Emma’s POV

The day began like any other, filled with the hum of keyboards and the soft murmur of coworkers exchanging pleasantries and my desk was its usual mess, a sea of sticky notes, contracts, and a half-empty coffee mug that I kept forgetting to refill.

The normalcy of it all was a comfort, a break from the storm that had reentered my life just days ago.

I was in the middle of reviewing a financial report when the intercom on my desk buzzed, I jumped slightly, startled out of my focus.

“Emma, this is Mr. Carter, please come to my office.” His tone was clipped, professional but laced with something else.

Urgency, perhaps?

I pressed the button to respond, “Of course sir. I’ll be there in a moment.”

Hanging up, I quickly saved my work and grabbed a notepad, just in case he needed updates on the Newman deal. The possibility of something being wrong pressed at me as I walked briskly down the corridor, heels clicking against the polished floor.

When I reached his office, I knocked lightly, and his deep voice invited me in.

“Ah Emma, take a seat.” Mr. Carter gestured to the chair opposite his large oak desk.

I obeyed, settling into the seat and clasping my hands tightly in my lap. He leaned back in his chair, studying me for a moment before speaking, and the seriousness in his expression made my stomach twist.

“I’ve just been informed that Sam Newman is here.” He said, his words dropping like a stone into the quiet room.

For a moment, I thought I’d misheard him, “Sam Newman?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes,” he said with a nod, leaning forward, “And he’s specifically requested to see you.”

I blinked, struggling to keep my expression neutral even as my heart began to race, “Did he mention why?”

“He didn’t and frankly, I find it odd,” Mr. Carter admitted, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly, “Emma I trust you to handle this, but I need to ask, do you have any personal history with him?”

The question made me stiffen slightly, “Nothing that would interfere with my work sir.” I said carefully, avoiding his gaze.

He didn’t look entirely convinced, but he nodded anyway, “Well, whatever his reasons, I trust you’ll keep this professional. Sam Newman is an important client, and his investment in the Newman merger is critical to us. That said…”

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully.

“I can’t help but notice he seems unusually focused on you,” he continued, his tone measured, “Use that to your advantage Emma. If he’s fixated on you, you may be able to leverage that to strengthen the deal.”

A wave of discomfort swept over me at the suggestion, but I forced a polite smile, “I’ll handle it sir.”

“Good,” he said, leaning back once more, “He’s waiting for you in the conference room.”

I nodded, rising from the chair, “Thank you Mr. Carter. I’ll update you afterward.”

As I left his office, my pulse quickened. Why was Sam here again? The last time we’d spoken, I’d made it clear I didn’t want him back in my life, yet here he was, summoning me like he had some kind of claim over my time.

Reaching the conference room, I paused outside the door to steady myself. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Sam was standing by the window, gazing out at the city skyline. At the sound of the door, he turned to face me, his expression unreadable.

“Emma.” He said softly, his deep voice sending an unwelcomed shiver down my spine.

“Mr. Newman,” I replied, keeping my tone brisk as I walked to the table and took a seat, “What can I do for you? I assume this is about the Newman merger.”

Sam chuckled, a low, humorless sound, and leaned casually against the edge of the table, “Always so professional, aren’t you?”

I ignored the comment, folding my hands on the table, “If this isn’t about business, then I’m not sure why I’m here.”

His dark eyes locked onto mine, intense and unyielding, “It’s about you, Emma.”

My stomach twisted, but I kept my expression neutral, “I don’t think that’s appropriate Mr. Newman.”

He shook his head, his lips curving into a faint smile, “Drop the formality Emma. It’s just me.”

“And that’s exactly the problem,” I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended, “What do you want Sam?”

“I want to talk." He said simply.

“About?”

He didn’t answer right away, his gaze sweeping over me like he was trying to memorize every detail, “Why are you still living with Jeff?”

His question caught me off guard, but I recovered quickly, “That’s none of your business.”

“It is my business,” he countered, his voice firm, “You’re the mother of my children Emma. I have a right to know what’s going on in your life.”

I stiffened, anger bubbling beneath the surface, “You forfeited that right the day you walked away Sam. You don’t get to come back after three years and act like you care.”

“I’ve always cared." He said quietly, the sincerity in his tone throwing me off balance.

