Chapter 1
For nineteen years, Lily’s entire world was measured by the four damp walls of a locked room and the faded fur of a one-eyed teddy bear. She didn’t know what the sun felt like, only the cold heavy hand of her mother, and the heavy silence of the apartment neighbors who thought the flat was empty.Weeks turned into silence until a foul smell began to seep from beneath the door of Flat 4B. When the neighbors finally kicked the door open, they were met with horror. Eleanor lay dead on her bed, a knife driven deep into her chest, surrounded by dried blood. In the adjacent dark room, 19-year-old Lily was shivering with a lethal fever, clutching her teddy bear. While Lily was rushed to the hospital, a neighbor found an old notebook with a phone number labeled 'Father'. They dialed it immediately. On the other end of the line, it wasn't her father who picked up—it was a young man named Leo.When Lily opened her heavy eyes in the white hospital room, an old man was sitting beside her, tears streaming down his face. He reached out to touch her hand, but Lily shrieked, scrambling back into the corner of the bed, clutching her teddy bear like a shield."Who are you?!" she screamed, her voice cracking with terror. "Are you going to chop off my hands and feet? Are you going to make me beg on the streets? Please, don't hurt me!"The old man collapsed to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "No, my child! Why would I ever do that? I am your father. I've been looking for you for nineteen years!"Outside the hospital room, Leo, who was handling the case as Lily's lawyer, stood firmly against the detectives. The moment Leo had looked into Lily's terrified, innocent eyes, his heart skipped a beat. It was love at first sight, and he instantly vowed to protect this girl forever."She is a victim, not a killer!" Leo argued sharply. "She was locked in that dark room for nineteen years. Investigate the flat, find the real fingerprints, but leave this terrified girl alone."Leaving the police behind, Leo stepped inside the chaotic room. Lily was screaming, throwing whatever she could grab at her weeping father. Leo gently stepped between them, his voice calm and soothing. "Hey... it's alright. No one is going to hurt you," he whispered, slowly raising his hands to show he meant no harm.He sat on the edge of the bed and gently placed his hand on Lily's feverish forehead. Under his warm, protective touch, Lily's wild breathing began to slow down. She looked at him with innocent, child-like eyes.Leo smiled warmly. "Do you like chocolates, Lily?" she nodded slowly, still trembling. Leo then looked down at the tattered, one-eyed teddy bear in her arms. "You know what? I can fix your teddy bear too. I'll give him a brand new eye and stitch him up perfectly."Lily’s eyes lit up with sudden joy. "Will you buy me ice cream too?" she asked in a small, hopeful voice.Leo chuckled softly, his heart aching with deep affection for her. "I will buy you all the ice cream you want. But first, you have to trust me and come home with me where you'll be safe."
