Olivia's father was driving his car at full speed to reach the police station as soon as possible, eager to learn the truth about his daughter. He tightened his shaky grip on the steering wheel and tried his best to control his emotions, which were attempting to overwhelm his mind like the flow of floodwaters.

As a result, sweat began to bead on his forehead and trickle down his neck. He licked his lips and gulped nervously. Meanwhile, the reporters shamelessly followed his car, as if chasing a criminal.

Out of the blue, precious moments from his past with their daughter started appearing on the windshield of his car without his awareness. It seemed as if he was daydreaming about their time together while driving, reliving those moments. They floated through his mind seamlessly, like white clouds in a blue sky.

                                ***

Mr. Ronaldo Whitley, father of Olivia Whitley, received a voice message from his wife: "Ron, please come home fast, it's very urgent!" He was in his office at the police station, drinking a glass of water after solving a criminal case, when he pressed the play button on his cell phone to listen to the message.

Thud!

The glass fell from his hand and shattered into several pieces on the floor. He widened his eyes, filled with worries and anxiety.

He grabbed his car keys from the table and got out of his office. Then he gave instructions to one of his junior officers in a soft but serious voice, "I'm going home, please manage the situation for me."

"But sir, you have to attend an important meeting about the C.G. Company fraud case with our senior officer, Mr. Pattinson," the junior officer replied with a note of concern.

"That's why I need your help. You have to manage everything wisely in my absence. I believe in you, and don't worry, I'll try to come back as soon as possible!" Ronaldo shouted as he ran toward the parking lot. He got into his car and, within a few seconds, drove away toward his home, stress weighing heavily on his mind.

                                ***

"Evelyn, what happened?" Ronaldo asked in an apprehensive tone after opening the door to his house. He was extremely shocked to find the drawing room empty, with no trace of his wife or daughter. The room was shrouded in darkness, which was particularly alarming because his daughter was afraid of the dark. She usually slept with a lamp on the table beside her bed and kept every light on in their rooms during the day while she played.

As a consequence, drops of sweat began to accumulate on his forehead as he thought about his family's safety. It took only a few seconds for him to conclude that his family had been kidnapped by one of his enemies. In his profession, he had earned a lot of respect, but he had also made many enemies.

"No, it can't be true! No!" he mumbled to himself. With a puzzled mind, he was about to leave the house to search for his family, but he stopped in his tracks when he heard something.

"Dad!"

After hearing the word, he immediately turned around and saw his daughter standing in front of him, holding a small cake in her little hands. The whole drawing room was decorated with different types of lights because it was Ronaldo's birthday. He used to like seeing those types of decorations. Evelyn stood beside their daughter, smiling widely.

"Happy Birthday, Dad!" Olivia, Ronaldo's 5-year-old daughter, wished him with a huge smile and lots of excitement on her face.

After seeing her face, he released a deep sigh of relief, but his eyes became teary at the same time. Evelyn understood her husband's state of mind, so she took the cake from their daughter's hand. Ronaldo sat down on the floor on his knees and burst into tears.

After seeing that, little Olivia ran to her father and hugged him tightly. With a soft voice, but full of guilt, she said, "You didn't return home last week, and you didn't call us either! I was missing you badly, so I asked Mom to send you a fake message! I'll never lie to you again, Dad, I promise!"

Olivia's mother smiled to herself upon witnessing her little daughter's cleverness. It had been Evelyn's idea to pave the way for her husband to return home as soon as possible, especially on his birthday, since their daughter had been eagerly awaiting his arrival for a long time.

"Never do this again. You mean everything to me. I feel breathless at the thought of you getting even a scratch." Olivia's father's voice cracked as tears streamed down both his cheeks, causing Evelyn to feel guilty for her actions too.

Olivia stepped back from the hug, gently wiped the tears from her father's face, then smiled and said, "Dad, you can go back to your work after cutting the cake."

Her parents smiled too upon hearing her words, seeing her maturity. Ronaldo kissed her forehead and replied, "Yes, ma'am, as you wish."

                               ***

BANG!

An extremely loud noise reverberated due to a car crash at a traffic signal three miles away from the NYC police station. A car had been speeding straight through a red light, ignoring the traffic signal. Consequently, it collided with a truck approaching from the right side simultaneously, causing the car to roll several times on the road before smashing.

People who were present at the scene got out of their cars with great concern, and some of them hurried to the smashed car to see if the driver was alive.

