“Isaiah, this girl is a thief! She stole Emmie’s music box!” Juno said as she pointed at Coco.

“You should have Emmie transferred to another kindergarten. I don’t want her around poor characters like this bunch over here.”

“Coco did not steal Emmie’s music box. I have proof!” Astrid turned to Isaiah and waited expectantly for him to defend her.

Isaiah ducked her gaze and started looking around nervously, “Where's Emmie? Is she hurt?”

“Daddy, I'm here!” Emmie ran to him and pointed at Coco while hissing spitefully, “She stole the music box you gave me! Call the police, we have to arrest her!

“She’s a bad person, we can’t have her dancing on stage!”

Isaiah gently cupped Emmie’s face in his hand and inspected her anxiously.

“Are you okay? Is your leg hurt? Is your hand scratched?"

"Daddy, I’m okay. I didn’t fall.”

Emmie shot a sideways glance at Coco.

“It was the thief who got her face scratched! Serves her right!”

Coco’s eyes swelled with tears as she tried to defend herself.

“It was my Daddy who gave me the music box, I’m not a thief!”

People around them began whispering among themselves.

“Emmie’s music box is worth more than ten thousand dollars. All the kids were jealous of her, so Coco must have stolen it because she was jealous too!”

“She keeps insisting it was her father who gave her the music box, but I have never seen her father pick her up from kindergarten. She’s lying!”

“Coco is always sick and has to take days off from school. I'm sure her mother had to spend a fortune just to pay her medical bills.”

“Their financial situation must be difficult at home, so that’s why she decided to steal the music box. It could fetch a good price on the second-hand market!”

Astrid lowered her eyes to hide the bitterness within them.

Although she had a husband, she had been living as if she were a widow.

And now, Coco was accused of being a thief!

It was ridiculous!

Coco was furious with everything they said.

“I have a daddy!” she announced.

“He works as a doctor overseas, and he’s an amazing doctor!

“He was the one who gave me the music box!”

Juno frowned.

“It’s not good to make a habit out of lying, girl.

“Your music box is the same brand as my daughter’s. Do you know how much is it? More than you can afford!

“I can tell you have the same one as my daughter’s!”

Isaiah stole a look at the flustered Coco and suddenly felt something shift inside him.

Then, he instantly suppressed the jolt he felt.

“It's just a music box, we have plenty more at home. Come on, let’s go.”

Coco seemed very pale and was struggling to stay on her feet at that point.

Astrid was distressed and embraced her tightly while holding out her phone to Juno.

“Ms. Calzier, I received the music box in a parcel from Falo two days ago. Here is the tracking number. You can look it up if you don’t believe me.

“It was my husband who sent it to Coco!”

Juno would not take Astrid’s phone and changed the subject instead.

“I still feel like this girl’s eyebrows look just like yours, Isaiah. Are you sure you don’t know her?”

“No, I don’t,” Isaiah said firmly.

Suddenly, a teacher hurried to the scene and went up to Juno.

“Ms. Calzier, I found a music box. Do you think this belongs to your daughter? Mrs. Aubrey Claire found it in the dance studio two days ago and posted it in the lost and found group.

“Didn’t you see it?”

Juno was embarrassed by the sudden development.

She took the music box from the teacher and scurried away from the scene with Emmie.

She did not even bother to apologize to Astrid and Coco. It was as if they did not exist.

Isaiah trailed after them, but not before shooting a glare at Astrid as a warning to keep her mouth shut.

Even without his warning, Astrid would have done the same.

She knew Isaiah had already lost his final chance!

After today’s dance performance, she was going to take Coco and walk out of his life for good!

“Ms. Payne, allow me to apologize to you on behalf of Emmie, ” the headmaster said solemnly.

“Why don’t you take Coco to the infirmary? The show is about to begin.

“Sir, will I still get to dance on stage later?” Coco asked nervously.

“I want Mommy to watch me perform, I want her to take a video!”

“Of course!” The headmaster smiled graciously, “You are the most talented dancer in our kindergarten!"

Then Astrid took Coco to the infirmary to dress her wound.

