Emma’s POV

The silence between Jeff and me stretched long and heavy, thick with unspoken thoughts and the weight of the impossible choice before us.

The air in the living room felt stifling, the tension so dense that even breathing felt like a challenge. I sat on the edge of the couch, my fingers gripping the fabric tightly as I tried to keep my frustration at bay.

“We need to go to the police.” I said finally, my voice firm, leaving no room for argument.

Jeff didn’t react immediately.

He stood by the window, his hands shoved into his pockets, staring out into the darkness.

The city lights cast a soft glow over his features, but even in the dimness, I could see the rigidity in his posture, the way his jaw clenched as if he were physically holding back his response.

Then, finally, he turned to me, his expression hard, “No.”

My brows furrowed, “No?”

“No,” he repeated, this time with more force, “We’re not going to the police.”

Anger flared in my chest. I shot up from the couch, taking a step toward him, “Jeff we can’t just sit here and do nothing. Jason and Anna are out there, scared, alone, and God knows what else, while we’re sitting here debating whether or not to act. The police…. ”

“The police will make things worse,” Jeff cut in sharply, his voice laced with frustration. “Do you not understand what we’re dealing with Emma? This isn’t some random kidnapping, this is Sam. He’s playing a game and if we involve the authorities, we’re changing the rules and when Sam feels backed into a corner, he will lash out. And guess who will pay for that? Jason and Anna.”

I clenched my fists, shaking my head,“So what do you want me to do? Sit here and hope that Sam, out of the kindness of his heart, decides to let them go? We need help Jeff, we can’t handle this alone.”

Jeff let out a bitter chuckle, running a hand down his face, “You think the police can protect them better than I can?”

“This isn’t about your pride Jeff.” I snapped, “This is about getting our kids back before it’s too late. We don’t have time for your damn ego.”

His eyes darkened, and for a moment, I thought he might yell back at me, but instead, he inhaled deeply, trying to maintain his composure, “Emma,” he said, his voice lower but still laced with frustration, “You’re not listening to me. If we go to the police, Sam will find out, he has eyes everywhere and once he knows, there’s no telling what he’ll do to Jason and Anna.”

I exhaled shakily, my heart pounding, I hated that he had a point. 

Sam was unpredictable and ruthless and we had no idea what lengths he would go to in order to hurt us but at the same time, doing nothing was not an option.

“I don’t care,” I said, my voice quieter now but just as determined, “I don’t care what Sam does. I want my kids back and I want them back now.”

Jeff stared at me, his lips pressing into a thin line. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the internal war he was fighting. He wanted to protect them as much as I did but he also wanted to control the situation, to handle things his way.

But this wasn’t just his fight.

After a long, tense moment, he let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly, “Fine,” he muttered,“We’ll go to the police.”

I felt relief rush through me, but it was short-lived. There was nothing to celebrate until my children were safe.

The police station was buzzing with activity, the air filled with the sound of ringing phones, murmured conversations and the occasional clatter of keyboards.

Officers moved about swiftly, some engaged in heated discussions, others focused on paperwork but the moment Jeff and I stepped through the doors, something changed.

I noticed it immediately, the way officers straightened in their seats, the way conversations slowed, the way subtle glances were exchanged as people took note of Jeff Anderson’s presence.

Even the officer at the front desk, who had been flipping through paperwork, suddenly sat up straighter, his gaze shifting cautiously toward Jeff.

It was a reminder, one I didn’t particularly need, of just how much power and influence Jeff had.

A tall officer with graying hair approached us, his expression unreadable, “Mr. Anderson.” His voice was respectful but careful, “What can we do for you?”

Jeff gave a slight nod but didn’t speak. He simply stepped aside, allowing me to take the lead.

“We’re here to report two missing children.” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the tremble I felt creeping up my spine, “Our children.”

The officer’s face shifted slightly, his stance straightening. He motioned for another officer to join him before gesturing for us to follow.

We were led into a private office, a small, cluttered space lined with case files and an overused desk. The officer gestured for us to sit before pulling out a notepad.

