Then that bold idea struck me when I least expected it.
Wait a minute. If the house is unguarded, then this might be my chance to get the hell out of here,I thought to myself, my brain already reeling with the possibility of my escape.
All the maids were having fun in one room, meaning no one would see me leave. Sure, the CCTVs would capture my movement, but before anyone could track me down, I’d be long gone.
I stepped away from the door, my heart pounding in my chest. This was the only opportunity I would ever get to escape this place, and I wasn’t going to sleep on it. No.
The first thing I needed was some cash, and I knew exactly where to get it. I picked up my pace, hurrying through the empty corridors as I made my way to Demyon’s study.
For some reason, the man never bothered to lock the place whenever he went out. Maybe because he knew no one was bold enough to walk in there without his permission.
Not me.
I pushed the door open and waltzed in, heading straight to this desk. I knew men like him always had loads of cash stashed away in their drawers.
I wasn’t wrong.
There were about three bundles of cash neatly arranged in one of his drawers. I was pretty sure that I wasn’t the only one to have stumbled upon them. The cleaners must’ve seen the cash too. But no one dared steal from Demyon Tarasov.
I wasn’t a thief, but these were desperate times, and desperate measures were needed. With this money, I could disappear for a really long time—someplace he wouldn’t find me.
Without hesitation, I picked up one load of cash from the drawer and gently closed it back. I spotted the blinking red light of the CCTV above, but that didn’t stop me. I looked right at the camera with a blank expression. No guilt. No remorse.
I knew he was going to see the tape, and I wanted him to know that I did this on purpose.
Quietly, I walked out of his study with the confidence that no one was going to stop me. I headed back to my former room, grabbed a backpack, and stashed the cash into it.
While the maids were busy having fun in that room upstairs, I walked out through the front door, calm and confident.
The walk from the mansion to the front gate took forever, but eventually I made it. By the time I was outside, I drew a deep, long breath, inhaling the sweet scent of freedom.
I glanced back at the giant gates behind me, and a cocky grin played at the corners of my mouth. At last, I’d escaped this gilded cage without even trying. Impressive.
I turned around and walked away.
***
The cab pulled up outside my childhood apartment, then drove off after I got out. I slung the backpack over my shoulder and exhaled sharply before walking toward the front door.
I was about to knock when I realized the door wasn’t locked. That’s strange; Dad never left the front door open. Myhand hovered over the door handle, my eyes squinting ever so slightly.
I glanced around. The neighborhood was quiet tonight, the streetlamps casting long shadows across the sidewalks. The door creaked open, and I walked into the dark apartment.
“Dad?” I called, my voice low and cautious. “Hello?”
Something snapped beneath my shoes—broken glass or maybe a shattered ceramic. I groped the wall until I found the light switch and flicked it on. My eyes narrowed as I adjusted to the brightness, revealing an empty space.
My backpack slipped off my shoulder, and my eyebrows rose in disbelief. It didn’t look like anyone had been here in a while—the place was cleared out, and nothing was left behind.
What I’d stepped on was a broken flower vase that used to be on the table at the entrance. Shocked to my bones, I dared to walk further into the abandoned apartment, hoping my eyes were deceiving me.
Everything was gone: the furniture, the appliances, the pictures—all gone. I found my way to his room, and even that was cleared out. I didn’t want to believe it at first, but the signs made it clear that he’d run away.
He’d taken his things and fled without me.
I felt my heart ache inside my chest as tears stung my eyes. The realization hit me hard. He’d abandoned me with his debts and a number of dangerous creditors who would do anything to get their money back.
And to think I came here with enough money to pay off all he owed. What kind of father would do this to his own child?
