Chapter 7: The Little Girl's Innocence
Back in the sunlit portion of the upper corridor, the four-year-old toddler in the yellow dress was sitting quietly on an antique velvet bench, clutching a small plush toy. When the heavy footsteps approached, she looked up with big, hopeful eyes, completely shielded from the violent storm that had just swept through her home.
The man knelt beside her once more, his features softening just enough to erase the terrifying shadow of the man who had just locked her mother away. He adjusted her yellow hair bow with a gentle touch, forcing a calm smile onto his tattooed face. To the child, the world was still simple, filled with fairy tales and whispered secrets in grand hallways.
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Protecting that innocence became his new, singular obsession. He knew that the life they led was toxic, a gilded cage designed to imprison anyone who stepped inside. Yet, looking into the toddler's trusting eyes, he vowed that she would never pay the price for the sins of her parents. He picked her up in his arms, feeling the warm, living contrast against the cold, dead currency locked away in the vault downstairs. It was time to dismantle the empire before it completely devoured what remained of their souls.
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