She snappily carried her blouse which she had taken off and rushed out slamming the door shut.

"Now, back to you" he turned to Anne who wished the ground would open up and swallow her.

"Where is Arielle?"

Silence.

"Where is my daughter?"

More silence.

Lucas inhaled and exhaled. He was running out of patience. He banged his fist on the table spilling the drinks and breaking some bottles in the process.

"Hey Lucas, calm down" Cole said patting his shoulder, Lucas shrug his hands away and glared hard at the lady who was already crying.

Cole has never seen his friend so angry, he concluded that the so called Anne must be related to Lucas' baby mama who disappeared after extorting money from him.

"Where the f*** is Isabella?!!" He yelled making her flinch in fear.

" I'm so_r_ _ry" she sobbed.

"You're sorry?" He scoffed, "I'm not gonna ask again, where's my daughter?"

" She dumped her...." She cried out.

" Dump her?, What do you mean?"

" I'm so sorry Lucas, I tried to talk her out of it but she never listened..." She wiped a tear off her face. " After she got the money from you she never went to Australia with Isabella... She... She" she trailed off. How was she going to tell him that his daughter was dumped in an orphanage?

"She did WHAT?" He yelled angrily.

"She dumped her in an ORPHANAGE!!!" His eyes darken in anger. His own daughter was dumped in an orphanage.

" Why didn't you tell me?" He asked in a calm voice.

Silence.

" Why didn't you tell me?" He yelled dragging her hair. She let out a scream as she felt her scalp burn.

"Plea_se I'm so_rry" she choked on her tears.

"You're sorry?" He scoffed, "will sorry bring back my daughter?" He yelled tightening his grip on her scalp.

"I really wanted to tell you then but I didn't want to betray her, after dumping Isabella at an orphanage in New York, she left the country"

" Why didn't you bring my daughter to me then?"

"I was scared!"

" Scared? Of what?"

" I didn't want to betray her... And I thought Isabella will be better off at the orphanage because Arielle would have been a shitty mother..."

" And me? I would have taken care of that kid" he yelled in anger, " you're no different from Arielle.."

"I'm sor....ry" she choked in her sob.

Lucas could not explain how he was feeling. He felt like breaking something. Crushing something. Destroying something or better still someone.

Arielle.

He returned his gaze to Anne. "Where did she go to?"

" I don't know"

He loosen his grip on her hair and stepped back. " So, you came back here to sleep with me and get pregnant from me so you can also extort money from me and disappear?"

" No...no... that's not true, I just needed some money and I didn't think you'll still remember me, I'm.... sor...ry..."

" Shu....ut UP!" He cut her off and walked out slamming the door shut with Cole trailing behind him.

As he got into the car, he couldn't control his anger.

"Curse you, Arielle" he cursed under his breath.

If only that witch didn't come along.

If only he hadn't been drunk and had used protection that night.

If only she didn't get pregnant.

If only she didn't collect 'child support' fund from him.

After, the court had favored Arielle giving her the custody of the child, she told him she wanted to go on a vacation with Isabella (the name he gave the baby).

After getting the money, she disappeared. For the past six years, he's been looking for her but it's just like she disappeared into thin air.

Cole's voice jolted him to reality. "What are we going to do now?"

"I'm going to New York to look for my daughter" he said.

Cole nodded in affirmative." Yes and after that we'll find Arielle and make sure she pays" she messed with the wrong team.

***

" Wow!" Cole gasped looking around the new house. "This place is f***king huge" He squealed jumping on the couch.

Lucas shook his head in disbelief as he watched his friend move around squealing and touching all the furniture.

Cole acted childish all the time, no one else would believe he's 30. But, Lucas was happy and grateful to Cole for being such a good friend because he had left his job at LA just for him.

Lucas was able to get a two storey building at Brookdale street. He had already hired a housekeeper, an elderly lady who he thought hardworking because of how clean and neat the house was when he arrived and he also hired a security guard from a security agency. He didn't have any body guard because he hates pulling attention to himself.

Looking around the house, he didn't see Cole anywhere but he knew exactly where his friend was. In the kitchen. Cole and food are like five and six.

"I swear to God Cole, if you finish all the food, I'll reduce it from your allowance" Lucas yelled going into the kitchen.

"Wtf!" He gasped looking at Cole who was already on the third pack of chocolate cookies and then all the empty cans of juice.

"Damn Cole, I know you love junkies but I won't have you finish all my food" Cole giggled earning a murderous glare from Lucas.

"Alright, sorry for eating too much" Cole said and belched loudly resting his head on the kitchen counter.

Lucas feigned a disgusted expression. "You are so irritating" he scoffed and walked towards the fridge.

He opened it and brought out a mixed fruit salad. His favourite. He made a mental note to tell his new cook to always keep the dessert available.

*****

"Mr. Hernandez, I was able to locate the orphanage. It's called Good Will Orphanage". The hired private investigator said going through his notepad.

Lucas had seek the help of an Investigator immediately he arrived New York. Inspector James was recommended by a lawyer friend of his.

The man was efficient as said, he reported three days later with tangible information.

"Good Will Orphanage?" That was one of the orphanage he sponsored. He sent yearly allowance to them every year for the past eight years.

"Good Will Orphanage?" He asked again squinting his eyes.

"Ye....yes" Inspector James replied, "why? Do you know the place?"

" Of course I know that Orphanage, is that where my daughter is?" He asked expectantly.

" No... sir"

" What do you mean?"

" Sir, I talked to the matron there and she confirmed that there was a baby found outside the orphanage on a cold rainy night..." He paused when he noticed his client's facial expression. Lucas looked so angry and ready to kill. Who wouldn't?

Lucas exhaled and motioned him to continue.

"The baby had stayed outside for a somewhat long time so they had to rush her to the hospital"

" What happened after then?" He asked eagerly.

" She was discharged and later adopted"

" What? " He half yelled.

" Yes sir, that was what the matron told me, at first she refused to disclose the person's identity but after explaining the situation to her, she offered to help after making me sign an agreement not to cause trouble for the lady" he concluded.

" A lady? " Lucas asked rhetorically, "well, I don't care, we'll talk to the lady and her husband.... "

" She's not married" Inspector James cut him off.

" She's not? " He stood up from the couch in anger, "how can they give my baby away to a single lady? What if she maltreats my daughter or turns my daughter to a sex slave... "

" Sex slave? " gasped Inspector James.

" Why not? I don't trust women" he said cursing Arielle silently.

Inspector James smiled in amusement. His client got serious trust issues. "The matron said that the lady is a trusted person and she's taking good care of your daughter, Hailey... "

" Who the heck is Hailey? " He yelled in frustration.

" Your.... Your daughter..."

His daughter's name was charged? Just how much has changed?

" How do I get to see this...... this lady?" He said already feeling so much hate for the woman who has watched his beloved Isabella grow.

"The matron told me her name and her place of work but I did more research..."

" So? What did you find out?"

Inspector James was about to answer the question when Cole came into the sitting room yawning and stretching himself. He was oblivious of Inspector James' presence. He only saw Lucas because of the angle he was sitted .

Lucas looked at his friend in amusement. "You know Cole, you never cease to amaze me, you're a big eater and a big sleeper" he said to Cole who was now walking towards them.