Unwanted Emotions

Lily Williams, Tom's wife, stood before him, her eyes filled with a mix of concern and frustration. "For how long will you hide from Tom?" she asked, her voice soft but urgent.

Tom's jaw clenched, his determination evident. "As long as I find what I can use against him."

Lily's expression turned skeptical. "And when will that be, Tom? You'll never find anything. How do you plan on doing that? Andrew is a dangerous man, and you're just an ordinary businessman."

Tom's eyes flashed with a fierce protectiveness. "So, you expect me to stop hiding and lose you and Mia? Right!"

Lily's hands rose in a calming gesture. "That's not what I'm saying."

Tom's voice rose, his emotions raw. "Then what are you saying, Lily?"

Lily sighed, her shoulders sagging. "I'm sorry, but what are you going to do now that Mia's identity is known at her school? And not just her school, the whole of Melbourne knows she's your daughter. Hiding is not an option anymore; you have to do something about Andrew."

Tom's face set in a resolute expression. "I know, Lily. I'll think of something. But for now, I'll still stay on the low. She'll stop walking to school; Alexander will take her to school from now on, and security will watch her from afar."

Lily nodded, a small smile on her face. "Well, that's something. I'll go make lunch."

She kissed his forehead, and Tom's eyes closed, his mind racing with thoughts of Andrew and the danger that lurked in the shadows.

As Lily walked away, Tom's eyes snapped open, his voice barely above a whisper. "I would have ended this a long time ago, Lily. I'm not an ordinary businessman, but I couldn't risk losing you and Mia. That's why we're still here."

His eyes narrowed, a plan beginning to form in his mind. "I need to see Hart, so we'll do this together. I can't do this on my own."

With a determined glint in his eye, Tom leaned back on the sofa, his mind racing with strategies and countermeasures, ready to face whatever dangers lay ahead.

*****

The cafeteria buzzed with chatter and the clinking of utensils as students enjoyed their lunch. Jaden and Mia found a quiet spot beside the window, the sunlight casting a warm glow on their faces.

Jaden's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "You said your mom is dead."

Mia nodded solemnly. "Yeah."

Jaden's brow furrowed. "I thought Lily was your mom."

Mia's expression turned complex. "No she's not. I don't like her, neither do I hate her. She's unfair to me sometimes, and I don't know why. I told my dad about it one day, but he said I should give her time."

Mia's voice cracked, his eyes welling up with tears. "(Sighs) I miss my mom so much. All I want to do now is find out who killed her."

Mia's expression softened, her eyes filled with empathy. She dipped her hand into her left jean pocket and pulled out a transparent, tiny nylon bag. Inside, a piece of paper with a cryptic symbol was visible.

She handed the bag to Jaden, who examined the symbol carefully. Just then, Shawn, who had been standing behind Jaden, spotted the image on the paper. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey guys, I have the same paper as yours," Shawn said, pulling out the paper from his pocket and sitting down beside them.

The three of them stared at each other, the air thick with unspoken questions. What did this symbol mean? And why did they all have it?

Mia and Shawn exchanged surprised glances. "I found this in the room my dad locked up my mom's belongings," Shawn said.

Mia's eyes narrowed. "And I found mine in the car at the scene of my mom's accident. But come to think of it now, it's no accident. It was planned."

Shawn introduced himself, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "I'm Shawn, by the way. (Sighs) It's been a while since I last spoke with kids of my age."

Mia's curiosity was piqued. "And why's that?"

Shawn's expression turned guarded. "Never mind, don't want to talk about it."

Jaden's voice was warm and reassuring. "Okay, but just remember that we're all friends now. So whenever you're ready, we'll be here to listen."

Shawn's eyes softened, a hint of gratitude in his voice. "Thanks, I really appreciate it."

The conversation shifted back to the mysterious symbol. "So, back to the image, did you try finding out about it?" Jaden asked.

Shawn shook his head. "Yes, but there was nothing."

Mia concurred. "Same here."

Jaden's eyes narrowed as he examined the paper again. This time, he noticed something peculiar - a writing at the back of the paper, invisible to the naked eye. He decided to share his discovery with Shawn and Mia, but as he turned to them, he found Shawn staring at Mia, who was oblivious to his gaze, focused on eating her lunch.

Shawn's thoughts drifted to Mia, his eyes involuntarily drawn to her. 'Ever since I met her, I just can't stop staring at her... but why?' He sighed, his brow furrowing in frustration. 'I don't want to fall in love again. It brings me nothing but pain.'

He forced himself to look away from Mia, his mind rebelling against the emotions she stirred within him. 'I hate girls. They're heartless.'

Jaden's voice cut through Shawn's thoughts. "Um, guys, I found something."

Mia and Shawn turned to him, their curiosity piqued. "What is it?" they asked in unison.

Jaden held up the paper, a hint of excitement in his voice. "There's an invisible writing on the back of the paper."

Mia's eyes widened. "We need a magnifier to see what's written on it."

The school bell rang, interrupting their conversation. Mia gathered her belongings, her voice firm. "Let's go to class. We'll sort this out later."

As Mia left the cafeteria, Jaden noticed her handkerchief on the table. "I'll give it to her," he volunteered.

But Shawn quickly intervened. "I'll give it to her instead. She's my seat partner, after all."

Jaden's eyes sparkled with understanding. "I get it, man. I've been there before, so you don't have to explain anything. And I think she's the right one."

Shawn's face twisted in frustration as Jaden walked away. He picked up Mia's handkerchief, his fingers crumpling it in his fist. With a sudden movement, he tossed the handkerchief on the ground, his emotions in turmoil, he stood to leave the cafeteria when Jack, Kenzie's boyfriend, picked up the handkerchief, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Can I give it to her, then?" Jack asked, sniffing the handkerchief.

Shawn snatched the handkerchief from Jack, his voice firm. "I don't need your help on that. I'll do it myself."

As Shawn walked out of the cafeteria, he couldn't help but glance at the handkerchief, wondering why he had reacted so strongly. Jack's voice echoed from behind, "She's got a nice smell, take her before it's too late, man!"

Shawn's eyes rolled in exasperation. "Why do they all think the same? It's nothing like that. I'm done with love."

Meanwhile, in Hart's office, James knocked on the door. "Who's there?" Hart asked.

"Mr. Hart, it's James. Mr. Williams would like to see you," James replied.

Hart's expression changed, and he stood up from his chair. "Williams? Send him in, please."

James returned to the reception to call Mr. Williams. "Mr. Hart is ready to see you now, sir."

Tom Williams made his way to Hart's office. "Can I come in, Michael?" he asked, his voice familiar.

Hart's face lit up with a warm smile as he saw his friend. He rushed to embrace Tom. "Tom, long time no see! Where have you been?"

Tom's expression turned serious. "Hiding, Michael."

Hart's eyes narrowed. "Let's go to my house so we can talk better. The walls have ears."

The two gentlemen left for Hart's house, arriving after a 40-minute drive. As they settled in, Hart asked, "Have a seat, what would you like to drink?"

Tom declined, his eyes locked on Hart's. "Nothing for now."

Hart nodded, his expression serious. "Okay, then. So, what did you want to discuss with me?"

Tom's voice was resolute. "I want us to open the underworld base again."

Hart's eyes widened. "And why is that?"

Tom's jaw clenched. "So we can get Andrew."

Just then, Tom's phone rang, interrupting their conversation. "Hello, who's this?" Tom answered.

The voice on the other end was desperate. "Hello, Tom. Is that you? Please help, I'm tired of these threats."