him, began crying even harder. She was extremely emotional; she would cry, quiet down briefly, and then start sobbing again the moment another sad thought crossed her mind.

Daniel pressed a hand to his forehead. "I have no intention of harming a child. But you need to come here and explain this situation."

He didn't believe a little girl would write those words on his car for no reason. He wanted to uncover the truth behind it.

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Hearing Olivia cry almost shattered Emilia's heart. She wanted nothing more than to rush straight to the hotel.

But after taking a few hurried steps, she abruptly stopped. She couldn't face Daniel looking the way she did now.

They had already crossed paths once at the auction house. If they met again so soon, he might realize that she was Emilia.

If he discovered her identity, he would immediately learn that Olivia was his daughter.

She absolutely couldn't allow that to happen.

She paced anxiously back and forth before calling Madison.

Half an hour later, Emilia drove to the Horizon Hotel with Madison, Leo, and Asher.

During the drive, she had already explained the entire situation to Madison.

Now she needed Madison to go inside and bring Olivia out.

"Are you sure this will work?" Madison asked.

"I am," Emilia said, clasping Madison's hand tightly. "I'm relying on you to bring Olivia back."

Noticing the anxiety clouding Emilia's eyes, Madison gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. I'll bring her back."

Madison stepped out of the car and strode into the hotel, carrying herself with the firm resolve of someone prepared to face whatever lay ahead.

Emilia remained outside with Leo and Asher, silently hoping that everything would unfold without trouble.

......

Meanwhile, Olivia sat on the sofa in the hotel suite, covering her face with both hands while crying loudly, her head thrown back.

Daniel sat nearby, watching her with a deep frown etched across his face.

Archie rushed back after searching several places, returning with a large pile of candy in his arms.

Daniel glanced at the heap of sweets. "This is your idea of a solution?"

Archie shrugged lightly. "Kids like candy. Maybe you should try comforting her."

"Me?" Daniel asked, clearly incredulous.

Archie believed the responsibility belonged to Daniel, since he had been the one to bring the little girl here.

Daniel let out a weary sigh, rose from his seat, walked over, and then lifted Olivia straight into his arms.

She was so light that holding her with one arm alone was effortless.

Balanced on his forearm, Olivia lifted her tear-reddened eyes toward him, her small face shadowed with gloom.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you that crying won't solve anything?" Daniel said.

Olivia continued sobbing, unable to stop. "If I stop crying, will you let me go right away?"

"No," Daniel replied bluntly.

Olivia pressed her lips together, but the tears kept slipping down without pause.

Seeing her like that made Daniel's heart soften. He picked up a piece of candy and held it out to her. "Do you want one?"

Olivia glanced at it. It was a lollipop, She told herself firmly that she didn't want it. Her heart hurt because she couldn't see her mother, and no lollipop in the world could mend that.

She stayed silent, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

Daniel lifted an eyebrow. "What about two?"

Olivia kept crying. He tried again. "Three?"

She still didn't respond. At last, he said, "Let's negotiate. Five."

At last, Daniel spoke, his voice heavy with tired surrender. "Fine. Take them. They belong to you now."

Olivia's tears ceased instantly, and she stretched both hands toward him, plainly asking him to pass over every piece of candy.

......

Madison had already been guided upstairs by a hotel staff member arranged by Daniel, and when she reached the door to the suite, a faint ripple of anxiety still stirred in her chest.

After all, the person she was about to face was Daniel.

The staff member pressed the doorbell, the door swung open, and he courteously gestured for Madison to enter.

She drew a steady breath, quietly reminding herself to be fearless, and walked into the suite.

Archie led her closer to where Daniel was seated.

Daniel lifted his eyes and fixed his gaze directly on Madison.

Uneasy, she scanned the room for Olivia, terrified the little girl might be distressed under Daniel's watch.

Instead, she spotted her lounging comfortably on the sofa, cheerfully enjoying several lollipops in different flavors.

She froze in astonishment. Emilia was practically falling apart outside, yet Olivia was inside here, perfectly content and savoring candy.

