Chapter 1: The Truth Behind the Necklace
Chapter 1: The Truth Behind the Necklace
The old billionaire, Richard Hawthorne, slowly rose from his chair.
The luxurious dining hall was silent except for the trembling breaths of the little girl standing in the center of the room.
“Anna?” he whispered.
The child nodded.
“My mommy's name is Anna.”
Richard felt his knees weaken.
For twenty years, he had searched for his daughter. Anna had disappeared after a bitter argument with him. She had left home heartbroken, refusing to accept the arranged marriage he had planned for her.
Then, one day, she vanished.
No calls.
No letters.
No trace.
Everyone eventually told Richard the same thing.
“She is probably dead.”
But he never stopped looking.
Now, a little girl wearing Anna's necklace stood before him.
“What is your name, sweetheart?” Richard asked gently.
“Emily.”
“And where is your mother?”
Emily lowered her head.
“She’s very sick.”
The room suddenly felt cold.
Richard knelt before the child.
“Take me to her.”
Without another word, he left the banquet, shocking every guest in attendance.
Two hours later, his limousine stopped in front of a rundown apartment building on the edge of the city.
The smell of mold and poverty filled the air.
Richard climbed three flights of stairs and entered a tiny room.
There, lying on an old bed, was a woman with pale skin and sunken eyes.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Anna opened her eyes.
“Dad?”
Richard broke down.
Twenty years of regret shattered inside him.
May you like
His daughter was alive.
And she had been suffering all alone.
