Chapter 304

Chapter 304
Morning came with a strange kind of quiet.
Damian barely slept, but he forced himself to shower, dress, and prepare for work. Serene made coffee, watching him with tight worry in her eyes. Sia was still asleep upstairs, curled into her blanket like she never wanted to leave its warmth.
Nothing felt normal.
But Damian had learned long ago — when danger rises, you walk like nothing is wrong.
He slipped on his watch, grabbed his keys, kissed Serene briefly, and headed out through the front door.
“Call me if she wakes,” he said quietly.
“I will,” Serene whispered.
The gate slid open and Damian stepped out into the quiet estate road.
He got only two steps before a voice called behind him.
“Excuse me, sir!”
Damian paused.
Three men stood near the sidewalk. He hadn’t seen them before.
Not neighbors.
Not estate workers.
Not familiar.
Two wore matching dark jackets. One held a folded banner under his arm, printed fabric peeking out. They looked exactly like the type of men Sia had described — organized, calm, too controlled.
Every muscle in Damian’s body tightened… but his face stayed blank.
He turned slowly. “Yes?”
The tallest man stepped forward, offering a polite smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Sorry to stop you this early,” he said. “We’re conducting a search in this area. We’re looking for a missing child.”
Damian’s heartbeat thudded once — hard — but he didn’t flinch.
“A missing child?” he repeated. “From this area?”
The man shook his head. “Not from here. But we have reports she might have passed through some parts of town recently. Estate residents are usually observant, so we’re checking around.”
Damian nodded slightly. “I see.”
The man unfolded the banner.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Revealing the photo.
A little girl.
Small.
Thin.
Hair tied in messy braids.
Eyes big and scared.
Damian’s stomach dropped.
It was Sia.
Not the Sia sleeping upstairs in his guest room — but Sia from before.
Sia from survival.
Sia from fear.
Sia from being moved like luggage from home to home.
Except…
The name under the picture was not Sia.
“Missing Child: ANNA LANE”
Age: 6
Last Seen: 4 months ago
If Found, Contact Authorities Immediately
DO NOT approach without trained escort.
DO NOT APPROACH?
Damian’s blood turned to fire.
“What happened to her?” he asked, voice carefully neutral.
“Long story,” the man said. “A problematic family. She was placed under special supervision.”
Special supervision.
Damian’s jaw twitched.
“She’s been moved around a lot,” the second man added carelessly. “Kids like her don’t settle well.”
Damian’s fists clenched at his sides.
Kids like her.
His daughter.
His flesh.
His blood.
Damian kept his voice smooth. “And you believe she’s nearby?”
“We’re not sure,” the leader replied. “We have reason to think someone might be hiding her. We’re just trying to bring her back so the process continues properly.”
Process.
Process?
As if she was a file.
A project.
A package.
Damian’s vision blurred at the edges — pure, lethal rage.
But he forced calm into his tone.
“Well… I haven’t seen her,” he lied.
The men studied him closely, as if trying to read his heartbeat.
Then the leader smiled again. “If you do, call the number here.”
He tapped the corner of the banner.
Damian nodded once.
The men folded the banner and walked further down the estate road, stopping at each house. Calm. Organized. Systematic.
Hunters.
Damian watched them leave, every instinct screaming.
His daughter was not safe.
Not even close.

Inside the House
Mira spotted Damian from the living room window. She saw the men first — strangers — then saw Damian’s stiff posture, the tension in his shoulders, the way he turned sharply and headed back toward the house.
Mira dropped the remote. “Serene!”
Serene rushed in. “What?”
Mira pointed out the window. “He didn’t leave for work. And those men—”
Serene saw them.
Her hands shook.
“Oh God…”
The front door opened hard.
Damian stepped inside, locking it immediately, breathing harder than before.
Serene grabbed his arm. “Damian, who were they?”
Mira’s voice was sharp. “Talk. Now.”
Damian didn’t speak at first.
He just held up the banner.
Serene’s breath evaporated.
Mira snatched it from him. When she saw the picture — Sia’s face — her eyes widened in fury.
“They’re looking for her,” she whispered.
“No,” Damian corrected quietly, eyes dark and murderous,
“They’re hunting her.”
Serene swallowed. “Did they see you react?”
“No.”
“Did they suspect anything?”
“No.”
Mira exhaled shakily. “So what do we do?”
Damian’s answer was instant:
“We protect her. We hide her. And we find out who the hell these men are.”
He crumpled the banner slowly, the paper shaking in his hands.
“And then,” he said softly — too softly —
“We destroy them.”

Upstairs — Sia wakes
Sia opened her eyes, hearing muffled voices downstairs.
She rubbed her sleepy face.
Something felt wrong today.
Something in the air.
Something inside her chest.
Like her heart remembered danger before her mind did.
She slid off the bed quietly and stepped toward the window. A shadow moved at the far end of the road — a man with a cap, holding papers.
Sia flinched back.
Her breath trembled.
No, no, no…
Not again.
Not another home.
Not another car.
Not another family.
She backed away from the window, clutching her blanket.
Her voice came out as a small whisper:
“They found me.”
And downstairs, Damian’s head snapped upward — because somehow, some way…
He heard her.