Emma’s POV

The noise outside Jeff’s office had grown louder, a chaotic blend of shouting, chants, and the occasional blare of a reporter’s microphone.

From the window, I could see them, the protesters.

Angry, relentless, and entirely under Sam’s influence, their signs were bold, their words sharper than knives:

"Jeff Knight: The Tyrant CEO!"

"Justice for the Employees!"

"We Won’t Be Silenced!"

Jeff sat at his desk, his back straight, his expression unreadable as he scrolled through articles on his tablet. He didn’t say anything, but the grip he had on the device was telling.

I hesitated before speaking, “How bad is it?”

He let out a slow, measured breath, then turned the tablet toward me, the headlines were brutal.

"Knight Enterprises Faces Protests Over CEO's Past Decisions."

"Former Employees Speak Out: ‘Jeff Knight Destroyed Our Livelihoods.’"

"The Man Behind the Corporation, The Untold Truth About Jeff Anderson."

“Some of these people,” he muttered, “I fired years ago and now they’re suddenly victims?” He scoffed, shaking his head.

“They weren’t innocent Emma, they weren’t mistreated. Some of them were stealing, some were underperforming and some were just bitter.”

I sat on the edge of his desk, reading through one of the articles, “Sam must have really dug deep for this, he’s not just trying to ruin you, he’s trying to turn the world against you.”

Jeff leaned back in his chair, his jaw tightening, “He’s good at manipulation. He knows how to spin a story and people eat it up.”

I sighed, rubbing my temples, “Then we need to fight back, release a statement, show proof that these firings were justified, just do something to prove your innocence and to tell Sam that we will fight back.”

Jeff let out a short, humorless laugh, “Emma the public doesn’t care about proof, they care about emotion. They see a group of crying former employees, and I automatically become the villain.”

Before I could respond, a knock came at the door. Jeff’s assistant peeked in, looking nervous. 

“Sir the board has called an emergency meeting, they’re concerned about the company’s image.”

Jeff let out a long exhale, rubbing his forehead, “Of course they are, tell them I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

The assistant nodded and slipped out.

I watched Jeff carefully, “Are you going to be okay?”

He gave me a small smirk, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes, “It’s not my first boardroom battle sweetheart.”

I smiled, but it quickly faded when my phone buzzed, I frowned at the unknown number before answering.

“Hello?”

“Emma Jones?”

The voice was sharp, professional, familiar.

“Yes, who is this?”

“This is Mr. Carter, I assume you remember who I am?”

A cold dread settled in my stomach, my boss.

I swallowed hard, “Sir, I…. ”

“Save it,” he snapped, “I want you in my office. Now.”

The call ended before I could say another word.

Jeff watched me carefully, “What’s wrong?”

I exhaled shakily, “I think I just got summoned for my own execution.”

I bidded Jeff goodbye before going to the office, he had told one of his security men to drive me to the office and throughout the entire drive, I was thinking about what Mr Carter had called me in for, my mind was simply unsettled. 

The moment I stepped into the office, I felt the shift, conversations halted, eyes flickered toward me, then away. The whispers were almost deafening.

I kept my head high, forcing myself to move forward despite the weight pressing down on me. As I passed a few coworkers, their gazes lingered, their expressions unreadable, but I knew they had heard something.

I reached Mr. Carter's office, inhaled deeply and knocked.

“Come in.”

I stepped inside and shut the door behind me.

Mr. Carter sat behind his desk, his expression carved from stone. He gestured toward the chair in front of him, but it wasn’t an invitation, it was an order.

I took a seat, hands clasped together to keep them from trembling.

For a long moment, he just studied me. Then, in a voice that was far too calm, he asked, “Tell me Miss Jones, do you believe you’re the only person who matters in this company?”

The question caught me off guard, “Sir, I….”

“Because that’s exactly how you’ve been acting.” His voice turned sharp.

“You vanished for over a week. No call, no explanation, nothing. Do you have any idea what that looks like?”

Guilt surged through me. He was right, I had been so consumed with Jeff’s crisis that I had completely neglected my own job.

“I was dealing with….”

“Oh, I know exactly what you were dealing with,” His eyes burned with disappointment, “Sam Newman.”

My stomach tightened.

He leaned forward, his voice lowering, “Do you know how I found that out? Because Sam Newman was supposed to finalize a deal with us, a deal that would have been extremely beneficial and at the very last moment, he backed out. And when I started digging for answers, guess whose name came up?”

I gripped the armrests of my chair, “Sir I never intended…. ”

“You cost us that deal,” he cut me off coldly, “Do you have any idea what that means? Do you think this company revolves around you? Do you think your personal affairs take precedence over the work we do here?”

I shook my head, struggling to find the right words, “It wasn’t intentional, I never wanted to hurt the company.”

“But you did.” He exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples, “And it’s not just the deal. Do you know what else happened while you were off playing savior to Jeff Anderson?”

I stayed silent.

“Your absence left a gap, your coworkers had to pick up your responsibilities. They had to work overtime, take on extra projects, and suffer because you couldn’t be bothered to show up.” He let out a dry laugh, “Tell me Emma, do you think that’s fair to them?”

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I had been so focused on Jeff, so desperate to help him, that I never stopped to consider how my actions had affected others.

I swallowed hard, “I know I made mistakes and I’ll do whatever it takes to fix them.”

Carter's gaze was like steel, “You had a chance to fix them, but you didn’t.”

I stiffened.

His next words were quiet but final, “You’re fired.”

For a moment, I just sat there, the words echoing in my mind. I opened my mouth, then closed it, unable to fully process what had just happened.

“Sir, please… ”

“There’s nothing more to say,” he interrupted, “You can pack your things.”

