Damien stared at the text message until the words blurred. His hands shook as he forwarded the screenshot to Richard with a single line: "Need advice immediately." Richard called within minutes, his voice sharp with concern. "Do not meet this man alone. It could be a setup." "But ignoring him feels wrong. What if he goes to the mediator?" "Then let him. But if you meet him, do it on our terms with witnesses." Richard paused, thinking. "My office, tomorrow morning. Neutral territory and I will be there." Damien barely slept that night. He researched Tom Reeves online and found a middle school science teacher with a clean digital footprint and no obvious red flags. Morning arrived cold and gray. Damien dropped Emma at school early and drove to Richard's office with his stomach in knots. Tom Reeves arrived precisely on time, dressed in slacks and a button-down s

Jennifer's parting comment about Simone sat in Damien's mind like a stone he could not swallow. He hated himself for letting it take root. Jennifer clearly had an agenda. She was hurt and possibly unstable. Her warning should mean nothing. But what if there was truth to it? The question haunted him through the night. By morning, he decided to mention it casually to Marcus. They were grabbing coffee before heading to the office when Damien brought it up. "Have you heard anything negative about Mitchell Tech Solutions?" Marcus looked at him like he had grown a second head. "Where is this coming from?" "Just something someone mentioned. Probably nothing." "Jennifer?" Marcus's face changed to understanding. "Damien, she is clearly jealous. Mitchell Tech Solutions has a great reputation. Susan Chen vetted them before approving them as our cons

Damien's car screeched into the school parking lot fifteen minutes after Principal Edwards called. His heart hammered against his ribs as he ran toward the main entrance.The hallways smelled like floor wax and cafeteria food. His footsteps echoed too loudly in the empty corridor, he was so confused.Principal Edwards waited outside her office with a look that made Damien's stomach drop. She was a stern woman in her fifties who never called parents unless it was serious."Mr. Cole, thank you for coming so quickly. Emma is physically fine but there has been an incident.""Where is she?" Damien's voice came out rougher than he intended."In the nurse's office. Please come with me."The nurse's office was small with posters about handwashing and healthy eating. Emma sat on the examination table with her legs dangling.Her left arm had an angry purple bruise blooming across the skin. Her knee was scraped raw and a small bandage covered the worst of it.But what broke Damien's heart was he

Damien left Dr. Park's office with one name burning in his mind. Tom Reeves. Jennifer's ex-husband and the middle school tech teacher who had always seemed uncomfortable around her.Richard made the call within the hour. Tom agreed to meet that same evening at Richard's office downtown.The law firm was mostly empty when Tom arrived just after seven. He looked smaller than Damien remembered and the fluorescent lights made the dark circles under his eyes stand out.Tom sat down in the conference room chair, his hands shook slightly as he placed them flat on the table."I know why you called," Tom said before either man could speak. "I have been expecting this. Jennifer used something I taught her, didn’t she?"Damien and Richard exchanged glances. Tom's shoulders sagged like a man carrying guilt he could no longer bear."What did you teach her?" Richard asked carefully.Tom rubbed his face with both hands. "During our marriage, maybe two years ago, Jennifer asked me how to create reali

Damien drove straight from the police station to Simone's office. His hands gripped the steering wheel tight enough to make his knuckles ache.The downtown office building was sleek glass and chrome. He parked haphazardly and took the elevator to the twelfth floor.Simone's assistant looked up from her desk with a professional smile that faltered when she saw Damien's face."Is she available? It is urgent.""She is in a client meeting, but let me check."The assistant disappeared into the conference room. Damien stood in the reception area trying to steady his breathing.Two minutes later, Simone walked towards him. She wore a burgundy blazer and her expression was guarded when she saw him."Damien. What is going on?""I need to apologize and explain. Please."Something in his voice must have convinced her because she nodded and led him to a small private conference room.The door closed and they stood facing each other. Damien could see the hurt still lingering in her eyes."I was wr