“I’m Officer Carter,” he introduced himself, “Let’s start with the basics. Your children’s names and ages?”

I swallowed hard, “Jason and Anna Anderson. Five years old. Twins.”

Carter jotted it down, “When was the last time you saw them?”

My throat tightened, “More than two days ago.”

His pen stilled briefly before he glanced up at us, “And you’re only reporting it now?”

Jeff leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable, “This is a complicated situation Officer Carter.” His tone was calm but laced with warning, “We’ve been in contact with the person responsible.”

Carter’s eyes narrowed slightly, “So this is an abduction case?”

“Yes.” I said without hesitation.

Carter exchanged a look with the other officer before turning back to us, “Do you know who took them?”

I nodded, my hands tightening into fists, “Sam Newman. He has a vendetta against us.”

“Has he made any demands?”

I hesitated briefly before answering, “Yes. He forced Jeff to make a public confession during a press conference, he’s playing games with us.”

Carter exhaled sharply, flipping through his checklist, “Alright. We’ll enter Jason and Anna’s names into the National Crime Information Center’s missing persons database. That way, if they show up anywhere, hospitals, schools, anywhere law enforcement has access to, we’ll be notified immediately.”

I nodded, gripping my purse tighter.

“We’ll also issue an Amber Alert,” he continued, glancing at Jeff, “It’ll go out to law enforcement, media stations and the public.”

Jeff tensed at that but didn’t say anything.

“We need recent photos.” Carter added.

I quickly pulled out my phone, scrolling through my gallery before handing it over. Carter uploaded the images then continued.

“What were they wearing last?”

“Jason had a blue t-shirt and jeans. Anna wore a pink dress with white sneakers.”

Carter jotted it down before closing the file, “We’ll do everything we can to find them but since the suspect has made direct contact, this is a delicate situation. If he reaches out again, notify us immediately.”

I nodded, but my gut twisted at the thought of waiting. Every second felt like an eternity.

As Jeff and I walked back to the car, a small part of me felt hopeful. Maybe this was the right choice, maybe, just maybe, the police would help us bring our children home.

But that hope shattered the second my phone rang.

I froze.

Jeff glanced at me, his face hardening when he saw the name flashing on my screen.

Sam.

My heart pounded, but I didn’t hesitate, I swiped to answer.

“I warned you,” Sam’s voice was cold, amused, “I told you not to go to the police Emma. And yet, you disobeyed me.”

“I warned you, didn’t I?” His tone was smug, unbothered, “I told you what would happen if you involved the police but you didn’t listen. And now, you have to pay the price.”

I swallowed hard, my grip tightening around the phone. Jeff stood beside me, his expression like stone but I could feel the tension radiating off him.

“What do you want Sam?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, though my hands trembled.

Sam chuckled, “I like that you’re finally getting straight to the point. Very well, since you’ve decided to defy me, here’s your new task Jeff and this time, it’s not a press conference or a public humiliation.” He paused for effect before delivering the blow, “I want ownership of Anderson Industries. You’re going to sign over everything to me.”

A sharp breath left my lips. I turned to Jeff, whose fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

“You’re insane.” I spat into the phone.

“Am I?” Sam mused, “I told you, there are consequences for disobedience. You both had a choice and you made the wrong one.”

“You have no right to demand this,” Jeff finally spoke, his voice dangerously low, “You think you can blackmail me into giving up my company? Do you have any idea what you’re asking?”

“Oh, I know exactly what I’m asking.” Sam’s tone was dripping with satisfaction, “And I know you’ll do it because you have no other choice. Unless of course, you’re willing to risk Jason and Anna’s lives over a mere business empire.”

That was it. That was my breaking point.

I didn’t know where the surge of courage came from but before I could stop myself, words started pouring out, “You are a despicable excuse for a human being Sam.” I snapped, my voice shaking with anger.

“You’ve already done everything in your power to destroy Jeff’s reputation and now you want to take what’s left of his company? What kind of monster are you?”

Sam’s silence told me he wasn’t expecting my outburst.

