Chapter 3

[If it's not the dog's, then the kid is crying like that, could it really be her mother's?]

Staring at the pile of gray-white powder on the ground, a trace of irritation crept across Grant Thornton's brow.

He looked away. "Stella Johnson got dead person's ashes from somewhere to make it realistic. That's the kind of person she is, capable of anything."

Annie lifted her head, her eyes locked on the foot Lily had planted in the ashes.

She suddenly lunged forward, biting down hard on Lily's calf.

"Don't step on my mommy! You're all bad people! Give my mommy's heart back!"

Lily cried out in pain, kicking Annie away with one foot.

The four-year-old's body was light as a feather, slamming hard into the corner of the coffee table.

Her forehead instantly split open in a long gash, blood covering her face.

"My daughter!"

I rushed to shield Annie like a madwoman, but could only watch as the crimson blood dripped onto the floor, soaking into the carpet.

Grant Thornton didn't even glance at his daughter.

He crouched down, rolling up Lily's pant leg to examine the bite mark.

"Is this little bastard a dog? Is this how Stella Johnson normally raises her?"

"Grant, I'm fine, it just hurts a little..."

Lily leaned into his arms.

"Did Stella teach her a lot of things to make her hate me? I'm a little scared..."

"I'm here. I'd like to see who dares touch you." Grant Thornton's eyes were fierce as he looked up at the camera and said coldly.

"Stella Johnson, I will pursue this despicable behavior of using a child to hurt people to the end!"

Watching him make threats, I remembered when I was sixteen, when several upperclassmen cornered me in an alley.

Grant Thornton rushed out with half a brick, blocking them in front of me. His face was covered in blood, grabbing my hand and trembling.

"Stella, I'll protect you forever."

Now, he was indeed protecting someone.

Only the person being protected was no longer me.

I felt such hatred. Why make a promise of forever, then fail to keep it and harm my child?

The police outside rushed in directly.

The lead female officer's face was ashen as she scooped up Annie, blood covering her face.

"Call an ambulance!"

Another officer walked up to Grant Thornton.

"Mr. Thornton, regarding the black market organ trafficking case, please come with us to the station for questioning."

"Fine. But my fiancée just had heart transplant surgery and has been frightened. I need to settle her first."

He took Lily's hand and walked out of the messy rental apartment.

Police station interrogation room.

Grant Thornton sat in the chair, looking calm.

"My donor was a kind person found through an overseas assistance program. Everything was legal, nothing to do with the black market. Stella Johnson's report is just her venting personal grievances."

Before the officer across from him could speak, the interrogation room door was pushed open forcefully.

The female officer who had taken Annie to the hospital called.

"That little girl has a very deep forehead wound, now she's in critical condition from excessive blood loss."

"She has RH negative AB blood type, a very rare type. The hospital blood bank has no supply!"

"We checked the system and found that Mr. Thornton has this rare blood type."

Grant Thornton's movements froze.

He lifted his eyelids.

a very rare type?

An extremely rare hereditary blood type---how could she have the same blood type as him?