When Coco snuck a glance at the door, she was taken aback and cried out, “Da… Uncle Isaiah! Why are you here?”

Astrid turned toward the door and locked eyes with Isaiah.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

Isaiah did not say anything but motioned to his assistant, Mike Lancaster, to approach.

“Coco, I got you a new music box. I hope you like it.”

Coco rubbed her eyes and took a moment to register what was happening, “Mommy, am I dreaming?

“Uncle Isaiah got me a new music box!”

“It's not a dream.”

Astrid took the music box and handed it to Coco. “Go on, play it.”

Coco danced to the rhythm of the melodic tune churning out of the music box, then her eyes began to tear up. “Thank you, Uncle Isaiah. I will cherish it.”

Isaiah noted Coco’s excitement and the tears in her eyes.

He hesitated for a few seconds before remarking in a somber voice, “Coco, Emmie wants to be the lead dancer during the performance today.

“Your face is cut anyway, so it wouldn’t be wise for you to dance. Why don’t you let Emmie take your spot instead?”

Astrid’s smile stiffened in an instant. Coco’s eyes began to fray with red as well.

So the reason he came to visit was not because he was concerned for Coco; he was only here to negotiate for Emmie.

What an insult!

“Alright, Uncle Isaiah,” Coco answered icily.

She gently caressed the white tassel ornament on the music box and felt her heart break.

The way she said it made Isaiah instinctively frown. Just as he was about to say something, the phone in his pocket rang.

It was Juno.

“Emmie has a nosebleed, we need you right now!”

His expression changed in an instant, and he left immediately.

The moment he walked out of the room, Astrid called out after him, “I mailed you something, make sure you open it tomorrow morning…”

Isaiah cut her off impatiently, “Don’t bother buying anything for me in the future, I don’t need it!”

Astrid lowered her eyes to sheathe the icy look within them and did not speak.

It was not a gift or anything like that.

It was a signed divorce agreement!

…

Later, Astrid took Coco back to the performance venue, then went to her seat.

The teacher led the children backstage to prepare for the performance.

Emmie was positioned at the front of the group.

She cheerily waved to Isaiah and Juno in the audience and smiled proudly, “Thank you, Daddy, for making my dream come true!”

As soon as she said that, Astrid noticed Coco, who was assigned to the back of the group, nearly slip and fall.

Her heart nearly broke at the sight.

She got up and waved at her to encourage her, “You can do it, Coco! You’re the best!”

Coco's eyes brightened, and she responded with a bright smile.

Soon, the performance officially began. Astrid sat among the audience and flipped through the program sheet.

She realized Coco was scheduled for the last performance of the day, the dance of the Four Little Swans.

After patiently waiting an hour, it was finally time for the Four Little Swans to get on stage.

She reached for her phone and started recording, only to find that Coco was nowhere to be seen!

She was gone!

Astrid felt herself getting dizzy and quickly went to the headmaster to ask for an explanation.

The headmaster answered solemnly, “Ms. Payne, I was just about to speak to you.

“We just found out that Coco is missing. I spoke to the security guards and had them pull the surveillance camera footage. They are looking into it as we speak.

“Could you tell me where your daughter usually likes to hang out?”

“She loves to dance!" Astrid said anxiously, “Take me to the dance studio, please!”

When they got to the dance studio, it was empty. Coco was nowhere to be seen.

Astrid ran around the kindergarten in search of Coco to no avail.

Soon, the other parents heard about what happened and started to help as well, but it was no use.

One hour passed. Then two hours came and went.

It had been three hours since Coco’s mysterious disappearance, but still, there were no leads!

Astrid was sweating anxiously when she spotted Emmie, who was playing on a swing in the playground. She was toying with a white tassel pendant.

Astrid approached her and asked anxiously, “That’s an ornament from my daughter’s music box! Have you seen Coco anywhere?”

“Astrid, what are you trying to say?” Juno ran over out of nowhere and wrapped her arms protectively around Emmie, who had started bawling her eyes out.

She was furious. “This is just a common tassel pendant, you can find it anywhere! How dare you accuse my daughter of withholding information about Coco?”

