Chapter 10: The Day She Tried To Take My Daughter
The moment my father said those words, the world around me stopped.
“She took Mia.””
I couldn’t process them.
Not because I didn’t understand the sentence.
Because I did.
And that was what terrified me.
I stood up so quickly the chair behind me fell backward.
“What do you mean she took her?””
My father held the phone tightly.
“The housekeeper said Vanessa arrived twenty minutes ago. She told everyone she was taking Mia for a conversation.””
“A conversation?””
My voice shook.
“She cannot just take my daughter.””
My father was already grabbing his keys.
“She showed them a document.””
“What document?””
“I don’t know yet.””
My hands were trembling.
Everything Vanessa had done suddenly made sense.
The legal claim.
The accusations.
The lies.
She wasn’t trying to win an argument.
She was creating a situation where she could control the story.
And Mia was caught in the middle.
We drove back to the mansion as fast as we could.
The entire way, I kept calling Mia’s phone.
Of course, she didn’t have one.
She was six.
She still needed me to tie her shoes.
She still needed me to check under her bed when she heard strange noises.
And somehow, Vanessa had convinced herself she had the right to take her away.
When we arrived, the front door was open.
The housekeeper, Linda, rushed toward us.
“I’m sorry.””
My father looked worried.
“What happened?””
Linda’s face was pale.
“She said she had permission.””
“From who?””
“She said from the court.””
I looked at my father.
“There’s no court order.””
“I know.””
We rushed inside.
“Mia!””
No answer.
I ran upstairs.
Her room was empty.
Her backpack was gone.
Her favorite stuffed rabbit was gone.
My heart dropped.
Then I noticed something on her bed.
A piece of paper.
I picked it up.
It wasn’t a note from Vanessa.
It was from Mia.
Three words were written in uneven handwriting.
“Daddy, I’m scared.””
My vision blurred.
I had to sit down.
My daughter wasn’t just taken.
She knew something was wrong.
My father came beside me.
“What does it say?””
I handed it to him.
His face changed.
The pain in his eyes was something I had never seen before.
“We’re finding her.””
I nodded.
But before we could leave, the security employee ran into the room.
“Mr. Adrian.””
“What?””
“There’s something you need to see.””
We followed him downstairs.
He opened the security system.
A new recording.
Vanessa entering the house.
Holding Mia’s hand.
At first glance, it looked normal.
Almost peaceful.
But then we saw the details.
Mia wasn’t walking beside Vanessa willingly.
She was looking back.
Searching.
Waiting for someone to come.
Then Vanessa leaned down.
The audio became clear.
“Mia, if you want your daddy to stay out of trouble, you need to come with me.””
My blood went cold.
She was manipulating her.
My father slammed his hand on the desk.
“That’s enough.””
The video continued.
Mia looked scared.
“Will Daddy be okay?””
Vanessa smiled.
“Of course. But adults have problems because children don’t listen.””
I closed my eyes.
She was making my daughter feel responsible.
The recording ended.
Then another alert appeared.
The system had tracked Vanessa’s vehicle leaving the property.
My father looked at the screen.
“She’s heading somewhere.””
The employee checked.
“An old family property.””
I frowned.
“Which property?””
He hesitated.
“The lake house.””
My father’s expression changed.
“Why would she take Mia there?””
Nobody answered.
Because we all knew.
Vanessa didn’t want privacy.
She wanted isolation.
She wanted Mia somewhere nobody could hear her.
I grabbed my coat.
“We’re going.””
My father nodded.
But before we reached the door, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered immediately.
“Where is my daughter?””
A quiet laugh came from the other side.
It was Vanessa.
“You really do believe you’re the hero in this story, don’t you?””
My hands tightened.
“Bring Mia back.””
“She’s safe.””
“She’s six years old.””
“And she deserves to know the truth.””
My heart raced.
“What truth?””
There was silence.
Then Vanessa said:
“The truth about why her mother left.””
I froze.
“What did you say?””
Vanessa whispered:
“Maybe it’s time Mia knew what you’ve been hiding.””
The call ended.
And suddenly, this wasn’t just about the trust.
May you like
Vanessa had found something from my past.
Something I never told my daughter.
