"Serena, don’t blame me, your dad, for abandoning you and your mom..." The pickup truck sped along the bustling main road. David Sinclair slouched in the passenger seat, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag as he rolled down the window, exhaling a puff of smoke into the bright morning air, "If I hadn’t decisively let go, would you have achieved so much?" Serena remained silent, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. For a moment, Serena wanted to jerk the wheel, floor the accelerator, and crash into the greenbelt. Just like when she was little and wanted to run into a wall. But what if she didn’t die? What if she accidentally hurt pedestrians on the street? David Sinclair continued his self-praise. Get full chapters from novel⚑fire.net "Raising kids means letting go. Look at you, when you were young, your mom wouldn’t let you do anything, you were so timid, you didn’t achieve anything. Look at you now..." His gaze swept over Serena’s beautifully fitted office suit. And the diamond earrings and necklace on her ears and neck. David Sinclair commented admiringly, "You’re much better than your book-smart mom, huh? I don’t interfere with you, look how successful you are now. And your mom, she just pawns over those useless books, and in the end, got herself landed in jail... where are you driving?" He reached out to seize the wheel. The pickup screeched to a halt at the steps of the police administrative building. Looking up, the national emblem and police badge glittered in the sunlight. Officers emerged from the steps, responding to the sound. Security guards, armed and rushing out from the entrance booth. David Sinclair shivered in his heart. Serena had already opened the car door and stepped out. "Officer, he’s a fugitive suspect!" David Sinclair got out of the car, hearing Serena’s angry shout. "She’s talking nonsense, officer, she’s making it up..." He lunged forward, grabbing Serena’s arm. With a backhand slap, David Sinclair grabbed Serena’s hair tightly, smiling awkwardly at the police officers who were striding down the steps, "Officer, I’m really her father, really... If you don’t believe me, check my ID card, you can verify, this is an internal family conflict, really!" He tugged at Serena’s arm, using force. She could feel chunks of her scalp tearing away, Serena shouted fiercely, "He’s a murderer and an escapee, he has a criminal record!" "... Whether it’s the truth or not, it’ll be revealed! If you haven’t done anything wrong, why are you afraid of us checking?" The police officer who arrived afterward took action, separating them, isolating David Sinclair and Serena quickly. Doors closed, yet David Sinclair’s furious shouting remained audible. Serena took the water cup offered by the officer, absorbing the warmth emanating from it. It seemed she only truly came to her senses at this point, "That was... 16 years ago. That year, I was 12..." It’s been over a year since being dragged back from the train station, almost trafficked away as gambling capital. Perhaps it was Selene Summers’ fierce and intimidating side that terrified David Sinclair. Or maybe it was some other reason. David Sinclair vanished for a long period. When he returned, he only cursed, afraid to hit her anymore. Yet, he couldn’t bear the word divorce. Whenever Selene Summers mentioned it, he threatened viciously. As long as her mother didn’t mention it, he would only curse a bit. "Back then, my mom worked as a housekeeper at a domestic service company, rarely home. I lived at school, going back to have a meal with my mom only on weekends..." Reluctant to mention her and Selene Summers much, Serena kept it brief, "That afternoon, when I got home, there were four people besides him. I don’t remember what they were talking about, I only know they mentioned someone named Tiger Ford, saying he deserved it." "... Later I don’t know what happened, they began arguing. I got scared and decided to leave when I saw him kick the person next to him. That person fell backward, blood flowing heavily." "And then, the police arrived." "In the middle of the night, he climbed through the rear window, demanding my mom hand over all her money. My mom said she had none, and he beat her before escaping again through the window... and there was no news after that." Serena never knew the conclusion of the incident back then. But it’s undeniably true that the person lying in the pool of blood never got up again. Selene Summers held her eyes tight and carried her away, they stayed at the police station for an entire afternoon before leaving. Mom thought she was scared. She just felt regretful. Regretting why the person who died wasn’t David Sinclair. If it were him, how wonderful it would be? So that night David Sinclair appeared, laying hands on Mom, she began contemplating murder. After all, she was under 14, the law wouldn’t prosecute her. As long as he died, she and mom, would be freed. But just as she raised the hammer, David Sinclair suddenly pulled open the door and escaped, jumping through the rear window. Almost, just a little bit. "April... 14th, 2008." "No. 174 Westgate 39th Street." On one side, they were recording. On the other, searching. Very quickly, Serena displayed disappointment. The case from 16 years ago. The place Serena mentioned, had already undergone two rounds of demolition. The crime scene no longer existed. "We found the police record from that year in the file vault..." The officer handling the matter stated seriously, "David Sinclair was one of the persons who reported the case. He did kick the victim, but the cause of death was due to the victim’s head striking a nail, leading to massive blood loss... Additionally, the statements of the three present match perfectly, the coroner also confirmed accidental death." Serena suddenly raised her eyes. She thought it was David Sinclair’s weakness, that if he dared to show up, she could use this incident to send him to prison. Unexpectedly, it was all her imagination? Then considering walking out of the police station, David Sinclair would truly become her nightmare, a fate her mother could not escape even from jail. Serena felt a chill throughout her body. "Ms. Sinclair, if there’s nothing else, you may leave!" After learning that David Sinclair had cursed and left, Serena sat in the reception room for half an hour before getting up. Walking out the doors, she saw a Mercedes-Maybach speeding over and stopping below the steps. As the car stopped, Wyatt Hawthorne quickly opened the rear door and got out. "President Hawthorne..." Serena stepped back, "I’m fine now, you... should go back!" Already aware of the incidents that occurred moments ago. Through the surveillance footage, the scruffy man called out, "Serena." Even through the computer, Wyatt seemed to see Serena’s soul, detached from terror. At this moment, seeing Serena with a cold expression, refusing everyone. Wyatt seemed to have guessed what Serena was going to do. Sure enough, Serena spoke, "Wyatt, no matter what has happened, it’s over! From now on, we take different paths, let’s end this here!" Wyatt froze on the spot, a deep expression in his eyes that Serena couldn’t comprehend, "What do you mean?"