Chapter One

AT The Hartford Estate.

"There's the thief officers! Arrest him!" Raved Madam Doris.

"What!" Aidan yelled. He was bewildered.

Aidan, the live-in son-in-law of the Hartford family, had rushed home due to a horrific text he received from his wife Erica that their daughter Rachel had gone missing. He dropped everything he was doing at the Hartford hospital, and hurried home, only to meet police officers and every member of the Hartford family sitting in the exquisite sitting room, glaring at him disgustingly.

Before he knew what was happening, the police lunged at him, and handcuffs were placed on him.

Every finger of the members of the family except his wife was pointing at him-from Madam Doris; the head of the Hartford family to Mallory his sister-in-law and her sinister husband Ethan Clay accusing him of stealing a priceless necklace that had been in the family for generations and also looting hospital funds.

Aidan has been the live-in son-in-law of the Hartford family for two years now. He had a one-night stand with their daughter Erica without knowing who she was. It resulted in the pregnancy of his daughter, Rachel. Because of that, he ends up being the poor son-in-law of the family to save Erica from her family's dishonor, and he in turn gets to take care of his daughter and a proper roof over his head.

"How dare you!." Madam Doris said angrily. "We have given you everything, put up with your excesses for two years and what do we get in return? Thievery! From you, an ordinary beggar picked up from the streets!"

Aidan chuckled softly. "Me? A thief? This… this must be a joke." Aidan stammered. He was confused at the accusations layered on him. He looked over at Erica. But she turned her face away from him shamefully. What was even the essence of staring at Erica, she never could save herself let alone him. "I didn't steal any necklace!"

Mallory Hartford snickered. "Really! So you wouldn't mind if we checked your bag right?" She asked Aidan, suddenly jerking up from where she sat.

"Check it. I have nothing to hide." Aidan said assuringly. He was sure of himself not being a thief. In one swift action, Mallory grabbed Aidan's bag and opened it hurriedly. She ransacked the bag and brought out the said neckpiece.

A loud gasp was heard across the room except for Mallory. She held the necklace up high like she had won a trophy. "See Mom! I told you he took it."

Aidan was shocked at the sight of the necklace. He was still trying to figure out how the piece got in his bag when two hot slaps landed across his face.

"Slap!!!"

"Slap!!!"

"You bastard! Ruining my daughter's chances of marrying into wealth wasn't enough for you. Right?!" Madam Doris turned to her daughter Erica in a rage. "See the trash you married yourself to. You've embarrassed me enough!"

Aidan felt the hot stings as the aftermath of the slap left on his cheeks by Madam Doris. He had the urge to massage his cheeks but was held back because of the handcuffs on him. "I know I didn't steal the necklace" He scowled at Mallory coldly. "But I do have an idea of how it got in my bag."

Aidan now realized the reason why Mallory was good to him the morning before this saga. She was surprisingly fair to him which had never happened before and now the true ruse of why had come to light.

Aidan furrowed his brows and said harshly to Mallory. "Maybe you should tell the family what you were placing in my bag this morning you sent me on that goose chase because you seem to know the perfect place the necklace was in my bag"

Mallory laughed so scarily that it made her blabber suddenly. "What… What are you implying?" Her husband, who despised Aidan too, came to her rescue.

Ethan Clay who had been silent since he stepped in, scoffed loudly. "You really are a loser, Aidan. Now you're looking for a scapegoat all of a sudden. Don't blame my wife because of your stupidity." He moved closer to Aidan with his hands folded on his chest. "If you needed money, you could have asked like you always do" He mocked Aidan.

"Do you also deny the money you've been embezzling into your account?" Aidan was astounded at all these accusations he knew nothing about.

He had the look of awe written over his face. "This is absurd! You know I don't come close to money in my work for the family, so how did I steal the money? Huh?" He spoke earnestly but Ethan was indifferent.

"Look, I don't know what you mean by any of this. I only came home because Erica sent a message that Rachel was missing and that's all I care about right now," Aidan said with the police officers still holding onto him. He glanced at the men with the corner of his eye and they looked nonchalant to everything happening. It was obvious they were on Hartford's payroll.

Ethan chuckled sarcastically. "Daughter whom you know not of how she's been cared for. Do you even know how to bring money to look after your daughter? You have no shame, Aidan." He said and spat mockingly.

Ethan Clay, the heir of the Clay family, was the husband of Mallory, the rich son-in-law of the family. He owned Martl Group – a prestigious marketing company in the city belonging to his family. He raked in thousands of dollars monthly and always threw it on Aidan's face any slight chance he got.

While Ethan was still on Aidan's face, Erica threw herself suddenly at her mom's feet. "Please Mom, I know Aidan, he isn't a thief. I'm sure there's a perfect explanation to all this." She looked sorrowful but her mom angrily pushed her aside.

"Shut your mouth! This is all your fault. If you weren't such a defiant child, this lowlife wouldn't even be breathing the same air as me.! You're a shame to this family!"

Mallory smiled and giggled. She was obviously enjoying the wrath her mother was pouring on her sister.

Aidan was mad with fury when he saw Erica on her knees begging. His eyes turned cold and his fists clenched tightly, he growled like a wild animal. Ethan, who was the closest to him, saw his eyes turn red. It terrified him greatly.

"Subdue him now!" He said to the officers and stepped a few steps back. The officers did as was commanded and pinned Aidan to the cold marbled floor in an instant.

Aidan's veins throbbed, he breathed heavily and gritted his teeth. He struggled with the officer pressing his face to the cold floor at Ethan's command. "Where is my daughter?!!" He managed to spurt out.

While he was toiling with the policemen who didn't give a hoot about him, Mallory handed her mom a file and it was thrown at him on the floor by Madam Doris.

"Sign these if you want your daughter back and don't want to rot in jail!!"