CHAPTER 37

 Alan knelt down despite his injuries; he looked skinny and had eye bags. He was paying the price of not protecting Sage.

 Stilettos could be heard walking in the room, "raise up there's no need of all this." The woman sat at the stool near where Alan knelt.

 "But they've not found her," the woman gave the sad news. He never planned to torture this boy. She just gave him a simple task and he did not do his work.

 "I'm so sorry," he stood up almost falling but held himself together, he was a man after all. "I'll never stop till I find her."

"I hope so," She had lost two daughters and almost got the older one but she was snatched back. If she finds the person behind all this he/she would pay.

 "Go take a shower you stink." Alan left, leaving the woman and her assistant. "Still nothing," Her assistant could only shake her head helplessly. She tried her best to get to where she was so she could get her daughters back.

 Claudia entered her room took a shower and walked out, "Josh, get me the car keys I'm going out,"

Josh ran and brought Claudia's car keys, "Mam, do you need me to drive you?" Claudia shook her head and smiled.

"I need some time alone," Josh nodded. "Good, now open the gate."

 "Take care," 

She drove down the street reminiscing, all the memories. Her wavy hair played along with the wind, her clear skin reflected on the car window.

 She stopped at a particular park, jumped down her car and walked down the park's street. Everything was still the same, the shops. The supermarket across the street was the same what was different was that it was old.

 She stopped at a particular spot got out and locked her car door. She took slow steps running her fingers on the wall. In front of her was that red door that she missed all her life. 

 The door creaked open and a woman stood there. Her complexion said so much and the man who sat on the wooden chair trebled. The two people looked at each other with tears in their eyes.

None of them expected this to happen. Claudia jumped in the man's arms and cried out all the anger that she had locked in all those years. The man held her soo tightly as if she would disappear the way she appeared.

He knew very well that the mistakes that he did affected everyone in his life including his younger daughter. He cried with so much paid because she still remembered him after all that he got her through, the pain was too much to bear and he passed out. With no time to wasted Claudia got him to the nearby hospital 

She sat there besides her dad and looked at his sickly face, he was so unhealthy… skinny like he hadn't eaten for days. His right leg was injured and because of not seeking medical attention it was infected and now they had to get rid of it.

 "Dad I'm so sorry I came so late," Her tears washed his face making him open her eyes… He looked at Claudia ashamed.

 She hadn't changed, she was still the same sweet girl that cared about others first. She accepted his conditions just so to save him.

 "No…" he tried siting up so he could see her small face. He held out his bonny hands and held her smooth hands. "You should be mad at me sweet girl… I ruined you." Beads of tears ran down his old face, this was the first time that she saw him soo weak and it tore her apart.

 (HEAD ABOVE WATER BY Avril Lavigne)

 "I made you marry into an abusive family just so I could benefit in something that failed…"

"No…No dad, I will never be mad at you…" She wiped his tears, "I'm here right, that's all that matters." They hugged again so tightly trying to ease each other's pain which was so difficult and never could be replaced in a lifetime.

 A phone interrupted them,

 "Boss we found her…"