Chapter 1 - You're still watching.

Teresa tightened her grip on Emma's hand as the little girl pressed even closer to her.

"Please, Mommy." Emma buried her face against Teresa's hip. "I don't want to go with Daddy."

A few parents turned to look. Teresa forced a smile onto her face. "Sweetheart..."

"I don't want to." Emma's voice came out muffled against Teresa's hip.

"I know."

"No, you don't." Emma's voice cracked. "He gets angry."

The words landed like a punch to Teresa's chest.

She crouched until they were eye level and brushed a loose strand of hair away from Emma's face. "Look at me."

Emma refused.

"Baby." Slowly, those tear-filled eyes lifted.

"You remember what we talked about?"

A tiny nod.

"If anything makes you uncomfortable, you tell Aunt Natalie or your teacher. And I'll come for you."

"You promise?"

"I promise." Emma searched her face as though trying to decide whether promises still meant anything.

A black luxury sedan rolled through the school gates.

Teresa didn't need to see the license plate. She knew that car. Her stomach tightened.

The sedan stopped a few feet away, but no one got out.

Emma clung harder.

Teresa looked toward the driver's window. She could make out Asher's silhouette inside. He wasn't coming. Of course he wasn't. He wanted her standing here, waiting, being watched.

Around them, parents chatted while children hurried through the gates with oversized backpacks bouncing against their shoulders. Some glanced at Teresa with pity and curiosity. Others pretended not to.

The billionaire's ex-wife. The woman who couldn't even have a peaceful custody exchange.

Finally, the rear door opened.

Asher stepped out, dressed in a tailored navy blue suit that probably cost more than most people earned in a month. He adjusted his cufflinks before looking at Teresa. His smile arrived first. It never reached his eyes.

"Morning."

Teresa said nothing.

He looked down at Emma. "You're crying again."

Emma hid behind Teresa.

Asher sighed dramatically. "You'll make people think I frighten you."

Teresa bit the inside of her cheek. "You kept us waiting."

"I had a call."

"You've been parked there for two minutes."

"So you were watching me." His smile widened. "I didn't realize you still paid that much attention."

Teresa refused to answer. He enjoyed conversations like this. Every word he said was always bait.

A woman wearing a visitor's badge approached with a clipboard. "Mrs. Grimhollow?"

Teresa instinctively answered before correcting herself. "It's Teresa Hart."

The woman smiled awkwardly. "Right. Sorry." She held out the custody exchange form. "If both parents could sign..."

Asher took the clipboard. Instead of signing, he started reading every line. Slowly...

Teresa stared at him. "You've signed this same form every Wednesday."

"Hmm."

"You know what's on it." She glared at him.

"I like to be thorough."

Emma tugged at Teresa's sleeve. "Mommy..."

"I'm here."

Asher still hadn't picked up the pen. Teresa could almost hear the whispers. That's them. The Grimhollows. The divorce case. She hated this — not for herself, but because Emma noticed. Children always noticed.

Asher finally uncapped the pen. He signed one line. Then another. Without looking up, he said quietly, "You should've chosen a better school."

Teresa folded her arms. "It keeps my daughter in a building that's safe and I'll decide what's best for Emma."

"No." He handed the clipboard back. "We'll let the judge decide."

Emma's fingers dug into Teresa's hand. Before Teresa could respond, another car rolled toward the curb.

A sleek black Rolls-Royce. It stopped behind Asher's sedan.

Asher looked over his shoulder. The smile disappeared from his face.

Teresa followed his gaze as the driver's door opened. A tall man stepped out in a dark suit, dark hair, and a calm expression.

Lucas. Asher's elder brother.

Everything inside Teresa went still. For a second, the sounds around her faded.

Lucas closed the car door and walked toward them without rushing. His eyes landed on Emma first. "Morning, sweetheart."

Emma's face lit up. "Uncle Lucas!"

She let go of Teresa's hand and ran. Lucas bent just in time to catch her as she threw her little arms around his waist. "You've gotten heavier."

"I'm six now."

"I noticed."

"I lost another tooth, Uncle."

"Really?"

She grinned and proudly pointed at the gap, the fear from a minute ago already folded away somewhere kids know how to keep it.

Lucas laughed softly. "I'll have to inspect that."

He looked up. His eyes met Teresa's. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Asher broke the silence. "I don't remember inviting you."

Lucas didn't even look at him. "I came to drop off something for Emma." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small packet wrapped in colorful paper.

Emma gasped. "The stickers!"

"You said your science notebook looked boring."

"It does!"

"Maybe not anymore."

She hugged him again. Teresa couldn't move. Questions piled up faster than she could ask them. When? How? Why hadn't Emma mentioned this?

Asher stepped closer. "You've been spending time with my daughter."

Lucas finally looked at him. "I've been spending time with my niece."

A beat of silence.

Then Lucas glanced toward the school building. "The first bell rang."

Emma looked back. "Oh."

"If we keep arguing," Lucas said evenly, "she'll be late."

Something inside Teresa cracked loose. She stepped forward until she stood directly in front of him. "You always know the right thing to say."

Lucas didn't answer.

"You always arrive at the perfect moment. You're still the same."

Emma looked between them, confused.

Teresa's voice dropped. "You've always been good at standing there while other people suffer."

Emma's smile faded.

Lucas's fingers loosened around the little gift bag. He lowered his eyes. "I know."

Teresa had imagined this moment for years. She thought she'd at least feel satisfied. Instead, she felt even angrier.

Asher slipped one hand into his pocket. The corner of his mouth lifted — exactly what he'd wanted. He stepped toward Emma. "Come on."

Teresa looked at Emma. "Emma."

Her little shoulders sagged. Slowly, she walked back to her father.

Asher rested a hand on her shoulder. She flinched. Teresa and Lucas both noticed.

His jaw flexed once. Asher leaned close enough that only Teresa could hear him. "You've found yourself a new audience."

She stared back. "What?"

His smile returned. "Tell your new audience to stop watching my family."

He turned toward the car. Lucas had heard every word — Teresa saw it in the way his jaw tightened, in the way his hands curled briefly before relaxing again.

He simply watched Asher open the car door for Emma. He watched Emma climb inside. He watched the sedan pull away.

The silence left behind felt heavier. Teresa looked at Lucas one last time. "You never change."

She turned and walked away before he could answer.

By the time Teresa reached her apartment building, the afternoon sun had settled over Singapore. Her shoulders ached and her head throbbed. The school scene kept replaying — Emma hugging Lucas. Lucas saying nothing.

She climbed the stairs to the third floor. As she reached her door, something white caught her eye.

An envelope, half pushed beneath the door. Just her apartment number written across the front.

A chill crawled up her arms.

She unlocked the door but didn't go inside. Instead, she picked up the envelope. It felt light. Only one sheet inside.

She opened it. A photograph slipped into her hand.

Old. The edges were worn.

Her breath caught. It was a picture of her leaving the hospital. Years ago. She remembered that day. She'd hide bruises beneath long sleeves. Told everyone she'd fallen down the stairs.

She turned the photograph over. Someone had drawn a red circle around a man standing across the street.

He was not looking at the camera. He was looking at her.

It was Lucas. Teresas fingers trembled. On the back of the photograph written in ink were four words:

*He never looked away.*