Part 3The Tiger's Daughter: Roaring Back at Fate

The big tiger carried me on its back, familiarly navigating around a rockery and squeezing through a hidden iron gate.

Walking down a long corridor, a glass room with heating appeared ahead.

It was the zookeeper's break room.

A young man was lying back in a rocking chair with his legs crossed, holding a game controller, fighting intensely on the TV screen.

The room was very warm and smelled of braised beef noodles.

The big tiger pushed the door open with its head.

The man didn't even turn his head, his voice lazy.

"Rex, didn't I just feed you? Here to mooch some heat again? How many times have I told you, no turning into a mythical spirit after the park closes. Opening doors yourself, what's that about?"

The big tiger ignored him, walking straight to the rocking chair and tilting its body.

I slid off its back and fell onto an expensive-looking rug.

The man was right at a critical moment in his game when he caught a glimpse of a dirty shadow out of the corner of his eye.

His hand shook, and a massive "GAME OVER" appeared on the screen.

"Holy shit!"

He sprang up from the rocking chair, staring wide-eyed at me, then looked at the big tiger, who put on a completely innocent face.

"Rex, you... turning into a mythical spirit is one thing, but how the hell did you start child trafficking?"

He crouched down, his line of sight level with mine.

This older brother was really handsome; his eyes were like peach blossoms, bright and clear.

But he looked a bit fierce, his brow furrowed tightly.

"Kid, who are you? How did you get in here?"

I shrank my neck, wanting to hide behind the big tiger.

But the big tiger used its tail to block my retreat, pushing me toward the man.

"Roar—Lucas, catch! This is the daughter I found for you!"

"Roar—This kid has had a hard life, her own dad tried to feed her to us tigers. Isn't your family rich? Raising a cub won't be any trouble for you."

Of course, the man couldn't understand tiger talk.

He only saw this tiger, usually aloof to the point of death, now acting like a salesman, shoving a child as dirty as a little mud monkey into his arms.

I kept my head down, looking at my canvas shoes with holes in them, my voice as quiet as a mosquito.

"Hello, Uncle... My name is Chloe."

"My dad... left me behind."

Lucas's frown deepened.

He reached out and pinched my chin, forcing me to look up.

His fingers were long and warm, smelling nicely of soap.

"Left you behind?"

He glanced at my face, purple from the freezing cold, and the faint blue and purple bruises on my neck.

His eyes instantly darkened.

"Left you in the tiger enclosure?"

I nodded, the tears unable to stop falling again.

"Dad said the car broke down, told me to push it... and then he left."

Lucas took a deep breath, swearing under his breath.

But he quickly reined in his hostility. He turned, grabbed the braised beef noodles from the table, thought for a second, and put them back down.

He rummaged through the cabinets, found an expensive box of imported milk and a bag of chocolate cookies, and shoved them into my hands.

"Eat something first."

"I fucking hate animals like that the most."

He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, his tone becoming incredibly cold.

"Hey, old man, stop rushing me to come home."

"I've run into a situation. Someone just tried to murder a child right under my nose."

"Pull the park's security footage for me, and also, contact the Chief of Police. I need to report a crime."