Jeff’s POV

The house had been heavy with unspoken tension since the argument between Emma and her parents.

Every interaction with Emma had felt strained, like we were speaking two different languages. She had every right to be upset, I hadn’t been on her side when she needed me most.

That morning, as I straightened my tie in front of the mirror, the thought bothered me. The guilt was relentless, and it had soured everything, including the fragile connection I’d been trying to rebuild with Emma.

She hadn’t even looked at me during breakfast, barely speaking beyond a curt “good morning.” I couldn’t stand this distance anymore.

I ran a hand through my hair, muttering to myself, “You screwed up Jeff. Big time.”

The kids’ laughter floated up from the kitchen, a stark contrast to the tension that lingered between Emma and me, I couldn’t fix the past, but maybe I could start fresh.

I glanced at the clock, work would have to wait, I had a quick stop to make first. Pulling on my jacket, I decided I’d pick up ingredients for dinner.

I wasn’t much of a cook, but I’d make her favorite pasta, carbonara, it was a small gesture, but maybe it would help smooth things over.

“See you later.” I called out as I grabbed my keys.

Emma didn’t respond, I sighed and stepped out, vowing to make things right.

Work was uneventful, the kind of day filled with back-to-back meetings and endless reports. Normally, I thrived in this controlled chaos, but my mind kept drifting back to Emma.

Around mid-morning, my phone buzzed, it was one of the security team members I’d assigned to watch over Jason and Anna.

“Mr. Anderson, we’ve noticed some unusual activity near the kids’ school,” the voice on the other end reported, “A man has been loitering near the playground for the past hour.”

My brow furrowed, “Did he approach them?”

“Not yet sir, but he’s been keeping his distance and watching closely.”

I tapped my pen against the desk, torn, they weren’t my kids, but if I wanted any chance of rebuilding things with Emma, protecting them was non-negotiable.

“Keep an eye on him,” I ordered, “If he gets too close, intervene. And keep me updated.”

“Yes sir.”

I hung up and leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. It was probably nothing, a concerned parent or a harmless passerby, but I couldn’t shake the unease that prickled at the back of my neck.

Fifteen minutes later, my phone buzzed again, this time, it was a text.

When I opened it, my heart dropped.

It was a picture of Jason and Anna, smiling and playing on the playground but the caption beneath it chilled me to the bone:

“They could both be dead with one shot of the trigger.”

My chest tightened, and I was already on my feet before I realized it.

“Cancel the rest of my meetings.” I barked at my assistant as I grabbed my coat.

“But sir,”

“Just do it.” I snapped, storming out of the office.

When I arrived at the school, my presence caused a stir. The headmaster himself greeted me, clearly flustered.

“Mr. Anderson, to what do we owe the pleasure?” He asked, his smile nervous.

“I’m here to pick up Jason and Anna.” I said firmly, scanning the playground.

He blinked, “Of course. Let me take you to their classroom.”

The twins were sitting at their desks when we arrived, but my attention was immediately drawn to the man standing near them. He was tall and lean, his face partially obscured by a baseball cap.

My stomach dropped as recognition hit me.

“Alex??” I muttered under my breath.

The headmaster looked confused, “You know him?”

“Stay here.” I ordered, walking toward Alex.

He turned as I approached, his face hardening when he saw me.

“Jeff.” He said coolly, his voice dripping with disdain.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded, keeping my voice low to avoid alarming the kids.

“I came to see Emma,” he replied, “I need to talk to her.”

“She doesn’t need anything from you,” I snapped, “You shouldn’t even be alive, you were supposed to be dead after the explosion.”

Alex’s jaw tightened, “Yeah well, the Collective made sure I lived just long enough to lose everything. They killed my family, Jeff. My wife. My son.” His voice cracked, but his eyes burned with anger, “All because of that mission.”

“That mission was your choice,” I shot back, “You knew the risks.”

“And so did you,” he said, stepping closer, “But Emma didn’t, did she? She doesn’t even remember the Collective, does she?”

I froze, my mind racing.

He laughed bitterly, “That’s what I thought, you’re hiding it from her. Let me guess, you think keeping her in the dark will protect her?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said, my voice low and threatening.

“I think I do.” Alex countered, “And if you don’t back off, I’ll tell her everything myself.”

“Go ahead,” I challenged, though my heart was pounding, “See how far that gets you.”