“You think you’ve won, don’t you?” I continued, my hands trembling with rage, “You think you have all the power because you’ve managed to scare us into submission but let me tell you something Sam. This is far from over. You might feel untouchable now, but one day, one day soon, you will regret every single thing you’ve done. And when that day comes, I promise you, you will beg for mercy.”

The silence on the other end of the line stretched for several heartbeats. Then, Sam let out a cold laugh, “I have to admit Emma, I wasn’t expecting that but it’s amusing to see you try to act tough when we both know you’re powerless.”

I clenched my jaw, “We’ll see who’s powerless when we finally find you.” And with that, I ended the call, my chest heaving.

The moment the call disconnected, I felt Jeff’s eyes burning into me. When I turned to face him, his expression was a mixture of disbelief and frustration.

“Emma,” he said slowly, his voice tight with barely contained anger, “What the hell was that?”

I crossed my arms, “That was me standing up to that psychopath.”

Jeff ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply, “And what if he retaliates? What if he takes it out on the kids?”

I refused to back down, “Then we take control of this situation Jeff! Sam is just going to keep demanding more and more from us until we have nothing left. We can’t keep playing by his rules.”

Jeff stared at me for a long moment, then exhaled deeply, “You’re right.”

I blinked, “What?”

“You’re right,” he repeated, his jaw tightening, “We’ve been reacting to Sam instead of making our own moves. That ends now.”

A spark of determination lit in his eyes, and before I could ask what he planned to do, he pulled out his phone and made a call.

“Ronan,” Jeff said the moment the call connected, “I need you and the team at my house immediately. We have an urgent mission.”

I furrowed my brows, “Who’s Ronan?”

Jeff looked at me as he ended the call, “The man who’s going to help us track down our kids.”

Less than an hour later, Jeff’s study transformed into a command center.

The air buzzed with energy as a team of highly skilled operatives filled the room, setting up advanced tracking equipment, laptops, and communication devices.

The atmosphere was tense but focused, a stark contrast to the helplessness I had been feeling for the past two days.

At the center of it all was Ronan, a tall, broad-shouldered man with piercing green eyes and an air of authority that immediately commanded respect. He moved with precision, giving out orders to his team while assessing the situation.

“We need everything you have on Sam Newman,” Ronan said, directing his request to Jeff, “Every known associate, financial records, last known whereabouts. If there’s a digital footprint, we’ll find it.”

Jeff nodded, pulling up files on his computer, “He’s been careful but there’s no way he hasn’t left a trace somewhere.”

Ronan turned to another team member, a woman named Sasha who was already typing furiously on her laptop, “I’m running a search through traffic cameras, satellite imaging, and phone records,” she reported, “If Sam made any calls that pinged off a cell tower, we’ll have a location soon.”

I watched in awe as they worked. It was like something out of a spy movie, except this was real, this was my children’s lives hanging in the balance.

Another member, a tech specialist named Marco, pulled up a map on a large screen. Red dots began appearing, “We’re narrowing it down,” he said, “I cross-referenced known safe houses linked to Sam’s old business dealings. These are our strongest possibilities.”

Minutes turned into hours. Every second felt like an eternity, but I refused to lose hope. Jeff paced the room while I sat on the edge of my seat, my heart pounding each time someone spoke.

Then, finally…

“I got it,” Sasha said suddenly, her voice sharp with excitement, “We have a location.”

Jeff and I rushed to the screen as she zoomed in on a specific area, a warehouse on the outskirts of the city.

“That’s it,” Ronan confirmed, “That’s where he’s keeping them.”

I felt my breath hitch. My babies were there.

Jeff turned to Ronan, “How soon can we move?”

Ronan’s expression was steely, “Give us thirty minutes. We’ll be ready.”

I felt my hands shake, but this time, it wasn’t fear, it was adrenaline. This was it. We were finally taking control.

Jeff turned to me, his expression softer now, “We’re going to get them back Emma.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat, “Yes. We are.”

And for the first time in days, I truly believed it.