Emma’s POV

Ever since finding out Jeff was the biological father of my children, life had taken a drastic turn, but for the better.

At first, Jeff had his doubts, I understood.

It wasn’t every day you found out that you had two kids you never knew about, but even after the DNA test results at the hospital, I saw the hesitation in his eyes.

So to put his mind at ease, he went to another hospital and had another test done, this time for both Anna and Jason.

When the second test came back, confirming once again that he was their father, something changed in him. He no longer just accepted the truth, he believed it.

And from that moment on, Jeff was a different man.

He was happier, more at ease, he laughed more, he played with the kids every chance he got. There were no more walls between him and them, he had let himself love them fully, completely.

And the best part? The twins adored him just as much too.

They clung to him at every opportunity, running into his arms when he got home, begging him to play with them, always competing for his attention.

And Jeff? He gave it to them, every bit of it. He had already missed so much of their lives, he refused to waste another second.

But what caught me off guard the most was the way Jeff had begun to show affection toward me.

At first, it was small things, a lingering touch when he passed me in the kitchen, the way he stood closer than necessary when we talked, the way his gaze softened when he looked at me.

But then, it became more.

One night, after dinner, I had gone upstairs to put the kids to sleep. But when I got to their room, I paused by the doorway. Jeff was already there, sitting on Jason’s bed, tucking him in while Anna curled up beside them, hugging her stuffed bunny.

I knew I should have walked in, but I didn’t, instead, I stayed, listening.

“Daddy why aren’t you married to Mommy?” Jason asked sleepily.

Jeff hesitated, then sighed, “Because a long time ago, I made a mistake,” he admitted, running a gentle hand through Jason’s hair, “Mommy got mad at me and she had to leave.”

Anna blinked up at him with wide eyes, “Do you still love Mommy?”

My breath caught in my throat.

Jeff smiled softly, “Yes sweetheart, I do.”

Jason yawned, then mumbled, “Will you marry her again?”

Jeff let out a small chuckle, “Would you like that?”

Anna and Jason both nodded eagerly, making my heart twist.

“Well then,” Jeff said, kissing Anna’s forehead, then Jason’s, “we’ll see what we can do about that okay?”

I had to cover my mouth with my hand to keep from gasping. The kids were too sleepy to notice, but his words hit me hard.

Did Jeff truly want that? Was he ready to rebuild what we had lost?

For the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to hope.

Life at home was good. Really good, I hadn’t felt this happy in years.

But at work? That was a different story.

The moment I stepped into the office the next morning, I knew something was wrong.

The entire place was in chaos.

Phones were ringing non-stop, people were running around frantically, and the tension in the air was suffocating.

“What is going on?” I muttered, looking around.

I tried to stop one of my colleagues, Rachel, as she rushed past me, but she barely spared me a glance.

“Emma, not now.” She snapped, before disappearing into the conference room.

I frowned, growing more confused by the second. I continued walking, searching for answers. Then I spotted Mark, one of the junior executives, and grabbed his arm before he could run off.

“Mark, what’s happening?” I asked.

He looked at me like I had asked him the dumbest question in the world, “You don’t know?”

“No, I just got here.”

His face paled slightly, “You should probably go see Mr. Carter then.” He said before rushing away.

Dread coiled in my stomach.

Mr. Carter was my boss and if he wanted to see me, then this wasn’t just some office drama, this was serious.

I hurried to his office and knocked.

“Come in.” His deep voice called out.

I stepped inside, and the moment I saw his face, my heart sank. His expression was cold, his lips pressed into a thin line. He gestured for me to close the door.

I obeyed.

“Have a seat Emma.”

I sat.

He studied me for a long moment, then exhaled sharply, “I’ll get straight to the point, Sam Newman has pulled out of the business deal.”

I stiffened. What?

“And not only that,” Mr. Carter continued, his gaze sharpening, “he’s suing us for negligence. A big lawsuit Emma.”

My blood ran cold.

This was Sam’s doing.

I should have known.

He had warned me that I would pay for what happened. And now, he was doing exactly that, by destroying my career.

I clenched my fists under the table, keeping my face neutral.

Mr. Carter narrowed his eyes at me, “Do you know anything about this miss Jones?”

I swallowed hard, “No.”

That was a lie.

Of course, I knew why Sam was doing this but how could I tell my boss the truth? That my ex was trying to ruin me because he found out my children weren’t his?

No, I couldn’t say that.

Mr. Carter stared at me for a long moment before sighing, “Fine. Then I suggest you get to work, we need to contain this before it escalates.”

I nodded, standing quickly, “Yes sir.”

But as I walked out of his office, I knew exactly what I had to do.

I wasn’t just going to sit back and let Sam destroy everything I had built.

I was going to face him.

I was going to demand an explanation.

And I was going to make him regret this.

With that thought, I grabbed my purse and stormed out of the office.

This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

I stepped out of the building, my heels clicking against the pavement as I raised my hand to hail a taxi. The cold morning air did little to calm the nerves buzzing under my skin. My boss had just dropped a bomb on me, and the weight of it was settling in.

Sam was suing my company.

The betrayal sat heavy in my chest, and no matter how much I tried to push it down, I couldn’t ignore the unease gnawing at my insides.

Just as a taxi slowed down at the curb, a sleek black car pulled up in front of me instead. The tinted window rolled down, and my eyes widened when I saw who was inside.

Jeff.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, stepping closer to his car, my voice laced with surprise.

Jeff didn’t answer immediately.