Shoving the thought aside, Madison quickly stepped forward. "Olivia, Mommy's here."

Olivia raised her head. The instant she saw Madison, she nearly called out "Aunt Madison", but Madison immediately shot her a meaningful glance.

Olivia blinked. Though she had no clue why Madison was pretending to be her mother, she caught the hint at once and played along. "Mommy, you're finally here."

Madison immediately pulled her into her arms.

Daniel observed them quietly. "You're her mother?"

Beneath the sharp weight of his stare, Madison felt her pulse hammering with nervous tension.

Making herself stay calm, she replied, "Yes. I already know what happened. Any damages caused will be completely paid for."

Daniel's eyes narrowed, as if he were attempting to see straight through her.

"You're not the one who spoke to me on the phone," he said.

Madison steeled herself, determined to persuade him and keep her identity from unraveling. "Sir, I was the one who answered your call. Are you implying that I'm not her mother?"

Daniel gave no response. He simply kept watching her, the unspoken pressure in the room growing heavier.

"If you doubt me," she said calmly, "you can call that number again right now and verify it."

Olivia looped her arms around Madison's neck and asked, "Mommy, can we go now?"

"Just wait a little, dear. I need to finish handling this with him first, and then we'll leave," Madison replied.

There was hardly any reason for Daniel to challenge Madison's claim, especially since Olivia had addressed her as "Mommy".

Yet Daniel was not a man who could be fooled so easily. "Then tell me why your daughter scrawled those words on my car, accusing me of being a heartless man who abandoned his wife and children! Do we even know each other?"

In truth, Madison and Daniel had encountered one another several times before, though that had been six or seven years ago, and naturally he didn't recognize her now.

"I'm sorry. She mistook your car for someone else's," Madison said.

"Mistook my car for someone else's?" Daniel repeated skeptically.

"Yes," she answered, drawing a slow breath as she forced tears to gather in her eyes. "Actually, her father betrayed me. When my mother passed away, he was busy celebrating his mistress's birthday instead. After I found out, I left him and took our children with me. Today, you were dressed very much the way he usually dresses, so my daughter confused you with that bastard."

Daniel's eyebrows knitted into a tight frown. It suddenly struck him that her account bore an unsettling resemblance to an incident from years ago, the time Emilia's mother had passed away while he himself had been busy celebrating Isabel's birthday.

For a brief, passing moment, the thought flickered through his mind that Madison might know something and was quietly making a mockery of him.

Yet almost immediately, he reminded himself that he had never kept a mistress. Nor did he possess the faintest recollection of the woman standing in front of him.

With that in mind, he reasoned that she couldn't possibly be taunting him and that he was merely letting his thoughts run wild.

Madison's explanation sounded plausible enough that Daniel found no obvious fault he could point to.

Even so, whenever his gaze drifted toward Olivia, an odd and persistent sense of familiarity stirred somewhere deep within him.

A faint irritation began to simmer in his chest, and just as he opened his mouth to press the matter further, Archie walked in holding a file that contained someone's profile. "We've located the information on the person you asked us to look into."

It was Amelia's profile.

"Sir, are you done with your questions? I still have things I need to take care of. I'll pay for the damages. Please allow us to leave," Madison said.

Daniel offered no additional response. Taking the file from Archie, he said in a firm tone, "Take care of this situation immediately."

"Yes, sir," Archie answered.

Daniel then carried the file with him into the study.

Outside the hotel, Emilia sat in the car on the verge of panic, because more than twenty minutes had already passed and Madison still had not brought Olivia out.

She knew Daniel was far from an easy man to handle and feared Madison might struggle to deal with him.

"Leo, Asher, can either of you tell what's going on inside?" she asked.

Her sons were constantly tinkering with computers, and Leo in particular had a knack for breaking into surveillance systems.

Leo was already focused on his laptop. Since there were no cameras inside the hotel rooms, they had no way of seeing what was happening in there.

However, he managed to tap into the surveillance feed from the hallway.

He brought up the hotel footage and said, "Aunt Madison went into the room and hasn't come out yet."

Emilia's unease grew even heavier.

