Kara barely slept that night.
She tossed and turned, her mind replaying everything—Alden's cold warning, Aiden's sharp words, Harrison's fury. The weight of it all sat heavily on her chest, suffocating her in a way she wasn't used to.
By morning, the anger she had felt—the defiance—had dulled into something unfamiliar.
Dread.
She forced herself out of bed and walked to the mirror. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, her face was pale, and even she could see the tension in her shoulders.
Kara Blackwell never let emotions weigh her down. She was untouchable, indifferent, invincible.
So why did this feel different?
She sighed, running a shaky hand through her hair.
It wasn't just her father's warning.
It was the realization that, for the first time, she might have truly damaged something she couldn't fix.
A knock on the door made her flinch.
She took a deep breath before answering.
One of her father's attendants stood there, his expression unreadable. "Mr. Blackwell expects you downstairs in fifteen minutes."
Kara didn't respond, just nodded and closed the door.
Fifteen minutes.
Fifteen minutes until she had to sit across from Aiden and Harrison and admit she was wrong.
She had never apologized before—not sincerely.
Kara changed into something simple but put-together. She didn't want to appear weak, but she also didn't want to look like she was trying to intimidate them.
She wasn't sure why it mattered so much.
Maybe because, deep down, she didn't want to lose them.
When she walked into the dining hall, Aiden and Harrison were already there, along with Alden.
The tension in the room was suffocating.
Aiden sat stiffly, his arms crossed, refusing to look at her. Harrison had his jaw clenched, his fingers tapping restlessly against the table. Her father watched everything silently, his expression unreadable.
Kara took a slow breath.
And then, for the first time in her life, she did something she never thought she'd do.
She swallowed her pride.
"I…" Her voice faltered. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I was wrong."
The words felt foreign on her tongue.
Aiden's gaze snapped to her, but he didn't speak. Harrison remained motionless.
Kara gripped the edge of the table, forcing herself to continue.
"I thought I was proving a point," she admitted. "But I crossed a line. I shouldn't have taken the kids. I never wanted to hurt anyone."
Harrison let out a slow breath, shaking his head. "Do you even understand what you put us through?"
Kara hesitated, then nodded. "I do now."
Silence stretched between them.
Then, Aiden finally spoke.
"You can't just fix everything with a half-hearted apology, Kara." His voice was quiet but firm. "Trust isn't that easy to rebuild."
Kara felt something tighten in her chest.
She had expected resistance, but hearing Aiden say it out loud—hearing the finality in his tone—made her stomach drop.
"I know," she admitted softly.
Alden finally spoke, his voice calm yet authoritative. "Then prove it."
Kara met her father's gaze, then looked back at Aiden and Harrison.
She had never been one to earn trust—she had always expected it.
But this time, she would have to fight for it.
And for the first time, she realized just how much she had to lose if she didn't.
The apology had been harder than Kara expected. But the aftermath was even worse.
Aiden and Harrison had accepted her words, but their expressions told her the truth—things weren't fixed. Not even close.
Trust wasn't built in a day.
And for the first time, Kara realized she might not know how to fix this.
Her father had barely spoken to her since the meeting, which was even more unsettling. Alden Blackwell was never one to waste words, and his silence carried more weight than anything he could have said.
Kara spent the rest of the day locked in her room, replaying everything in her head.
But as the sun set, something else nagged at her.
The messages.
Tick-tock, Kara. Time's running out.
A shiver crawled down her spine as she grabbed her phone from the nightstand.
The number was still blocked, but the message sat there, taunting her.
Whoever it was, they knew her.
They knew what she had done.
And they wanted her to feel afraid.
Kara straightened her shoulders. Fear wasn't an option.
If someone thought they could intimidate her, they were wrong.
She pulled up her contacts and called the one person who might be able to help.
It rang twice before a smooth, familiar voice answered.
"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite troublemaker."
Kara rolled her eyes. "Cut the charm, Lucas. I need your help."
Lucas Quinn was a hacker—and not the kind you found lurking in dark basements. He was one of the best in the business, and she had used his skills more than once to dig up dirt on people.
"Let me guess," he said, amusement lacing his tone. "You pissed off the wrong person?"
Kara hesitated, gripping the phone tighter. "Something like that."
Lucas sighed. "Alright, what's the job?"
"I need you to trace a number."
A pause. "That's it?"
She hesitated before adding, "And… find out if anyone's been watching me."
Lucas let out a low whistle. "Now that's interesting. You're actually worried."
"I'm cautious," she corrected, hating the way her stomach twisted at the thought.
Lucas chuckled. "Sure you are, sweetheart. Send me the number. I'll see what I can dig up."
Kara ended the call and sent the screenshot of the unknown messages.
She stared at the screen for a long moment before exhaling slowly.
Whatever was coming… she needed to be ready.
Because one thing was certain—whoever was behind those messages wasn't just playing games.
They wanted something.