The lost smile

John POV My phone rings while I'm in the middle of a meeting with my coworkers. As a result, I disregarded the call and continued my meeting. My wife Ryza Patrick emerged from the meeting room, dressed in a long little skirt and a loose purple top. Her face was pale, and she had a red nose and tears in her eyes. She became agitated and approached me. I was perplexed when I stared at her. She grabbed my hand and carried me to my office room before I could say anything. “Why are you crying?” I inquired, perplexed by her behaviour. She wrapped her arms around me and began howling. “Sophia was taken an hour ago while playing in the backyard,” she added, her voice shaking. My heart dropped as she said, "My daughter is not safe," and my blood began to boil at the thought of someone daring to touch her. I tried to soothe Ryza's hair while also informing the cops about the kidnapping and requesting additional assistance. Sophia is my little princess, and she is the love of my life. Many rivals are pitted against me, and they are fully aware that my family is my Achilles' heel. They couldn't compete with me, so they turned to my daughter for help. I'd burn the globe for her if they hurt her. I will not abandon those who carried out the abduction and touched her. They blamed their deaths on the devil. We returned home to look for any clues, while the detectives investigated the CCTV tape. In the video, two males walked up to Sophia and covered their faces with a mask while she was playing. They approached her from behind and placed a handkerchief in her mouth, sniffing her for the chloroform that rendered her asleep. We waited approximately five days for a ransom call, but neither they nor we received any information. Ryza was continually crying and her health was deteriorating. After being so powerful, I felt hollow and useless because I couldn't do anything for my princess. I was looking at photos of the black roadway where one of the goons was seen. But he escaped before we could apprehend him. My phone rang, and it displayed a new number. I picked up the phone and heard Sophia's voice without wasting a second. “Please, Dad, save me. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please I took one of the goons' cellphones.” Similarly, I told her, "Yes, princess, I would save you at all costs." First, assist me by providing additional information about the location where you were detained.” “Dad, this seems like a little house, and I am in the storeroom type, but I could always hear the train noise in this dark place,” she sobbed. But she stopped the conversation before I could ask her a question. She stood a good probability of being apprehended by them. I need to track her down before something bad happens to her. We searched everywhere after receiving the hint from Sophia and discovered a small cottage on the outskirts of town where, as Sophia described, we could hear train sounds. The cops and my guards were preparing to storm the cabin and rescue my little princess from the gloom. I received permission from the cop to enter the cottage and did so. The room was dark and filthy, and there was no furniture. We looked for the storehouse but couldn't find it. Then I heard footsteps from next door, and we took cover behind the curtains. I noticed a man with a beard and a chin cut. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. As we entered the room, I signalled the cop to enter, and I noticed that they had bound Sophia into a chain and had covered her lips with a rag. Her face was pale, and her cloth was stained with blood. I couldn't stop crying, and it was breaking my heart. I walked forward and untangled her from the cords and fabric. “Dad, ultimately you came to save me,” she said with sad eyes and a shaky voice. I kissed her on the head and hugged her, saying, "Yes princess, you are safe with me, now relax Sophia." Before we could exit the room, the door slammed, and a man with a gun in his face walked in. He raised his revolver and pointed it at us. “Don't dare to approach near us, or you'll be killed by the cops,” I replied sternly. With a cold look, he stepped forward, pointing the rifle at us. “Give me back that girl, or we will murder you,” he stated sternly. Sophia was terrified of the goon and quickly hid behind my legs, squeezing my hand. “Dad, please take me home,” she begged, shivering. In my heart, I sensed her pain. Her face and voice were wracked with agony. I'll save her at all costs, even if it means sacrificing my own life. The cop next to me then gave me the signal by winking at me. He swiftly pulled out his rifle and fired a shot at the man. The man was dead and lying on the ground. We felt so at ease that we decided to leave the cottage. We crossed the corridor and entered the cottage through the back door. The cops requested that we sit in the car and that they handle the problem. I brought Sophia out of the cottage with me, and we drove about aimlessly in the car. I was awaiting the arrival of the other officers. “Dad, I'm feeling thirsty,” Sophia says quietly. Is it possible for me to have some water?” I nodded and looked around the car for the bottle. Similarly, I discovered an empty bottle and then turned to face my princess. I kissed her on the head and told her to stay in the car until I returned with the water bottle. She hummed as she reclined in her seat. I exited the vehicle and proceeded to the other vehicles in search of a water bottle. I was given the bottle by one of the cops. I felt a stab of agony in my chest as I returned to my car door and looked down at my chest. The blood was streaming out, and I was in excruciating pain once more. In front of me, everything was going to blur. When I turned around to check who had shot me, I noticed Robert Thomas, the owner of Thomas' pharmaceutical company, sitting in his car. He smiled at my predicament, and I managed to persuade them all to make preparations for my demise. Anyway, I sat down and handed the bottle to my daughter. My breathing became shallower and numb. Sophia had a shocked expression on her face as she gazed at my chest. “Dad, you're bleeding, and we need to get to the hospital right away.” “Dad, loves you, princess,” I whispered in a cracking voice the last time I kissed her head. Take care of yourself and your mother, and stand firm for me.”