Of course, they couldn't tell the truth to young Lisa. So, when morning came, they pretended to know nothing and even tried to search for the man. It didn't take them long to find his clothes, after all, they knew its whereabouts from the start.

Driving the car for the first time wasn't an easy experience for Daniel, but they managed to at least reach the main road and ask people for help.

In the end, as Daniel predicted, cops assumed that Mr. Green died incidentally.

As he predicted, their mother became emotionally broken after learning about her perfect future husband's death. She didn't suspect anything at all, she just didn't know what to do. Jacob was her ticket in a happy future, and she really loved him. She couldn't get over his death, she buried herself in the work and alcohol, became passive and meek. But Daniel didn't feel sorry for her, he still remembered how she treated him all those years.

After that event, Ted became even closer to Daniel and Lisa. In a way, he was like a brother to the siblings.

With their mother being more and more useless, Daniel knew that he should start to think about earning money by himself. On the one hand, he started to train Muay Thay in a dojo with an experienced teacher, on the other, he began to participate in underground fighting tournaments.

Two years after Jacob Green's death, Daniel's mother committed suicide. In a way, he felt that it would happen. Though what he didn't expect is the way she killed herself and the content of her suicide note.

She stabbed her own heart with a knife. If Daniel didn't know better, he would even assume that someone killed her, but the autopsy indeed confirmed her death was a suicide.

In the last will note, she apologized to her children for everything she did and didn't.

"If there is another life, I will do everything in my power to be the best mother I possibly can."

At her funeral, Daniel didn't cry a single tear. But when he woke up the next morning, his face was wet with tears. He couldn't remember the dream, but he knew that it was about this woman who brought him in this cruel world. About Vanessa Taylor - his incompetent mother, now dead.

The one thing Daniel realized while training in Muay Thai and fighting to get dirty money - he has a talent for violence. And he used it to get his place in life.

Time passed. Daniel was twenty-two, and his life couldn't be more different than seven years ago. He was acknowledged by the world as one of the greatest fighters of his generation. He was the youngest person ever who became UFC champion. Of course, Muay Thai alone wasn't enough to become undefeatable in Welterweight class, Daniel started to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when he was eighteen years old. Other than that, his knowledge of the human body rivaled that of a professional physician.

Gifted with a handsome face, near-perfect body, money, and fame, Daniel has had more women pursuing him than he could handle. Even so, he never met anyone who would make him feel anything special, in the end, things never escalated beyond casual sex.

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He did have enough money to live anywhere in the world, but his sister was still in high school, and she didn't want to separate from her friends. And girlfriends. Yeah, one day, Lisa opened up to Daniel the fact that she was lesbian. He was surprised but accepted it easily. In fact, he was even a little bit relieved.

At Daniel's recently bought mansion outside of the city, he, Lisa, and Ted celebrated his newly acquired World Championship.

"Congratulations, Dan! This fight was amazing. I always knew that you are the champ, but now the whole world acknowledged it!"

Ted wasn't a scrawny, short teenager anymore. In fact, he has grown taller than Daniel.

"Yes, big bro! I'm so proud to be your little sister."

Lisa wasn't a small little kid anymore, either. Instead, she was a stunningly beautiful girl who looked a few years older than she really is. Almost as tall as Daniel, with her long blonde hair, slim frame, and exquisite face, she can easily become a model or movie star if she wished so.

"Hey, Lis. Why is there a juice in your glass? There are no cops here, you can enjoy the wine like I and your bro."

Daniel looked at Ted with fake anger.

"Listen here, Ted. Don't teach her the bad things, okay? She is still a minor."

Ted sipped his drink.

"C'mon, Dan. How old were we when we drunk the alcohol for the first time? Fifteen? It is some severe case of 'do as I say, not as I do'."

Lisa cheerfully laughed at their exchange.

"Hehe, stop it, boys. In fact, I already drank some alcohol before, with one of my girlfriends. I just don't like it that much. And hangover is hell."

Daniel looked at his sister with a fake shock, then made an exaggerated sigh.

"It seems my little girl becomes more and more secretive. What else have you hidden from your big bro?"

She approached Daniel and whispered in his ear so that Ted couldn't hear them.

"I'm not a virgin anymore."

Daniel almost facepalmed himself.

"I guessed so much from the fact that you date three girls at the same time, you little rascal!"

Lisa giggled at his outburst.

"Big bro is so cute, right, Ted?"

Ted was more than glad to be allowed in the siblings' conversation.

"Do you think his angry face is cute? Well, how about this then..."

He thought for a few seconds. Daniel already predicted his next words, it wasn't the first time.

"Hey, Lis. If you ever want to try dating a man, I'm always here for you, more than willing!"

Daniel suppressed the urge to punch his best friend's face.

"Haha, Teddy. This joke of yours never gets old. And big bro's scary face is priceless as always."

Daniel decided to change the topic to avoid further embarrassment.

"Anyway, guys. I wasn't in the city for a long time and even before that didn't pay much attention, but... What is the deal with all those serial killings and disappearing people?"

The mood in the room instantly became gloomy, and Daniel realized that he choose the wrong topic to talk about at a celebration party. The change alarmed him, so he added.

"If this city is so dangerous, maybe we all should really move on somewhere safer, no? I can make it happen for all of us, including you, Ted."

As one of the most famous UFC fighters in the world, Daniel was a millionaire - money was nothing to him, compared to the safety of people he cared about.

"Well, maybe. Let's not talk about those things now, Dan. Let's drink, let's eat, let's play board games and watch movies on your huge home cinema!"

And so, they followed Ted's advice and did have a lot of fun. Daniel thought that it was the happiest day of his whole life. Even defeating the former champion on the ring wasn't so satisfying than spending the time with two people he cherished and trusted the most.

What he didn't know is that this day would be the last in his life as Daniel Taylor. The day that made him taste the real despair. And, betrayal.