Chapter 93

Chapter 93


The night air was thick with silence as Emily stood by the window, the dim lights from the garden casting soft shadows across her face. Her mind was an ocean of conflicting thoughts, each wave threatening to pull her in further. She had been already through heartbreak, betrayal, pain, and loss, but nothing felt as heavy as the weight of the uncertainty now pressing down on her chest.

Liam was asleep in their bed, his arm sprawled across the empty space she had just vacated. He looked peaceful, almost angelic, and Emily hated how much she still loved him despite everything. Despite the lies, despite the fear, despite the danger lurking just outside the safety of these four walls.

Her phone buzzed against the wooden side table. A single message flashed across the screen: "Tomorrow. 8 p.m. Don’t be late."

She didn’t need a name. She knew who it was.
It was her father.

The only man who had ruined her life before she ever had a chance to live it. The man who had sold her out and traded her like she was nothing more than property.

She turned away from the window and quietly slid back into bed. She didn’t want Liam to wake up, not yet. Tomorrow was going to change everything. She needed just one more day of normal.

Morning arrived too quickly. The sun cut through the blinds and warmed her face, but the chill inside her never faded. Liam stirred next to her, his fingers brushing her waist as he mumbled a soft, sleepy, “Morning.”

She forced a smile. “Morning.”

“You were up last night.” His voice was hoarse. “I felt you get out of bed.”

“I just needed air.”

Liam propped himself on one elbow, his brows furrowed. “Is everything okay?”

Emily kissed his cheek. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”

It wasn’t a lie—but it wasn’t the truth either.

They spent the day in a blur of errands and distractions. Emily kept up the act, laughing when he made jokes, holding his hand when they walked through the store, playing the part of the woman who had everything together. But her stomach tightened with every passing hour.

By the time the clock hit 7:30 p.m., she excused herself to the bathroom, claiming she needed to shower.

Instead, she slipped into a black hoodie, jeans, and flat sneakers. She tied her hair into a bun, grabbed her phone, and quietly walked out through the back door, heart thudding in her chest like a warning drum.

The meeting place was an old mechanic shop on the east side of town—shuttered, dark, and isolated. Her father always picked places like this. Somewhere he could hide his crimes in shadows.

When she arrived, he was already there—leaning against a rusted old car, a cigarette in his hand. He looked older than she remembered, with more grey in his beard and more hate in his eyes.

“You came,” he said, flicking the cigarette to the ground.

Emily crossed her arms. “What do you want?”

“A chance,” he said. “To make things right.”

She laughed bitterly. “You don’t get to say that. Not after what you’ve done.”

“Listen,” he said, stepping closer, “the people I owe money to—they don’t forget. They don’t forgive. And now they know you’re alive. They know you’re with Liam.”

Her heart froze. “What?”

“They’re watching him. Watching you. They think I told you everything. That you have the evidence.”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”

“They don’t care. They think you do. And unless I give them something else to make them back off, they’ll come after you both.”

Emily’s fists tightened. “You mean you brought this on us again.”

“I’m trying to fix it,” he snapped. “They want you at the docks. Midnight. If you come quietly, they won’t hurt him.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “So you’re giving me up again.”

“No,” he said softly. “I’m giving you a chance to save him.”

Emily turned and walked away. She didn’t look back.

\---

Back at home, Liam was sitting in the living room, scrolling through his phone. He looked up when she walked in.

“Hey—where did you go?”

Emily swallowed hard. “I needed to clear my head.”

He frowned. “Is something wrong?”

She couldn’t lie. Not this time. Not with the clock ticking.

“There’s something I have to tell you,” she said, her voice shaking. “And it’s going to sound crazy.”

Liam sat up, alert now. “Okay. Tell me.”

She sat beside him, her fingers gripping the hem of her hoodie.

“My father… he’s in trouble. He owes money to some very dangerous people. And now… they know about us. They think I have something he gave me. Something that could ruin them.”

Liam’s face darkened. “Emily—”

“They want me at the docks. Tonight. If I don’t show up, they’ll come for you.”

Silence stretched between them.

“No,” Liam said. “We’re going to the police.”

“They won’t make it in time.”

“You’re not going alone.”

She looked at him, tears in her eyes. “I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

“I don’t care,” he said fiercely. “You’re my wife. Do you think I’m going to let you walk into danger alone?”

She closed her eyes. “I’m scared.”

“I am scared too,” he whispered. “But we will definitely face it together.”

Emily nodded slowly.

Together.

Whatever came next, they would face it together.