Chapter 261 Chapter 261

Chapter 261 Chapter 261
Daniel's face went white.
"How could you do that to me, the woman you claim to love? I wanted to die, and I even thought about it." Emma's voice was rising now, the emotion finally breaking through. "Because you were gone and I didn't know how to exist in a world where you weren't in it. I went home that day and I couldn't breathe. For weeks, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't do anything except exist, and even that was almost too much."
"I know." Daniel took a step forward. Grayson immediately blocked him. "I know what I put you through. I know it was—"
"You don't know shit." Emma was standing now. Maggie moved back to give her space. "You weren't there. You weren't the one who had to learn how to live without you. Who had to figure out how to wake up every morning when the person you loved most in the world was gone. Who had to—" Her voice broke completely. "You let me bury you. It was so cruel what you put me through. I have lived a half-life."
"I didn't have a choice. There was no other way." Daniel's voice was wrecked. "If I'd told you, they could have found out. And Vance would have killed you. He would have—"
"That was my choice to make! Instead, you decided for me and put me through hell." Emma was shaking violently now. It still didn't feel real. "My life, my choice! You don't get to decide that for me! You don't get to fake your death and make me grieve and think you're doing me a favor!"
"I was keeping you alive!"
"Don't you get it? I DIDN'T WANT TO BE ALIVE WITHOUT YOU!" The scream tore out of Emma's throat, raw and broken. "I didn't want to be alive, Daniel! Do you understand that? Or have you not heard a word I've been saying? For three months, I've been going through the motions, but I haven't been here. Not really. My family and my friends are the only ones that have kept me anchored just enough—"
She couldn't finish. Couldn't get any more words out past the grief and rage choking her.
"How long?" Grayson's voice was dangerously quiet. "How long would you have strung this out?"
"As long as it took to take Vance down." Daniel's eyes never left Emma. "It was supposed to be four to six weeks. But gathering evidence, building the case, it took longer. Every day I wanted to contact her. Every day I—" His voice broke. "I heard about the memorial. Kyle told me. He said she could barely stand. That you, Grayson, had to hold her up through the whole thing."
Grayson's fist connected with Daniel's jaw before anyone could stop him.
Daniel went down hard, landing on his back in the hallway. He didn't get up. Just lay there, hand pressed to his face, looking up at Grayson. Grayson wasn't a soldier, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to fight or throw a punch. Daniel most likely could have taken him, but he was smart and didn't attack her brother.
"Gray!" Emma heard herself shout, but she didn't move to stop him.
"You son of a bitch." Grayson was standing over Daniel, fists still clenched. "You made my sister bury you. You made her stand in front of an empty casket and say goodbye. And for what? For some case? For some mission? You know we had the fucking resources to protect her if you'd come to us."
"For her life." Daniel's voice was quiet. "For Emma's life. Vance was going to kill her, Grayson. I saw the pictures. He had someone watching her, following her. He told me exactly how he'd do it. Make it look like an accident. A mugging gone wrong. A hit-and-run. He had it all planned out. It couldn't be an act. There was no foolproof protection detail. These are trained men. I couldn't risk her."
Emma saw the look Wyatt gave Lauren. As if they were remembering. The same had happened to them. Wyatt had been protecting Lauren, but her stalker had still gotten to her. Even the best plans were not perfect. Lauren, in the end, had saved herself.
"I couldn't risk it." Daniel was sitting up now, one hand still on his jaw. "If he'd known I was trying to protect her, it would have only taken one phone call, and she'd be dead, and I—" His voice broke. "I couldn't let that happen. Even if it meant, even if she hated me forever, at least she'd be alive to hate me."
"Well, congratulations." Emma's voice was cold now. Empty. "I do hate you. I hate you for this. For making this choice. For thinking you had the right—" Her breath hitched. "For making me grieve you when you were alive."
"Emma—"
"Get out." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I can't—I can't look at you right now. I can't—just get out."
"I'm not leaving you." Daniel was on his feet now, trying to get past Grayson again. "Not again. I can't—"
"You don't have a choice." Grayson's hand was on Daniel's chest again, pushing him back. "She said get out. So you're getting out."
"She needs protection." Daniel's voice was desperate. "Vance is in custody, but there are others. People who might—"
"I'll handle it." Nate stepped forward. "I'll put a team on her. Twenty-four/seven protection until we're sure the threat is gone. You don't need to be here."
"She's my fiancée—"
"Was." The word came out of Emma like a bullet. "Was your fiancée. Three months ago. Before you died. Before you faked your death and made me bury you. Now you're just—" Her voice broke. "You're just someone who used to love me."
"I still love you." Daniel's face was wrecked. "I never stopped. I thought about you every day. Every hour. I wanted to call you so many times. Wanted to tell you I was alive, that I was coming back. But I couldn't. If Vance had found out—"
"I don't care." Emma's voice was flat again. "I don't care about your reasons. I don't care about Vance or the mission or any of it. You made a choice. You chose to let me think you were dead. And I—I can't forgive that. Not right now. Maybe not ever."
"Emma, please—"
"Get him out of here." Emma looked at Grayson. "Please. I can't—I need him gone."
Grayson nodded once, then grabbed Daniel's arm. "You heard her. Let's go."
"I'm not leaving." Daniel tried to pull free. "I can't leave her when she's—"
"You already did." Grayson's voice was cold. "Three months ago. You left her when you faked your death. So leaving now? That should be easy for you."
The words hit Daniel like a physical blow. Emma saw him flinch, saw the devastation on his face.
"I'll be outside." Daniel's eyes found Emma's one more time. "I'm not going far. If you need me—"
"I won't." Emma turned away from him. "Maggie, can you stay?"
"Of course."
"Then everyone else can go. Please. I just—I need—"
She couldn't finish. Her legs gave out.
Lauren and Maggie caught her before she hit the floor, guiding her back to the bed. Behind them, Emma heard Grayson forcing Daniel out of the room, with the other men following.
Then the door closed, and it was just Lauren, Maggie, Prue, and Honey. The women who'd stood by her through the last three months. Who'd held her while she grieved. Who'd helped her survive.
"He's alive." Emma heard herself say it. "Daniel's alive."
"Yes." Maggie's hand was in hers, steady and warm.
"I buried him."
"I know. Do you need something to help you cope?" Maggie asked, thinking that's why she'd asked her to stay.
"No, I just need my friends around right now. I stood in front of his casket and I said goodbye."
"I know, sweetie."
"And he was alive the whole time." Emma looked at Maggie, at Lauren, at the women surrounding her. "He let me think he was dead. For three months. He let me—I'm so sorry, Lauren. This happened on your day." Her voice broke completely.
She collapsed forward, and Lauren caught her, held her while Emma finally, finally let herself break completely.
She could hear Lauren telling her that it didn't matter, that she mattered. It only made her cry harder.
Three months of grief came pouring out. Except now it wasn't just grief. It was rage and betrayal and confusion and love and hate all mixed together until she couldn't tell which emotion was which.
Daniel was alive.
He'd let her think he was dead.
And Emma had absolutely no idea what to do with that. He wanted back in her life, and she wasn't sure she could.