His Captive Obsession Chapter 12

His Captive Obsession Chapter 12

I was exhausted. I spent the entire afternoon pulling weeds and picking off bugs in the vegetable garden.

Ashton had been sent to feed the snakes in the temperature-controlled reptile room. He was terrified of snakes, but for some reason, he was working with terrifying intensity.

He looked at me with deep sympathy and patted my head. “I moved all those chains into my room. Don’t worry, Zoe, your mom will never have to suffer like that again. Bad people always get what’s coming to them!”

I was so confused. “Those chains belong to Daddy.”

He nodded. “I know. A woman doesn’t have the physical strength to lock up a massive guy like that. It definitely wasn’t your mom—it was that horrible Victoria woman who left behind all this mess!”

“Actually, it was Mom,” I tried to explain.

He gave me a tragic look and patted my head again. “No, you don’t have to say anything. What does a kid know? Go play, Munchkin. I’m going to work as hard as I can. Mr. Vance said I get ten dollars an hour, and once I hit two hundred, we can leave!”

He braced himself and went right back to work despite his terror.

Once I finished with the garden, the housekeeper gave me a few fresh peaches. I walked past the swimming pool to wash them and spotted two figures in the distance.

It was Mom and Daddy.

Daddy had just finished a swim, and Mom was using a towel to dry his hair. He was so tall that he kept his neck straight, his nose practically in the air, refusing to lean down.

Mom had to stand on her tiptoes, lost her balance, and started to fall.

Just as I was about to yell, Daddy caught her firmly by the waist, his voice dropping to a gravelly whisper.

“Be careful, little housekeeper.”

The world had truly turned upside down. He used to call her his beautiful angel and his favorite girl, and now she was just a housekeeper.

I ran over, looking up at him like he was a mountain. “Daddy, how can you treat her like that?”

“What did you just call me?” A genuine smile broke across his face.

“Da…ddy?”

“Got it.” He reached down and playfully messed up my hair.

What a strange man.

Mom knelt down beside me. “Are you tired from picking bugs, sweetie?”

I shook my head. “Not at all, as long as I’m with you.”

Daddy stood there shirtless, watching us.

As Mom wiped the sweat from my face, I looked up and noticed a line of text tattooed right across his lower abdomen.

# [Property of Valerie Linton.]

It was written in a beautiful cursive font. “What does that say?
Property of who?” I asked, pointing.

From my angle looking up, I gasped. “Can a man’s chest really be that big?”

He froze instantly.

“Wait, why does the left side have a picture of Mom’s face?”

“Tristan,” Mom said, her voice dropping warningly.

He quickly grabbed a towel to cover himself up, looking incredibly embarrassed as he explained, “This is just a temporary tattoo. It says ‘Protect the Environment.’ We need to set a good example and save the planet, okay?”

I nodded. “I want one too, Mister. Give me one.”

“No,” he snapped, his face turning serious.

I pouted. “Fine, keep it.”

I followed Mom to the greenhouse to tend to the roses. The premium imported roses stood over six feet tall, creating a massive ocean of vibrant color.

The familiar scent of premium luxury soap filled the air—it was the exact scent that always filled our old house, and it was Mom’s absolute favorite.

While Mom was busy working, I wandered off into a different section of the garden, getting completely covered in mud and scratched up by thorns.

Afraid Mom would scold me, I sneaked back into the main house to find a nanny to help clean me up.

Instead, I ran into the handsome uncle from before in the study. He was actually Daddy’s uncle, making him my great-uncle.

“Uncle,” Daddy greeted him calmly.

“Yes.” The older man’s gaze fell on me, his brows knit. “Punishing the adult is one thing, but the child is innocent. Don’t take things too far.”

Daddy didn’t deny it, simply nodding. “This is all part of my plan, don’t worry.”

My face stung from the scratches, and my clothes were filthy, but since the adults were talking, I didn’t know if I should leave, so I waited by the door.

I heard Great-Uncle talking about a massive multi-billion-dollar green energy transition project that required government approval, emphasizing the need for absolute discretion and stability.

Daddy replied smoothly, “I understand, Uncle. Have I ever made a mistake?”

“You are the finest piece of work I have ever groomed. Your only mistake was this child. But I can overlook a temporary distraction.”

Daddy smiled coldly. “Uncle, enjoy your upcoming retirement. My life does not contain mistakes. Allow me to show you out.”

He stood up, gesturing toward the door, and Great-Uncle left without another word.

I hurried to the kitchen to find a nanny, knowing I was going to get
chewed out later anyway.