The late afternoon sun bathed the living room as I sifted through mundane mail, the doorbell's chime announcing Serena's early arrival from her part-time job. She breezed in, her vibrant presence filling the space with energy and the scent of vanilla. I eagerly waited for this time of the month when she'd visit me.

"Hey, Dad! You won't believe what happened with my roommate, Jessica…" Serena paused, sensing my unease. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Everything's great. Come on in, honey."

"So," I began, "you were saying..."

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"Yeah, Dad. Actually...I met someone, and he's like all nice and caring. Edison. Really loves me. We want to get married. But he's..."

"But?"

"He's sixty."

The word 'sixty' hit me hard. My daughter, eighteen, with a man sixty — almost thrice her age? Concern and disbelief clouded my judgment. "Sixty, Serena? That's... can't you see the issue here?"

"Age doesn't define love, Dad. Edison understands me, believes in me."

"But what about the future, Serena? He's much older."

"Love isn't about numbers, Dad. It's about feeling seen, loved, cared for, and Edison makes me feel that way," Serena's voice trembled with conviction. "Please, can you at least meet him once? Trust me, you'll love him."

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I was shocked beyond words. Was Serena not realizing what she was talking about? Yet, I couldn't refuse her. After all, what harm could a meeting do? I agreed to meet this Edison guy.

The next night at Edison's, I needed a breather and went to the balcony. That's when a snatch of conversation caught my ear. "Annie, come on now," Edison's voice, smooth and practiced, appeared. "I'm your brother. You know me well. It's just a bit of harmless fun. A chance to win a little something extra."

"This is reckless, Edison," a woman's voice, probably Annie's, chided Edison. "You're toying with that girl's affections for some 'harmless fun.'"

A cold dread twisted inside me. "What are you talking about?" Edison barked.

"The bet, Edison," Annie hissed. "You think marrying a naive girl is easy money to clear your debts?"

My heart sank. Edison was using my daughter just for a bet. I was furious.

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I rushed back in and found Serena. "Serena, we've been fooled! It's all a game to him!" I blurted out.

"Dad, what are you talking about?" Serena looked so confused and then shocked as I told her about the bet.

"He's lying to you, Serena! He's just using you," I said, my voice cracking.

But Serena got defensive. "You're making this up! You never liked Edison! Edison cares for me...unlike you, Dad. You were never around. After Mom passed, it was like you chose your job over me. I felt alone, not like I had a dad. I didn't need those nannies and expensive boarding schools, Dad. I needed you."

Her words stung, but I knew we had to deal with Edison's deception first.

Then, I saw him entering the dining room. Edison. I just couldn't contain myself any longer. I lost it and punched him in the face, yelling, "Stay away from her daughter, you creep!"

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But Serena was furious with me. "Stop it, Dad! It's my life, not yours!" she yelled, pushing me back. I knew no matter what I said at that moment, Serena would not take my side. She was blinded by the fake love Edison had shown her.

I eventually left, heartbroken but not beaten. I had to save my daughter. So, I called a buddy of mine who's a private investigator. A few days later, he gave me a report about Edison's dark past of failures and gambling addiction.

This was my shot to show Serena the truth about Edison and get her back.

The report mentioned Duke R., Edison's old business partner, who got left in the dust because of Edison's mess-ups.

The report said Duke hung out at a place called Le Beans Café, a little diner outside of town. I grabbed the phone number listed for Duke and called him up.

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At Le Beans Café, under its dim lights, I met Duke. Life had been tough on him, but he was ready to spill everything about Edison's gambling issues. He wanted to help me keep my daughter safe from Edison.

After meeting Duke that night, I went to Edison's favorite casino, pretending to be "Parker," a rich guy from Texas. I looked the part and had my story ready. Sitting down at Edison's table, I smiled.

"Welcome, Parker. Big game tonight. Feeling lucky?"

I played my cards right, literally, and ended up winning with a royal flush, beating Edison's hand. He tried to keep calm, but I could tell he was rattled.

"Looks like beginner's luck," Edison snarled.

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"Or maybe some of us just know how to play," I said, smiling slowly as I let him realize who I was. "Surprised to see me, Edison?"

He went white, finally getting what was happening. "Billy? What's this about?"

"It's about Serena. Leave her alone, and we're square," I said firmly, not giving him a choice. "Or," I added, "you can settle the debt right now. In cash. And let's just say, I have some… unconventional methods of collecting outstanding debts."

