Fabian sat in his car outside Tania’s house, watching the glow of the streetlights flicker through his windshield. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white, as his mind replayed their last encounter over and over. The weight of her words pressed down on him. Grace, his daughter. He was her father, and yet Tania had made sure he had no role in her life, no connection to her. Worse, she had used that bond, that knowledge, as a weapon to control him.
How did I let it get this far?
He didn’t want to admit it, but Tania was probably right. He had ruined everything. His hesitation, his inability to pull the trigger on Ella, had sent Tania’s life into a spiral and now she had him cornered. The power she held over him, the threat to keep Grace away, was unbearable. He had failed in so many ways, and now, sitting here, in the shadow of Tania’s home, he felt utterly lost.
The phone in his lap buzzed again another message from Tania: Don’t think about doing anything stupid, Fabian. You know what is at stake
With a growl of frustration, he tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and slammed his hand against the steering wheel. Everything had spiraled out of control. Tania’s game was ruthless, and he had become her pawn.
But for the first time, something inside Fabian snapped. The fire of resentment and regret was turning into something darker. He couldn’t keep living like this, dancing to Tania’s tune. Something had to give. He couldn’t change the past, but he could still take control of the present.
“If I eventually go down, you are going down with me Tania he texted back”
He glanced at the house one more time, the dim light of a single window catching his eye. Tania was probably inside, basking in the satisfaction of her control. But this time, Fabian wasn’t going to let her win so easily.
Inside, Tania paced the floor of her lavish bedroom, her thoughts racing. Although She had backed Fabian into a corner, a creeping sense of unease clawed at her. Ethan. He had become unpredictable lately, distant in ways she hadn’t expected. The revelations about Grace’s parentage had clearly shattered any illusion of trust they had left. He was slipping further away, and if she didn’t act soon, she would lose him completely. She couldn’t allow that to happen.
Sitting down at her vanity, Tania stared at her reflection, trying to force calm into her features. She knew that in order to hold onto Ethan, she had to keep him from finding out just how deeply she had been involved in Ella’s attempted murder. Fabian had been a loose cannon, a risk she had once thought worth taking, but now it was all unraveling. She couldn’t let Ethan or Ella uncover the truth about her darker dealings. There was too much at stake.
The sound of soft footsteps in the hallway made her freeze. She turned and saw Grace standing there, holding a stuffed animal to her chest, looking up at her mother with wide, innocent eyes.
“Mommy, are you okay?” Grace asked, her voice small and full of concern.
Tania’s heart wavered for a moment, the cold exterior cracking slightly as she looked at her daughter. Grace didn’t deserve any of this. She was just a child, innocent to the games being played around her. But even as that small spark of guilt surfaced, Tania buried it under layers of her resolve.
“I’m fine, sweetheart,” Tania replied, forcing a smile. “Why don’t you go back to bed? Mommy has a lot of work to do.”
Grace hesitated for a moment, then nodded, retreating down the hall. As she disappeared around the corner, Tania’s smile faded.