Chapter 83- They’ve already found Faith. 😱

Chapter 83- They’ve already found Faith. 😱
Third Person 

As soon as Daphnie entered the rest house in Batangas, her voice echoed through the living room, sharp and full of disdain.

“I hate you, Mommy! I really can’t take it anymore. The shame you’ve caused me is unbearable!”

Her mother only let out a short, mocking laugh.

“Why didn’t you try harder? You’re in the room, you had every chance, and you still failed, baby girl. You and Eunice are just the same—useless.”

“Mom, please!” Daphnie pleaded, trembling with anger. “Just let my sister live a proper life. Stop using her for your schemes. Let her have a good life, even if it’s only her among us siblings.”

“This is for your own good, my children,” the woman said, her face devoid of any emotion.

“Liar!” Daphnie shot back. “It’s all for yourself. You’re just using us as tools for your own gain.”

“Of course!” the woman hissed. “Who else will benefit from the wealth I’ll acquire? You siblings, right?”

“It’s not wealth we need, Mommy. We have money. Not as much as the Garcias, but enough. What we need is you, not the wealth that isn’t even ours,” Daphnie said at length, trying to open her mother’s mind.

“Don’t lecture me,” the woman snapped. “You don’t know what I went through with the Garcia family. I’ll take what’s rightfully mine.”

“Mommy, p—” Daphnie couldn’t finish her sentence as one of the staff suddenly entered.

“Madam, Tonyo is here. He brings good news,” Tomas reported.

“Make sure it’s truly good news, Tonyo!” the woman said sharply.

“Is the promised bonus for whoever finds Faith ready?” Tonyo asked with a grin.

“Where’s Faith?” the woman demanded irritably.

Tonyo laughed lightly and handed her his cellphone. Daphnie quickly stood to peek.

The woman scrolled through Faith’s photos, one by one.

“She’s pregnant… Mommy, please. Whatever you’re planning for her, don’t go through with it. Don’t involve someone innocent,” Daphnie begged, nearly desperate.

“If you want to be with your child, you’ll cooperate,” her mother threatened coldly.

“Mommy… do you have to involve everyone in your wicked plans? Please… don’t drag the baby Faith is carrying into this,” Daphnie pleaded again.

“I already involved her parents, so why not her?” the woman replied with a smug grin, clearly proud of her cruelty.

“M-Mommy? You… caused Faith’s parents to die?” Daphnie’s voice shook, disbelief evident.

“You heard that right,” the woman said sarcastically, cold and without a trace of regret.

“W-why, Mommy? Weren’t they… your friends?” Daphnie asked again, trying to comprehend how her own mother could commit such a crime.

“Just as you said, old friends. But they betrayed me a long time ago.” Her eyes sharpened. “And every obstacle to my plans… I remove. So, you, behave.”

“Are you even human, Mommy?” Daphnie’s voice trembled, her heart breaking at the revelation of her mother’s crime.

Before she could continue, her mother’s slap landed with a sharp, heavy impact, pushing her to the floor.

“Take that girl and lock her in a room!” the woman shouted to her staff. “Guard her well. Don’t feed her so she weakens. Don’t give her a chance to escape.”

The men immediately moved and dragged Daphnie away.

“I hate you, Mommy!” she screamed, struggling. “Your own child! You’re cruel! You’re a demon! Demon! Let me go!”

“Quickly, remove her from my sight. This noise is unbearable,” the woman ordered without even looking at her daughter.

Even as Daphnie screamed, her mother instructed the remaining staff, “Return immediately. We need to plan.”

Meanwhile…

Austin had been searching for Daphnie for days. Even if he didn’t like the idea of living under the same roof again, he knew she had been a good mother to Alexander. Night after night, he watched the boy cry, longing for his mother’s warmth and presence—something Austin could never deny him.

He stood by the edge of the swimming pool, staring at the gentle waves. His chest was heavy, filled with worries he didn’t want to add to.

“Sir, we have a problem.”

He turned to Jake, who looked restless as he approached.

“What is it, Jake?” Austin asked, his chest tightening with a sense of foreboding.

Jake took a deep breath before speaking.

“They’ve already found Ma’am Faith… and they’re making plans now.”

Austin felt Jake’s jaw tighten and his voice tremble slightly, nervous… anxious… and clearly carrying bad news.

“Fuck! Shit!” Austin grabbed Jake, blood boiling. “Prepare the vehicle, Jake. We leave for Zambales immediately. Call the men there, tighten security around. Make sure Faith doesn’t notice. I don’t want her to panic.”

“Yes, sir.” Jake moved immediately, almost rushing out.

“And Daphnie… have they found her?” Austin suddenly remembered, frowning at Jake’s earlier report.

“Ma’am Daphnie… they have her too,” Jake replied, clearly distressed. “She’s locked in the rest house in Batangas.”

Austin furrowed his brows, a mix of anger and disbelief. “She did that to her own child?”

“She said she was stopping the witch of a mother from touching Ma’am Faith,” Jake explained. “That’s why she hurt Ma’am Daphnie and locked her up.”

Rage flared in Austin’s jaw. “Her wickedness has reached the limit.”

He strode away, burning with fury. “Order the spies to double their efforts. We cannot afford mistakes.”

He turned and quickly entered the mansion to brief his father and instruct the staff, determined, furious, but above all, fearful that it might already be too late.

As he descended the stairs, his mother appeared, smiling as if she had good news.

“Austin, leaving? It’s late,” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, Mom. There’s an emergency at the company,” he answered calmly, kissing her cheek briefly before glancing at her. “You look happy, Mom.”

“Yes, child. I’m happy, as always,” she said, as if hiding something, before turning away.

Austin said nothing more. He hurried out of the mansion and got into his car.

During the drive

He repeatedly tried to call the men in Zambales, but none of the phones rang. He leaned back in his seat, heart aching with anxiety. Only then did he remember the weak signal in the area where Faith and Jairee were.

He tried contacting the messenger who had access to a spot with signal, but even that failed.

“Jake, why can’t we reach Boyet?” he asked.

“Sir, I called him earlier to relay your instructions, but he may be at Ma’am Faith’s location,” Jake explained, focusing on driving.

Austin’s chest eased slightly. At least there was an explanation. But the gnawing anxiety didn’t go away. Something was wrong. Something wasn’t right.

“Drive faster, Jake,” he ordered sharply, unable to hide his worry.

“Yes, sir.”

Jake pressed the accelerator, moving faster yet controlled. Austin felt the car slightly lift as the engine roared along the road—fast, but cautious. Exactly as he had instructed.