“Well you sure do have a funny way of showing it.” I muttered, crossing my arms, “Is that all you wanted to ask? Because if it is, I have a lot of work to get back to.”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look away, “What about the twins?”

The mention of my children was like a punch to the gut, and my composure wavered, “What about them?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“I want to meet them." He said, his voice softening.

I laughed bitterly, shaking my head, “You’ve got to be kidding me. Do you have any idea how confusing that would be for them? They think Jeff is their father Sam. How am I supposed to explain that the man they’ve known their whole lives isn’t actually their dad?”

“They deserve to know the truth." He argued, his tone growing more intense.

“And what good will the truth do now?” I shot back, my voice rising, “It won’t change the fact that you weren’t there Sam. It won’t erase the years you missed.”

“I know I can’t change the past,” he said, his voice breaking slightly, “But I want to be there for them now. Please, Emma.”

The raw emotion in his voice took me by surprise, and for a brief moment, I saw a glimpse of the man I used to love, but then reality came crashing back.

“I can’t do that to them,” I said firmly, “I won’t disrupt their lives just to make you feel better.”

Before Sam could respond, the door burst open, and Jeff stormed in, his face a mask of barely contained fury.

“What the hell is going on here?” He demanded, his sharp gaze darting between me and Sam.

“Jeff.” I began, rising from my seat, but he cut me off.

“Is this what you’ve been dealing with?” He asked, his tone laced with disbelief.

Sam stood tall, his expression hardening, “This has nothing to do with you, Anderson.”

Jeff’s laugh was cold and humorless, “It has everything to do with me. You don’t get to show up out of nowhere and throw her life into chaos.”

“I’m not here to cause trouble,” Sam said, his voice steady, “I just want to talk to Emma.”

“She doesn’t need to talk to you,” Jeff snapped, his protective stance making my chest tighten, “She’s been through enough, and the last thing she needs is you dragging her back into your mess.”

“I’m not dragging her into anything,” Sam countered, his tone icy, “This is between me and her.”

Jeff stepped closer, his fists clenched at his sides, “If you care about her like you claim to, you’ll leave her alone.”

“Enough!”

I yelled, cutting through the tension. Both men turned to me, their expressions a mix of anger and concern.

“This isn’t helping anyone,” I said, my voice shaking, “Jeff I appreciate your concern, but I can handle this.”

Jeff hesitated, his jaw tightening as he looked at me, “You shouldn’t have to.”

“I can.” I insisted, meeting his gaze.

After a moment, he nodded, though the tension in his body didn’t ease. He turned back to Sam, his expression hard, “Stay away from her Newman. She doesn’t need you in her life.”

Without waiting for a response, he grabbed my arm gently but firmly and guided me out of the room. I didn’t look back as the door closed behind us.

Jeff’s grip on my arm was firm but not painful as he led me out of the conference room. The door closed behind us with a heavy thud, but the weight of what had just happened lingered in the air. I barely had time to register the stares before we stepped into the open office space.

Every single one of my coworkers was standing there, their eyes wide with confusion and curiosity. The hum of whispered questions filled the air as they stared at us like we were part of some midday drama.

“Jeff,” I whispered, trying to tug my arm free, “Everyone’s looking.”

He didn’t respond.

His jaw was clenched so tightly I thought it might crack, and his gaze remained fixed ahead as he strode toward the exit. Like parting waves, the crowd moved aside for him, though their eyes never left us.

I wanted to disappear.

When we reached the double doors leading out of the office, I stopped abruptly, tugging my arm again until he finally let go.

“Wait,” I said, keeping my voice low even though I wanted to scream, “I need to grab my things.”

Jeff turned to me, his eyes stormy with anger, “Make it quick.”

Ignoring the way his tone made my skin prickle, I hurried to my desk, aware of every pair of eyes tracking my movements.

My hands trembled as I stuffed my laptop, notepad, and a few other essentials into my bag. Someone, Rachel I think, took a hesitant step forward as if to ask what was going on, but I shook my head, silently begging her not to.

When I turned back, Jeff was waiting by the door, arms crossed and expression as hard as stone.

The silence in the office was suffocating as I walked back to him. The weight of everyone’s stares pressed on me, but I kept my head high, my face carefully blank. Without a word, Jeff opened the door and gestured for me to go ahead.

