Chapter 45:
Threats** As I wandered through the furniture store, a haze clouded my mind, dulling the vibrant hues of excitement one typically feels when decorating a new home. I had just purchased a beautiful house—a place that seemed tailor-made for me. It was an inviting sanctuary, exuding simplicity while radiating warmth. Nestled in a wonderful neighborhood, it stood conveniently close to Noah’s school, a fact that made my heart swell with hope. The spacious backyard was a dream come true for Noah, a safe haven where he could play freely, unlike our previous cramped quarters. “Are you even paying attention?” Letty’s voice sliced through my fog of distraction, tinged with irritation. She stood beside me, diligently helping to choose furniture for my sparse new abode. Despite my excitement over the house, three days had slipped by and it still stood bare—almost mocking me. I didn’t even have a bed yet! My nighttime comfort had been reduced to a makeshift pallet on the floor, a far cry from the cozy dream I envisioned. “I’m sorry, Letty… my head’s just... elsewhere,” I mumbled, feeling the weight of my thoughts. When you have a person out there intent on taking your life, mundane tasks like shopping simply don’t hold weight anymore. The bitter reality of needing to stay alive and raise my son overshadowed everything else. The chilling reminder of that night—the fire intentionally set to consume my sanctuary—sent shivers down my spine. Someone had tried to turn me into ash. What kind of twisted mind could devise something so sinister? “Is it because of your house?” Letty probed gently, her voice laced with understanding. “I’m furious, Letty! Not just about the house, but everything!” My hands balled into fists in aggravation. “Four times, Letty! They’ve attempted to kill me four times, and they’re clearly not planning on stopping until I’m gone. I just want to be left alone!” I inhaled deeply, fighting to steady my rising emotions. Heads turned at my outburst, eyes filled with curiosity and judgment, but I found myself indifferent to their disdain. All I could think about was Noah. I couldn’t bring him back home, despite the aching void of his absence, because I wouldn’t risk his safety. Weeks had slipped by since I last held him in my arms or kissed his sweet forehead. “What terrifies me is the thought that they might succeed,” I confessed, the threat of tears pooling in my eyes. “It’s been three months since I last saw Noah. Video calls don’t even come close to holding him. What if they succeed, and I never see him again? Never hold him close?” Letty’s gaze flicked to the floor as she struggled for words. “Uh… I don’t know what to say.” “You’re not exactly the pep-talk queen, are you?” I laughed, brushing away the tears that threatened to escape. “Hell no!” Letty exclaimed, a sigh escaping her lips. “But I may not understand your pain completely, I can see how frustrating this must be. Just don’t let them get to you. The moment you lose your cool, you hand them power over you.” Letting her words sink in, I recognized the truth in them. I couldn't afford to crumble. Perhaps that was precisely what they wanted—to see me unravel and make careless mistakes. “Thank you, Letty,” I murmured, pulling her into a side hug. Her small encouragement was more uplifting than I thought I needed. “Good. Now, have you got everything you need?” she queried, glancing at her watch. “We’ve been at this for hours, and honestly, I’m starving!” “Yeah… let’s grab something to eat. I’ll pay and then come back to drive the U-Haul back home.” “Uh, you do know you can hire them to deliver the furniture? They’ll even help you set it up. You don’t have to do it all yourself,” she remarked, folding her arms skeptically. “I know, but I don’t want strangers in my space. Besides, Ethan’s coming by later to help me move everything. It’ll be fine.” After she shrugged in defeat, we headed toward the cashier, completing the purchase of the items we'd selected. The assortment of restaurants bordering the furniture store made our lunch decision an easy one. “Fancy place or fast food?” I asked, feeling my stomach rumble impatiently. “Fast food, definitely! Is that even a question?” Letty shot back, her enthusiasm infectious. We swiftly settled on a casual diner, and within minutes, our meals arrived—fries, burgers, chicken wings, and indulgent milkshakes that beckoned when the food’s aroma wafted through the air. For a while, we sank into lighthearted banter, allowing ourselves to forget the troubles that loomed like storm clouds overhead. Laughter bubbled between us, a brief respite from the chaos that awaited our return. “I’m stuffed—I can hardly think!” Letty proclaimed, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction. “You look like you’ve just experienced an epic foodgasm,” I teased. She smirked, “I just might have!” I laughed, but quickly added, “There is no such thing! Food and pleasure shouldn’t be mentioned together.” “Oh, come on! Food is pleasure, even if it doesn’t compare to the pleasure I get from—” “Don’t you dare finish that sentence!” I interrupted, horrified. “I really don’t want to hear about your intimate life with Travis.” “Oops…” she mumbled, her face heating up. No sister wants to visualize their brother’s romantic entanglements—especially in detail. