Mark sat at his large oak desk inside the downtown office building.
He rubbed his eyes after hours of reviewing endless financial documents.
His mind kept drifting back to his three-year-old daughter, Lily.
Since his wife passed away two years ago, Lily was his whole world.
He had recently married Victoria, believing she would bring warmth back into their quiet home.
Victoria always acted like a caring stepmother whenever Mark was in the room.
She spoke with a gentle voice and offered warm smiles during dinner.
Yet Mark noticed small changes in Lily over the last few weeks.
The little girl seemed unusually quiet whenever Victoria entered the living room.
She stopped playing with her favorite wooden blocks near the grand fireplace.
Mark convinced himself that Lily was simply adjusting to the new family routine.
He picked up his phone and looked at a photo of Lily smiling in the park.
His phone buzzed with an incoming text message from his executive assistant.
The afternoon meeting had been rescheduled to the following morning.
Mark smiled, relieved that he could head home earlier than usual today.
He packed his leather briefcase and grabbed his dark blue suit jacket.
He wanted to surprise Lily with an early afternoon trip to the ice cream shop.
As he walked toward the executive elevator, his colleague waved goodbye.
David: Heading out early today, Mark?
Mark: Yes, I want to spend extra time with my little girl.
David: That sounds like a wonderful plan. Have a good evening.
Mark stepped inside the elevator and pushed the button for the underground garage.
He drove his luxury black SUV through the busy city streets toward the suburbs.
The afternoon sun lit up the peaceful neighborhood as he pulled into his driveway.
He parked near the main gate and walked toward the broad side entrance.
Everything appeared peaceful on the outside of the sprawling stone residence.
Yet an unexpected feeling of unease settled deeply into Mark's chest.
He walked quietly along the paved path leading toward the attached garage bay.
The small side access door stood slightly cracked open against the wall.
Mark heard the faint sound of soft sobbing coming from inside the garage space.
He stopped in his tracks and listened closely to the sound.
The delicate crying sounded unmistakably like his young daughter, Lily.
Mark felt a sudden knot form tightly inside his stomach.
He pushed the heavy side door open without making a sound.