Chapter 3 - The Breaking Point
Alexander Vale knelt in the damp grass, shouting loud questions at a boy who could not hear a single word.
He demanded to know where the pain was, ordering his security team to call an ambulance immediately.
Matthew's face twisted in pain as his hands moved in frantic, desperate signs.
He was trying to tell his father that his head had hit the stone wall during the fall.
Alexander looked completely helpless, his immense wealth entirely useless in this terrifying moment.
Lucy shoved past the tall security guards and dropped to her knees beside her secret friend.
She watched Matthew's hands carefully and immediately translated for the panicking billionaire.
She shouted that Matthew's leg was broken, but he was also feeling incredibly dizzy from hitting his head.
Alexander froze, staring at the little girl who possessed the one skill he had neglected to learn.
He felt a sudden, burning wave of absolute humiliation wash over his proud ego.
The ambulance arrived with screaming sirens, and the paramedics quickly loaded Matthew onto a stretcher.
Matthew reached out for Lucy's hand, terrified to go to the hospital with a father who couldn't communicate with him.
Lucy tried to step into the ambulance, but Alexander forcefully blocked her path.
His humiliation had rapidly mutated into a cruel, defensive anger.
He turned toward Clara, who had just run across the lawn with tears in her eyes.
Alexander coldly told Clara that her daughter's reckless behavior had caused this terrible accident.
He brutally fired Clara on the spot, ordering them to pack their belongings and leave the estate by midnight.
Lucy sobbed, begging Mr. Vale to let her say goodbye to Matthew.
Alexander completely ignored her tears, stepping into the ambulance and slamming the heavy metal doors shut.
Clara dragged her devastated daughter back to the small carriage house to pack their meager lives into cardboard boxes.
At the hospital, Matthew endured hours of agonizing tests and a painful cast on his shattered leg.
When they finally returned to the mansion that evening, Matthew immediately limped toward the staff quarters to find Lucy.
Alexander caught him by the shoulder, forcing him back into the grand foyer.
He pulled out his phone and typed a harsh message, shoving the screen into Matthew's face.
The text coldly stated that the maid and her daughter had been permanently dismissed from the property.
Matthew stared at the screen, his chest heaving with a sudden, uncontrollable rage.
He furiously signed that Lucy was his only real family, but Alexander just turned his back and walked away.
That night, a massive thunderstorm rolled over the wealthy Connecticut hills.
Alexander sat alone in his dark study, drinking expensive whiskey and trying to ignore his overwhelming guilt.
Suddenly, the head of estate security burst into the room, dripping wet and completely out of breath.
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He held up a piece of paper covered in strange, hand-drawn symbols.
The guard frantically announced that Matthew's bedroom window was wide open, and the boy was completely gone.