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with Ethan’s name lighting up the screen. “I have to go… Ethan’s clocking out soon, and I want to meet him at my new place,” I informed Letty. “Okay, time for me to leave too. My feet are killing me,” she replied. After settling our bill, we bid each other goodbye. “Thanks for all your help today,” I said softly. “Anytime, Ava,” she smiled before turning away. I made my way back to the furniture store, a short jaunt, but within moments I was thrust into a conversation that would change everything. Suddenly, her voice cut through my concentration. “Seriously!” Emma’s infuriating tone made me look up. Emma stood beside Travis in the parking lot, her glare fierce enough to scorch the pavement. It was evident she was contemplating something sinister. I wasn’t in the mood for her theatrics and instinctively turned to avoid them, but her cutting words made me pause. “Are you happy now?” she spat, venom lacing her voice. “Happy about what?” I echoed, brows furrowed in confusion. “Don’t act innocent! Are you thrilled that Rowan ended things with me? This was all part of your scheme, wasn’t it?” A part of me knew something had shifted between them—but the utter shock of Rowan breaking it off had never crossed my mind. He had been enamored with her, hadn’t he? “Why would you think I would care? It has nothing to do with me,” I shot back coldly. “Stop playing dumb!” she shrieked, drawing attention from passersby. I shot a glance at Travis. “Could you control your sister? I have no interest in a dramatized confrontation today.” “Ava, she’s still my sister,” he murmured, his voice laced with a softness that belied the storm brewing around us. “I haven’t been your sister for a long time, Travis. Or have you forgotten all those times you drove that point home?” He fell silent, his gaze dropping as he processed my words. There was no relief in sight; for me, this was necessary. But the cadence of anger yet to come from Emma shattered the air between us. “If you think you’ve won, you are sorely mistaken, Ava. Rowan may be mine, but I will go through anyone to keep him. I will fight you till the end if I have to,” she spat, her eyes ablaze with fury. “Whoa, first of all, Rowan isn’t a possession,” I shot back, my patience thinning. “He’s a person with thoughts and feelings. Secondly, there will be no gladiatorial combat over him. If you want him, fine, keep him! Marry him, have his children. Just accept this fact—I. Do. Not. Want. Him.” I was weary of repeating the same message. How could it be so unfathomable that I had moved on from Rowan? “Do you expect me to believe that? You’ve always been obsessed with him!” Emma sneered, her disdain palpable. “Look who’s talking—because it appears you’re the one who’s currently obsessed,” I retorted, turning to leave. “If you’ll excuse me, I have far more pressing matters than indulging your delusions.” “I’m not finished with you!” she screeched. But her next words froze my blood. “I swear, if you walk away, I will find that bastard son of yours and make him pay for everything. He’s the reason I lost everything!” Travis gasped, but I felt the explosion of fury within me, propelling me into action. Before I realized it, I had clenched her arm and slammed her against a nearby van. Her shocked expression was fleeting; I held her there with my forearm across her throat, utilizing every self-defense lesson I had learned to steady my aim. In moments of sheer chaos, I retrieved my firearm, pointing it directly at her temple. “If you ever threaten Noah again, I will end you,” I hissed, every word draped in menace. “I will bury your body so deep that history will forget you ever existed. Don’t mess with me, Emma. I’ve tolerated far too much, and your leash runs out today.” “Ava, please, let her go,” Travis pleaded, alarm thick in his voice. “If you ever so much as glance in my son’s direction or harm him in any way, I will make you wish you’d never been born. No shelter will protect you from my wrath,” I seethed, the icy threat hanging in the air. Her eyes widened in fear as she nodded, conviction brewing in her gaze. Letting go, I stepped back, and she began to cough, gasping for breath. “How could you do this to your own sister? You make me sick!” Travis shouted, rushing to her aid. “She’s not my sister!” I spat back, challenging his incredulity. “You asked me to stay away from her, and I have. You need to keep her away from me now. No one threatens my son without facing the consequences.” Travis’s eyes shimmered with heartache, but I was immovable, my resolve unwavering. Emma’s threat could not be underestimated, and I had no qualms about enforcing my boundaries. “As for you," I turned to her, “consider this a warning. I am not the same weak person you once knew, and if you challenge me, you will find I’ve only just begun to fight back. Understand?" The trepidation in her gaze was unmistakable as I caught sight of the arm where I had pressed my weapon against her, my heart racing with yet unprocessed adrenaline. As I moved to depart, I turned back one last time. “What have you become? Resorting to threats against innocent children just for a man? You’ve changed so much, Emma. I used to admire you. Look inside yourself—are you truly the woman Rowan loved years ago, or have you become someone he could never accept?” With that, I walked away, each step echoing my determination to protect my son and shatter the encroaching darkness threatening to envelop us. Emma had to realize the monster she’d become before it was too late to reverse her course—a revelation that could save her from a fate even I wouldn’t want for her.