Chapter 18%
Cameron stepped forward slowly, dragging the hammer across the floor, the sound harsh and grating. His face remained emotionless, but his eyes were locked on her like a predator.
His chest felt tight, guilt twisting into rage.
He gestured, and a few bodyguards came forward, pinning Anne to the ground.
“Weren’t your hands meant for the piano?” Cameron said quietly, his voice calm and cold. “Then you don’t need them anymore.”
Anne thrashed wildly, her eyes bloodshot. “Let go of me! You can’t do this! This is intentional harm! Let me go!”
Cameron ignored her cries. He lowered his head, brushing the back of her hand lightly.
“Such beautiful hands. What a shame.“T
She saw it then, the decision already made in his eyes.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Cameron raised the hammer and smashed it down on her fingers.
“Ahhhing
Anne’s scream tore through the basement, her body soaked in cold sweat.
Again and again, Cameron brought the hammer down on her fingers, each blow swift and merciless.
Whh! Let me go! Please, Cameron, I was wrong! I was wrong
Anne screamed, her voice raw with agony, begging for mercy. “Please! I’ll leave, I’ll disappear forever! Just let me go!”
Cameron sneered, “Leave? You think it’s that easy?”
He raised the hammer once more, striking without pause, her desperate wails filling the basement. After more than a dozen blows, Cameron grew tired of the sound and tossed the hammer aside.
Her hands were swollen, bruised, and drenched in blood.
She lay limp on the ground like a broken puppet, tossed aside.
“When Julia fell from the third floor, how much must it have hurt?”
Cameron stared into the distance, his eyes void of emotion.
Now, all he could think about was finding Julia.
He turned to the butler and ordered coldly, “Reese had convulsions, give Anne the same. Use whatever means. Record it and send it to me.“E
The butler nodded. “Yes, Mr. Cruise.”
Anne’s eyes flew open in terror.
“Mr. Cruise, I really know I was wrong! Please let me go! I’ll leave, I swear I’ll disappear forever!”
Cameron turned his back without a glance, walking out of the basement.
Her screams echoed behind him once more..
But this time, he felt absolutely nothing.
For the past six months, Cameron had flooded the city with search notices and scoured every place Julia might’ve gone, but still, not a single trace.
Every night, his daughter cried for her mother. Since the brain injury, she’d lost her spark, hier once lively eyes now dull and lifeless.
Cameron did everything he could to make it up to her. But every time he looked at that little face, so much like Julia’s, his heart twisted with guilt.
One day, Reese saw a ballet performance on TV. Her eyes lit up, glued to the screen.
“Daddy, they’re so beautiful, like fairies. I want to be as beautiful as them, too!“!!
She watched without blinking. Cameron, who had been busy searching Julia’s name again on his phone, finally set it down and looked up.l
In that moment, the memory surged back, Julia, spinning under the spotlight, graceful and proud, the brightest white swan on the stage !!
The lead dancer wore a black ballet dress, standing gracefully at center stage, radiating brilliance.
She spun again and again, each turn sharper than the last, executing one difficult move after another.
Every leap, every motion, was flawless.
She exuded a mesmerizing allure, as if her every move could stir something deep in the soul.%
12:06 AM P P
Reese gasped, “Daddy, the auntie in the black dress is so beautiful. I’ve never seen someone that pretty before.“”
Cameron stared intently at the television. The woman on stage was simply dazzling.
It was only the second time in his life that he had ever felt this kind of awe.
The first had been when he watched Julia dance beneath the spotlight.2
His heart raced wildly, every movement of the dancer in black seemed to grip his every nerve.
When the dance ended, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.
The lead dancer stepped forward, gave a deep bow, then slowly looked up and smiled. The camera zoomed in on her face, stunningly beautiful.
Cameron froze, gasping softly, unable to breathe.
It was Julia
