Our Daughter was Murdered, and My Husband soon Replaced Her with His Sweetheart's Daughter

My daughter had been kidnapped and my wealthy husband forbade me from calling the police.

“Zofia will handle the rescue mission,” he told me coldly. “She needs a first-class merit citation for bravery so her daughter can get into that elite primary school.”

“You’d better not interfere. Or I’ll have the kidnappers send you her corpse right now.”

I didn’t dare make a move at his threat. I just begged him through my tears to bring our daughter back alive.

Three days later, Zofia proudly received her first-class medal. Dominic himself handed her the certificate of honor, along with a check for a million and a half crowns.

That same day, she posted a smiling photo of Dominic with her and her daughter, all cozied up together.

The caption read: “Thank you for staging this kidnapping just so I could earn my medal.”

The post disappeared quickly.

And I… I finally found my daughter’s cold, stiff body in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. The pain was like a knife through my heart.

If he had used my daughter as a pawn, then he couldn’t blame me for burning the whole chessboard!

——

As Aina’s funeral procession passed by the awards ceremony, I saw a large crowd gathered in the square. From the loudspeakers, I heard Zofia’s triumphant laugh.

“I didn’t think much at the time, The child was so young… I just couldn’t bear it. If I could, I would have traded my life for hers,” she said.

“Thank the God because she was only frightened. the child’s already been sent to the hospital for a full check-up.”

Her words drew a wave of applause.

“Ms. Reid truly is as beautiful inside as she is out,” said the host.

He then turned the microphone toward Dominic. “Mr. Gardner, what would you like to say to Ms. Reid for saving your daughter?”

Dominic’s eyes never left Zofia. His lips curved into a faint smile.

“I heard Ms. Reid is a single mother. In addition to the miliion-and-a-half-crowns reward, I’ve decided to make her daughter my goddaughter,” he announced.

“I’ll put her on my family registry and guarantee she’ll be treated exactly like Aina—equal inheritance rights and all.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd, followed by approving murmurs and raised thumbs.

The host was stunned. “Mr. Gardner, you’re so generous! Being your daughter must be the greatest happiness!”

“Nico…” Zofia’s eyes suddenly reddened.

They exchanged a smile, as if they were savoring the intimacy of that moment. Applause and cheers thundered through the square.

Meanwhile, as the funeral procession continued, I clutched my daughter’s cold, stiff body and sobbed until I couldn’t breathe.

Zofia was lying. Aina had already been murdered.

The autopsy revealed she had been dead for three days, with multiple fractures and bruises all over her body. Even now, her eyes wouldn’t close.

Dominic ignored his own child—he’d been too busy bringing Zofia and her daughter into his home.

I will make them pay for this.

Hatred surged through me as I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn’t called in years.

“Freeze every bank account under Dominic Gardner’s name within the hour. Pull every investment and contract I’ve secretly arranged for Gardner Group over the years.”

The truth was, I was an heiress of House Blueholt, a powerful family in our capital New Ceruleath.

Years ago, I was taken hostage by robbers and Dominic had been a passerby who tried to save me and was stabbed multiple times for his trouble. That was when my feelings for him took root.

For the sake of his pride, I’d hidden my identity and stayed by his side, quietly helping him build his empire from scratch.

But now, it was time to end it.

Most of Gardner Group’s suppliers and clients only worked with him because of House Blueholt’s name. The moment we announced we were cutting ties, they would cancel their contracts. The penalty fees alone would bury him in debt.

And at that point, Zofia’s daughter could inherit every last cent of his debts.