Chapter 164

Ethan’s POV

The car hummed softly as we drove, but something about the ride didn’t feel right. I sat in the back seat with Emma, holding a cookie Daniel gave us. I stared at it for a moment, then glanced at Daniel in the front. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight I could see his knuckles turn white.

“Go on, Ethan,” Daniel said, his voice too nice. “Eat the cookie, Is good, I promise.”

I looked at Emma, and she looked at me. She was already nibbling on hers, and I didn’t want to seem rude, so I took a small bite. It was sweet, but something about it tasted… funny. Not bad just… weird.

Daniel looked at us in the rearview mirror and smiled, but it wasn’t like his usual smiles when he came to see Mom. This one looked… forced, like he didn’t mean it. “See? Tasty, right? You kids like juice? I got some for you, too.”

He passed two small juice boxes back to us. Emma grabbed hers right away, but I hesitated. Mom always said not to take things from people without her knowing. But Daniel was Mom’s friend, right? He wouldn’t do anything bad… would he?

“Drink up,” he urged again. His voice sounded kind but also a little sharp, like he was in a hurry.

I poked the straw into the box and took a sip. It was cold and fruity, but as I drank more, my tummy felt funny. I put the juice down and asked, “Are we almost at Mom’s?”

Daniel’s smile flickered for a second, and his eyes darted to the mirror again. “Soon, buddy. Just sit tight.”

Emma piped up next to me, her hands clutching her cookie. “Will Daddy be there, too?” she asked, her voice all excited.

Daniel didn’t answer right away. He kept driving, staring at the road like he didn’t hear her. I could see his jaw clenching. Emma frowned and leaned back in her seat, looking at me like she didn’t understand either.

It felt like we’d been driving forever. I wanted to ask more questions, but my head started feeling funny. Heavy. My eyes blinked slow, and my body felt… floaty, like when Mom used to rock

turned to Emma. “Emma…

tired?”

making me sleepy,” she said, her

us through the mirror. “Just hold on a little longer, Ethan,” he said softly. “You’ll see

Something wasn’t right. I blinked and tried to

you sleep so fast? That was the last thing I

Daniel’s POV.

the steady hum of the engine. I glanced in the rearview mirror, watching as Ethan’s head lolled against Emma’s shoulder. She was slumped against the car door, her small hand still clutching the crumpled juice box.

Finally.

tension in my shoulders easing for the first time since I’d picked them up. It had taken

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Thu, Dec 12

Chapter 164

job. The cookies and juice worked

let myself feel relieved. No more questions, no inore suspicious glances from Ethan. That boy had been staring at me like he could see right through me, his questions about their mom

we get to Mom?” he’d asked, his

I’d replied, keeping

chimed in with her own question.

knuckles turned white. And when their little eyes had

tightened my grip on the steering wheel again, forcing my focus back to the road. It wasn’t guilt–no, guilt had no place here. This

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