A moment later, Madison hurried out of a suite with Olivia cradled in her arms.

"Mom, it's them," Asher said.

The moment Emilia caught sight of Olivia, a powerful sense of relief swept over her.

She pushed the car door open, and Madison quickly slipped inside with the child.

"My dear," Emilia said as she instantly gathered the girl into her arms.

"Mommy." Olivia immediately tucked herself against Emilia's embrace.

Madison released a long breath. "That was way too close."

"What happened?" Emilia asked with worry etched in her voice.

"Just start driving. I'll explain everything on the way," Madison said.

"Alright," Emilia replied.

She settled Olivia in the back seat and started the car.

Inside the hotel, Daniel gazed at the file resting in his hands.

The document showed that Amelia was 29 years old and married. She had been employed at the auction house for five years.

"Archie!" Daniel called out abruptly.

Archie had only just finished taking care of Daniel's car when he was immediately called into the study. "Did you need something?"

"This profile is exactly the same as the one you handed me earlier," Daniel said with obvious displeasure.

Archie's expression turned uneasy; he had intended to dig deeply into Amelia's background and gather everything Daniel wanted, yet the report only contained the limited information he had uncovered. Other than that, he had no idea what further details he could possibly obtain.

"We were only able to uncover this much about her. Aside from that, the only other thing available is her auction performance over the last few years. Isn't this precisely the information you asked for?" Archie said carefully.

Daniel frowned when he heard that.

Although the report was already thorough, it still failed to give him the answer he was seeking.

He couldn't shake the feeling that Amelia resembled Emilia very closely. Even their names sounded alike.

Yet the information they had gathered showed no link between the two women. He wasn't sure if he was simply reading too much into things.

Still, something about it continued to feel off.

There were countless antique experts in Zloigas, yet his grandfather had insisted he come all the way to Klicta to bring Amelia back. He was certain his grandfather wouldn't make such a request without reason.

With a frown, he took out his phone and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window, watching a car speeding away below. Then he called Danny.

The line went through.

In a quiet tone, Daniel asked, "Grandpa, who exactly is Amelia Morgan?"

"Have you met her?" Danny replied instead of answering his question.

"Yes, I have," Daniel said.

Danny stayed silent for several seconds before sighing softly. "It seems that during those three years, you truly didn't care about Emilia at all. Otherwise, how could you fail to realize Amelia is actually her when she was standing right in front of you?"

Daniel's brows knit together in shock. "She's Emilia?"

He recalled that Amelia had spent five years working at the auction house, always wearing a white veil and refusing to reveal her face, though she had given him an inexplicably familiar feeling. So his suspicion had been correct.

At that thought, his expression grew colder.

He realized that his instincts had been correct the entire time, and that Amelia was indeed Emilia.

Now he finally understood why his grandfather had insisted he come here to bring her back.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. He finally realized why Emilia had been impossible to locate for five years—she had changed her name and hidden herself here. She must have recognized him immediately when they met at the auction house, which was why she had left without hesitation.

His expression darkened completely as anger surged inside him. He sneered inwardly, thinking how cleverly she had concealed herself.

"Daniel, bring Emilia back," Danny said.

"I will," Daniel replied before ending the call and striding out of the room.

Archie had no idea what had just happened.

All he could sense was that Daniel's presence had suddenly become terrifying.

He had only felt that same terrifying aura from Daniel once before—when Daniel learned five years ago that Emilia intended to have an abortion and divorce him.

Isabel had just reached the doorway of Daniel's suite when she saw him walking out. She was about to call his name, but he paid her no attention at all.

She quickly grabbed Archie. "Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure either," Archie answered hastily as he hurried after Daniel.

Isabel's brows furrowed. It had been a long time since she had seen Daniel in such a hurry. She wondered what could have happened.

Daniel got into the car and immediately called the auction house manager.

"Hello, Mr. Wright," the manager greeted respectfully.

"Is Amelia at the auction house?" Daniel asked.

"She's currently on leave. If you require someone to appraise antiques or…" the manager began.

Daniel hung up before he could finish speaking.

