69

Nathan and Jarek were in the office of the mansion, a spacious room with dark wooden walls, illuminated by the soft light of a desk lamp.

Security reports piled up on the table, full of details about recent attacks on the company's headquarters.

Nathan stood, leaning against the edge of the desk, his face showing a mixture of exhaustion and concern. Jarek, sitting in a chair across from him, maintained a stern expression, though a shadow of worry appeared in his eyes.

"I can't be at ease while Richard can attack at any moment," Nathan said, his voice firm but laden with tension.

Jarek nodded slowly, his face growing even harder.

"I'm not going to let that happen again," he replied with determination.

Nathan scoffed, clearly frustrated.

"That man has already attacked all the company headquarters successfully and without leaving a trace. How can you be so sure he won't do it here too?" he exclaimed, his voice rising with each second. "I don't want Suzanne in the middle of this."

The silence in the room became almost palpable, only broken by the occasional creak of Jarek's chair as he moved slightly.

"If I had been in charge of security from the beginning, that wouldn't have happened," the old man said with an authoritative tone.

Nathan crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on his grandfather.

"Your plans aren't always foolproof, Grandpa. At least let me stay in the mansion to protect them," he pleaded, his voice mixed with worry and annoyance.

Jarek shook his head, his expression serious and speaking firmly as he said:

"No, Nathan. You can't stay here.”

He took a step forward, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and desperation. He felt frustrated, as if his hands were tied.

"If anything happens to my wife, the mother of my children, I'm capable of ending you with my own hands," he declared, his voice trembling with restrained emotion.

Jarek sighed, understanding the intensity of Nathan's feelings.

He himself felt nervous, as if something bad could happen at any moment. But he knew his grandson couldn't stay at the mansion.

"I understand why you're so nervous, Nathan. I am too. But if you stay here, the mansion would become the perfect target for an attack by Richard. I don't want to risk that," Jarek said, his seriousness striking a chord with Nathan.

Nathan closed his eyes, knowing his grandfather was right, but the pain and frustration were evident on his face.

"Do you know I won't be able to sleep again from stress?" Nathan asked with a broken voice.

Jarek nodded, sadness filling his eyes.

"I feel it'll be the same for me. Suzanne and you are the only family I have left. I don't want to lose you," he admitted, a vulnerability rarely shown.

Suzanne, who had been listening from the doorway, felt tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't want Nathan to leave the house.

When she had seen him, she had felt peace and tranquility returning to her body. She didn't know how that had happened, considering the fear she had felt before, but Nathan seemed very changed.

It seemed like he truly loved their children... and her.

Just the thought made her heart race and her cheeks grow warm.

"Nathan, please don't go," Suzanne said, entering the room with tears in her eyes.

Nathan turned to her, his expression softening as he saw her. He approached and took her hands, looking at her with tenderness.

"I don't want to leave, Suzanne. I want to be here with you and the children. But..." he hesitated, searching for the right words, "but if staying here puts you all in more danger, I can't do it."

Suzanne nodded, understanding the difficult position Nathan was in.

"We need you, Nathan. I... need you," she confessed, her voice barely a whisper.

He held her tightly, feeling that, despite everything, they were in this together.

"I'll always be with you, Suzanne. I won't let anything or anyone hurt you," he promised, kissing her forehead with renewed determination.

Nathan stood at the mansion door, feeling deep sadness as he kissed his babies on the forehead. Suzanne looked at him with a mix of hope and pain, her eyes shining with contained tears.

"I promise I'll visit often," Nathan said, his voice filled with emotion.

Suzanne nodded, trying to keep her composure.

"I need to hear from you all the time," Nathan added. "Give me your number so I can call you."

She pulled out a small piece of paper and wrote down her number. Nathan noted it in his phone and immediately sent her a message: "Can't wait to see you again. Take good care of the babies. -N"

Suzanne smiled reading the message, her heart beating a little more calmly.

"Thank you, Nathan. That means a lot to me."

Nathan observed her smile, but also noticed the sadness in her eyes. His own heart felt heavy.
"We will be a family again, I promise," Nathan said, his voice breaking with emotion.

"Goodbye," she whispered, her voice barely audible. A tear rolled down her cheek as she managed a faint smile.

Nathan wanted to tell her "I love you" from the depths of his heart, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he could only nod and give her one last hug.

Watching Nathan leave, Suzanne felt a lump in her throat. She closed her eyes, her heart aching. As she saw him go, she realized she still loved him and that a part of her heart was going with him.

Nathan got into his car, feeling devastated. A sense of desolation filled his chest, regretting not having had the courage to express his true feelings, to kiss her as he had wanted for so long.

As he drove, his phone rang. He quickly glanced and saw a message from Suzanne: "It was good to see you today. Don't stay away too long, please. -Suzanne."

A wide smile spread across Nathan's face. Those powerful lines touched his soul, filling him with renewed hope.

"I have to tell her how I feel," he murmured to himself, picking up his phone to call her. However, she didn't answer, furrowing his brow.

With his heart in his throat, he decided to make a U-turn at a red light.

Suddenly, he received another message from the same number: "Knock Knock, Nathan. Your time is running out."

A chill ran down his spine. He accelerated back to the mansion at full speed, his mind filled with terrible images, feeling terror.

Desperation consumed him. He couldn't afford to lose Suzanne and their children. If anything happened to them, he would be capable of becoming a killer just like Richard, regardless of what his grandfather Jarek said.

"Hang on, Suzanne. I'm on my way," he gritted his teeth, the steering wheel trembling under his hands as he sped through the dark streets, praying to arrive in time.