Myra wiped away her tears and stood. "Let's find Licia now!"
Dexter was perplexed. It was the middle of the night. Where were they supposed to find Felicia? Moreover, this was hardly appropriate. But Myra, ever impulsive and emotionally driven, was unstoppable once she'd made up her mind. She grabbed Dexter and rushed out the door.
They arrived at Felicia's former apartment and rang the doorbell repeatedly. Finally, they heard shuffling inside. The door opened, revealing an old man.
Stunned, Myra checked the address; it was correct. She'd been here with Kayla to visit Felicia when they had more money. She remembered the number.
"It's the middle of the night," the cranky landlord grumbled, "Who are you looking for?" He looked angry and impatient.
Myra peered inside. "I'm looking for my daughter, Felicia. Where is she?"
"Oh, that young lady? She moved out a long time ago," the old man yawned.
Myra and Dexter exchanged a look. "Where did she move to?"
"How would I know? Aren't you her parents? How could you not know where your own daughter lives?" The old man rolled his eyes, then his gaze sharpened. "Wait a minute. You're not… human traffickers, are you? You claim to be her family, but you're targeting young women to kidnap and sell!"
For the first time, they were accused of being human traffickers. They were speechless.
Dexter explained, "No, sir, you've misunderstood! We're here to find our daughter. We're not traffickers!"
"Hmph! We'll let the authorities decide. You don't have to worry if you're innocent. But don't think about escaping if you're guilty!" The old man huffed.
Dexter felt helpless; struggling would only worsen the situation.
Myra had an idea. "Sir, why don't you call my daughter? She rented from you, so you must have her number, right?"
The old man considered this. It made sense.
Felicia was stunned by the call. After hearing the situation, she fell silent, then reluctantly admitted the truth to avoid further trouble. The old man released Dexter.
Dexter, reliving a dream's turmoil, heard Felicia's voice and his eyes watered. Guilt surged. "Licia, I'm sorry… It's all my fault. I failed to protect you…" He knew he apologized to the neglected, abandoned daughter of his dream, and to Felicia herself.