Lahat ng Kabanata ng Breaking Up With The Hottest Man On Ice : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Emma's POVThe locksmith came at 7 AM the next morning.I had barely slept. Every sound made me jump. Every creak made my heart race.Liam had been in my home. He had keys."New locks on the front door and the windows," I told the locksmith. "And a chain lock. The strongest one you have."It cost money I didn't have. But I didn't have a choice."Mom, why is the lock man here?" Alex asked over breakfast."Our lock was old. I wanted a new one.""Because of the man at my window?"My blood ran cold. "What man, baby?""The one I told you about yesterday. The one looking at me."I knelt down. "Alex, if you ever see someone at your window again, tell me immediately. Okay?""Okay." He looked scared. "Did I do something wrong?""No, sweetheart. You did everything right."After I dropped Alex at school, I went to look for new cleaning jobs. I'd quit working for Jake, which meant I had no income. No way to pay rent or buy food.But I couldn't think about that now. Not with Liam's threat hanging

Jake's POV The charity hockey game was scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the city's main ice rink. I had been looking forward to it all week. Not just because I loved playing hockey again, but because I had invited Alex to come watch. To be on the ice with me during warm-ups. To see what his father used to do for a living. Alex was so excited he could barely sleep the night before. "Dad, can I wear my jersey? The one you gave me?" he had asked when I picked him up that morning. "Of course, buddy. That is what it is for." Emma had agreed to come too. Not as my date—we were not at that point yet—but as Alex's mother. Someone needed to watch him when I was actually playing. The rink was packed when we arrived. The event was sponsored by several companies, including Hayes International. Mr. Hayes had personally invited me to participate, and I could not say no to the man who employed me. What I had not expected was to see Linda there. She was standing near the sponsor tables, w

Jake's POV I could not stop thinking about it. Emma standing there with Liam's arm around her. Not pulling away. Not correcting him when he called her "my girl." Just standing there silent while I drove away like an idiot. I had no right to be jealous. We were not together. We were just co-parents trying to figure out how to raise Alex without destroying him in the process. But God, seeing Liam touch her like that made something dark and violent twist in my chest. I told myself it was about Alex. About not wanting some stranger playing father to my son. But that was a lie. It was about Emma. About the way she looked at me sometimes when she thought I was not watching. About the way my heart still jumped when she smiled. About the way I still wanted her even after everything she had done. I was pathetic. Three days passed. I picked up Alex from school on Thursday like we had agreed. Emma was not there. She had made sure of that. Simple handoffs. That was what she wanted now.

Jake's POVThe police station smelled like stale coffee and fear.Emma sat next to me in the waiting area. Not touching. Not speaking. Just sitting there shaking like she might fall apart at any second.I was still angry. Still processing everything she had told me at the park. The lies. The fake relationship. The fact that she had put herself in danger and not told me until it was almost too late.But underneath the anger was something else. Something darker.Guilt.Because while Emma was being stalked and threatened, I had been listening to Liam. Believing him. Letting him plant seeds of doubt about her stability. About her fitness as a mother.I had been an idiot."Mr. Sullivan? Ms. Reed?" A detective walked over. Middle-aged woman with tired eyes. "I am Detective Silva. Thank you for coming down. I need to ask you both some questions about Liam Chen."We followed her to a small interrogation room. Sat across from her at a metal table."First, I want to assure you that Mr. Chen is

Jake's POV The call came during a meeting I could not afford to miss. "Mr. Sullivan? This is Principal Morrison. I need you and Ms. Reed to come to the school immediately. Alex was involved in an altercation." I was out of my chair before she finished the sentence. "What kind of altercation?" "A physical fight with another student. He is not seriously hurt, but we need both parents here. Now." My gut twisted. Alex had never been in a fight. Never. The kid apologized when he bumped into furniture. I called Emma while jogging to my car. She picked up on the first ring. "Alex got in a fight. We need to go to the school." Silence. Then her voice, raw with fear. "Is he okay?" "Principal said he is not seriously hurt. But we both need to be there." "I am getting a taxi now." We had not spoken in three days. Not since the police station. Not since I saw those files proving she had been drowning while pretending everything was fine. Three days of cold handoffs. Three days of avoi