She sank into the chair, her hands trembling slightly as though the strength in them had suddenly abandoned her.
Maybe, just maybe… she shouldn't have slapped him.
But how could she not?
How could she have stood there, frozen and silent, while he looked her straight in the eye and threatened her so calmly, so cruelly?
"Marry me… or I'll make your life miserable."
The words replayed in her mind over and over again, each repetition sinking deeper under her skin like ice. It wasn't love. Not even close.
It was control.
It was power.
It was something far more dangerous than anger, it was intent.
She exhaled shakily as her father, Joe, lowered himself into the chair beside her. His presence was steady, but his expression carried the weight of concern.
"I told you, Claire," he said quietly. "That man is hiding something. I can feel it. There's something up his sleeves."
Claire swallowed hard, forcing down the knot tightening in her throat.
"I didn't think it would go this far…" she admitted in a strained whisper.
Joe let out a slow sigh, rubbing a hand over his face as if trying to piece together a problem too ugly to fully look at.
"I think you should stay away from him," he said after a moment. "Completely. And… maybe you should apologize for slapping him."
Claire's head lifted sharply at that.
Joe raised a hand before she could respond.
"Not because you were wrong," he clarified. "But because peace is sometimes strategy. We don't know what he's capable of yet."
Silence settled between them.
Claire slowly nodded, though her chest felt tighter with every passing second.
Fear crept in quietly… then deeper… until it wrapped itself around her entirely.
For the first time in a very long while, she wasn't just uneasy.
She was truly afraid.
Not for herself.
But for her family.
All she had ever wanted was to protect them. And now… she wasn't sure she could.
*
Maja lay on her bed, a soft, unguarded smile lingering on her lips.
Today had been perfect.
She had shared the cake Adrian gave her with her classmates, and the memory of their laughter still warmed her heart. For a brief, beautiful moment, everything had felt simple. Light. Almost normal.
Happy.
But then she heard her mother's voice downstairs.
Her smile faded slightly.
Without hesitation, she jumped up from the bed and rushed out of her room.
"Welcome home, Mom!" she called brightly the moment she reached the living room, wrapping her arms tightly around Claire.
Claire blinked in surprise before forcing a faint smile and returning the hug.
"Thank you, Maja…"
Maja pulled back just enough to look at her properly.
And immediately, her smile wavered.
"You look sad…"
Claire's expression tightened for a split second before she quickly shook her head.
"I'm just tired, Maja. That's all. I need to rest."
She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Maja's forehead before stepping away.
"Go and eat, alright?"
And just like that, she walked off down the hallway.
Maja remained where she was, watching her mother's retreating figure.
Something wasn't right.
She could feel it deep in her chest, like an instinct she couldn't explain.
She slowly turned toward Joe, confusion written clearly all over her face.
"Mom isn't just tired… she looks troubled. What's wrong with her, Grandpa?"
Joe hesitated.
Just for a second too long.
Then he forced a calm, reassuring tone.
"She's just exhausted. Don't overthink it, Maja. Go and set her food."
Maja frowned slightly, unconvinced, but she nodded anyway.
"Okay, Grandpa."
As she walked toward the kitchen, however, the unease in her chest didn't leave.
It only grew heavier.
*
At the Hayes Mansion, the air was anything but calm.
Lewis stormed through the front doors, each step heavy with anger that seemed to vibrate through the entire house. His jaw was clenched so tightly it looked painful, and he loosened his tie with a sharp, irritated pull.
No one.
Absolutely no one had ever dared to treat him the way Claire just did.
And he wasn't going to let it go.
Not this time.
His eyes darkened as he pulled out his phone and dialled immediately.
"Adrian."
"Yes, Dad?" Adrian answered almost instantly.
"You're going to Mexico on Thursday. To your mother."
A stunned silence followed.
"Thursday?" Adrian repeated, disbelief creeping into his voice. "But… Dad, today is Tuesday. That's too soon."
His chest tightened immediately.
He had been waiting to see his mother for so long. But this?
This didn't feel like excitement.
It felt rushed.
Disorienting.
And the very first thought that crossed his mind wasn't even the trip.
It was Maja.
"But why?" he asked carefully.
Lewis's voice sharpened instantly.
"Don't question me, Adrian. That's final. I'll book your flight tomorrow."
The line went dead.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Just then, Jordan stepped into the room, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Adrian is leaving?" she asked.
"Yes," Lewis replied flatly. "He's going to Mexico."
Jordan's expression brightened almost instantly.
"To Mom? Then I'm going with him."
Lewis shook his head without hesitation.
"Not yet, Jordan. You're staying here with me."
And without another word, he turned and walked upstairs, leaving no room for argument.
Jordan frowned as she watched him go.
"I think he's drunk…" Adrian muttered under his breath, still trying to process everything.
Jordan turned toward him immediately.
"Aren't you happy? You'll finally see Mom… and stay with her."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"Of course, I am."
But his voice didn't match his words.
There was no excitement in it.
Only confusion… and something heavier he couldn't quite name.
"This just… happened so fast," he admitted, running a hand through his hair as frustration built in his chest. "I don't want to leave you behind, Jordan. I want us to grow up together… not like this."
He hesitated, his voice lowering slightly.
"And I don't want to leave." He stopped abruptly.
Jordan's brow arched.
"You don't want to leave Maja too?"
He didn't deny it; he only nodded once.
Jordan let out a slow breath.
"I told you… you can't keep getting closer to her."
She stepped closer, her tone turning more serious now.
"Maybe Dad is right about one thing. We've been away from Mom for six years. Six years, Adrian."
Her expression softened slightly.
"It's time. You need to go. You need to see her."
Adrian looked away, his jaw tightening as his chest grew heavier with emotions he couldn't untangle.
"I know…"
But knowing didn't make it easier.
Not when his heart already felt divided between two worlds.
Between the mother he missed…
And the girl he was slowly, dangerously beginning to care about.
Without another word, he turned and walked toward his room.
Each step heavier than the last.
Because deep down, he already knew things were about to change and not a single one of them was ready for what was coming next.
The next day, Lewis was unshakably firm, about Adrian leaving for Mexico. There was no room for negotiation in his tone, no space for delay or hesitation. It was final.
And slowly, it dawned on Adrian that he truly had no choice.
He would be leaving.
Not because he was ready…
But because he needed to see his mother.
Even if it meant tearing himself away from the only place, and the only person, his heart had started to quietly belong to.
Maja.
Later that evening, Adrian went to see her.
He needed to tell her. Personally.
No delays. No excuses, just the truth.
He stood in front of the door and knocked gently.
But when it opened, he froze slightly.
It wasn't Maja. It was...