The Grand Royal Ballroom was alive with music, laughter, and celebration. Crystal chandeliers bathed the elegant hall in golden light as hundreds of guests waited for the wedding ceremony to begin. At the front of the ballroom stood Ethan Carter, dressed in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo with a cream-colored bow tie.
Everything was finally coming together.
After years of raising his six-year-old daughter, Lily, alone following the death of his wife, Ethan believed he had found love again.
Today, he was marrying Sophia.
She was beautiful, intelligent, and admired by everyone in the room.
The wedding planner signaled that the ceremony would begin in just a few minutes.
As Ethan walked through the quiet hallway leading toward the ballroom, he suddenly stopped.
A faint sound echoed through the mansion.
"I'm scared..."
It was a child's voice.
He froze.
Then he recognized it immediately.
Lily.
Without thinking, Ethan sprinted down the long white hallway.
Guests turned in surprise as he rushed past them.
The crying became louder.
It was coming from a storage room near the back of the estate.
Ethan reached the white sliding door and threw it open.
Inside the dark closet, curled into a corner, sat Lily wearing her yellow dress.
She was shaking with fear.
The moment she saw her father, she burst into uncontrollable tears.
Ethan immediately knelt beside her and wrapped her tightly in his arms.
"It's okay."
His voice trembled.
"I'm here."
Then he gently looked into her tear-filled eyes.
"Who locked you in here?"
Lily pointed toward the hallway.
Before she could answer...
Another voice interrupted.