The dismissal was clear.

I rose to my feet, my legs unsteady. Without another word, I turned and walked out of the office.

The moment I stepped into the main floor, the whispers started again, I didn’t look at anyone, I couldn’t.

At my desk, I packed mechanically. A framed photo, a few personal belongings, some paperwork. My hands trembled, but I forced myself to keep going.

By the time I stepped out of the building, the weight of it all came crashing down on me.

I had lost my job.

And for the first time since this entire mess began, I realized just how much I had given up for Jeff and how much it was costing me.

By the time I reached Jeff’s office, my hands were still trembling.

The reality of what had just happened, the humiliation, the finality of losing my job, was sinking in like a weight in my chest. I had barely registered the journey from my workplace back to Jeff’s company.

Everything felt distant, muffled, like I was underwater.

I pushed open the office door without knocking, too numb to care about formalities.

Jeff was standing near the window, staring down at the ongoing protest outside, his suit jacket was draped over a chair, and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing the tension in his forearms. He looked up when he heard me enter.

“Emma?” His brows furrowed as he took in my disheveled state, “What are you doing here?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words got stuck in my throat. My vision blurred, and before I knew it, hot tears were rolling down my cheeks.

“Emma…. ” Jeff was beside me in an instant, his hands on my arms, “What happened?”

I shook my head, trying to speak, but the overwhelming emotions choked me, “I… I lost my job.”

Jeff stiffened, his expression shifting from confusion to disbelief, “What?”

I swallowed hard, wiping at my face, “Mr. Carter fired me.” My voice cracked, “He said I was selfish, that I abandoned my responsibilities, that I cost the company an important deal and then he told me to pack my things and leave.”

Jeff’s grip on my arms tightened slightly before he exhaled sharply, his jaw clenching, “That bastard.”

I let out a shaky breath, “And the worst part? He was right. I did neglect my work. I was so focused on everything happening here that I didn’t even think about how it was affecting my job.”

Jeff’s expression darkened, “No. This isn’t just about your absence Emma, you didn’t lose your job because of negligence.”

I frowned, “What do you mean?”

He let out a low, humorless chuckle, shaking his head, “It was Sam.”

I blinked, “Sam?”

Jeff ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every movement, “He didn’t just back out of the deal with your company. He made sure to paint you in the worst possible light while doing it. He fed your boss just enough information to make you look like the villain in all of this.”

I stared at him, my mind struggling to process what he was saying, “You’re telling me, Sam set me up?”

Jeff nodded grimly, “I just got the confirmation before you walked in. He’s been playing this game from the shadows, pulling strings where it hurts the most.”

I felt sick. My legs wobbled, and Jeff guided me to sit on the couch. I buried my face in my hands.

“How far is he willing to go?” I whispered, “First, he comes after you. Now me, what’s next?”

Jeff sat beside me, his arm wrapping around my shoulders, “I don’t know,” he admitted, “But I do know one thing, he’s not going to win.”

I wanted to believe him, I wanted to hold on to the warmth of his words, but doubt clung to me like a second skin.

I rested my head against his shoulder, letting his presence ground me, “What if I never find another job? What if he ruins every chance I have at rebuilding my career?”

Jeff pressed a kiss to my hair, “Then I’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about it.”

I pulled back slightly, looking up at him, “Jeff, I don’t want you to fight all my battles.”

“You’re not alone in this Emma,” he said firmly, “Sam might think he has all the power but he doesn't, I’ll handle him. You just focus on yourself for now.”

I sighed, nodding slowly.

For the rest of the day, Jeff barely left my side. Despite the ongoing protests, the media frenzy, and the chaos surrounding his company, he remained more concerned about me.

By late afternoon, exhaustion was beginning to creep in. I sat curled up on the couch in his office while Jeff took a few calls, his voice sharp and commanding.

When he finally hung up, he turned to me, “The kids should be arriving soon.”

I sat up, “Oh, should we go get them?”

Jeff shook his head, “My driver already picked them up from school, we’ll meet them downstairs and head home together.”

I managed a small smile, “That sounds nice.”

He stood, offering me his hand, “Come on.”

I took it, letting him pull me to my feet. Together, we made our way to the main entrance of the building, where the protesters were still gathered.

The crowd had grown, their chants louder, their signs more aggressive. Security had formed a barrier between them and the company doors, but tension hung thick in the air.

I spotted the black town car pulling up in front of the building. My heart lifted as the back door swung open, and two small figures scrambled out.

“Mommy! Daddy!”

The twins. My kids. Jason and Anna. 

Seeing them gave me all the strength I needed. 

They ran toward us, their tiny legs moving as fast as they could. I smiled, stepping forward to meet them.

And then, a loud hiss.

White smoke erupted from somewhere in the middle of the crowd, thick and blinding, gasps and shouts filled the air.

“Gas! What the hell… ?”

“Jeff Anderson is silencing us.” Someone screamed.

“Move back.”

“Where are the kids?”

Panic surged through me, “Jason! Anna!”

I tried to push forward, but the smoke stung my eyes. Coughs and cries surrounded me, bodies bumping into each other in the chaos.

Jeff’s voice was sharp and urgent, “Find them!!!”

Security guards rushed into the fray, shouting orders, trying to restore control but the moment the smoke began to clear….. 

A chilling silence settled.

And then, a single, horrifying realization sank in.

The twins were gone.

My breath hitched, I spun in every direction, searching, my heart pounding so hard it drowned out every other sound.

“Jason? Anna?” My voice was desperate, shaking.

Jeff was already shouting at security, “Lock down the building, check every exit.”

But deep inside, I already knew.

Sam had made his next move.

And he had taken our children.