Chapter 1My husband wants me to leave our daughter in hell—for his mistress's PhD.
Eight years after Lily disappeared, I find her in some shithole village. Beaten. Starving. Living in a pig pen.
She won't even look at me.
I grab her. "Baby, we're going home."
Then Derek pulls up with bodyguards.
"Emma. Stop."
"Are you insane?"
"Mindy's research needs her. The trauma study. Lily has to stay."
I stand there frozen, brain buzzing.
What research? What test subject? Why can't Lily leave?
Then some guy walks up next to Derek.
I know him.
Rich Howard. The bastard who was just beating Lily with a stick.
But now he's standing next to my husband like they're old pals.
"Mr. Parker, can't let this lady take Dog Girl. Miss Mindy's at a critical stage. Dog Girl's crucial data."
Dog Girl.
Lily shakes harder in my arms when she hears it, biting her lip bloody to stay quiet.
I stare at these two men and the world tilts.
"You... you know each other?"
Rich laughs, loud and proud. "Of course! Mr. Parker's the one who sent Dog Girl here in the first place!"
Lightning cracks through my skull.
I'm holding Lily, legs going weak, like I'm standing on air.
Derek. My husband. Lily's father.
He's the one who put her here?
"Derek, what the hell is he talking about?"
Derek looks at my white face and sighs like I'm being difficult.
"Emma, you know Mindy's a psychologist. Stanford wants her bad. But she needs a major project. Real data on kidnapped kids—psychological changes, trauma progression. That's her research."
He pauses, choosing his words carefully.
"Getting real data's hard. So to help her, I had to—"
"Had to what?"
"I took Lily. Made it look like a kidnapping. So Mindy could track the changes. Real-time."
My brain goes blank.
When I finally speak, I'm screaming at him. "Are you out of your fucking mind? She's your daughter!"
He winces, but there's something else in his eyes—helplessness, like his hands are tied.
"Emma, I didn't want this either. But I owe Mindy two lives. Lily's my daughter, so she shares the debt."
Two lives.
Mindy's parents died in a fire saving Derek years ago. Since then, he's been her personal ATM—whatever she wants, she gets.
But that's his debt. Why does Lily have to pay?
"Emma, the study ends in two years. Then we bring Lily home. I'll give her everything after that. The best of everything."
Two more years?
Lily's been here eight. Eight years of being called Dog Girl, living in a pig pen, getting beaten with sticks, cowering silent.
And he wants two more?
Tears stream down my face. "You're sick. You're fucking sick. I'm taking her. Whatever you owe Mindy—that's on you, not her."
I turn to leave.
I need out, need Lily safe, need to get away from this monster.
Derek grabs my arm, his voice going cold.
"I said she stays."
His grip's crushing and I can't break free.
Lily whimpers in my arms.
I scream. "Let go! She's coming with me!"
But I'm not strong enough.
I brought people. He brought more.
Two bodyguards rip Lily out of my arms.
"No! Give her back!"
One guard tucks Lily under his arm like luggage. She's screaming, reaching for me, sobbing so hard she can't breathe.
My heart's being carved out of my chest.
I grab Derek's shirt, tears everywhere. "Please, let me take her. She's crying. She's our daughter. Mindy can have anything—everything—I'll give her whatever she wants—just let me take Lily—she can't stay here anymore—"
Derek looks away.
I see his face turn and shut down completely, and the last bit of hope in me shatters.
I'm hitting his chest and screaming. "You're not human! You'll burn in hell for this! You'll rot!"
He doesn't flinch.
He shouts at Rich. "What are you waiting for? Get the brat out of here!"
Lily's screams fade.
I lunge forward but two guards yank me back.
Sharp pain in my neck.
Everything goes black.
Chapter 2
I wake up in the villa. Back home. A thousand miles from where I left my daughter.
My body feels like lead. Whatever they shot me up with is still in my system.
I drag myself upright. Everything's foggy. Then it all comes flooding back.
Lily.
She's still there.
I didn't get her out.
I stumble out of bed and nearly eat shit. My legs are jelly.
I grab the wall and lurch toward the door. I need my phone. Need to call 911.
Everything's gone. Phone. Laptop. Keys.
They locked me in.
The panic hits me hard.
The door swings open.
Derek walks in. Mindy's right behind him.
White dress. Hair down. That same sweet little smile I've wanted to slap off her face for ten years.
I throw myself at Derek.
"Where is she? Where's my daughter?"
He catches me, jaw tight. "Emma, you need to chill. I already told you—two more years and she's home. She's fine. Just be patient."
"Patient? She's not some lab rat!"
I whip around to Mindy.
"What do you want from me? Money? Derek? You want him? Take him. Divorce papers tomorrow. Just give me back my kid."
I'm losing it.
