THE FORGOTTEN DAD

Chapter 38: The Broken Bond

Emil's heart pounded in his chest as he walked out of the detention center, the fresh air doing little to calm the storm inside him. Steven was by his side, but his thoughts were elsewhere—on Jasmine and their daughter, Eva. He needed to see them, to hold them, to make things right.

As they drove back to the mansion, Emil's mind raced with possible explanations, rehearsing what he would say to Jasmine to convince her to stay. But when they pulled up to the driveway, a cold sense of dread washed over him. The mansion was eerily quiet. The usual signs of life were absent—no laughter, no cries, no warmth.

Emil rushed inside, frantically searching room after room. But Jasmine and Eva were gone. The closets were empty, their personal belongings vanished as if they had never existed in this place. It was as if they had taken every trace of themselves with them.

His chest tightened, and the weight of the silence was suffocating. "No... this can't be happening," Emil muttered, his voice trembling. "Jasmine wouldn't just leave... not like this."

Steven stood by, watching his boss unravel. "Emil...," he started cautiously, "Maybe they went to her mother's place. We should check there."

Without another word, Emil nodded, his face pale and drawn. The drive to Jasmine's mother's house was tense, the air thick with unspoken fears. When they arrived, Emil felt a sense of dread. The door opened slowly, revealing Jasmine's mother, her face etched with a mixture of sadness and resolve.

Emil didn't waste any time. "Where are they? Where's Jasmine? Where's my daughter?"

Jasmine's mother regarded him with a steely gaze, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Emil, you need to let them go."

Her words hit him like a physical blow. "No, I can't... I won't! Jasmine had no right to take Eva away from me. She's my daughter too!"

"You've already caused her enough pain, Emil," she said firmly. "Jasmine did what she had to do to protect herself and Eva. You can't expect her to stay after everything that's happened."

Emil's voice shook with desperation. "I'll take legal action if I have to. Jasmine can't just leave with my daughter."

A heavy silence filled the space between them before Jasmine's mother calmly pulled out a familiar piece of paper—a document Emil had almost forgotten about. "Do you remember this?" she asked, handing it to him.

Emil took it with trembling hands, his eyes scanning the words. It was the agreement he and Jasmine had signed when they got married. It was supposed to be a safeguard, a mutual understanding of what they both wanted for their future. But now, it felt like a death sentence.

"If either of you breaks the terms of this agreement, custody of your child will go to the one who remains faithful to the terms," she recited, her voice steady.

Emil's heart sank as he realized the full weight of his situation. By breaking his vows, by allowing himself to be caught up in the mess with Ruby and everything that followed, he had unknowingly forfeited his right to Eva.

"This... this isn't fair," Emil whispered, the realization crashing over him like a tidal wave. "I was trying to protect them... I was trying to do what was right."

Jasmine's mother looked at him with pity. "Right or wrong, Emil, you've lost them. Jasmine gave you everything, and now... now she's taken it all back to protect herself and your daughter. Let them go."

Emil's hands shook as he held the document, his vision blurring with unshed tears. He had lost everything—his wife, his daughter, his family. And for what? His mistakes had cost him everything he had ever cared about.

As Steven placed a hand on Emil's shoulder, trying to offer some comfort, Emil could barely feel it. The reality of his loss was too overwhelming. He had nothing left but a hollow promise to a woman he didn't love and a legacy that meant nothing without the people he cared for by his side.

Jasmine was gone, and with her, any hope Emil had of redemption.