Chapter 5

That very night,the police took Seraphina in for questioning.

The officer handling the case had once been one of Tamara’s mother’s students,so no matter what Callum tried,he couldn’t get her released on bail.

Early the next morning,Callum stormed back home.

At the time,Tamara was in the quiet memorial room,standing before her mother’s photograph with a candle in her hand.

The moment Callum stepped inside,he knocked the candle from her hand.

The burning tip struck the back of Tamara’s hand,searing her skin.

But Callum didn’t even notice.

There was nothing in his eyes except anger.

“Tamara,I promised you that Seraphina would never cause you any harm.So why won’t you leave her alone?”

Tamara lowered her gaze to the reddened burn on her hand and gave a bitter,self-mocking laugh.

Once,Callum couldn’t bear to see her suffer even the slightest injury.

Now,he was the one hurting her,and he didn’t even notice.

But now,all he could see was Seraphina.He no longer cared about what Tamara was feeling,or what she had been through.

Tamara lifted her eyes,her voice cold and steady.“She hurt my mother.She has to pay with her life.”

A flicker of exhaustion crossed Callum’s eyes.

“Your mother’s death had nothing to do with anyone else.Why are you so determined to blame Seraphina?”

“You haven’t investigated anything.You didn’t even bother to ask what happened.So what gives you the right to say she had nothing to do with my mother’s death?”

The next words left Callum’s mouth without hesitation.“Because I believe her!”

Tamara froze.

For several seconds,she simply stared at him,unable to process what she had just heard.

Back in college,Tamara had once been falsely accused of plagiarizing her final project.Everyone had turned against her.

Even her own parents had doubted her.

Only Callum had stepped forward in front of everyone.

Back then,there had been something almost radiant about him.

He had looked at the crowd and said,“I believe Tamara.”

It hadn’t been that long ago.

His trust was still there.It had simply been given to someone else.

Tamara remained firm.“You believe her.I don’t.If she killed someone,she should pay with her life.If the police investigate and prove she had nothing to do with my mother’s death,they’ll release her.Simple as that.”

Callum’s expression gradually darkened,his voice turning colder than Tamara had ever heard it.“Tamara,you’re forcing me to do this.”

Tamara almost laughed.Forcing him?

She was the one who had been pushed into a corner from the very beginning.

Callum’s affair had driven her to the brink.

Seraphina had taken her only mother from her.

And now,even her daughter had been taken away from her.

He was the one causing all this pain,yet somehow,he still managed to play the innocent victim.

It was only now that Tamara finally saw Callum for who he truly was.

She had fallen for a man like him all those years ago.She had been blind.

Callum didn’t say another word.He turned and walked away,slamming the door so hard that the entire house seemed to shake.

Tamara stayed home,waiting anxiously for the results of Seraphina’s investigation.

But before she could hear anything from the police,her daughter called.

“Mommy,help me!Daddy is sending me away.”

Tamara’s face went deathly pale.“Don’t be scared,Tilly.Tell Mommy where you are.I’ll come get you right now.”

Before Tilly could give her the address,Callum snatched the phone away.“Tamara,I’m not telling you where your daughter is.Give up.”

Tamara was trembling with rage,her voice rising into a near scream.“Callum,what will it take for you to give my daughter back to me?”

His voice softened noticeably on the other end.“If you want Tilly back,fine.First,write a statement declaring that your mother’s death had absolutely nothing to do with Seraphina.”

Tamara’s heart shattered completely.

Of course.

It was Seraphina again.

For her sake,Callum was now willing to use even his own daughter as leverage against Tamara.

And yet,once upon a time,Tilly had been the person he cherished most.

A wave of dizziness washed over Tamara,but she forced herself to stay upright.

“No.I won’t.”

Callum’s voice turned cold again.“If you refuse,then don’t expect to see Tilly ever again.”

“Tilly,remember this.Daddy isn’t the one tearing our family apart.Your mother is the one who doesn’t want you.”

Her daughter’s anguished sobs echoed through the phone.

Tamara clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms,drawing blood.She could barely breathe through the pain.

He was using their own daughter to punish her.And he was making Tilly believe that her mother had abandoned her.

But Tamara waited.

She was waiting for Callum to soften.She was betting on the fact that Tilly was his daughter too.

Surely,no matter how much he cared about Seraphina,he couldn’t really be heartless enough to hurt his own child.

But once again,Tamara had overestimated how much he cared about them.

Tilly’s voice grew fainter and fainter through the phone,each sob cutting deeper into Tamara’s heart.

In the end,she gave in.

Her voice was hollow with resignation.“Callum,let my daughter go.I’ll write the statement.”

A clear sigh of relief came from the other end.“Tamara,you have no credibility with me anymore.What if I give Tilly back to you and you change your mind?”

Tamara’s composure finally cracked.“Then what do you want me to do?”

The man’s voice dropped,cold and deliberate.“I’m giving you two hours.Get the statement you wrote to the police station.The moment Seraphina is released,I’ll tell you where Tilly is.”

“Tamara,don’t try anything clever.Do exactly as I say,and I’ll let you see your daughter.Otherwise,I’ll make sure she’s sent away for good.”