Chapter 17

His face was pale as he dropped to his knees.

The bald man leading the group sneered.

“Funny. She told me yesterday that you legally adopted her, didn’t you? That makes her your daughter. You can’t weasel your way out of this.”

With that, he threw a loan agreement onto the floor in front of Zachary.

“18 million. If we don’t see the money by the fifteenth of next month, we’ll be taking your hands instead.” As soon as he finished speaking, he swung an iron bar down.

Clang! The coffee table shattered and sent shards of glass flying everywhere.

Following his command, his men splashed red paint across the walls.

Zachary sat slumped amid the chaos, watching the crimson liquid drip from the embroidered words, “Peace in the family brings prosperity”.

It was his late wife’s handiwork.

Twenty years ago, she had held their newborn daughter —- in her arms and smiled, saying she wanted to pass this embroidery down through generations.

Ian scrambled to call an ambulance.

Zachary’s sobs, mixed with Vanessa’s ragged whimpers, echoed through the blood-red living room.

It was like a scene straight from hell.

The Carter family’s true nightmare had only just begun.