Is she getting beaten right now? Shoved back in that filthy pen? Screaming for me?
Derek grabs my shoulders, eyes blazing. "What the hell, Emma?"
Mindy steps closer, voice dripping honey. "Emma, sweetie, don't talk like that. You're breaking Derek's heart."
Breaking his heart?
His heart?
She keeps going. "Look, I get it. You're scared. But Lily's part of something important right now. The data we're collecting—it's critical."
"We've got safeguards in place. She won't be seriously harmed. And when this is over, I'll personally handle her therapy. She'll be fine."
I look at this woman and I want to rip her apart.
Crack.
I slap her so hard my palm stings.
"You psycho bitch! She's eight years old!"
Derek shoves between us and gets in my face. "Are you insane? Mindy's trying to help kids like Lily! She's doing groundbreaking work! Why can't you see that?"
See it? I want her dead.
Mindy touches Derek's arm. "It's okay. She doesn't get it. I don't blame her."
Derek exhales hard, forcing himself to calm down.
His voice drops. "Emma, Mindy's working for something bigger than us."
"Bigger? My baby was six when you stole her! She couldn't sleep without me holding her! She's terrified of the dark! You dumped her in that hellhole and you think she's fine?"
Tears are pouring down my face. I can't breathe.
Derek pulls me against his chest.
He still smells the same. Still feels warm.
It's disgusting.
I look up at him, barely able to speak.
"Please. Bring her home. She can't take this anymore. You saw her—she's skin and bones. She won't even talk. They call her Dog Girl. She sleeps with pigs. She's covered in bruises."
"She's ours, Derek."
Something shifts in his eyes.
His throat works. His mouth opens.
Then Mindy cuts in.
Soft. Quiet. Poisonous.
"You know my parents died wanting me to be someone great."
Derek freezes.
Whatever was there in his face—gone.
He says, "Just hang in there, Em."
Chapter 3
They keep me locked up for fifteen days.
No phone. No internet. Windows bolted shut.
Derek shows up every single day.
First I'm begging. Then I'm screaming my lungs out.
I call him every name in the book. Monster. Psycho. World's shittiest father.
Nothing. He just stands there.
Same line every time. "Couple more years. Then we'll all be together again."
Together? Is he fucking delusional?
Does he honestly think I'm staying with him after this?
Like we're just gonna go back to playing happy family?
Day fifteen, I slip out.
I bolt straight for the police station and slam into the front desk.
"Somebody help me! My kid's been kidnapped! My own husband did it! He's holding me hostage! He's lost his goddamn mind!"
The cop's barely out of diapers. Twenty-two tops. I scare him so bad his pen goes flying.
He's opening his mouth when—
"Emma."
Ice shoots down my spine.
I whip around.
Derek's in the doorway. Mindy hovering behind him like his little shadow.
Fuck. I'm screwed.
I grab the baby cop's arm. "You gotta help me! I'm not making this up! He kidnapped our daughter! That's him! Right there!"
"Ma'am, I need you to calm—"
"I can't calm down! They'll drag me outta here! Just send someone out to check this village—"
"Emma."
Derek's voice goes all soft and wounded. Like some kicked puppy who's been through the wringer.
He touches my shoulder. Light. But it's a goddamn cage.
"Sweetheart, you took off again. I've been looking everywhere."
The concern in his voice makes me sick.
I shove him off and stumble back, eyes locked on the cop. "Listen to me. Please. He gave our daughter away. To his girlfriend's fucked-up science project. She's six years old and he handed her over like—"
My voice goes haywire. People are staring.
Derek doesn't fight me.
He just sighs real heavy and fishes something out of his jacket. Slides it across the desk.
"Officer, I'm really sorry. My wife's... she's been struggling."
It's paperwork. Psychiatric evaluation.
Official stamps. Doctor signatures. The whole nine yards.
Everything inside me goes numb.
"That's bullshit! I'm fine! He faked that!"
I lunge for it but Derek's faster. The cop's already reading it.
Kid looks up at me. His whole face changes.
Poor thing. So sad. Oh, she's sick.
"Wait—you're Derek Parker? From the news? You guys have been searching for your daughter for like, what, eight years? Man, that's rough."
Derek does this tired, brave smile.
"She's my whole world. Whatever's happening to her, I'm not going anywhere."
The cop looks ready to start a GoFundMe.
"Dude, you're a saint. Out here looking for your kid and dealing with... all this."
"It's just what you do when you love someone."
Something inside me dies.
Nobody's gonna believe a word I say.
Derek Parker. Big shot CEO. Heartbroken dad who's spent eight years searching. Stand-up husband who won't ditch his crazy wife.
A guy like that? Throw his own daughter to the wolves?
He had me fooled for eight years.
Why the hell would strangers think different?
Especially when they think I belong in a padded room.