"Fine, I'll stay away from her," he said reluctantly.

I left the casino feeling like I'd won but also worried. Edison gave in too easily, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the end of it with Serena.

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The next morning, fury surged through me as Serena's voicemail played yet again. Why aren't you answering my calls, honey? Desperation led me to call her friend, Sarah, who cheerfully informed me of Serena's engagement party to Edison, a piece of news that left me reeling.

"Engagement party? With Edison?" I was shocked.

"Yes! Didn't Serena tell you? You should come, Mr. Thompson. It's at The Grand Springs, starts at eight," Sarah replied, oblivious to my shock.

Arriving at The Grand Springs, I was met with the sight of Serena, radiant with happiness, and Edison, oozing charm among the guests. My heart raced as I approached Edison, my anger peaking.

"We need to talk, now," I said, pulling him to the side.

"Now? During the party?" Edison smirked, but I wasn't having it and dragged him into a quiet bathroom to have it out.

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"You think you can just waltz in and take my daughter's life?" I accused, pressing him against the wall.

"She loves me. And your dirty little secrets? They could destroy you," Edison shot back, hinting he knew things about me that could hurt me.

"But you're not going to get her. Not on my watch!" I said, even though his threat to tell Serena about my past mistakes left me rattled.

"Two minutes, Thompson. Then I call security," Edison warned, leaving me in turmoil. "You think you can stop this, Daddykins? She loves me. She wants me. And if you try anything, if she sees even a tiny scratch on me, she'll turn her back on you forever. Is that what you want, Thompson? To be abandoned by your sweet daughter?"

No matter how much I hated that old creep, I had to admit he was right. Serena was already against me. I couldn't afford to lose her forever.

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Defeated and heartbroken, I ended up outside, the bright city lights seeming to laugh at my inability to save Serena from Edison's lies. I sat down on a bench, overwhelmed and hiding my face in my hands.

While I was lost in my own sadness, a cough caught my attention. Looking up, I saw a woman standing there, tall and with gray hair, looking kind of gentle in the faint light. "You're Mr. Thompson, right?" she asked quietly.

"Annie? Edison's sister?" I was surprised to recognize her.

She gave a small smile. "Yes, we've seen each other before… At Edison's, when you tried to save your daughter," she reminded me.

I quickly told her all about the mess with Edison and how he was tricking Serena. "And you're aware of it, too, right?"

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"That conniving weasel," Annie finally spat. "He's wasted everything — our inheritance, my savings from years of theatrical performances… all gone to feed his gambling addiction."

"We could stop him," I said, feeling she might want to help.

"What do you have in mind?" Annie asked.

I explained my plan to her and even offered her some money as a start. "Consider this a start," I said.

"I'm listening," she said, interested.

So, we went ahead with our plan at the wedding. Annie was there pretending to be just another guest. Right as Edison was putting the ring on Serena's finger, a young woman stood up and yelled, "He's a liar!"

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Then another woman stood up, telling her story about Edison's lies. More people started speaking up, all exposing Edison's evil deeds.

Edison tried to deny it. "No, they're lying! I don't even know them," he said, but he was falling apart as everyone saw his true colors.

Our plan worked. The wedding turned into a place where all of Edison's lies were laid bare for everyone to see.

In a moment filled with tension, an older woman approached Serena.

"Don't fall for his tricks, dear. He's nothing but trouble. Get away from him while you can! I've been a victim, too," the woman said firmly. Watching through a video call, I saw Serena's world fall apart as she threw her wedding ring away, her dream of happiness shattered.

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This was the climax of the plan I had made with Annie and her group of actors to show everyone who Edison really was. Serena ran out of the church, clearly hurt, but it was the only way to save her from a terrible mistake.

Then, things got even more serious when the police showed up to arrest Edison, making it clear he was finally going to face the consequences of his actions. Although it cost me a lot to get Annie's help, seeing my daughter free from Edison was worth every penny.

When I met Serena at her place later, it was a very emotional moment. "Dad, I'm so sorry. I should've listened to you," she cried.

I held her and showed her a plane ticket to Boston, to remind her of her dream of studying fashion design. "It's time to start over, to chase your dream," I told her.

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She looked at me, grateful and hopeful. "Thanks, Dad. I love you," she said.

This whole ordeal reminded me how important it is to be there for our kids and to do whatever it takes to keep them safe.

If only I'd been there for Serena, she'd never have fallen for someone like Edison. I had learned a huge lesson and decided to make my daughter my priority.

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