Daniel slowly climbed the staircase.
With each step the sounds grew clearer—men talking, laughing, glasses clinking.
He stopped in front of a bedroom door that was slightly open.
Inside, on the bed he once shared with Vanessa, his twenty-eight-year-old wife lay half-dressed between two older men drinking champagne and laughing.
The sight made his stomach turn.
Behind him Emma spoke quietly.
“Daddy… can I go to my room? I’m very cold.”
Daniel stepped away from the door, anger burning in his chest.
He carried Emma down the hallway to her bedroom.
When he opened the door, his heart nearly broke.
The bed was messy and clearly hadn’t been changed for days. Dirty dishes with spoiled food sat on the floor. The room smelled terrible.
“Emma… when was the last time you took a bath? When did you eat properly?”
She counted slowly on her fingers.
“Maybe… five days ago. Aunt Vanessa said dirty kids aren’t allowed inside when important guests come.”
Daniel felt his knees weaken.
Five days.
His daughter had been abandoned while his wife—
He forced the thought away.
“And where is Mrs. Helen?” he asked, referring to the housekeeper.
Emma’s eyes filled with tears.