Chapter 8

“Dev, are you sure Mama won’t find out?” Leviana’s small voice trembled as the three of them stood before the front door. Morning dew clung to the windows, and the cold air bit at their cheeks. In her little hands, she held a cup of coffee she had struggled to make herself. Its faint aroma mixed with the nervousness thick in the air.

Devano glanced at the cracked toy watch on his wrist. “Mama left half an hour ago. We have to hurry. We need to be back before noon.”

Dirga, clutching a wrinkled piece of paper with big red letters scrawled across it — For Our Father — nodded quietly. “I’m ready.”

They exchanged a look — three small faces filled with courage far bigger than their years. Then slowly, Devano opened the door, and the world outside greeted them — a vast, noisy city, glistening with leftover rain from the night before.

Their small footsteps echoed along the sidewalk. Cars sped by, horns blaring without mercy. Leviana clutched Dirga’s hand tightly, while Devano led the way, staring intently at the map on his phone.

“Crestview Tower… it says it’s downtown,” he murmured. “We can take a bus there.”

They stopped at the bus stop, standing among busy adults in suits and heels. The drizzle began again, soft and cold, dampening their hair. Devano spread his worn jacket over his siblings’ heads, eyes scanning the signs he barely understood.

An elderly woman beside them frowned curiously. “Are you children alone?”

Devano straightened up. “We’re going to meet our father,” he said firmly, though his voice quivered slightly.

The woman smiled faintly, perhaps thinking it was some childish game. But it wasn’t. There was no game in their steps that morning — only determination and longing driving them forward.

When the bus arrived, they climbed aboard with pounding hearts. Devano counted the coins in his pocket carefully, making sure they had enough for three children’s fares. They sat in the very back. Dirga pressed his face to the window, eyes wide at the tall buildings and glimmering lights even in the dim morning.

“It looks like TV, Dev…” he whispered.

Devano gave a faint smile. “We’re not tourists, Dirg. We’re looking for someone.”

The rain grew heavier, streaking across the window like threads of time dividing their past from the unknown future ahead. On Leviana’s lap, the little cup of coffee grew cold. She stared at it silently, imagining the smile of a father she had never met.

“I want to give this to him,” she whispered softly.

“He’ll love it,” Devano replied, eyes forward — his conviction the only thing keeping them from giving up.

After a long and weary ride, the bus finally stopped at the heart of the city. Towering buildings surrounded them, gleaming and sharp against the gray sky. And among them stood a massive glass skyscraper, its silver letters glinting: Ashford Group.

They froze.

“There…” Devano pointed, his eyes wide. “That’s the place.”

Leviana gripped her coffee tighter. Dirga held onto his paper so it wouldn’t get soaked. Then, without hesitation, they crossed the street, running through the drizzle that had now become a full storm.

People turned to stare — three small children, clothes plain and damp, sprinting toward the grandest building in the business district. But to them, it wasn’t just a building. It was a door to the truth.

At the entrance, Devano took a deep breath. He pushed open the large glass doors, and cool air from the lobby’s air conditioning rushed out to greet them. The marble floor gleamed under their shoes, the scent of fresh flowers filled the air, and the sound of heels clicked across the polished floor.

The receptionist looked up, surprised. “Children, are you lost?”

Devano shook his head quickly. “We’re here to see… Mr. Liam Ashford.”

The name came out clear and steady.

The receptionist blinked, then gave an awkward smile. “Oh, Mr. Ashford is in a meeting. May I ask who you are?”

Before Devano could answer, Dirga held up his soggy paper proudly. The words For Our Father bled slightly in red marker.

The room fell silent.

People passing by stopped to glance their way. The receptionist stared, caught between disbelief and confusion. “Did you just say… father?”

Before Devano could respond, the sound of sharp heels echoed from the elevator. A tall woman in a white coat and expensive bag approached — Celine.

Her eyes narrowed the instant she saw the three children standing in the middle of the lobby.

“What is this?” her voice was cold and edged with irritation. “Who let these kids in here?”

Leviana, standing at the front, looked up. “We’re here to see our dad,” she said innocently.

Celine let out a short, bitter laugh. “Your dad? And who might that be?”

“Mr. Liam Ashford,” Devano replied firmly, without hesitation.

Celine’s expression shifted — recognition flashing for a second before she smirked. “Ah… so you’re that woman’s children. Elara’s little ones, aren’t you?” she said, her tone dripping with disdain. “How amusing.”

Leviana lowered her gaze, her hands trembling as she clutched the cooling cup of coffee. “I brought this for him…” she murmured.

But as she stepped closer, she accidentally brushed against Celine. The cup slipped from her hands — coffee splashing onto the edge of Celine’s expensive leather bag.

Celine gasped, then her face twisted in fury. “You little brat!” she snapped, and before anyone could stop her, her hand struck Leviana’s cheek. Smack!

The sound echoed through the marble hall.

Leviana stumbled, eyes wide in shock, her lips trembling as tears welled up.

“Lev!” Devano ran to her, wrapping his arms around his sister, his face red with anger. “Don’t touch my sister!”

Dirga stepped forward too, his small fists clenched. “You’re mean! You’re not even part of our family!”

Security guards hurried over, trying to defuse the situation. “Kids, you have to leave now!”

“But we want to see our dad!” Devano shouted, voice breaking amid Leviana’s sobs and the patter of rain beyond the doors.

The guards gently pushed them outside despite their resistance. The glass doors shut behind them, leaving the three children standing in the heavy rain.

Leviana cried softly, her cheek red. Devano held her shoulders tight, trying to comfort her even as his own eyes filled with tears. Dirga crushed his paper in his hands — the words For Our Father fading under the rain.

They stood on the sidewalk, their small bodies trembling, staring up at the towering building that now seemed impossibly far away.

Devano looked up at the sky, voice hoarse. “If he’s really our dad… why doesn’t he want to see us?”

No one answered. Only the rain replied — drop by drop, mingling with their tears.

And high above, behind the glass walls of the twenty-eighth floor, someone stood still — Liam Ashford.

He gazed down at the three small figures outside his building. Their faces… looked familiar. Too familiar to ignore.

Something in his chest tightened. He didn’t know what had just happened in the lobby. But somehow, his heart ached — as if fate itself had just called his name, in the form of three children standing in the rain, searching for the blood that bound them.