Chapter 177
I sat on the edge of the bed, watching over the twins as they slept soundly in their cribs. Their tiny chests rose and fell in a steady rhythm, their peaceful faces untouched by the chaos around them. They had no idea how much danger lurked in the shadows, how many people wanted to harm them simply because of what they were. It made my chest ache.
Jake might not believe in my visions, but that didn’t mean I would stop protecting them.
I ran my fingers through Lily’s soft curls, her tiny hand twitching in her sleep as if reaching for something. My heart swelled with love, but also with fear. How far would these enemies go?
The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a small lamp by the dresser. I leaned back in my chair, exhaustion pulling at my limbs, but my mind refused to rest.
Then I felt it—an odd sensation, like an invisible pull. It made the hair on my arms stand up. I glanced around, my eyes narrowing on the twins’ blankets.
A chill crept down my spine as I moved closer, my fingers grazing the fabric. It felt... wrong. Almost as if there was something hidden within it. I hesitated, my pulse quickening. Then, carefully, I lifted the blanket and examined it under the light.
My breath caught.
There—stitched so faintly into the fabric it was nearly invisible—were symbols. Symbols I didn’t recognize. They weren’t part of the blanket’s original design, that much was clear. Someone had placed them there deliberately.
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. Who would do this? And why?
My fingers traced over the symbols, trying to make sense of them. They were intricate, precise—almost ritualistic. A warning? A spell? A message?
I needed help.
I stood abruptly, lifting the blanket and rushing toward the door. Sophie and Fatima needed to see this.
But the moment I stepped into the hallway, I collided with a hard chest.
Jake.
His hands caught my arms instinctively, steadying me. I immediately tried to step back, but he didn’t let go. His touch burned—maybe because of the heat rolling off his body, or maybe because I was still raw from everything that had happened between us.
His golden eyes darkened as they locked onto mine. “Where are you going?”
I clenched my jaw. “To Sophie.”
His gaze flickered to the blanket clutched in my hands, then back to my face. “Why?”
I hesitated. Not because I didn’t want to tell him—I had promised I wouldn’t keep things from him where the twins were concerned—but because I wasn’t sure how he would react.
After everything, I still wasn’t sure where we stood.
But I had no choice.
“There’s something sewn into the twins’ blankets,” I said. “Symbols. I don’t recognize them.”
His expression hardened immediately. He reached for the fabric, and I reluctantly let him take it. He lifted it toward the light, his brows furrowing as he examined the delicate stitches.
After a long silence, he exhaled sharply. “You’re right. This isn’t normal.”
I nodded, biting my lip. “We need to find out what it means.”
His grip tightened around the blanket, his jaw clenching. “Who the hell could’ve done this?” His voice was low, dangerous.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But whoever it was had access to the twins.”
That made his eyes darken even further.
I watched his internal battle play out in the tense lines of his body. Finally, he turned and started walking.
“Where are you going?” I asked, trailing after him.
“To Chris,” he said. “He knows people who can decipher things like this.”
I hesitated, then decided it was better to let him handle that. I had my own people I trusted—Sophie and Fatima.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll be with the twins.”
I turned to leave, but his voice stopped me.
“Ayla.”
I froze, closing my eyes for a brief moment before turning back to face him.
He looked at me, his expression unreadable. “Are you okay?”
The question caught me off guard. He hadn’t spoken to me like this in days—not since our last fight. Not since he accused me of lying about Prisca’s message.
I let out a short, bitter laugh. “Do you really care?”
His jaw ticked. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”
I shook my head, hating how much his words still affected me. “You don’t get to do this, Jake. You don’t get to push me away, then act like you suddenly give a damn.”
His eyes flared. “I never said I didn’t care—”
“No?” I cut him off. “Then what was that, Jake? The way you treated me after I told you about my vision? You called me desperate. You said you’d never love me.” My voice cracked slightly, but I refused to let the emotion show on my face. “Do you know how much that hurt?”
Regret flashed in his eyes, but he quickly masked it with irritation. “I was angry—”
“Yeah, well, congratulations. You got exactly what you wanted.”
We stood there in silence, the air thick with tension.
Then he exhaled roughly. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
I blinked, stunned. It wasn’t exactly an apology, but coming from Jake? It was close enough.
I swallowed hard. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does.”
I hated the way my heart reacted to that.
But I couldn’t do this right now. The twins came first.
I shook my head, stepping back. “We have bigger things to deal with.”
His eyes searched mine, but he didn’t argue.
Without another word, I turned and walked away.
Back to the twins.
Back to the only thing that mattered.
As I entered the room, Sophie and Fatima were already there, playing with the babies. Their smiles faltered when they saw my face.
“What happened?” Sophie asked.
I sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Jake and I... we talked.”
Fatima raised a brow. “Talked? Or argued?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Both.”
Sophie sat beside me. “And?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. It doesn’t change anything.”
Fatima hummed. “Yet here you are, looking all flustered.”
I shot her a glare, but she only smirked.
Sophie leaned forward. “And what about the blankets?”
I straightened, remembering why I had gone to Jake in the first place. “He’s taking them to Chris. Apparently, he knows people who can decipher symbols.”
Fatima’s expression darkened. “Whoever did this... they were close enough to touch the twins.”
A cold shiver ran through me.
“I know,” I whispered.
Sophie placed a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll figure this out.”
I nodded, gripping her hand. “We have to.”
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