Hearing the noise, Jennifer panicked. She quickly waved the beggar off and picked up the little girl, gently tidying her dress.

"Patrick, you came just in time! Nina came looking for you. I was just chatting with her!"

Patrick looked at Nina with slight confusion, but in the next second, Jennifer diverted his attention. "Patrick, it's so cold outside! Quickly take Nina inside. She's not dressed warmly enough."

Her face was full of concern, but impatience flickered in her eyes.

Nina lifted her head, revealing the scratch marks on her face, hoping to stir even the slightest fatherly affection in Patrick—hoping he would comfort her like he used to.

However, Patrick only glanced at her briefly, then covered his nose with a look of disgust. "Is this how Winnie takes care of her child? She doesn't even bathe her daughter? She stinks."

His voice turned colder. "And now she’s abusing her daughter for sympathy? Trying to fool me with this pathetic act?"

He gently stroked Jennifer’s back, pulling her into his embrace to comfort her. "Jennifer, you're too soft-hearted. That's why people with ulterior motives keep taking advantage of you."

At his words, Nina and I froze in place.

Nina opened her mouth to protest, but before she could speak, tears streamed down her face. She tugged at Patrick’s pant leg.

"Daddy."

Hearing that word, Patrick’s expression darkened ominously. Annoyed, he pushed her tiny hand away.

"Spit it out. What does your mother want now? Is she dying? Or does she just need more money?"

Nina's small hands trembled, unsure where to place them, but she didn't dare argue. She had tried telling Patrick that Jennifer bullied her in secret before. However, as soon as Jennifer shed a few crocodile tears, Patrick would believe her unconditionally. He would say that Nina had been corrupted by me, that she was full of deceit.

That day, Patrick had locked Nina in a dark room for a month as punishment. She had knocked and pleaded every day, but no one ever answered.

Remembering this, Nina wiped her swollen eyes and quietly begged, "Daddy, Mommy won’t wake up again. Can you give me the music box?"

Patrick was startled and impatiently questioned, "What? It was just a heart donation. I already got her an artificial heart, and she still—!"

"Patrick!" Jennifer interrupted sharply.

Patrick turned to her, full of confusion.

"Huh?"

Noticing the flash of displeasure in his eyes, Jennifer quickly changed the subject. "Today is Johnny’s birthday. Let’s give her the music box first. Nina has been out for too long—I’m worried Winnie will be upset."

Patrick’s expression softened as he gazed at Jennifer with warmth. "Jennifer, you're too kind. I'll give her the music box, then we can go back to Johnny's birthday party."

I followed them inside the mansion. Under the glow of the chandelier, Nina's small, dirt-streaked face looked especially out of place.

Johnny, who was wearing a birthday hat, looked at Nina with curiosity. "Daddy, who is this? She smells bad!"

The boy’s ruthless mockery made Nina’s face flush red with shame. She turned to Patrick, eyes full of hope, wishing he would explain on her behalf, but all she got was his look of utter disgust.

"Did your mother teach you to act pitiful like this?"

Nina’s face went pale. She understood now—her father truly didn’t love her anymore.

When she looked up again, Patrick was already walking into his study.

Beside her, Jennifer sneered with fake sympathy in her eyes.

"Your daddy doesn't want you anymore! How about this—call me ‘Mommy,’ and I’ll let you stay in the little dark room."

Nina’s whole body trembled with fury. She shouted, "Don't even dream of it! I’d rather die than call you ‘Mom’! I only have one mother in my life! When she wakes up and finds out what you did to me, she’ll make you pay!"

A sharp pain gripped my soul as if something was tearing me apart. I couldn’t imagine how devastated my daughter would be when she learned the truth. She was only five years old. How could she possibly endure such suffering?

While Jennifer was filled with rage, I was drowning in anguish.

Hearing Patrick’s footsteps approaching, Jennifer suddenly let out a panicked cry, "My bracelet! My bracelet is missing!"

She made a show of searching herself, then narrowed her eyes at Nina, smirking.

"Nina, did you steal my bracelet?"

Nina immediately opened her mouth to defend herself.

"I didn’t take it, I—"

Before she could finish, Patrick roughly grabbed her by the ear, his eyes full of disappointment. "The moment you came back, I knew you were up to no good! Just like your scheming mother—stealing now, are you? Tell me, where did you hide it? Don’t make me search you!"

The sudden accusation made my mind go blank. I instinctively rushed to protect my daughter, screaming at Patrick. How dare he hurt my child? Did he really believe everything Jennifer said?

Nonetheless, I was just a formless spirit. No one could hear my fury.

Nina clutched her ear, tears streaming down as she pleaded, "I didn’t take Aunt Jennifer’s bracelet! Mommy didn’t teach me to steal! She’s lying! She’s a bad person! Don’t believe her!"

Her tearful defense only fueled Patrick’s fury. He ordered her to kneel, then told Jennifer to search her.

With a triumphant smile, Jennifer pounced like a vulture, tearing at Nina’s dress.

"Where did you hide it?"

The beautiful princess dress was soon in tatters. Nina’s face burned with humiliation as she struggled against Jennifer’s grasp.

"I didn’t take it! Why won’t you believe me?!"

Unfortunately, Jennifer dug her nails into Nina’s soft skin, making her cry out in pain. I watched helplessly as my daughter was stripped to only her underclothes.

Seeing no bracelet, Patrick clenched his jaw. Furious at her defiance, he grabbed Nina and threw her into the study.

"If you won’t behave, then kneel on the acupressure mat until you learn your lesson!"

The sharp spikes made it impossible for her to kneel properly.

Patrick barked, "Kneel until I’m satisfied, then I’ll give you the music box!"

A bone-deep chill consumed me. I knew my daughter too well. She must have believed that if she obeyed, she could protect me.

Just as I feared, she stopped struggling. She knelt there, letting the spikes dig into her small legs, blood seeping out.

Meanwhile, Jennifer sat by the warm fireplace with Johnny, pretending to be concerned. "Patrick, she’s just a child. What if she gets sick?"

However, Patrick only stared coldly at Nina. "If she can’t endure this and make amends for her mistake, how can she be the heir of the Harts?"

Jennifer smiled triumphantly. When she saw the tattered princess dress, she felt even more victorious—both mother and daughter had lost to her.

While the family enjoyed a warm, happy evening in the bedroom, Nina lay beside the acupressure mat in the study, her body trembling.

Before she fainted, she mumbled, "Once Daddy isn’t mad anymore, I can wake Mommy up… Mommy, please wait for me…"

That night, as Patrick prepared to eat dinner, he suddenly asked, "How long has Nina been kneeling? Did she give in?"

His secretary, Lily, hesitated before answering in a trembling voice, "Three hours… She fainted just now."

"What?!"

His spoon clattered to the floor as his expression changed.

Before he could react, his phone rang urgently.

"Hello?"

A cold voice answered, "Mr. Hart, we received a report. We found a woman's corpse at one of your rental properties."