He suspected Amelia had taken leave because she feared being exposed and had deliberately gone into hiding.

"Sir, where should we go?" Archie asked from the passenger seat.

"Send someone right away to find out Amelia's address," Daniel ordered coldly.

Seeing the obvious anger in Daniel's expression, Archie didn't dare ask more questions and immediately passed the order to his team.

Daniel was convinced Emilia wouldn't manage to escape this time.

Before returning home, Emilia brought Madison and the children to a restaurant so they could have something to eat. As they sat there, Madison carefully went over everything that had taken place at the hotel.

Daniel hadn't demanded any form of compensation. After questioning Emilia for a while, he merely told Archie to escort her and Olivia downstairs.

Emilia understood that those questions had come from Daniel's clear suspicion regarding Madison's identity.

Even though the matter had ended without major trouble, she still worried that Daniel might piece things together if he examined the situation closely.

While this thought lingered in her mind, the manager called and asked, "Amelia, did you happen to see Mr. Wright?"

"Mr. Wright?" Emilia knitted her brows. "No, I didn't. What's going on?"

"He called earlier asking whether you were at the auction house. I told him you weren't here, and he sounded quite upset. I think he's trying to find you," the manager explained.

When Emilia heard that, alarm shot through her instantly.

She became convinced that he must have noticed something; otherwise, he would have no reason to look for her.

"Did he say anything else?" she asked quickly.

"No. As soon as he learned you weren't there, he hung up angrily. Amelia, he's a very influential man, so try not to offend him," the manager said worriedly.

"I understand. Thanks for telling me that," Emilia replied before ending the call.

Noticing Emilia's expression darken, Madison asked, "What's wrong?"

"Could you take them to your place first and help me arrange some plane tickets? Any destination will do. I have to return home right away to collect my documents," Emilia said urgently.

Madison stared at her in disbelief. "You're leaving?"

Emilia answered without hesitation, "Daniel has probably realized who I am. He's looking for me."

Surprise flashed across Madison's face. "What should we do? And the kids?"

"He most likely doesn't know about them yet," Emilia replied.

The man she had contacted earlier had helped hide the truth about her children, so Daniel wouldn't be able to discover them—at least not for the moment.

"There's no time to explain. Leo, Asher, and Olivia, go with Madison for now. I'll come find you later," Emilia said.

Facing Daniel herself didn't frighten her. What truly worried her was that he might trace her movements and eventually discover the children.

She knew very well that he had the ability to do exactly that. And she could never allow him to learn about them and take them away from her.

Seeing how anxious Emilia looked, the children quietly followed Madison as she had asked.

They said, "Mommy, be careful."

"I will," Emilia replied.

She drove quickly back to her duplex apartment. Without bothering to switch on the lights, she rushed straight upstairs to her bedroom, pulled her documents from the cabinet, and prepared to leave.

But when she reached the downstairs area of the apartment, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

A faint point of fire flickered somewhere in the dark. The air carried the lingering smell of cigarette smoke.

Her heart jolted violently.

"Trying to run?" From the darkness, a low voice drifted out.

Emilia recognized it at once.

Moonlight poured through the window, revealing Daniel sitting on the sofa. She had rushed in earlier and never noticed he was there.

For a brief instant, her mind emptied completely.

Then a sharp click sounded, and bright light flooded the room.

The sudden brightness made Emilia instinctively shut her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw Daniel sitting on the sofa with commanding presence, a cigarette held between his long fingers. He slowly exhaled a stream of smoke while his penetrating eyes remained fixed on her, his gaze so sharp it felt as though it might tear her apart at any moment.

Her body stiffened immediately.

At that moment she realized that she had truly been exposed. Not only had he found her, but he had come straight to her home.

She forced herself to stay calm, determined not to let him see her anxiety.

The living room and kitchen were downstairs, while the bedrooms were upstairs. Emilia had no idea whether Daniel had gone upstairs. If he had, he would have discovered the children's existence.

"It's been five years since our last meeting. So should I call you Emilia, or Amelia now?" Daniel said coldly.