Chapter 29: A Threat

Ava’s POV

The envelope felt cold and unfamiliar in my hands as I slowly peeled back its edges. Andrew stood beside me, his eyes flickering with concern. I slid out a stack of photos, each one meticulously taken. At first, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at, but then it hit me, hard; Tristan. He was in all of them. Playing on the playground, eating lunch, sitting in class. A heavy feeling of dread settled in my stomach.

"Who sent these?" I whispered, flipping through the photos, my heart thudding in my chest.

Andrew’s eyes narrowed as he took the pictures from my hands, studying them closely. "There's no note, nothing written. Just pictures," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous.

It was clear someone had been watching him. A deep wave of nausea crashed over me. Our son was being monitored, and we had no idea who was behind it or why. I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself, trying to fend off the shiver creeping up my spine.

"This has to stop. Now," Andrew growled, his fists clenched tightly. Without wasting another second, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number, pacing furiously across the living room.

I could hear bits of his conversation, his voice sharp and authoritative. “I want a full team at the house tonight... yes, immediately... I don’t care how much it costs. Double it if you have to. I need top-tier security.”

I couldn’t focus. My thoughts raced, each one more terrifying than the last. Why was someone watching Tristan? What did they want? Andrew had always been overprotective, but this... this was different. This was real, and now our little boy was at the center of it all.

Andrew hung up, his face tight with anger. “They’ll be here soon.”

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. Tristan. I had to see him. I needed to make sure he was safe. I found him in the den, where he was drawing with his colored pencils, completely unaware of the chaos unraveling just a few rooms away. His innocent face was so calm, so peaceful. My heart ached knowing that I couldn’t protect him from everything, no matter how hard I tried.

"Tristan, baby?" I called softly, trying to keep my voice steady.

He looked up from his drawing and smiled brightly. “Yes, Mommy?”

I knelt beside him, brushing his hair back from his forehead. “Daddy and I have something important to tell you.”

Andrew appeared in the doorway, his expression softening slightly as he looked at Tristan. He walked over and sat down beside us, his large frame towering over our son.

“Tristan,” Andrew began carefully, “from now on, you're going to have a couple of special friends with you at school and here at home. They’re bodyguards, and their job is to keep you safe, okay?”

Tristan blinked, his face lighting up with excitement rather than fear. “Bodyguards? Like the ones on TV?”

Andrew chuckled, though the tension didn’t fully leave his eyes. “Exactly like that. They’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you.”

Tristan seemed unbothered by the seriousness of the conversation. Instead, he looked at Andrew with wide, curious eyes. “Will they have cool earpieces and sunglasses?”

I couldn’t help but smile a little despite the gravity of the situation. Andrew ruffled Tristan’s hair. “Yep, they’ll be the coolest guys you’ve ever met.”

“Awesome!” Tristan exclaimed, going back to his drawing without another thought.

I stood, crossing my arms tightly as I walked toward the window, peering out at the quiet, seemingly peaceful street. But now, it felt sinister, like eyes could be hiding behind every corner, watching us, waiting.

Andrew joined me at the window, his hand gently brushing my arm. “Ava, it’s going to be okay,” he said softly, his voice filled with determination.

I wanted to believe him. I really did. But fear was already starting to grip me tighter, constricting my chest. “What if it’s not? What if this person, whoever they are, does something worse? What if it’s more than just watching?”

Andrew’s jaw tightened, and his hand moved to the small of my back, pulling me close. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you or Tristan. I’ve already called the best team. They’re bringing over two personal bodyguards for him, and the house will be fully secured tonight. No one’s getting in here.”

I turned to face him, my eyes searching his face for reassurance. He always knew how to keep me calm, but this time... “I don’t want to live in fear, Andrew. I don’t want Tristan growing up in fear either.”

His hands rested on my shoulders, grounding me. “He won’t. But we have to be smart about this. I’m thinking... maybe we should move. To the other house. It’s more secure, and no one knows about it.”

My gut reaction was a firm no. “Move? You want us to uproot everything and just leave?”

“It’s safer,” he argued, his voice firm but not unkind. “The guards will help, but the house we have outside the city is more remote. No one will be able to track us there.”

I shook my head, pulling away slightly. “No, Andrew. I’m not uprooting Tristan like that. He just started getting comfortable again after everything with his health. We have the security team, and that’s enough. We’re not running.”

Andrew sighed, clearly not pleased with my decision, but he didn’t push it. Instead, he nodded, though his expression was still tight with concern.

“Okay,” he said softly. “Okay, we’ll stay. But if anything else happens, Ava, we’re leaving. No questions.”

I nodded, agreeing to that much at least. The tension between us eased slightly, and I was grateful he wasn’t pushing me into something I wasn’t ready for. I knew Andrew was only trying to protect us, but I needed stability for Tristan’s sake. For all of our sakes.

Later that evening, as promised, the security team arrived. There were about a dozen men—tall, muscular, and dressed in black suits. Their presence made the house feel like a fortress. I watched from the window as they took positions around the property, checking every entrance, every blind spot.

Two of the men came inside, their faces calm and professional. They introduced themselves as Tristan’s personal guards, a man named Reed and another named Marcus.

Tristan’s eyes lit up when he saw them. “Whoa! You guys are huge!” he exclaimed, running up to Reed with excitement. Reed smiled down at him, clearly charmed by his innocence.

“Yep, and we’re here to keep you safe, buddy,” Reed said, kneeling down to Tristan’s level. “You ready to be the coolest kid in school with your own bodyguards?”

Tristan beamed, clearly excited about the whole thing. I watched as Andrew gave Reed and Marcus their instructions, making sure every detail was covered. Tristan, meanwhile, was still in his own little world, completely unfazed by the seriousness of it all.

As night fell, the house was swarming with security. I should have felt safe, but instead, I was restless, pacing the living room while Andrew made more calls. I looked out the window again, the guards standing in place, alert and ready for anything.

“I hope this is enough,” I whispered, more to myself than to anyone else.

Andrew came up behind me, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “It will be. I promise.”

He kissed the top of my head, and for the first time that evening, I allowed myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.