We didn’t speak as we walked to the parking lot, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife. Jeff’s car was parked in front of the main doors and he unlocked it without a word, holding the door open for me.

I slid into the passenger seat, dropping my bag at my feet. The door closed with a soft thud, and a moment later, Jeff climbed into the driver’s seat.

The silence during the drive was deafening.

I stared out the window, watching the city blur past, my mind racing. Sam’s words echoed in my head, mixing with the scene Jeff had caused and the growing anger bubbling inside me.

Finally, Jeff broke the silence, his voice cold and cutting.

“So,” he began, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white, “is this what you’ve been doing behind my back? Entertaining your ex?”

My head snapped toward him, my eyes narrowing, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he said, his tone sharp, “He waltzes into your office, acts like he still owns a piece of you, and you just, let him.”

“Let him?” I repeated, my voice rising, “Jeff he showed up unannounced, I didn’t invite him. I didn’t even know he was coming until five minutes before you barged in!”

Jeff let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head, “Yeah, right and you just happened to sit there, letting him talk to you like that?”

“What was I supposed to do Jeff?” I shot back, my frustration boiling over, “Throw him out of the building? Cause an even bigger scene?”

“You could’ve told him to leave,” Jeff snapped, his gaze flicking toward me briefly before returning to the road, “But no, you sat there like you were hanging on his every word.”

“Are you kidding me right now?” I asked, my voice shaking with anger, “Did you even hear what I said to him? Or were you too busy playing the jealous ex-husband?”

Jeff’s jaw tightened, his grip on the steering wheel unrelenting, “This isn’t about jealousy Emma, it’s about respect. If you had any respect for yourself, or for me, you wouldn’t have entertained him for a second.”

That did it.

“Respect for you?” I hissed, turning fully in my seat to face him, “Let me remind you, Jeff, we’re not married anymore. You don’t get to dictate who I talk to or how I handle my business.”

He slammed his palm against the steering wheel, the sudden noise making me jump, “This isn’t about marriage, this is about you still having feelings for him!”

I froze, staring at him in disbelief.

“What did you just say?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous.

“You heard me,” he said, his eyes blazing, “You’re still in love with him, aren’t you? That’s why you couldn’t tell him to get lost. That’s why you’re so defensive right now.”

“Don’t you dare,” I said, my voice trembling with barely contained fury, “Don’t you dare try to tell me how I feel. You don’t know the first thing about what I’ve been through because of him.”

“Then why are you so worked up?” Jeff shot back, his voice rising, “If he means nothing to you, why let him get under your skin?”

“You’re the one getting under my skin right now!” I shouted, unable to hold back anymore, “You’re sitting here accusing me of things that aren’t true, acting like you still have a say in my life, you don’t.”

The car swerved slightly as Jeff pulled over abruptly, parking on the side of the road. He turned to face me, his expression a mix of anger and hurt.

“You’re right,” he said, his voice quieter but no less intense, “I don’t have a say in your life anymore but I care about you Emma, I care about the kids. And I’m not going to stand by and watch you let that man waltz back in and ruin everything we’ve built.”

“Everything we’ve built?” I repeated, my voice dripping with sarcasm, “Jeff the kids aren’t even yours and as much as I appreciate everything you’ve done for us, that doesn’t give you the right to control me or my decisions.”

For a moment, he just stared at me, his jaw working as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

Finally, he leaned back in his seat, letting out a shaky breath, “I don’t want to fight with you.” He said quietly.

“Then stop accusing me of things that aren’t true.” I replied, my tone just as soft but no less firm.

The silence that followed was heavy, the air between us thick with unresolved tension.

I turned back to the window, my mind racing as I tried to process everything that had just happened.

By the time we pulled into the driveway, the atmosphere was so tense it felt like a physical weight pressing down on my chest.

Jeff didn’t say a word as he parked the car and shut off the engine.

I didn’t wait for him to speak, I grabbed my bag and got out, heading for the front door without looking back.

As I stepped inside the house, the familiar comfort of home did little to ease the turmoil swirling inside me.

I didn’t know where things stood with Jeff, or with Sam, or with any of it.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt completely and utterly lost.