A Daughter Nobody Wanted

Chapter 5

Melissa stared at her dad the room felt like the walls were closing in "Victory Williams hates our family, The words wouldn’t leave her head. Her fingers were crushing the business card.

"Dad..."? It came out as a whisper.

Richard turned his face to the window his breathing was wrong, Shallow, like the sentence had taken everything out of him.

Melissa dragged a chair closer the legs scraped.

"What do you mean?" Nothing.

"Dad." Still nothing.

That quiet was worse than yelling, "Dad. Look at me." he did. And Melissa almost wished he hadn’t "There was something in his eyes she’d never seen before, not on him. Guilt, Old, Heavy, the kind you carry for twenty years and never put down.

"Dad..." He swallowed. "I never wanted you anywhere near this."

Melissa sat down. "Then tell me, His hands were shaking he rubbed them over his face like he could wipe the words away. Outside, sunlight hit the window. Inside, the room felt dark....

Richard finally spoke. "Twenty years ago I worked for Victor’s father." Melissa frowned. "You knew them?"

"Better than I should have."

She leaned in the card was bending in her hand "What happened?" His eyes closed. For a long time he didn’t say anything "When he opened them, he looked tired. "A lot."

Melissa’s chest squeezed. "Dad."

There was an accident."She sat up straighter "What kind of accident?" He stared at the ceiling like he was somewhere else. "Victor was just a kid he trusted everyone thought people were good."

A bitter laugh "He learned fast." Melissa felt cold "What happened?"

A gold shipment, Richard said as it hurt. "It vanished."

"Vanished?"

"Millions. Gone."

The room went quiet except for the monitor; Melissa’s mouth was dry "What happened to the money?" Richard’s jaw locked "I don’t know."

Too fast "Melissa caught it. "Dad."

"No."

"You do."

"No, Melissa."

She stood up "Dad—" That’s when the coughing started It tore out of him; his whole body jerked.

"Dad!"

Everything else disappeared "She was on her feet helping him sit up. Her hand on his back, rubbing in circles until it stopped.... When it did, he looked wrecked "Melissa’s vision blurred "I’m sorry I’m stressing you."

His hand found hers. Weak, but there. you’re not the reason I’m like this "She couldn’t answer "The tears came anyway.

Hey" his thumb brushed over her knuckles "My princess." Barely a whisper, "You’re the best thing I ever did." And that’s when she broke all of it came out, Right there in the hospital room, Richard just watched her. Then he smiled small, tired, but real.

---

An hour later she was in the hallway her head was full of noise: "Victor Williams? Gold, Blood, the fear on her dad’s face. Something didn’t fit.

Her phone buzzed. Grace....

Melissa almost let it ring. Then answered. "What?"

"Where are you?"

The hospital."

Good the car’s outside. Melissa stopped walking "What car?"

Victor sent a driver, Grace’s voice was flat. You’re going.... Melissa’s stomach dropped.

"No."

"Yes."

I didn’t say yes" Your father’s bill did. The call cut off.

Melissa stared at her phone, at the entrance, a black car was idling a man in a suit stood next to it "Her heart was hammering.

"No."

Melissa." Grace again, cold, "You chose this."

20 minutes later she was standing on the sidewalk the driver opened the back door "Miss Harrison. Her feet wouldn’t move he checked his watch "Mr Williams doesn’t like to wait." It wasn’t a threat. It sounded like one anyway.

Melissa looked up at the hospital, Room 412. Her dad was up there alone.

"You can't go

"Don't near him"

She could still hear it her chest felt tight. What if he was right? What if this was the worst mistake of her life? The driver cleared his throat.

Melissa exhaled "Got in the door shut, It sounded like a lock.

---

An hour the city thinned out houses got bigger, gates got taller.

Then the gates, Black iron, two guards. They opened. The mansion was worse than she remembered, Bigger, Colder. The driver opened her door "This way, Her legs felt like water. The front doors opened before she knocked, a woman in a suit. No smile.

"Follow me."

Heels on marble, echoing. Office big the woman knocked once.

"Come in."

Melissa’s pulse was in her throat the door opened.

Victor Williams

Behind a desk reading he didn’t look up at first. When he did, his eyes hit hers and stayed there.

Silence

He closed the file. Slow.

"Melissa Harrison."?

Her throat was sandpaper. "Yes."

He reached into a drawer, pulled out a photo and slid it across the desk. "Melissa picked it up... "The blood drained from her face. Her hands started to shake. Because the photo showed two men.

Young.....

One was her dad The other was a younger Victor.

And both of them were covered in blood.