Chapter Three

In between the silent and cold dinner the door slams open with a force that rattles the walls, and for a brief moment, I think it's my heartbeat pounding in my ears, but no, it’s him. Daniel. His tall frame fills the doorway, his sharp gaze sweeping over the room like he owns it—like he owns me. My stomach churns at the sight of him, a tangle of guilt, fear, and longing making me feel like I’m about to choke on my own breath.

"Faye," he says, his voice cold, the tension hanging between us thick enough to strangle. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I barely have time to react before his eyes land on his father. Kent is seated in his usual spot, lounging in a way that screams effortless control. His face doesn’t change. If anything, he looks pleased by the interruption. He takes a slow sip from his drink, the ice clinking softly in the glass.

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. What the hell am I supposed to say? That I’m here because Kent insisted? That he pulled me back into this world of danger and deceit, knowing exactly what it would do to me?

Kent's voice breaks the silence like a whip. "Relax, Daniel. You’re just in time for dinner."

Daniel doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, he locks eyes with me, and I see the pain flash through them—just for a moment. The last time I saw that look, it was before I left. Before everything fell apart. Before I left him and left them both in my past.

"You've got a hell of a nerve, Dad," Daniel mutters, taking a step forward, his jaw clenched tight, his fists at his sides. "What the hell is she doing here?" His gaze flicks back to me, then to his father. "I thought I made it clear I didn’t want her around after what you did to her."

The words cut deep, but I don’t show it. I can’t. Instead, I push down the ache in my chest and force myself to meet his gaze.

"Daniel," I say, my voice shaky but steady enough to get his attention. "I’m not here because I want to be. You need to understand that."

"You think I don’t?" His voice cracks with frustration, and he takes another step toward me, his eyes not leaving mine. "You think I don’t know what my father did to you? I tried to protect you. I did protect you. And now you’re back here? Under his roof?" He laughs bitterly, the sound hollow. "Tell me it’s not what I think, Faye. Tell me you’re not back here for him."

The way he says it—so desperate, so accusing, it stings more than I want to admit. But I don’t have a choice. I can’t tell him the truth. Not yet. Not when the child between us is still a secret.

Kent, always the picture of control, rises from his seat slowly, like a predator preparing to strike. His voice, when it comes, is soft but laced with deadly authority.

"Enough, Daniel," Kent warns, his words slicing through the tension in the air. "You will not speak to her like that in my house."

Daniel scoffs, clearly not intimidated. "I don’t give a damn if it’s your house. You have no right to bring her back here after what you did." His fists are clenched now, his whole body vibrating with restrained rage.

Kent’s eyes narrow, and the room seems to grow colder, the weight of his presence pressing down on all of us. "She’s here because I want her here. She’s my guest, Daniel. If you have a problem with that, you can leave."

"Not going to let that happen," Daniel snaps. "I’ll be damned if I let you hurt her again. I won’t stand by while you manipulate her like this."

Kent steps closer to him, his towering frame even more imposing now that he’s standing. "You don’t understand, do you, son?" Kent’s voice is low, menacing. "You think I hurt her? You think this is about anything other than control? You’re mistaken. She is mine to deal with. Not you."

My breath catches, and I can feel my pulse racing. The air between them crackles with so much tension, I’m afraid it might shatter into a thousand pieces at any moment. I know Kent isn’t just talking about me as a woman—he’s talking about the power he holds over my life, over all of our lives.

"Then what about me?" Daniel spits, his hands balled into fists. "What about what you did to me? I loved her, Dad! And you took her away from me. You tore us apart because of your damn control!"

I flinch at the words, and Kent looks unfazed, though the muscle in his jaw twitches ever so slightly.

"That’s not your business," Kent says flatly. "You lost her. Now it’s my turn."

It’s the most chilling thing I’ve ever heard him say, and I can’t stop the shiver that runs down my spine. Kent is right, of course—this is his house, his rules, his world. And I’m just… trapped in the middle of it all.

I try to speak, to tell them to stop, but my voice fails me. The words don’t come. I’ve been silent too long, letting these men dictate the terms of my life, of my future.

I can’t let them destroy each other because of me. I can’t let them tear down what’s left of my sanity. But it’s clear now—I’m not just caught between them. I’m tangled in their war, and the stakes are higher than I ever imagined.

Daniel’s eyes soften as he looks at me, the anger slowly giving way to something like hurt and concern. "Faye," he says, his voice gentler now. "Please, just come with me. You don’t belong here."

For a moment, I actually consider it. The temptation to escape, to leave this place and everything it represents, is overwhelming. But then I look at Kent. The man who’s never let me go, who’s never stopped watching me.

"I can’t," I whisper, the words a knife to my own heart. "I can’t go anywhere."

Kent steps forward, his presence overpowering. His eyes meet mine with that intense gaze that makes me feel like I’m drowning.

"You made your choice, Faye," he says softly. "You belong here now. And Daniel, no matter how hard you try, you can’t take her away from me."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. And as Daniel’s expression darkens, as he turns on his heel and storms out, I’m left standing there, caught in the center of a dangerous game I can’t escape from.