SHADOWS AT HER DOORSTEP

The chime above the coffee shop door rang.

Jake stiffened. Emma's breath hitched as she turned—and saw him.

David

Towering in the doorway, sharp eyes darting between them, trench coat dripping rain onto the tile. His presence sucked the air from the room.

"Emma," David said, voice low and taut. "Come."

Jake instinctively stepped in front of her. Emma gripped his sleeve, but gently moved beside him.

"I—it's for the project, David," she said quickly. "Professor Denwick assigned us together. We were just discussing it."

David didn't respond. Instead, he marched forward, his eyes never leaving Jake's. He grabbed Emma's wrist—not violently, but with clear intent.

"Your parents are down the street," he said. "They've come to see you."

Emma froze for a second. Jake looked ready to intervene, but she subtly tapped the back of his hand, out of David's sight. A signal. It's okay.

Reluctantly, she let David guide her away, heart pounding as they stepped out into the dusky evening.

The Valeria car gleamed at the curb like something out of a royal parade. Sleek. Black. Armored. Its tinted windows rolled down as Emma approached, revealing Alistair and Verona Valeria—an image of cold power.

Alistair's eyes narrowed. "With him?"

Verona looked like she'd bitten into something sour. "How many times, Emma?"

"It's nothing," Emma said smoothly, controlling her breath. "We're partners on an assignment. That's all. If he wasn't assigned to me, I wouldn't even look at him."

A lie. One she hated herself for. But it worked. Their faces softened—just a bit.

"We're leaving the country," her father said flatly. "Tonight. Business in Zurich. You are not to see that boy. Not a word, not a message. Understood?"

Emma blinked. "So suddenly?"

Neither answered. Instead, her father reached into his coat as his phone buzzed. He answered sharply in French, words clipped and hushed. His eyes flickered toward Emma once, then away.

"I must leave immediately," he muttered to Verona. Then to Emma, "We'll be gone for three to four weeks. David will watch over everything."

Her mother's voice softened a touch. "Stay out of trouble. No distractions. You know how fragile everything is right now."

Emma nodded, playing her role, letting them hug her, kiss her cheek. Then she stepped back and watched their car vanish into the rain.

David, still beside her, adjusted his gloves. "Rhea is gone," he said casually.

Emma stiffened. "What?"

"Don't concern yourself. She was... unstable. She won't be a problem anymore."

"What did you do?" Emma whispered.

He gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Stay focused, Emma. You have enough shadows haunting you already."

Later, after the storm passed, Emma found herself walking beside Jake, the wet pavement reflecting streetlights like shards of glass.

She had told him everything.

Their steps were slow, drawn out by the weight of her words—her parents' strange departure, their silence when she asked why, David's warning about Rhea.

"Emma..." Jake finally said, stopping under a flickering streetlamp. "This—this is dangerous. You're tangled in something deeper than just secrets. You can't keep pretending it's not."

"I'm not pretending," she said, voice breaking. "I just... I don't know what's real anymore. I don't know who I can trust."

Jake gently turned her toward him. "You can trust me."

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Even if my family caused everything that hurt yours?"

His jaw tightened, but he didn't let go. "That's not your fault."

"I'm scared, Jake," she whispered. "I can't breathe sometimes. Every time I close my eyes, I see them—my parents, David, Rhea. I see blood. I hear them talking like people's lives are just pawns."

Jake reached out, brushing a tear from her cheek. "Then I'll be your anchor. When everything spins, I'll be here. You're not alone in this."

The moment stretched. The world quieted. She leaned into him just enough to feel his heartbeat.

After a while, he walked her back to the mansion gates. The lamps bathed her in soft gold.

"Call me. Anytime," he said. "Doesn't matter what hour. I'll be there."

Emma nodded, her heart twisting with a strange comfort.

"And tomorrow," Jake added, stepping back with a small smirk, "I'll pick you up for class. Our project can't wait."

Emma laughed—barely—but it was real.

And behind the iron gates, the shadows watched.

End of Part 13!