HE LOST HIS DAUGHTER ONCE, NOW HE’S A RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE

I LOVE YOU DADDY!

“You'll regret this!” 

Brandon realized then that there was no time left to argue with her anymore.

Maggie’s breathing was growing weaker in his arms.

Without another word, he opened the car door and stepped out onto the side of the highway while holding Maggie tightly against his chest.

The moment both of them were outside, Lyra slammed the door shut and sped away without looking back.

Brandon was alone on the side of the road. The sun was beating down on him. Cars were driving by fast. No one stopped to help.

Brandon looked down at Maggie in terror.

She was growing weaker with every passing second, her tiny body trembled faintly in his arms, and each breath she took sounded softer than the last.

“Daddy…” Maggie whispered weakly, her small fingers barely gripping his shirt.

“I’m here, baby,” Brandon replied immediately, his voice breaking as he tightened his hold around her fragile body. “Daddy’s right here. I’m going to get you to the hospital, okay? Just hold on a little longer for me.”

Maggie slowly lifted her tired eyes toward him.

“Daddy… don’t be sad,” she whispered softly. A tiny tear slid down her pale cheek. “I already know Mommy doesn’t really love me.”

Brandon’s breath caught painfully in his throat, as though someone had driven a knife straight through his chest.

“No, baby… don’t say that,” he whispered brokenly, tightening his arms around her fragile body.

A tear slowly rolled from the corner of Maggie’s eye and disappeared into her hair.

“But it’s true,” Maggie whispered weakly. “Mommy always smiles when she looks at Leo… but she never looks at me like that anymore.”

Her small fingers weakly clutched onto Brandon’s shirt.

“Daddy…” Her trembling voice nearly shattered him. “Am I a bad child? Did I do something wrong to make Mommy stop loving me?” 

Another tear slipped down her pale cheek. “Am I the reason Mommy stopped loving you too?”

Brandon completely broke at those words.

“No, Maggie. Never,” he cried out desperately, his voice shaking with pain as tears streamed down his face. “You are the most precious thing in this world to me. You are Daddy’s entire life, sweetheart…. Daddy doesn't even know how to live without you.” 

He gently kissed her forehead again and again as if trying to protect her from every ounce of pain she had ever felt.

“This has nothing to do with you,” Brandon whispered emotionally. “You did absolutely nothing wrong. Your mommy is just… lost right now, baby. But you…”

His voice cracked violently.

“You are the kindest, most beautiful little girl in the entire world, and Daddy loves you more than anything. Never doubt that. Never.”

Maggie smiled faintly when she heard his words. It was a soft, fragile smile… one that looked almost angelic beneath the sunlight.

“Don’t cry, Daddy, I can't see you crying,” Maggie whispered weakly, her voice growing softer with every word. “I think… I already knew I wasn’t going to stay with Daddy for very long. The doctors thought I was asleep when they talked before… but I heard them.”

She took a slow, shaky breath, her tearful eyes locking onto Brandon’s with endless love.

“My only wish is that after I’m gone… you won’t stay sad forever, Daddy,” she whispered gently. “You’ve already suffered so much because of me. So please… take care of yourself too.”

Her tiny fingers weakly tightened around his jacket.

“Don’t stay alone in that dark house anymore,” Maggie continued softly. “Find someone who truly loves you the same way you love me…”

A tear rolled slowly down the side of her face.

“I’m just sad that after I’m gone… I won’t be there to take care of you anymore, Daddy, and you’ll be all alone. I’m really sorry for leaving you behind… I never wanted to go.”

Her tiny fingers weakly tightened around his shirt.

“If it were possible… I would’ve stayed with you forever, Daddy.”

Her lips trembled into another tiny smile.

“But I’ll still watch over you, Daddy. Even if I’m far away, I’ll always stay beside you.”

Her voice became quieter and quieter.

“And when I reach Heaven… I’ll ask God to send someone kind to love you and stay with you forever.”

“Maggie… Please….” 

“I love you daddy.”

After saying those words, Maggie’s tiny fingers slowly loosened from Brandon’s jacket, her little hand slipped weakly against his chest.

Then… nothing.

No more trembling…. No more breathing.

The little girl in his arms had finally gone still.

Brandon’s trembling lips parted as he held Maggie tightly against his chest.

“Maggie… open your eyes, princess,” he whispered brokenly, his voice barely audible through his sobs. “Please don’t leave Daddy… Maggie…”

But there was no response.

The little girl remained completely still in his arms, her tiny body lifeless against his chest as her fragile heart finally fell silent forever.

“Maggieeeee….” 

Brandon broke down as a loud scream tore from his throat echoing across the highway. He looked down the road but there were no taxis, no buses, no one stopping to save them. They had been completely abandoned on the dirt.

With no choice Brandon gathered her tiny body into his arms, pressed her face against his chest and began to run. He ran on foot along the edge of the highway. His boots slammed against the gravel, his lungs burning with pain, his breath coming in sobs. He just ran, holding his daughter close to his heart.

The doors to the city hospital's emergency room burst open when Brandon stumbled inside, his clothes covered in dirt, sweat and highway dust. His face was pale, his eyes completely bloodshot.

"Help her please, someone help her, save my daughter please," Brandon screamed, his voice raw and cracking as he carried Maggie toward the desk. 

The nurses and doctors saw the child in his arms and immediately leapt into action. Two female nurses rushed forward with a gurney gently taking Maggie from his trembling arms.

A doctor rushed to him, "What happened, what is her history?" while a nurse began pumping her chest with movements. 

Brandon choked out, "heart defect, she had a critical seizure on the highway, she stopped breathing about fifteen minutes ago, please save my baby girl, please doctor."

The doctor ordered sharply, "Get her into the Emergency room right now. And prepare the defibrillator charge to one hundred." 

The team began pushing the gurney down the corridor at a full sprint. The heavy doors of the emergency unit slammed shut behind them the red "IN PROGRESS" light flashing to life.

Brandon stayed on his knees in the middle of the hallway. He did not move. He did not blink. He just stared at the light, his hands flat against the cold floor. The hospital corridor was filled with the sounds of machines, shouting voices and the steady rhythm of a cardiac team fighting a losing battle.

The minutes stretched into an eternity. Finally the bright red light above the door clicked off. The heavy double doors pushed open slowly. The lead doctor walked out his white coat slightly rumpled. He did not look at Brandon.

Brandon slowly stood up from the floor, his legs shaking violently. He looked at the doctor's face and the final speck of air left in his lungs vanished. 

The doctor let out a helpless sigh, his expression filled with sympathy.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Brandon,” he said quietly. “We did everything we could to save her. We tried four times to bring her heart back into rhythm, and we administered every emergency medication available… but her heart was simply too weak to survive the seizure.”

His voice grew softer.

“She was already gone long before she reached the hospital.”

The doctor gently placed a firm hand on Brandon’s trembling shoulder.

“At 2:14 PM today, your daughter was officially pronounced dead,” he said solemnly. “I’m truly sorry for your loss, Mr. Brandon.”

Brandon stood there motionless as the doctor’s words echoed through his mind again and again.

Dead.

His little girl was dead.

Slowly, Brandon looked down at his trembling hands and noticed Maggie’s tiny birthday bracelet still wrapped around his wrist where she had held onto him earlier.

The pink ribbon was stained with dust from the highway.

And suddenly, Brandon collapsed.