“Dad, today’s the kindergarten performance. Can you come and watch me on stage?”
“They say I don’t have a dad. They call me a stray kid. They hit me.”
At the First Mental Hospital in Zhonghai, Adrian Yale received a call from an unfamiliar number.
“Little girl, do you have the wrong number?”
“Aren’t you my dad? Or is it true that I really don’t have a dad? But Mom said I do! She said my dad’s name is Adrian Yale, and he’s the best dad in the world. She said he’s on a mission in outer space, and that’s why he can’t come back yet.”
Adrian Yale?
That name hadn’t rung in his ears for five years.
For the past decade, there was only one name he went by—God King.
Only one person in the world knew his real name, and that was Julia Frost.
Could it be… Julia gave birth to his child?
In that instant, Adrian felt like lightning had struck him. Thoughts whirled, chaotic and overwhelming.
“You can’t hit me! I’m not lying. My dad is real—he’s Adrian Yale!”
“Teacher, please don’t hit me. I’ll eat my food right away.”
“I’m scared! Daddy, where are you? Daddy…”
Suddenly, the call was cut off, leaving only the cold, monotonous “beep” on the other end.
“Cassandra!”
“Cassandra, Daddy’s coming for you. Hold on!”Adrian Yale let out a thunderous roar, smashing through a concrete wall over fifty centimeters thick with one punch.
In an instant, all the guards within the institute gathered. But instead of stopping him, they were all there to see him off. Everyone knew, this place couldn’t contain him.
“Home!” Adrian’s shout echoed like a storm breaking across a thousand mountains.
“Move, move, move! The God-King is going home! Prepare the jet immediately!”
The military airport was only ten kilometers away, reachable in under five minutes.
As Adrian got into the car, every single person in the institute—doctors, patients, guards alike—dropped to their knees.
Shouting in unison, “We honor the God-King’s return!”
The black car shot forward like a streak of lightning, and the silver fighter jet soared through the skies above.
...
At the air above the Mid-Central City’s Eighth Kindergarten, a parachute suddenly appeared.
Adrian was descending at an almost impossible speed, spinning tactically mid-air before landing precisely in the center of the playground.
Under the wide-eyed stares of everyone present, he strode straight into the building.
“W-who are you looking for?” The guard stammered, clearly terrified of Adrian.
“I’m looking for Cassandra.”
“C-Cassandra? A student or teacher?”
“A four-year-old girl.”
“Four years old? She would be in the Sprouts Class, Room 202.”
“Thank you!”
Adrian’s steps faltered slightly as he headed up the stairs. His heart was pounding. In all his twenty-six years, he’d never felt this nervous before."I'm going to be a dad! Sweetie, Daddy's here!"
"Cassandra, are you okay? Did someone bully you?"
"Daddy will make sure they pay!"
Standing at the second-floor doorway of Classroom 202, Adrian Yale took a deep breath before pushing the door open.
What greeted him left him frozen.
At the front of the room, a female teacher stood holding a whip, striking a little girl. The venom in her voice was chilling as she shouted, "You're just a little bastard! Who would believe you have a dad?"
"Everyone, take note! This is what happens to liars!"
The little girl wore a faded blue dress, her legs lined with red welts from the whipping. Her cries filled the room, "I'm not a bastard! I have a daddy! My daddy will come!"
"Stop it!"
Adrian roared, his eyes blazing with fury, blood vessels bursting in them as he dashed forward and kicked the teacher across the room.
"Cassandra, Daddy's here. He's here now, sweetheart!"
"Da-Daddy?"
The little girl's teary eyes brightened as she looked up at him. A smile broke through the tears on her pale face.
"It's you, Daddy! It's really you!"
Adrian knelt, gently gathering her trembling body in his arms. "Cassandra… Daddy is so sorry. I'm late… I am so, so sorry."
Looking down at her tear-streaked face and the cruel marks left on her tiny legs, his hands trembled as tears rolled uncontrollably down his own face.
This was his daughter, his sweet little girl. Yet here she was, tormented, beaten, treated so mercilessly. “Cassandra... Daddy’s here. You have a daddy now. Cassandra’s so happy...”
Cassandra reached out, trying to touch Adrian Yale’s face. But her small hand fell limp halfway and went motionless. She passed out.
“Cassandra? Cassandra! What’s wrong? Wake up!” Adrian’s voice cracked as he shouted, clutching her frail body and bolting out of the room.
“Taxi! Hospital! Now!”
Standing in the middle of the road, Adrian threw up his arm, forcing a black Volkswagen to a screeching halt. Without a moment’s pause, he swung the door open and jumped in.
“Hospital! Drive! Fast!”
The sheer desperation in his yell left the driver trembling, too scared to hesitate. The car roared forward, speeding toward its destination.
At Central Capital First Hospital, Adrian burst into the emergency room, handing Cassandra to the medical team.
“Cassandra... Please, no, don’t let anything happen to her... Don’t you dare...” His voice was trembling, his fists clenched tight.
“If anything happens to her, every single one of you will pay. I swear I’ll make you pay!”
The longest thirty minutes of his life dragged by, and finally, the green light above the operating room flicked on. A doctor stepped out, his face unreadable.
“Who’s the family member?”
“I am! I’m her father!” Adrian’s voice rang with urgency as he surged forward.
“Sign the consent form for surgery. Now. And the surgery fee—ten thousand. Pay immediately,” the doctor instructed briskly before turning back.
“Doctor, how is my daughter? What’s wrong with her? Tell me!” Adrian grabbed at his coat, his voice a mix of desperation and fear. The doctor sounded annoyed. "Chronic malnutrition, multiple injuries, and a tumor in her abdomen. What kind of father are you?"
Boom! Adrian Yale felt like his head exploded on the spot.
How could this happen? Cassandra was only four years old. What had she been through?
But now wasn’t the time to figure that out. Saving her was all that mattered.
Adrian rushed to the payment counter, completely ignoring the line. He shoved his card toward the staff.
"Quick, process the surgery fee!"
Ten minutes later, the surgery began.
Sitting outside the operating room, Adrian was consumed with worry. His mind couldn’t stop replaying the image of that teacher abusing Cassandra.
There was no doubt in his heart. That woman—she was responsible for this.
But with Cassandra in surgery, Adrian couldn’t leave.
Taking out his phone, he made a call.
“Is it you, my lord?” The voice on the other end shook with terror and awe.
"Immediately lock down Zhongjing Eighth Kindergarten. No one leaves."
"Anyone who disobeys… dies."