THE TRILLIONAIRE'S WRATH: RISE OF THE FALLEN SON-IN-LAW

CHAPTER 012: The Girl with No Soul

Thiago walked through the front doors of the mansion, his mind still racing from the news of the whole thing, he was not fast enough to know who was the boy and what connection he has with the boy.

“Fuck” he screamed as he stepped into the grand foyer, his feet went still. The sound of a brush scratching against stone filled the silent hall.

There, in the center of the white marble floor, was a girl. She was on her knees, her small frame hunched over a bucket of grey, soapy water. She was wearing a thin, grey maid’s uniform that was two sizes too big for her. Her hands, once soft and full of life, were red and cracked from the harsh chemicals.

It was Tamia. His little sister.

Thiago felt a sharp pain in his chest, like a hot blade was twisting in his heart. The last time he saw her, she was wearing a bright yellow dress.

"Tamia?" he whispered. His voice was thick with emotion.

The scratching stopped. The girl didn't jump. She didn't look up with joy. She slowly turned her head, her movements stiff and strange. When she looked at him, Thiago gasped. Her eyes, which used to sparkle like his own, were flat. There was no light in them. No memory. Just a deep, hollow emptiness.

"You are not allowed to stand on the wet marble," she said. Her voice was flat, like a machine. "It has to be perfect for the Master and the Queen. If there is a footprint, I will be punished."

Thiago took a step toward her, his hand reaching out. "Tamia, it’s me. It’s Thiago. Your brother. Stop all these, I know I'm not meant to do anything but I've heard enough, I'm tired of seeing you like this"

The girl’s face didn't change. She didn't even blink. "I do not have a brother. I have a bucket. I have a brush. I have the floor."

"No, look at me!" Thiago’s voice cracked. He knelt in the soapy water, not caring about his expensive suit. He grabbed her shoulders gently. "The Hastings did this to you. They made you forget. We used to play in the park. We used to share our candy. Do you remember the song Mom used to sing?"

Tamia’s head tilted to the side. For a second, a tiny muscle in her cheek twitched. But then, her eyes turned cold. A look of pure, robotic hatred washed over her face. She shoved his hands away with surprising strength.

"Do not touch me, trash!" she spat. The words were a direct echo of Bernadette. "You are the prisoner. The Queen told me about you. You are the man who killed the family’s peace. You are a stain that won't come out."

"Tamia, please..."

"My name is not Tamia!" she screamed, her voice rising to a high, shrill pitch. "I am Maid Number Four! Get away from me! You smell like the dark place! You smell like prison!"

She grabbed her scrub brush and started hitting the floor near his boots, splashing dirty water onto his trousers. She was frantic, her eyes wide and wild. "Clean! Clean! Clean! I have to get the prisoner’s shadow off the floor!"

Thiago left the house with anger, watching his sister like this is always disheartening to him and he knows who is fully at fault, so he made his way to his car.

The anger bubbling in him from when he was unable to see through Bernadette's biggest secret now this, he will surely kill her.

He arrived there in 10 mins time and did not wait a second before barging into the house.

From the balcony above, Bernadette watched the scene with a cruel smile. She was holding a small, silver remote control in her hand.

"What did you do to her?" Thiago roared, looking up at Bernadette.

Bernadette leaned over the railing, looking down at him like he was a bug. "She’s a very good worker, isn't she, Thiago? She’s loyal. She hates what I tell her to hate. And right now, she hates you more than anything in this world."

"I will kill you for this," Thiago said, his voice a low, deadly growl.

"With what? A lawsuit?" Bernadette laughed. "She doesn't want you. She doesn't know you. To her, you are just the man who makes her floor dirty. If you try to take her, she will scream for the police. She will tell them the 'scary convict' is attacking her."

Thiago walked out of the house, his blood boiling. He couldn't stay there another second or he would burn the whole place down. He stood by his car, his hands shaking.

Suddenly, a shadow moved in the bushes near the gate. A woman stepped out. It was Melanie. Her honey-blonde hair was tied back, and she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

"You saw her," Melanie said. It wasn't a question.

"They broke her, Melanie," Thiago said, his voice breaking. "She looks at me like I’m a monster."

"They used a drug called 'Lethe'," Melanie explained, her eyes sharp. "It’s a CIA-grade memory wipe. They’ve been feeding it to her for years. But that’s not the worst part."

Thiago looked at her. "What could be worse than that?"

Melanie pulled out a small tablet and showed him a grainy video feed. It was a live shot of the Jersey warehouse. Men were loading a small, white box into a shipping container. The box had air holes on the side.

"The doctor just gave the boy a sedative," Melanie said. "They aren't just moving him to an island, Thiago. They’re selling him. The boat leaves in twenty minutes. If we don't move, you won't just lose your sister’s mind.."

“Who is the boy then” Melanie did not know what to reply Thiago, she cannot tell him yet, he needs to find out by himself.

“You need to find out” Thiago looked at her, expecting those words.

Thiago looked back at the mansion, then at the video of the crate. He had to choose. Save the girl who hated him, or save the boy who he doesn't know.

"We need more information before moving blindly."Thiago said, his silver eyes turning to ice.

As they sped away, Thiago didn't see the black SUV following them from a distance. Inside the SUV, a man with a scarred face picked up a radio.

"The target is on the move," the man said.