The apartment was too quiet. Jade sat at the edge of her sons’ bed, her fingers lightly brushing over a small stuffed bear left behind in the rush of that night. The room still smelled like them, like clean cotton, crayons, and safety. It used to calm her. Now it only reminded her how empty the house felt. Her heart was at war. Was she wrong to try and run? Should she fight harder? Or should she just stay and play nice until she found a safer way out? He had the boys and she wants them back. Without him in their lives. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away. No. She wasn’t going to break again. She had already handed in her resignation. Burned every bridge. She was ready to disappear, to take her boys somewhere Xavier would never find them. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere normal. But her plans fell apart the moment she learned Xavier had already taken them. Why would he do this before the week was over? He gave her time! Well, she trie
Jade paused at the threshold of Xavier’s office, the polished mahogany double doors looking like gates to a castle. She swallowed hard, steadying the tremor in her limbs. The room beyond glowed softly under warm lights, rich carpets, heavy draperies, walls lined with old portraits, the imposing desk at center stage. This place had once belonged to her. Now it belonged to him. She stepped forward, shoes whispering across the carpet. Her eyes swept the room, memorizing the place she had tried to leave behind, the throne he now occupied. Each familiar detail stung, the leather chairs, the shelves of books, the desk where many decisions had been made. Her throat felt tight. She's here again. Xavier sat behind the desk, hands folded, his face calm, too calm. He looked up, eyes locking on hers. The quiet flickered between them. “Jade,” he said, voice smooth, “back so soon?” Her chest clenched. She took a breath, trying to steady her voice. “I didn’t come
The house was silent when Jade crept through the hallway, every step measured. The moonlight filtered through narrow windows, painting pale stripes across the carpet. Her heart pounded so hard she feared the walls might hear it. She paused outside her sons’ door. A soft, even rhythm, a lullaby in breathing. Her boys slept, clutching small blankets. She swallowed hard. This was it. Raquel stood behind her, flashlight in hand, face pale but determined. “I checked the guards, the routes. We’re clear for now.” Jade nodded. She pressed a finger to her lips. “Let me just… one more look.” She touched her boys’ cheeks softly, memorizing. She kissed their foreheads. “Mommy’s going to take you somewhere safe. Forever.” They stirred slightly but stayed asleep. Relief flooded her, bitter and sharp. The door to her room was ajar. Light spilled from under. She froze. Footsteps echoed beyond, outside the room. Her body tensed. Raquel touched her arm. “That’s our signal.
She froze. There, in the living room, her boys were on the floor, building a fort with couch pillows. And sitting across from them on the armrest was Xavier, tapping away at his phone like nothing had happened. Her knees almost gave way. He looked up casually, a small smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said. Jade didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Liam saw her and squealed with delight. “Mommy!” Liam ran to her, hugging her legs, pulling on her arm. “Play with us!” Liam said. She knelt, hugging him tightly, her heart aching, relief washing over her in a wave that made her dizzy. But behind that relief… was rage. He’s playing with her. He knew she'd panic. He wanted this. She stood slowly, her eyes locked on him. “You think this is funny?” Xavier raised an eyebrow. “What?” “You told me I had a week.” He stood now, slowly, deliberately. “And you do. I just missed them. Thought I’d take them for the evening. Is that a crime?”
The front door slammed shut behind Xavier with a sharp crack that echoed through the quiet house. Jade stood in the dimly lit living room, tension coiling tight in her chest as he strode toward her, eyes cold and hard. “So,” Xavier said, voice low and heavy, “are you still hell-bent on keeping the boys in this hell hole you call a home?” Jade’s jaw clenched. “This ‘hellhole’ is the only life I’ve fought for. I won’t walk away just because you’re thirsty for blood and that dirty life you love.” Xavier smirked darkly, stepping closer until the air between them was thick with rage and memories. “The threat hasn’t changed, Jade. You have one week to decide. One week to come with us. If you don't, you’ll never see them again.” Her heart pounded. Fury flared and tears pricked her eyes. “You don't scare me,” she spat, voice trembling. “All you’ve ever given me was pain. And now you want to do it again—take my boys like they’re trophies. I won’t let you.” Where was the man that sa
Raquel sat stiffly in the dim light of the office. The air was thick with smoke from her cigarette, curling around her like a warning. Across from her, Xavier leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, eyes sharp like knives. The weight between them was heavy — heavier than the silence that had stretched too long.“I still can’t believe you want to take the kids from Jade,” Raquel said quietly, voice barely above a whisper, but full of disbelief.Xavier’s eyes didn’t move. “It’s not a bluff. But it depends on her, on whether she gives in.”Raquel snorted, flicking ash onto the floor. “She’s stubborn as hell. Doesn’t want a cent from the empire. She calls it dirty. You know how she feels.”Xavier’s jaw clenched. “Doesn’t matter how she feels. Those boys belong where they’ll be strong. Where they can be shaped into what they need to be. I won’t let her keep them from the future.”“That future,” Raquel said, blowing smoke, “is the life she’s trying to escape. You’re dragging those ki