At the very least, from now on, she had official protection, and Arthur would never abandon her again. With the CPS file now opened and Arthur’s commitment to stay vigilant, a first door of hope had been cracked open for Maya. She now had both the law watching over her, and a strong emotional anchor.
Even though she had to return to Thomas, she was no longer alone. That night, in a smoky, noisy bar, where Thomas often went to drown his debts and escape responsibility, he sat alone drinking, irritated by the ongoing CPS investigations. A drinking buddy suddenly leaned in close, whispering in his ear with a sinister, tempting tone, Someone’s willing to buy your girl.
The price isn’t bad. Just sign, and you’ll be free of your debts, free of that house, nothing to worry about anymore. Thomas froze, his glass clinking softly as it touched another.
His eyes flickered with conflict between the hollow remnants of conscience and the pull of desperation. His hand trembled violently as he gripped the glass. The suggestion from his drinking buddy at the bar that night had planted a sinister thought in Thomas’s mind, a ruthless escape from crushing debt and the suffocating scrutiny of CPS.
The turmoil in his eyes slowly hardened into numbness, a hopeless surrender. He had no other choice, he told himself. Sarah Davis’s investigations infuriated him, he felt like a And after that stranger who had interfered in his life, Thomas would now pay for that interference by accepting this proposal.
Thomas’s debts kept piling higher and higher. His creditor, a hulking man with a scarred face, had been showing up at the rundown motel repeatedly, his threats growing sharper each time. He didn’t just demand the money he warned Thomas his life would be at risk if payment wasn’t made on time.
The pressure pushed Thomas to his breaking point. He needed money, right now. The offer to sell Meyer, brutal as it was, seemed like the only glimmer of light in his desperate darkness.
Late at night, in a dim, musty rental room that reeked of damp and dust, just steps from an abandoned parking lot, the secret meeting took place. The broker, a heavyset man with a permanent fake smile plastered on his face, sat across from Thomas. Thomas looked worn out and tense, nervously running his fingers through his greasy, tangled hair.
The broker laid a thick stack of cash and a contract on the table. Thomas, just sign here. This is a golden opportunity.
Once you sign, all your debts disappear. You’ll be free, and the girl, the girl will have a better life. You won’t need to worry about a thing anymore.
His voice was syrupy, coaxing like a venomous snake whispering into Thomas’s ear. He knew Thomas had been pushed past the edge. Thomas stared at the cash, then at the paper.
His eyes flickered with torment. For an instant, the image of his late wife drifted across his mind, followed by the sound of Meyer’s laughter when she was still little. He slumped forward onto the table, drained the last of his drink, and tried to silence the faint pangs of conscience that still clung to him.
Muttering incoherently about his wife and Meyer, he clutched at the last shred of his humanity. But despair, debt, and relentless threats from the loan sharks had squeezed it all out of him. His hand shook pathetically, miserably, then slowly reached out for the pen.
Meyer, held in the next room by one of the broker’s men, had no idea what was happening. Exhausted and frightened after days of Thomas’s abuse and the sudden arrival of CPS, she had fallen into a restless sleep. The broker wanted everything finalized before bringing her out.
Meyer felt her body being lifted, then shoved into a cramped, pitch-dark space. The unfamiliar chill and the damp, mouldy smell jolted her awake. Her head was spinning, but some instinct deep inside warned her of danger.
Her small hands groped for something familiar and touched a hard object tucked in the pocket of her old coat. It was the old phone Arthur had secretly given her a few days earlier when he had stopped by and found Thomas gone again. He had already programmed his own number into the contacts and told her only this.
Meyer, if anything dangerous ever happens, anytime, just text me anything at all. Don’t say it out loud, just text and I’ll know. At the time, Meyer had only nodded, not fully understanding, but she had clutched that phone like a treasure.
In the dim gloom of the car, Meyer fumbled to light up the screen. Her fingers trembled, struggling to tap each letter, desperate to send out a message for help. She managed only a short text, just two words.
Daddy. She couldn’t type anything more. Her body slipped back into unconsciousness, the phone falling from her hand with a faint thud against the car floor.
She drifted off completely, utterly still. At that very moment, Arthur was sitting in his home office. He had no idea about the deal taking place in that rented room.
Suddenly, his eyes froze on the glow of his phone screen where a message had just appeared. Daddy. Arthur’s heart clenched.
Daddy. Not Uncle Arthur. The message, vague and abrupt as it was, sent a chill down his spine.
It wasn’t a call. It wasn’t a text asking for food. It was a faint cry for help from a child who never dared to ask for anything.
He knew instantly that something terribly wrong was happening. Arthur didn’t hesitate for a single second. He grabbed his coat and rushed down to the garage for his car.
He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he knew Meyer was in danger. He immediately dialed Inspector Mark, the one who had been quietly working with him to keep an eye on Thomas. Mark.
It’s Arthur. Meyer’s in danger. I just got a message from her.
I’m heading toward the old boarding house near the abandoned lot. Get there now. Arthur’s car tore through the night.
He didn’t know precisely where Meyer was, but he knew she was on the move. He didn’t know Thomas’s full plan, but he knew the man had crossed the line. A storm of emotions surged inside Arthur, shifting from crushing worry to a furious explosive rage.
The message that read Dad on Meyer’s old phone sent Arthur racing into the stormy night. Without hesitation, he called Inspector Mark, his voice urgent. Mark.
It’s Arthur. Meyer’s in danger. I just got a message from her…
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