Chapter 16
Rico’s phone buzzed, jolting him from his
thoughts.
“Hello?” Jane‘ s voice purred on the
other end.
Rico barely registered her words. “Maddie left,” he choked out, his voice cracking.
Jane paused, masking her joy at the news. “Don’t worry, Rico. Maddie‘ s twenty- three–she’s probably off exploring or taking some time for herself. She’ll come
back.”
“She’s gone,” Rico whispered. “All her things are gone. She’s not coming back.”
Feigning concern, Jane suggested, “Do you have surveillance cameras in the house? Maybe you can check if something unusual happened.”
Rico shook his head, even though she couldn’t see him. “No, there’s no
190% 15:52
1/5
Chapter 16
surveillance in the apartment.
“What about the building‘ s cameras? Or the ones in the elevator? You might be able to track when she left.”
Jane’s voice was soothing, but her mind was racing. Even if Rico found Maddie, what could he do? Maddie was just an orphan with no real influence. Jane was confident she could eliminate her as a
threat if needed.
But Rico’s sudden shout startled her.
“Wait! I remember!”
He hung up before she could respond.
***
Rico ran to the living room and activated. the camera on his new robotic vacuum. It recorded sporadically and he prayed it had captured something.
As he watched the footage, his heart sank.
He saw Maddie carefully throwing away the gifts he had given her, her movements.
90% 15.52
2/5
Chapter 16
cold and deliberate. He watched as she
took her plants from the balcony and carried them out, pot by pot. He saw Jane ripping off the labels from the ketchup and chili sauce bottles, then maliciously squeezing chili sauce onto Maddie‘ s sandwich while muttering, “Let’s see you handle this!”
The next clip showed Maddie‘ s trembling hands dialing his number repeatedly, her voice cracking as she cried, “Rico, do you know about the photo?”
The footage moved to Maddie collapsing on the bed, her eyes hollow, her tears soaking the pillow.
Then came Jane.
He saw her deliberately bump into Maddie, causing her to drop a steaming bowl of porridge. When the camera swept back over the kitchen, Rico spotted a smear of blood on the floor.
He heard Jane‘ s cruel taunts. “I heard
90% 15.52
315
Chapter 16
you and Rico aren’t even related. How shameless of you to cling to him like this!”
“What are you bringing to the table? A whole orphanage?”
Rico‘ s face turned ashen as the video
ended. His hand gripped the couch for support, his knuckles white.
For the first time, Rico saw his life through Maddie‘ s eyes.
He had always told himself that he loved. her, but his actions had said otherwise. In trying to protect her, he had caged her. In trying to provide for her, he had neglected her. And in trying to secure a future for them, he had failed to see the present slipping away.
Tears stung his eyes as the weight of his mistakes pressed down on him.
Rico whispered into the empty room,
“Maddie…I’m sorry.
90% 15:52
4/5
Chapter 16
But he knew it might already be too late.
You might also like
The Leof Marriage Leave Him.
The Lie of