“What’s going on, Juno?” Isaiah had appeared, too.

He noticed the dark look in Astrid’s eyes and noted her strange demeanor.

“Astrid showed up and accused Emmie of hiding information about where Coco is, even though she does not have any proof.”

Juno was upset.

“She was the one who didn’t know how to look after her daughter, how dare she pin the blame on someone else! It’s ridiculous!”

“Mr. Lear, the white tassel pendant Emmie is holding comes from Coco's music box!” Astrid announced sternly.

“Emmie must have seen Coco before she disappeared!

“Coco has been missing for three hours. Do you know what this means?

“We can’t afford to waste any time, her life might be in danger!”

Isaiah's expression shifted slightly at her words.

He bent low and gently took Emmie's hand. “Emmie, you can tell Daddy the truth. Have you seen Coco? ”

“No!” Emmie's eyes looked away shiftily. “The white tassel pendant… I picked it up off the floor.”

“You are clearly lying!” Astrid insisted angrily. “I made sure to tighten it around Coco's music box, so it wouldn’t just fall off! Where did you see Coco? Answer me, now!”

“Ms. Payne, my daughter says she picked it up off the floor, which part of it don’t you understand?

“If you keep accusing her, I will have the headmaster come over and settle this for us!”

Astrid was in no mood to bicker over this. She needed to find her daughter. She made up her mind to call the police.

When the police arrived, Emmie ducked behind Isaiah and whimpered timidly, “Daddy, I'm scared, please tell them to go away!”

Isaiah frowned.

“Emmie, I’m going to ask you one more time. Have you seen Coco?” he asked solemnly.

“I haven’t seen her, I promise!” Emmie said with tears in her eyes.

“Honey, please give us the tassel pendant.”

The chief officer came up to them and spoke sternly, “Coco has been missing for three hours. This is a very urgent situation. We have to find her as soon as possible.”

Emmie tossed the tassel pendant away as if she were playing hot potato. Then she demanded that Isaiah take her home.

Isaiah obliged and took her away. Before he left, he stopped and turned to Mike. “Bring more manpower over and find the girl."

Juno was taken aback by the gesture while Emmie looked upset.

Astrid was in no mood to care about how they felt. She followed the police officers and their patrol dogs to the back of the school building.

Suddenly, the police dog started barking at the innermost closet in the dressing room!

“Coco!”

Astrid charged at the closet and pounded at the door as hard as she could while crying out, “Are you in there? Say something, it’s Mommy!

"Someone, pry this door open, hurry up!”

As soon as the closet door opened, Astrid was shocked by what she saw.

Coco was in a curled-up position inside the closet. Her breathing was very weak, and her face was a faint purple.

The back of the closet door was covered with scratches. She had been clawing at it with her nails!

Astrid carried the distressed Coco in her arms and was in complete shock by this point.

After they got into the ambulance waiting by the entrance, she cried out frantically, “Hang in there, Coco! We’ll get you to the hospital!”

Moments before the door closed, Isaiah gripped the door and entered the ambulance as well and declared, “I’m coming with you.”

“What are you doing here?” Astrid was equally surprised and slightly disgusted by his sudden appearance. “I don’t need you here, quit acting like you care! Scram!”

Isaiah was surprised by the way the usually docile and timid Astrid was lashing out at him. He paused briefly before turning to the driver, “Go on, drive!”

The ambulance took off. The pair was stuck in the cramped space, facing each other.

“Uncle Isaiah…”

Isaiah got up and held Coco’s hand firmly.

“Coco, who locked you in the closet?” he asked gravely.

“It was Emmie.”

Coco’s voice was frail as she spoke.

“She saw the picture of you that I kept inside my pencil case and found out that you were my father. She said she would keep it a secret if I would stay inside the cabinet for two hours…”

“I… did I last two hours?”

Astrid was heartbroken and could not bear to listen anymore.

She felt a torrent of emotions inside her and shoved Isaiah away while howling at him, “Don't you feel any guilt?

“This happened because you are too lax with Emmie! You let her hurt Coco and let her get away with it!”