My heart sank as Wayne threatened me. I stared into his eyes, hoping he was bluffing, but there was no trace of doubt in his gaze. “Don’t do this,” I pleaded, hoping to appeal to his better nature. “If you hurt my father, you’ll be doing to me what Ethan did to you,” I reminded him, desperation seeping into my voice.
“Do you think I care?” he sneered, his smirk cold and unfeeling. “You need to get Ethan to this address or get ready to lose a father,” Wayne said, shoving a piece of paper into my hands. “The time and date are on there. Don’t mess this up,” he added, moving closer until I could feel his breath on my neck.
“Don’t mess this up, Emily,” he repeated, his voice deepening, making me swallow hard. I nodded, taking in his words as he walked away. As soon as he was out of the closet-like space, I let out a shaky breath, staring at the paper.
“Are you really going to do this?” I asked myself, my hands trembling as I stared at the address. Without thinking too much, I tucked the paper into my purse and walked out of the closet.
As I stepped into the hallway, I found Ethan standing there, looking for me. “Emily,” he sighed in relief as soon as he saw me. “What were you doing in there?” he asked, his concern evident.
“I… I…” I stuttered, struggling to catch my breath. The sight of Ethan made my heart ache, especially knowing what I had to do. I couldn’t let anything happen to my father.
“I was looking for the bathroom,” I lied, my voice cracking as I fought to hold back the tears threatening to spill.
“Oh!” Ethan exclaimed, glancing to his left. “The guest bathroom is over there,” he pointed, and I nodded. “I think I’ll just wait until we get home,” I said, desperate to leave and hold him close.
“Do you want to go now?” Ethan asked, his voice laced with concern. My poor baby.
I nodded gently, and he smiled. “Okay, just give me a minute. Christof wants to talk to me about something, if you don’t mind,” Ethan said, and I shook my head. “Let’s just go,” I pleaded, not wanting to see Christof again. The thought of him smiling at Ethan while secretly planning an ambush with Wayne made me sick.
“You two aren’t so different,” my mind whispered, reminding me that I was betraying Ethan too. “I think it’s really important. It won’t take more than five minutes,” Ethan insisted, and I finally nodded. At least I knew he was safe until next week.
“Just sit down; I’ll come get you when we’re done,” Ethan said. “I see you and Jennifer were catching up,” he added, trying to lighten my mood.
I nodded, reluctantly walking back to the room where Jennifer was still seated at our table.
“Hey,” I greeted Jennifer with a warm smile. In just a few minutes, I understood why she had sold me out to Gloria. She probably didn’t have a choice, just like I didn’t at this moment.
I sat down beside her. “You know I don’t hold any grudge against you, right? I understand, you did what you had to do,” I said. I watched her face soften into a smile as she reached out and took my hand.
“I’m so glad to hear this,” Jennifer said, her voice cracking as if she were about to cry. She hugged me, and I hugged her back. Her warm embrace was followed by the sound of quiet sobbing. “I missed you so much, Emily,” she cried on my shoulder. “I’m really sorry for everything. It was a nightmare not knowing what you were going through. It must have been so hard to go through it all alone,” she said, referring to my miscarriage and Jake’s murder. Her words brought tears to my eyes, and I tried not to cry.
“It’s fine,” I recited the words I always said, but it wasn’t fine. I was falling apart, and I wished I could tell her everything.
After a few minutes, she finally pulled away, dabbing her eyes with a tissue and smiling at me. I missed this drama queen too. “Listen, maybe we can catch up another time, rekindle old feelings, and you can tell me what you’ve been up to, okay?” I suggested as I noticed Ethan heading toward us.
“I would love that,” she smiled. I pulled out my phone and took her number.
“All set?” Ethan asked as he reached the table. I nodded and stood up. “See you soon, Jen,” I said to Jennifer, who smiled and got to her feet, escorting us out of the mansion.
“Are you okay?” Ethan asked as soon as we reached the car, almost as if he could sense the turmoil in my eyes.
“I’m fine,” I lied through my teeth, leaning back in the car seat and staring out the window as my heart raced and my mind bombarded me with thoughts. In exactly seven days and one hour from today, I was expected to lead the love of my life to his death. How could I possibly do such a thing?