His hands were tight around the steering wheel, his expression unreadable but I knew him well enough to recognize the storm brewing beneath the surface.

"Get in." He finally said.

I hesitated, glancing back at the taxi that had now driven off, "Jeff…” 

"I just came from work Emma," he interrupted, his voice tight, "Guess what I found out?"

Something in my stomach twisted, "Oh no…"

"Oh yes," he said dryly, "Sam sued my company too."

I exhaled sharply, "This is getting ridiculous."

Jeff leaned his elbow on the edge of the window, his jaw clenching, "When I heard he sued your company as well, I came straight here. I needed to see how you were doing."

I bit my lip. I wasn’t sure what to say. Sam had always had a vengeful streak, but this? This was taking things to a whole new level.

"I was just about to go see him." I admitted.

Jeff’s eyes snapped to mine, his expression darkening, "Alone?"

"Yes," I said, folding my arms, "I need to talk to him Jeff. Maybe I can reason with him, get him to change his mind before things get worse."

Jeff let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head, "Emma are you hearing yourself? Sam doesn’t care about reasoning. His ego took a hit and now he wants revenge and you're planning on walking into his office alone? That’s a bad idea."

I sighed, rubbing my temple, "I can handle him Jeff. He wouldn’t… "

"He wouldn’t what?" Jeff cut in, his voice sharp, "Wouldn’t lash out? Wouldn’t try to hurt you? Emma the man is clearly out for blood and if you think he’s just going to listen to you and let this go, then you’re being naive."

I blinked at him. The way he said it, the way his voice carried so much concern, it caught me off guard.

Was I being naive?

A part of me had assumed that if I just spoke to Sam, if I explained things, maybe he’d realize how unnecessary all of this was but what if Jeff was right? What if Sam didn’t want to listen?

I swallowed hard.

Jeff studied me for a moment before sighing, shaking his head, "You’re not going alone."

"Fine," I muttered, "We’ll go together."

A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he reached over and pushed the passenger door open for me, "Get in."

I did.

Sam kept us waiting.

Of course he did.

Jeff and I sat in the cold, sterile waiting area of his office for what felt like an eternity. The receptionist, a woman with short black hair and glasses, kept glancing at us with barely hidden amusement, as if she knew Sam was making us wait on purpose.

Jeff on the other hand, was growing impatient by the second. His leg bounced slightly and every few minutes, I could hear the annoyed exhale of his breath.

"This is a power play," he muttered under his breath, "He wants to make us wait make us feel like we’re beneath him."

I sighed, crossing my arms, “I know."

"Do you?" Jeff’s eyes flicked to me, "Because if you do, then you should also know that this isn’t just about the lawsuit Emma. Sam is enjoying this. He’s dragging us through the mud just to get back at you."

I knew that too.

Before I could respond, the receptionist finally stood up, offering us a forced smile, "Mr. Newman will see you now."

We stood and followed her inside.

Sam’s office was just as I remembered, sleek, modern, and filled with an air of superiority. He was leaning back in his chair when we entered, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched us.

"Well, well," he drawled, fingers drumming against his desk, "Look who decided to pay me a visit."

I took a deep breath, "Sam this is unnecessary, you know that. Pulling out of the deal is one thing, but suing us? What’s the point?"

Sam’s smirk vanished, his expression turning cold, "The point Emma, is that you humiliated me and now, I’m going to make you pay for it."

Jeff let out a humorless laugh, "You’re acting like a child."

Sam’s gaze snapped to him, "And you’re acting like a fool Jeff. Do you really think she’s worth it?"

Jeff’s fists clenched, "Watch yourself."

Sam ignored him, his eyes locking onto mine, "You think you can just move on, play house with Jeff, and everything will be fine? You’re nothing but a lying, manipulative whore."

The word hit me like a slap.

For a second, I couldn’t breathe.

Jeff, on the other hand, saw red.

Before I could react, he lunged forward, grabbing Sam by the collar and yanking him up from his chair.

"You son of a….” Jeff’s fist drew back, but I reacted quickly, stepping between them.

"Jeff, no.” I grabbed his arm, my fingers digging into his sleeve, "Don’t. He’s not worth it."

Jeff was trembling with anger, his knuckles white as he held onto Sam.

Sam, to his credit, only smirked, "Touched a nerve, did I?"

Jeff’s entire body was vibrating with rage, but he slowly, very slowly, let go. He shoved Sam back into his chair, his breathing heavy.

Sam smoothed out his suit, fixing his tie as if he hadn’t just been seconds away from getting punched, "Pathetic," he muttered under his breath.

Jeff’s jaw clenched, "You have no idea what I’m capable of Sam. You think you can ruin us? You have no idea who you’re messing with."

Sam leaned forward, his eyes dark, "Oh, I know exactly who I’m messing with and trust me Jeff, I will destroy you both."

A cold chill ran down my spine.

"You’re insane." I whispered.

Sam grinned, but there was nothing friendly about it, "No Emma, I’m just determined."

He turned his gaze to Jeff, "And you? You should’ve stayed out of this but now? Now, you’ll fall with her."

I grabbed Jeff’s arm again, my grip tight, "Come on. We’re done here."

Jeff didn’t move at first. He just kept staring at Sam, his body still tense with restrained fury but eventually, he exhaled sharply and turned away.

We walked out without another word.

But as we stepped outside, my hands were shaking.

Jeff placed a hand on my back, his touch grounding me.

"This isn’t over." He muttered.

And I knew he was right.

Sam was just getting started.