When Secrets Start to Burn

The mansion was quiet—too quiet.

Emma sat curled in the corner of her bed, legs drawn up, the weight of the day pressing down on her chest like stone. The memory of Rhea standing beside David wouldn't stop replaying. Her heart pounded with every possible theory. What if Rhea had been blackmailed? What if… what if something worse had already happened?

The air felt thick, suffocating.

She wanted to scream—but no one would hear her.

Lila was still out, shopping with her parents. There was no one left she could trust.

No one except—

Her hand trembled as it hovered above her phone. She didn't think. She just tapped Jake's contact. But before the call could ring, the screen lit up.

Jake.

Her heart skipped.

She picked up. "Hello?" Her voice cracked.

"Hey…" Jake's voice was quieter than usual, low and almost hesitant. "You sound—are you okay?"

Emma swallowed hard. "I… no. Not really."

"I figured," he said. "I'm outside. I thought maybe you'd need some air."

A beat passed. "Mind coming for a walk?"

Her breath hitched. He was here.

The doorbell rang. She jumped up, tossing on a hoodie, running downstairs barefoot. She opened the heavy front door.

Jake stood there, hands shoved in the pockets of his dark coat, his eyes scanning her face instantly. "Emma." His brows furrowed. "You look like hell."

"I know," she whispered. "Can we just… talk? Somewhere quiet?"

Jake nodded. "Come on."

They didn't speak much during the short drive. Jake brought her to a small coffee shop tucked behind the university gardens—the one where he worked weekends. It was closed now, but he had a key.

Inside, it smelled of roasted beans and cinnamon. The lights were dim, warm. Familiar.

Emma sat at a booth near the window, her hands clutching the edges of her sleeves. Jake leaned against the counter, watching her carefully.

"You can tell me," he said gently. "Whatever it is."

She took a shaky breath.

"I saw David two nights ago," she began. "He came into my father's study, covered in blood."

Jake's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't interrupt.

Emma went on, voice low and trembling. "He told my father that he'd taken care of someone who knew about the factory explosion… someone who worked with your parents, Jake." She met his gaze, eyes pleading. "They think I didn't hear. But I did. Everything. My parents are trying to hide it all—they're covering up something big. And Rhea… she saw David too. She told them she'd go to the police."

Jake's expression darkened, but he remained still.

"Yesterday, I saw her again. With David. And now she's gone, Jake. No one knows where she is."

There was a long silence. Jake's jaw clenched. He walked toward her slowly, then sat down across from her, eyes locked to hers.

"You're playing with fire, Emma."

"I know," she whispered.

He leaned in. "Do you have any idea how dangerous these people are? David isn't some thug you can spy on. He's a trained monster. And your parents…" Jake exhaled sharply. "They'd do anything to keep their power. Anything."

Emma looked down. Her hands were shaking.

"I didn't know who else to tell," she said, voice breaking. "I've been trying to be brave, Jake. But every night, I remember what I saw, and it just—" She cut off, tears welling.

Jake's voice softened. "Emma."

"I don't want to be scared anymore," she said, trying to hold it together. "I don't want to lie, and I don't want to stay away from you like they want me to. I just—" Her chest heaved. "I want to know the truth. About what happened. About everything."

Her voice cracked fully now, and the dam inside her finally broke. Tears fell fast, no longer held back. She lowered her head, covering her face with her hands, her shoulders trembling.

Jake was up in a second.

He crossed to her side of the booth and knelt beside her, gently pulling her hands away from her face. "Hey. Look at me."

She did—barely.

His hands cupped hers. "You're not alone, okay? Not anymore." His voice was low but firm. "But you can't do this alone either. You don't get to destroy yourself just to prove you're not like them."

Emma looked into his eyes—so close now, so intense.

"I don't know when I started caring," he whispered. "But I do. I care if something happens to you. So stop doing reckless things. Promise me that."

She blinked, overwhelmed. "I—"

"Promise me, Emma."

"…Okay," she whispered. "I promise."

He brushed a tear off her cheek. "Good."

The moment stretched—soft and suspended—until the front door creaked open.

Jake's expression stiffened.

Emma turned—her blood went cold.

David stood in the doorway.

Dressed in black, face unreadable, eyes sweeping over them both.

Jake stood slowly, stepping in front of Emma instinctively. His posture changed in an instant—defensive, braced.

David's lips curved. "Evening," he said coolly, stepping further in. "Didn't mean to interrupt."

Emma's breath caught.

The storm had just walked in.

End of Part 12