Chapter 90 - Childhood (2)

"Y-Yue…"

He felt like a bucket of cold water was poured onto him, as he approached his wife while carrying his daughter.

"No, no, no… This can't be happening."

His hands were trembling as he touched his wife's cold body. She wasn't breathing anymore.

In a normal day like this, she was gone just like that.

Dennis screamed in agony.

Who did this? Who was it?

His eyes were filled with anger and madness. His heart was screaming to find the person who did this and exact vengeance on them.

But before that, he was reminded of his daughter, the only one left in his life. He hugged her tightly and whispered to his wife, "I will come back." Then, he ran outside the house.

It was still raining when he went out, so he protected his daughter from the rain. There was a small clinic in the village. He doubted that they would be able to do anything, but it'll do for now.

However, he was stopped by a black luxury car. He frowned and cursed at them.

The door the backseat opened and showed an old man that had an imposing look.

"You're..."

Dennis recognized this old man. He was none other than his father-in-law, Oujiro Lein.

"Mr. Lein, I do not know why you are here but I'm in a hurry and can't afford to entertain you." Dennis said with a solemn look. Oujiro sneered at him.

"For someone who stole someone else's daughter, you are quite bold."

Dennis decided to ignore him. His daughter was his priority. He turned around to run again but was stopped once again.

"Mr. Lein, what's the meaning of this?" He asked as he looked at the few burly men who was starting to surround them.

"Get them." Oujiro said in a cold voice.

Of course, Dennis would not go down without a fight. He fought back even though he would still get captured.

A while later, Dennis was knocked out but he was still holding Ayami in his arms, protecting her.

"So that's my granddaughter." Oujiro mumbled to himself. Then he ordered his men to search for his daughter.

When Ayami opened her eyes, she was lying on an unfamiliar room. There were a few people wearing outfits she hadn't seen before standing by the wall.

Seeing that the little girl woke up, one went out while the others started approaching her. It made Ayami scared seeing these strangers so she called for her mother and father.

The strangers looked at her in pity, but they still did their jobs. They bathed Ayami and dressed her up. Next, they led her to a room.

All the people inside the room were unfamiliar to her. All of their gazes were on her, making her shrink. Some were hostile, some were a look of pity while some were neutral, but Ayami could not understand all of this yet.

Her gaze landed on a familiar figure. She ran to him with tears on her eyes. "Daddy!"

Dennis carried her and patted her back, making Ayami feel comfortable. Dennis looked at her with gentle eyes for a brief second. His face returned to the stern gaze he wore since coming here.

"Patriarch, I can't allow this."

"The moment that woman left, she became an outsider. She's no longer part of the family."

"She doesn't even have the blood of the Lein."

"Furthermore, why did you bring that man here? And why isn't that woman here?"

"Why would she become part of our family? That useless child will be nothing but a burden."

"Patriarch, please think about this carefully."

"SILENCE!" Oujiro roared out in anger as he slammed the table violently, making it rock for a second. His relatives quietened down.

"*Hic*…" A hiccup interrupted the silent room. Everyone turned their gaze towards the source of it.

Ayami held her mouth, her face pale from the suddenness of the situation, while tears were on the verge of falling down.

"Tsk. My decision is final. I would like to see who would dare challenge my authority."

They could not say anything in response. They could only lower their heads as it was the final decision of the head.

Oujiro stood up and beckoned the father and daughter to follow him. They walked up to the main entrance, where Oujiro stopped.

"5 minutes."

Dennis put down her daughter and squatted. He patted her head as he spoke the following words, "Ayami, this will be your new home."

"Wow, really? We will live here?" Ayami smiled brightly. The hand that was patting her froze while his face looked sad.

"No, Ayami. It's not 'we', it will be only 'you'. I can't live here."

Ayami didn't understand it at first, but as Dennis explained, tears started to stream down her cheeks.

Her face was devoid of any expression as she asked him, "Daddy, why can't you live here? Are you leaving me behind? Is it because I'm not a good girl? What about Mommy? Where is Mommy? Did she already left me behind?"

So many questions that could be answered by a simple 'yes' or 'no', yet Dennis could not answer them. He pulled her into a hug, a tight hug.

"Time is up." Oujiro interrupted their emotional parting.

"Please, just give me one more minute. Even a few seconds is fine." Dennis begged, not letting go of her daughter.

"Drag him out." Oujiro ignored his plea.

A few men started to separate them. Ayami tightly clutched to her father's clothes, desperately screaming, "No!" "Daddy!" but Oujiro coldly separated them.

The men dragged Dennis out of his home. Ayami watched them, as they took away her father.

Ayami glanced at the old man. She collapsed on the floor as she imprinted this old in her mind, who had a twisted smile on his face as he separated them.

"Well, kid today you will start living here."

He left as soon as he said those words.

This was the start of her hell.