Melting Her Cold Heart
Chapter 30: What’s His Name?"

Chapter 30: What’s His Name?"

Jordan was silent, and that brought about a tense atmosphere between them. He avoided her gaze while she only wished he would just look at her.

"Dad..." Sara called. Her tone and eyes pleaded with him, but she didn’t know exactly what she was pleading for.

Wouldn’t it matter if the man who abandoned her and her mother came looking for her? Sara thought it wouldn’t. So why was she feeling concerned now? Recalling how Alex had repeatedly inquired about her biological father, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

"Say something, please," Sara said as she rose from her seat and sat next to Jordan. She took his hands and gently squeezed them. "What did you tell them about me?" She hoped he had claimed she didn’t exist, but considering they knew about his marriage to her late mother, she was sure they were aware of her existence. Claiming she didn’t exist would only raise suspicion.

"I told them you were in the city. I’m sorry, Sara," he replied, and her expression fell. "I couldn’t lie to them. I tried, but..." He recalled how he had initially claimed ignorance, only for them to bring in a lie detector to extract the truth.

"You were forced to tell them," Sara stated, not as a question but as a firm conclusion. She couldn’t believe they had done that, though he insisted they hadn’t harmed or threatened him.

"Sara..." Jordan tried to soothe her, but she pulled away, making his heart sink.

"Dad...?" she warned, her tone serious.

Jordan fell silent. He knew Sara could be sweet, but she had a fierce side that rarely emerged. Right now, he understood that he shouldn’t try to cover for those people again, or he risked losing his daughter.

"I’m sorry I lied to you," he said, watching as she took deep breaths to calm herself, her eyes closed. After several seconds, she opened her eyes, her gaze urging him to be truthful.

"What else did they do to you?" Her eyes scrutinized him, but all she could see was his neck, head, and arms—no visible wounds or scars. She couldn’t be sure they hadn’t harmed him elsewhere.

"They only tried to extract information from me. They asked for your address in the city and about the people you associate with..." Sara’s heart sank as she realized her friends might get dragged into something they knew nothing about. Even she didn’t fully grasp what was happening or who she was facing.

"I made it clear I didn’t know your exact address, so they didn’t get much from me. I only know your friends’ names, and they didn’t seem pleased with that. But I know they can still make use of the information," Jordan added, and Sara felt a surge of anxiety.

Her hands grew clammy as she contemplated what to do. Meeting his gaze, she recognized how stressed she was making him and tried to calm down.

"I’m sorry you had to go through that," Sara said, her voice filled with regret.

Jordan took her hand and gave her a mild smile. "Shelly and I anticipated a day like this. We knew it might come. Do you think I avoided prying too much into your life or your friends’ lives for no reason? If I had known more, they could have found you in no time." It wasn’t something he was proud of; not knowing his child well enough, despite their closeness, was painful, but he had to keep things that way to protect her. Her biological father wasn’t someone you could easily deceive, nor was he a kind person.

"..."

Sara’s expression fell. So, this was why he hadn’t visited her all this time? And why he had taken down her mother’s photos to keep her safe? She struggled to find the right words.

"What’s his name?" she asked, unwilling to acknowledge him by a title she felt he didn’t deserve. She remained silent as Jordan processed her question.

"Goldman... Trevor Goldman," he replied once he understood.

Sara nodded curtly and stared out the window. Though the curtains obstructed her view, she didn’t mind. Her thoughts swirled around that name as she committed it to memory.

She couldn’t help but wonder what had prompted them to search for her now. She had spent twenty-three years unaware of who they were, and they had never attempted to connect with her. Why now? Who could provide the answers she needed? Suddenly, a name and face came to mind.

’Right... Alex,’ she thought, nodding inwardly.

"Is it safe to be here? Will they come back?" she asked, noticing Jordan’s conflicted expression. He could see she wanted to avoid a reunion with them, but it was inevitable, and he couldn’t reassure her of her safety.

"They’re likely to return. They might be lurking around as we speak, so we must be cautious. Why don’t you talk to your fiancé? He might be able to help," he suggested, believing the Crawfords would do a better job at keeping her safe than he could if they didn’t exploit her connections with the Goldmans.

"Adam and I... we broke up," Sara revealed, and Jordan’s face showed shock. "I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner."

Jordan fell silent, processing this information. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at his daughter.

"What happened to you two?" Jordan asked.

••••

AtThe Crawford Villa

Olivia looked up at her father with teary eyes, pleading earnestly for him to lift her punishment. There was nothing more torturous for her than being grounded, and it had already been almost a week since she had been confined to her room, without even her cell phone to keep her company.

"Papa, please. I promise I’ll be more careful with my words next time," she begged, though everyone present knew she would likely return to her reckless talking once she was freed from her punishment.

Dominic gazed at his daughter, skepticism evident in his eyes. Who could believe her promise after knowing her track record for bending the truth without blinking?

"I think she’s learned her lesson this time," Lily said, stepping to Dominic’s side. Olivia quickly scrambled over to her mother, nodding vigorously in agreement with her.