Alex smirked, “You’ve always been a terrible liar Jeff.”

Before I could respond, Jason and Anna noticed me and called out, “Daddy.” 

I turned to them, forcing a smile, “Hey kids, ready to go?”

They nodded eagerly, and I shot Alex a final warning look before ushering them out. 

Back at the house, I was still rattled.

I called in more security and began making a series of frantic phone calls, trying to piece together how Alex had survived and why he was here now.

The sound of the front door opening made me pause, Emma was home.

I hung up and walked to her room, knowing she'd come here first, I heard her exchanging some words with Jason and Anna before I started hearing her footsteps on the staircase.

“Jeff.”

She called my name cautiously and I turned to face her, I knew the expression on my face would be a mix of anger and hurt, “Care to explain this?” I asked, holding up the note.

She crossed the room in a few strides and snatched it from my hand, “Where did you find this?”

“In your drawer.” I answered flatly, “Why didn’t you tell me someone was threatening you Emma?”

“I didn’t want to worry you,” she answered defensively, “You’ve been under so much stress with the investigation and the company…”

“That’s not a good enough reason.” I snapped, “You should’ve told me the moment this arrived. I could’ve done something to protect you.”

She threw her hands in the air upon my sentence, I could see her anger bubbling to the surface, “Protect me? You didn’t even tell me you were taking the kids out of school today.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” I shouted, running a hand through my hair, “One of the guards called me and said there was a suspicious man at the school. I had to act fast.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“I did!” I said, my voice rising, I was already tired of this meaningless exchange, “You weren’t answering.”

She opened her mouth, no doubt about to argue but realized something which made her close it right back.

I exhaled sharply, my voice softening, “Emma, we can’t keep secrets from each other. Whoever’s behind this isn’t playing games and now they’re involving the kids.”

My throat tightened as I looked down at the note in my hand, here I was, telling Emma we shouldn't keep secrets from each other when I was the one keeping the biggest secret of all. 

I think my words must have gotten to her because she nodded her head a few times before opening her mouth, “There’s more,” she said hesitantly, “Someone’s been calling me all day, they said my accident wasn’t really an accident.”

My expression darkened, I knew Alex was behind it immediately, it couldn't be anyone asides him, “What are you talking about?”

“They told me to ask you.”

I stiffened, the color draining from my face.

“Jeff,” Emma pressed, her voice trembling, “What aren’t you telling me?”

Her eyes softened slightly, but before either of us could say more, the sound of shattering glass from downstairs made us both freeze.

The kids screamed.

“Stay here,” I barked, grabbing the nearest object, a heavy flashlight, and bolting downstairs.

Emma was right behind me, holding a lamp like a weapon.

The living room was in chaos, glass shards littering the floor. The guards were already swarming, but whoever had been there was gone.

In the center of the mess was a stone wrapped in paper.

I picked it up, my hands shaking, and unfolded the note, the message was short but chilling;

“This isn’t over. Keep digging and you’ll regret it.”

I handed it to Emma, who read it silently, her face pale.

“What the hell is going on Jeff?” She whispered.

I looked at her, my chest tightening.

“I don’t know.” I lied, the weight of my secrets threatening to crush me.

The house was too unsafe to stay in after everything that had happened.

Emma and the kids were visibly shaken, and no amount of reassurances seemed to ease their nerves, Jason clung to Emma’s side, and Anna kept glancing nervously toward the shattered window, her little hands clutching a stuffed bear.

“This isn’t up for discussion,” I said firmly, grabbing my car keys, “We’re leaving for the hotel tonight. It’s safer there.”

Emma didn’t argue, she simply nodded, her face pale and eyes distant as if trying to process everything at once.

The hotel suite was one of the best in the city, complete with a living area, kitchenette, and two adjoining bedrooms.

I booked the room for Emma and the kids, while I got a separate room down the hall, the idea was to give them space but still remain close enough in case anything happened.

Jason and Anna were unusually quiet, sitting side by side on the large couch as Emma unpacked a few things from the overnight bags I’d quickly thrown together back at the house.

I crouched in front of them, offering a reassuring smile, “Hey, you guys don’t need to worry okay? I’ve got everything under control. You’re safe here.”

Jason stared at me for a moment before nodding hesitantly, while Anna mumbled a soft, “Okay.”

Emma walked over, brushing Jason’s hair back, “Why don’t you two get ready for bed? I’ll come tuck you in soon.”

