While Ethan was dealing with the fallout from his disastrous marriage, Ella was preparing for her boys. Her twin boys, Leo and Liam, were finally coming home, and she couldn’t have been happier. The thought of seeing their excited faces as they reunited filled her with a joy that washed away the lingering bitterness from her past.
Ella had spent the morning shopping, determined to make the boys’ homecoming special. She filled her cart with all their favorite snacks, from chocolate chip cookies to fruit snacks, and even picked out a few new toys that she knew would light up their faces.
As she strolled through the toy aisle, her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a message from Derek.
Derek: “All clear on my end. No sign of trouble, but I’ll keep an eye out.”
Ella smiled, grateful for Derek’s support. Ever since returning to the city, Derek had been a constant presence in her life, watching over her and the boys, making sure they were safe. Despite the complications of their relationship, she knew she could trust him. She just hoped that the mess with Ethan and Tania would soon be over, so she could focus on what truly mattered, her children.
After leaving the mall, Ella headed home, her car filled with bags of groceries and toys. As she pulled into the driveway, her heart fluttered with anticipation. The house felt empty without Leo and Liam’s laughter echoing through the halls. But soon, it would be filled with their energy again.
She carried the bags inside, setting everything up for their return. The boys’ favorite blankets were laid out on the couch, and the kitchen was stocked with all their favorite snacks. Everything was perfect.
Later that afternoon, she called Rick on a video call to speak to the boys;
“Mommy!” they yelled in unison, their faces lighting up as they waved her.
Ella waved at them smiling. “I missed you guys so much!” she whispered, tears of happiness filling her eyes.
“We missed you too, Mommy!” Leo said, his voice muffled against her shoulder.
Liam grinned up at her. “uncle Rick said we are coming home by the weekend?”
Ella laughed, wiping away her tears. “yes baby ! I can’t wait to see you guys”
After talking for a while the boys ran out to play, Ella smiled at her Rick. “Thank you for taking care of them,” she said softly.”
Rick nodded, his expression gentle. Ella sat on the couch to relax
But just as she began to relax, her phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. She picked it up and saw Fabian’s name flashing across the screen. Her heart skipped a beat. It was strange for him to call out of the blue, especially after everything that had happened between them.
“Fabian?” she answered, her voice tentative.
“Ella, we need to talk,” Fabian said, his tone grave. “I didn’t want to call you, but you need to know what’s happening.”
Ella frowned, tension creeping into her body. “What’s going on?”
“I was approached,” Fabian continued, his voice low and filled with regret. “By Fred. He’s working with Tania. He asked me to take care of Derek to kill him.”
Ella gasped, her heart pounding in her chest. “What? Why? Why would Tania want to kill Derek?”
“Because she knows he’s been helping you,” Fabian said, the weight of the revelation heavy in his voice. “She knows he’s been gathering evidence against her, and she’s not taking any chances. But it gets worse, Ella.”
“Worse?” Ella’s voice trembled with fear. “What do you mean?”
“They’re coming for the twins,” Fabian whispered. “Tania’s desperate, and Fred’s dangerous. They think if they get to the boys, they can control you.”
Ella’s blood ran cold. Her eyes darted to Leo and Liam, who were still playing blissfully unaware of the danger that lurked in the shadows. She couldn’t let anything happen to them. She couldn’t lose her boys.
“Fabian, are you sure about this?” she asked, panic seeping into her voice.
“I wouldn’t call you if I wasn’t,” Fabian replied. “You need to be careful, Ella. I’ll keep an eye out, but you need to take this seriously.”
“I… I don’t know what to say,” Ella stammered, her mind racing. “Thank you for warning me.”
“Just stay safe,” Fabian said before the line went dead.
Ella stood frozen for a moment, clutching her phone, her mind reeling from the news. She quickly dialed Derek’s number, her hands trembling as she waited for him to pick up.
“Ella?” Derek’s voice came through, calm as always, but she could hear the concern in his tone.
“Derek, it’s bad,” she said, her voice shaking. “Fabian just called. He said Fred and Tania are planning to kill you. They know you’ve been helping me. And… they’re coming for the twins.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Derek responded, his voice steady. “I’ll be fine, Ella. Don’t worry about me. But the boys this changes things. You can’t bring them back home right now.”
Ella’s heart ached at the thought of being separated from her children again, but the fear of what might happen if they stayed with her was even worse. “Derek, I need them with me. I can’t leave them somewhere else. They need their mother.”
Derek hesitated, then sighed. “Alright. We’ll figure something out. But we need to be careful, Ella. I’ll stay close, make sure they’re safe.”
Ella nodded, though he couldn’t see her. “I don’t want to live in fear, Derek. I’ve fought too hard for this, for my boys. I can’t let them win.”
“You won’t,” Derek said firmly. “We’ll protect them. But we have to be smart about it.”
As she hung up the phone, Ella called her father, Rick, to fill him in on what Fabian had told her. When he picked up, she wasted no time explaining the situation.
“Rick, you won’t believe this,” she said, her voice still shaky. “Fabian told me that Fred is working with Tania. They want to kill Derek and… they’re coming for the twins.”
Rick was silent for a moment, processing the information. “Ella, this is serious,” he said, his voice filled with concern. “You need to be careful. I’ll bring the boys home, but not until the weekend. We’ll make sure everything is safe before they come back.”
“I want them home now, Rick,” Ella insisted, her voice cracking. “I need them with me.”
“I know you do,” Rick said gently, “but you have to think about their safety. We’ll get everything secured first. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
Ella closed her eyes, fighting back tears. “I will,” she whispered.
“I’ll talk to Derek, too,” Rick added. “He needs to be on high alert. If he suspects anything, anything at all, he needs to call me. We can’t take any chances.”
Thank you, Rick,” Ella said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just… I can’t believe this is happening.”
“I know, Ella,” Rick said softly. “But we’ll get through this. Just stay strong.”
After she hung up, Ella sat on the couch, thinking of her boys, unaware of the danger that surrounded them. She wanted to believe that Fabian wouldn’t hurt them, but she couldn’t be sure about Fred. He is unpredictable, and with Tania pulling the strings, anything was possible.
As the evening wore on, Ella’s mind raced with plans and precautions. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Not now, not with her children’s lives on the line.
she knew one thing for sure: she would do whatever it took to protect them. No matter what.
And she wasn’t going to let Tania or Fred take that away from her. Not now. Not ever.