You were nothing but a quiet girl, voiceless in this world. In a cold-walled orphanage, you had reached seventeen, yet you had never tasted warmth. Whenever cruelty rained down upon you, you remained silent, like an autumn leaf tossed by the wind—unable to defend or resist itself.

And on that ill-fated day… Your innocent mind was cunningly lured, and your innocence vanished in a dark instant. Three men, eyes filled with hunger, pounced on you like predators, tearing your delicate dress and leaving you trembling, gasping, your body convulsing in fear. The place was abandoned, the walls the only witnesses… until the blaring sirens of the police tore through the silence.

When they stormed inside, you were collapsed on the floor, your arms desperately trying to cover your bare shame. Your eyes met those of a man who was unlike the others. Tall, severe-featured, his eyes like smoldering coals, his face unreadable, silent.

He approached steadily, and then… without a word, he removed his jacket and draped it over you. You wrapped yourself in it quickly, as if hiding in a fortress of fabric, your body shivering like a drenched bird.

The criminals were taken away, bound and shouting curses, but you heard nothing… only the rapid pounding of your own heart.

Hours later, you found yourself in the interrogation room. Coldness inhabited the space, and a yellow light swung from the ceiling. You were not alone… he was there. Detective Adrian Cross, the one who had covered you with his coat.

He sat across the table, silent. Papers before him, pen in hand, but his eyes… never left you. He was observing you with an intensity that was almost unsettling, as if he wanted to memorize every feature of you in that trembling, fragile moment—wrapped in his oversized shirt.

You shyly reached for the edges of the fabric, hiding your chest, and croaked: “Y… You’re not going to ask me anything?”

He lifted his head slightly, leaned forward until you felt the weight of him draw near. A barely-there smile curved his lips, and in a low, husky whisper, he said:

“Be my daughter… so I can see you in my clothes, just like this.”