Once the kids were out of earshot, Emma turned to me, arms crossed, “Do you really think we’re safe here?”

“Safer than the house,” I replied, “I’ve got security stationed on every floor and guards watching the entrances. No one’s getting near you or the kids.”

She sighed, clearly not convinced, but didn’t push the issue further.

After helping Emma settle the kids into bed, I stepped out of the room. “Get some rest,” I told her, “I’ll check in on you in the morning.”

“Jeff,” she called out softly, stopping me at the door, “Thank you, uhmmm, for everything.”

Her gratitude felt like a small crack in the wall of tension between us, but I didn’t dwell on it, “Goodnight Emma.”

Back at my office, I immediately got to work.

The pieces of this puzzle weren’t fitting together, and it was driving me insane. I made call after call, trying to dig deeper into Alex’s reappearance and the threats against Emma.

Around midnight, one of my contacts finally came through with a lead.

“Alex has been tracking Emma for months,” the man said over the phone, “The explosion at your office, the note, the break-in, it was all orchestrated by him, he’s trying to force your hand.”

“To what end?” I demanded, gripping the phone tightly.

“He wants Emma’s attention,” the man replied, “And he knows the only way to get it is through you.”

I hung up, anger boiling in my chest.

Alex had crossed a line, this wasn’t just about him anymore, it was about Emma and the kids, and I wasn’t going to let him drag them into his mess.

I sent Alex a message, demanding he meet me at the office. It was time for answers.

Alex arrived half an hour later, his expression unreadable as he stepped into my office. He looked tired, the weight of whatever he’d been through evident in the shadows under his eyes.

“You’re persistent, I’ll give you that,” I said, leaning against my desk, “But you’ve gone too far Alex.”

“I had no choice,” he said, his tone calm but firm, “You left me no choice.”

“You think threatening Emma and the kids is the way to fix this?” I snapped, my voice rising, “You’ve completely lost it.”

He took a step closer, his jaw tightening, “I didn’t threaten them, I would never hurt them but you? You’re the reason Emma’s life is a mess, you’re the one keeping her in the dark.”

I crossed my arms, glaring at him, “What do you want from me?”

“I want you to tell her the truth,” Alex said, his voice like steel, “Tell her everything, the accident, the Collective, all of it.”

I stiffened, my mind racing, “I can’t do that.”

“You can’t do it or you won’t?” Alex challenged.

“She’ll never forgive me,” I admitted, my voice dropping, “If she finds out the truth, I’ll lose her.”

“You already lost her Jeff,” Alex shot back,“The only difference is, now you’re lying to keep her.”

Before I could respond, the sound of the office door opening made both of us turn.

I froze as a familiar figure stepped into the room.

Sam.

My former assistant. The man who’d had an affair with Emma. The biological father of her children.

He looked at me with a smug expression, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, “Well, isn’t this a reunion?” He said, his tone dripping with mockery.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded, my fists clenching at my sides.

Sam smirked, “I got an interesting message from Alex here, thought I’d come see for myself.”

Alex shot him a warning glance, “I didn’t invite you here to stir up trouble Sam.”

“Oh relax,” Sam said, waving a hand dismissively, “I’m just here to remind Jeff that he’s not the only one with secrets.”

“Stay out of this.” I growled.

“Why should I?” Sam retorted, stepping closer, “You’ve been playing house with my kids, pretending to be some hero, while keeping Emma in the dark about everything. You think she won’t find out eventually?”

“Enough!” I barked, my voice echoing in the room.

Both men fell silent, but the tension was palpable.

I turned to Alex, my voice low and dangerous, “You’ve made your point. Now leave.”

“Not until you agree to tell Emma the truth.” Alex insisted.

“And if I don’t?” I challenged.

Sam chuckled, crossing his arms, “Then I will.”

I stared at him, my chest tightening, “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh I would,” he said, his smirk widening, “You’ve kept me out of their lives long enough, maybe it’s time Jason and Anna know who their real father is.”

My blood ran cold. The walls felt like they were closing in, the weight of my lies threatening to crush me.

Alex stepped forward, his gaze intense, “This isn’t about you Jeff, it’s about Emma. She deserves the truth, no matter how much it hurts.”

I looked between the two of them, my mind racing. My carefully constructed world was crumbling, and I had no idea how to stop it.

For the first time in years, I felt powerless.

And I hated it