It felt like someone grabbed my heart and squeezed. The suffocating pain made my vision blur black at the edges.

"Ginny! Daddy's here! Wake up!"

I screamed until my throat tore, snatching up a brick from the ground and slamming it against the driver-side window.

A loud crack split the air. Spider web fractures spread across the glass.

The moment she saw me smashing the window, Shanon's shrill voice pierced the air.

"Leomund! Have you lost your mind?"

I ignored her and swung harder. I swung a total of three times.

Suddenly, a slick-haired man rushed over and grabbed my arm tightly, his voice trembling.

"Stop! Stop smashing it! Come on, man! Do you know how expensive this car is? If you break it, can you even afford to pay for it?"

It was Shanon's influencer boyfriend, Tobias Hunt.

My eyes were bloodshot. I grabbed his collar and growled through clenched teeth, "If anything happens to my daughter, you won't be able to pay for it either."

Then I drove my fist straight into his face.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of something in his hand: keys.

My vision turned red.

I shoved him to the ground and ripped the keys from his grip.

"A BMW!"

This was the very car in which Ginny was trapped.

Shanon's face drained of color. She hastily ended the livestream and lunged at me like a madwoman, snatching the keys back.

"Leomund! Are you insane? Do you know how much money this stream could make? It's just a little heat! She's not going to die!"

Just a little heat? Why did she not try locking herself inside the car?

At first, I thought she was just refusing to break the window for the sake of getting more views.

Now I realized how naive I was. She locked Ginny inside on purpose.

I hurled the brick at her shoulder.

"She's your biological daughter!"

More and more bystanders gathered. Some recognized Shanon and Tobias, whispering and pointing.

"Isn't that the influencer couple?"

"Why is their kid locked in the car?"

"It's scorching out here. This is child abuse!"

"What kind of mother does this? Chasing livestream money at the cost of her child's life?"

Their faces grew uglier by the second. They clearly did not expect things to spiral this far.

I seized the opportunity, snatched the keys again, and hit the unlock button.

The car lights flashed, and I quickly yanked open the door.

A blast of suffocating heat hit me in the face.

Ginny lay limp in her safety seat. Her cheeks were burning red, her lips tinged purple. Her breathing was so faint I could barely hear it.

My hands trembled as I lifted her out. Her body was scorching hot. It felt as though I was touching heated metal.

"Ginny!"

"Call emergency services! Call an ambulance!" someone shouted.

"No!" I clutched her tightly and sprinted toward my motorcycle. "I'll take her myself!"

I strapped her carefully against my back, secured her as best I could, and revved the engine.

Just as I pulled away, Shanon seemed to realize something.

"Damn it!" she shouted at Tobias. "We can't let him take Ginny to the hospital!"

I didn't look back.

I twisted the throttle to the limit.

The motorcycle shot forward like an arrow, wind screaming past my ears. Tears blurred my vision.

I muttered to myself, "Ginny, hold on. Daddy's taking you home."

The roar of the engine mixed with her faint, fragile breathing.

Suddenly, I heard a voice.

"Daddy!"

Her voice was barely a whisper, but it struck me like lightning.

I glanced into the rearview mirror.

Her little face was still burning red, but her lips went pale. Her tiny hand weakly clutched the back of my jacket.

My voice shook as I fought back tears.

"Ginny, Daddy's here. I'm taking you to the hospital right now."

She seemed to understand. Her small head rested weakly against my back.

Just then, a blinding pair of headlights appeared in my rearview mirror.

A BMW was speeding toward us.

It was Tobias.

Shouldn't he be with Shanon?

Why was he chasing me?

I knew these roads better than anyone as I delivered food here every day.

I knew every shortcut, every dead end. I could navigate them with my eyes closed.

I gritted my teeth and twisted the throttle harder, trying to shake him.

But Tobias drove like a madman, tailing me relentlessly. Several times, he nearly slammed into my rear wheel.

Damn it! What was he trying to do?

Why would he stop me from taking Ginny to the hospital?

We were less than a hundred meters from the hospital entrance when suddenly, his BMW swerved and blocked the road.

I slammed on the brakes.

The next second, Ginny and I were thrown violently into the air.

Luckily, I hit the ground first, cushioning Ginny with my body.

"Ginny! Are you okay?"

Shanon, teetering toward us in her sky-high heels, shrieked, "Leomund! Return Ginny to me!"

My mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood, but I couldn't help laughing. Blood slid from the corner of my lips.

"Ginny is my daughter, too. You- You're not fit to be her mother."

She did not even look at me. She reached straight for the straps holding Ginny in place.

Startled, Ginny began to cry, but that only irritated Shanon.

"Why are you crying? Come home with me!"

I struggled to get up, using every last bit of strength to stop her.

"Touch her and see what happens," I struggled to speak before getting cut off by my own coughing.

My face burned. Warm liquid ran down from my forehead into my eyes, stinging sharply.

Shanon hesitated for a split second, but in the end, she reached out to grab the child.

That was when someone stepped in.

A middle-aged woman from the crowd rushed forward and shoved her aside.

"You're snatching a child in broad daylight? How dare you!"

Shanon frowned impatiently. "What's it to you? She's my kid!"

"Your kid?" the woman snapped. "Unbelievable! She's barely conscious, and you won't even let someone take her to the hospital! Are you really her mother?"

Tobias stepped in front of Shanon, his face full of arrogance.

"Mind your own business, would you? Why are you meddling so much? Keep it up, and I'll have someone deal with you."

The hospital was just nearby. Thankfully, someone already called the police and an ambulance. Within moments, sirens filled the air.

Shanon's face turned pale.

Just moments ago, she was fighting to take Ginny.

Now, she jumped into her car and fled.

Soon after, Ginny and I were taken to the hospital.

The doctor examined both of us and sighed.

"Good thing you brought her in time. A child that young trapped in a car can easily suffer a fatal heatstroke."

Then his tone changed.

"However, the child has multiple soft tissue contusions and a mild concussion. She needs to be hospitalized for observation."

My heart dropped.

"From the car accident just now?"

The doctor shook his head.

"Some of the injuries don't look accidental. They appear to be inflicted. We'll need further examination."

I followed his gaze.

Ginny's back was covered in bruises, purple and blue patches that made my stomach twist.

My fists clenched silently.

No wonder Shanon didn't want me taking her to the hospital.

This was not the first time.

They were abusing her.

Ginny weakly opened her eyes. They were red and swollen. She reached out a tiny hand and held mine.

"Daddy, don't be sad."

The guilt crushed me.

This was my fault. I failed to protect her.

I never should have trusted Shanon. I never should have agreed to give her custody.

Shanon! She would pay for this!

Just then, my phone rang.

It was her.

The moment I answered, all the rage I was holding in exploded.

"You've got some nerve calling me, Shanon! Just you wait! You're a failure of a human being! You think you're taking Ginny back? Dream on!

"You turned your own daughter into a money-making prop! Doesn't your conscience hurt at all? You'd better give up custody willingly right now, or I swear I won't let this go!"

She let out a mocking laugh.

"You think you can beat me? A top influencer with ten million followers?"

Half an hour after she hung up, Richard called.

"Leomund! Check your ex-wife's video account right now!"