Chapter 6:Frozen In Place

The air in the living room felt like it had turned into ice.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even blink. All I could do was stare at the man standing in front of me. The man who was currently being hugged by Tessa. The man she was calling "Daddy."

My world didn't just crack; it shattered into a million sharp pieces.

It’s him.

The thought screamed inside my head, over and over again. It was the same man from the hotel. The same man who had held me while I cried. The same man whose touch had made me feel like I wasn't just a "girl from the street" for the first time in my life.

I remembered the scent of his cologne—expensive, like cedarwood and rain. I remembered the strength in his arms. And I remembered the way he had looked at me in the dim light of the bedroom—with a mixture of hunger and something that almost looked like care.

And now, he was standing in my living room.

He wasn't a stranger. He wasn't just "Harrison."

He was Harrison Grey. Tessa’s father.

"Daddy, you’re finally home!" Tessa squealed, her voice high and full of a joy that made my stomach churn. She was clinging to his arm, her head resting on his shoulder. "I’ve waited so long for this. I have so much to tell you!"

Harrison didn't answer her immediately. He was still frozen, his eyes locked onto mine.

In that moment, I saw everything in his gaze. I saw the flash of recognition. I saw the shock. And then, I saw something that terrified me even more: a cold, hard mask falling over his face.

He was a businessman. He was a man of power. He knew how to hide his emotions, and he was doing it right now.

"Daddy?" Tessa pulled back, looking up at him with a confused frown. "Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

Harrison finally blinked. He cleared his throat, the sound deep and vibrating in the quiet room. He slowly shifted his gaze away from me, looking down at his daughter.

"I'm fine, Tessa," he said. His voice was smooth. Calm. It didn't shake at all. "I’m just... tired from the flight. It’s been a long journey."

"Of course, of course!" Mrs. Harrison—Diana—stepped forward. She didn't look happy to see him, but she looked respectful. There was a weird energy between them, like two enemies forced to be in the same room. "Welcome back, Harrison."

"Diana," he acknowledged her with a stiff nod.

Then, the moment I was dreading arrived. Tessa turned her bright, cat-like eyes toward me.

"Oh! Emily, don't just stand there like a statue," Tessa said, her voice dropping into that slightly condescending tone she always used with me. "Come and say hello to my father. He’s the one who pays for the roof over your head, after all."

The words felt like a slap. I felt the heat of embarrassment crawl up my neck.

I forced my legs to move. One step. Two steps. It felt like I was walking through deep water. Every part of my body wanted to run away, to hide in my room and never come out. But I couldn't.

I stopped a few feet away from him. Up close, he was even more intimidating. He was wearing a charcoal-colored suit that must have cost more than everything I owned. He looked like a king returning to a kingdom he didn't really care about.

"Good afternoon... sir," I whispered.

I couldn't look him in the eye. I looked at his silk tie instead. My heart was thumping so hard against my ribs that I was sure the fabric of my shirt was moving.

"Sir?" Tessa laughed, a sharp, mocking sound. "You don't have to be so formal, Emily. But I guess it’s good you know your place."

Harrison didn't laugh. He didn't even smile. He stepped closer to me, and I felt the air grow heavy with his presence.

"Have we met before?" he asked.

The question was a test. I could feel it. He was giving me a chance to choose how this would go.

I looked up then. I saw the intensity in his dark eyes. He was watching me like a predator watches a rabbit. He wanted to see if I would break. He wanted to see if I was a threat to his reputation.

"No, sir," I lied. My voice was small, but it was steady. "We have never met."

I saw his jaw tighten. Just a tiny muscle jumping in his cheek. He knew I was lying, and I knew he knew. But we were both playing a game now. A dangerous, silent game.

"I see," he said. His voice was lower now, like a secret meant only for me.

"Of course you haven't!" Tessa chimed in, stepping between us and reclaiming his arm. "Emily doesn't get out much. She’s usually too busy being the 'good girl.' Anyway, Daddy, you have to see what I’ve done with the garden..."

As they walked away, I felt like I could finally breathe again. But the air felt thin.

Dinner was a nightmare.

I sat at the far end of the table, as usual. I felt like a ghost. Tessa talked and talked, telling her father about her shopping trips, her friends, and—to my horror—Gabriel.

"You'll love Gabriel, Daddy," she said, reaching over to touch Harrison’s hand. "He’s so handsome and smart. He’s the first man I’ve really felt... connected to."

I stared at my plate. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell Harrison that the "smart" man his daughter loved was the same man who had cheated on me only twenty-four hours ago. I wanted to tell him that Gabriel was a liar.

But I couldn't say a word. Because if I spoke about Gabriel, the conversation would lead back to where I was last night. And I couldn't let anyone know I was at that bar.

I felt a gaze on me. I looked up and caught Harrison watching me.

He wasn't listening to Tessa. He was looking at my trembling hands. He was looking at the way I was picking at my food without eating a single bite.

His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were dark with something that looked like... guilt? Or maybe it was just anger.

"Emily isn't eating," Harrison said suddenly, interrupting Tessa mid-sentence.

The table went silent.