"Hello, please send an ambulance immediately to this location! Mr. Ronaldo Whitley's car has been in a serious accident!" Mili Jonson, a reporter who had been following him from Synder Villa, dialed 911 for help. After that, she rushed to the car and began directing the crowd to get a clearer view of him.

"Please, move out of our way!"

After arriving, she looked through the broken car window and saw that Olivia's father's unconscious body was fully covered in blood, with a severe head injury.

She gasped, placing her right palm over her mouth. Unknowingly, a teardrop fell from her left eye. Just moments ago, she had been brazenly questioning Ronaldo about his daughter's personal life and her affairs with someone else. At that moment, she understood the anguish a father could feel upon receiving such terrible news and hearing questions about his daughter's character.

"Miss Jonson, why are you standing like a statue? Please cover the news," she snapped back to reality upon hearing the cameraman from their news channel.

"Yes," she replied, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Afterward, she started to work with a heavy heart.

                                   ***

Meanwhile, in the police station, inside the investigation room, Olivia was sitting on a chair while a doctor stitched the cut on her forehead. Martin Parker, Ronaldo's junior officer, had called a doctor to check on his senior's daughter before they arrived at the police station. Knowing how devastated they were mentally, he wanted to provide them with some peace of mind so that they wouldn't have to worry about Olivia's physical wound.

All of a sudden, his phone began to ring, and he answered after checking the caller ID. His face turned pale as he took the call, and he immediately glanced at Olivia through the transparent window. He struggled with how to break the news of her father's accident to her.

"What should I do now?" he mumbled to himself and gulped his saliva in nervousness.

He took some deep breaths to gather his courage and was about to unlock the door of the investigation room to enter. Before he could do so, someone grabbed his wrist to stop him. With a swift motion, he turned to his right to see who it was and was shocked.

                                 ***

After stitching the cut on Olivia's forehead, the doctor gave her some pain medication and left. Initially, she refused to eat anything. However, when a female police officer arrived and explained the potential trouble her decision might cause for her father, Olivia ate some spaghetti and took the medicine. Within ten minutes, she fell into a deep sleep, resting her head on the table against her will.

The doctor also gave her a sleeping pill because she needed rest to reduce her physical pain and anxiety. After five hours, Olivia slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She lifted her head to sit properly in the chair and was surprised to see someone she had disliked since childhood: her father's childhood friend and colleague, Mr. Drake Wilson.

"My dear Oli, how are you feeling now? Did you sleep well after killing your husband?" He hurled his venom at her wounded heart in the form of questions, an evil smirk on his lips. It seemed he wanted to rub salt in her wounds just to see the pain in her eyes.

But his inner desires were thwarted when Olivia ignored his questions and, without showing any emotion, asked, "I want to give my statement. Where is Mr. Ronaldo Whitley? Please call him."

Drake got enraged after hearing her reply because he didn't expect Olivia to control her emotions after that huge incident. He had disliked her since childhood because she was the one who had pulled off his friend's fake mask in front of her parents.

But he restrained his anger toward her at that moment because he was determined to punish her at any cost. Fortunately, after many years, he finally got the chance. So, he began his manipulative tactics within the formal rules of the police department.

"As per the formal rules, your father can't handle your case. That's why I'm here instead of him, to ensure justice for the victim. I hope you don't have any objections to this," Drake replied, his expression innocent yet dramatic.

"No. I'm ready," Olivia replied with a firm voice.

"Ok, let's start," Drake said, as he began to record her statement.

After recording everything, Drake looked at Olivia, who kept her gaze lowered. In his mind, he thought, "Stupid girl, you dug your grave with your hands. Now I can sleep peacefully because my revenge will succeed. I ruined your parents' lives a few years ago, and now you've fulfilled my last wish by destroying your own life!" With a smirk, he walked away.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I promised I would never deceive you, but I did, repeatedly over several years. Perhaps this is why my life unraveled so suddenly. At that time, I felt trapped, unable to bear the thought of causing pain to you or our friends by revealing the harsh realities of our lives. That's why I resorted to weaving a web of lies to shield everyone.

But I couldn't save anyone—neither my loved ones nor my friends. I've damaged your reputation and hurt your dignity. I'm a failure who has lost everyone. I deserve punishment for my deeds, and I have no regrets for what I'm doing now. If possible, try to forget about this liar and start a new life without any stain on your reputation or burden on your shoulders. I love you, Dad!"

Olivia whispered those words to herself, looking down and taking deep breaths to suppress her tears. Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes, preparing herself for the upcoming judiciary trial.

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