Tristan Davis spoke with total seriousness. His eyes narrowed, anger simmering beneath the surface while he tried to keep it together. He gripped his phone so tightly that his knuckles went white, the veins on his hand standing out.

He looked exactly like a lion whose territory had just been threatened, tense and ready to snap.

Emily Blair had no doubt that if she let Tristan go, he and Andrew Lane would end up in a fight. That would be a mess no one could clean up.

The more Tristan thought about it, the more sure he became. Especially since Andrew had messaged Emily that morning, and she still hadn't replied.

Andrew's message was simple: I'm heading back soon. Want to meet up?

Tristan handed the phone to Emily. "Set up a time to meet him. I'll go with you.” Emily let out a sigh, took the phone, locked it, and tossed it aside.

Tristan looked at her, caught off guard. "You..."

She stopped him from reaching for the phone, patting his hand gently. "Come on, why are you so upset? Don't take him so seriously. I'm not meeting him, I promise. You have nothing to worry about."

Tristan hung his head, his brow still furrowed. He just couldn't let it go.

Emily patted the back of his hand again. “Hey. Say something."

Suddenly, Tristan pulled her into his arms, holding her close. His voice was low and muffled.

"I don't think he's going to give up that easily. I looked into it. He doesn't have any real business here, nothing important enough to keep him around. Actually, there are things going on at The Lane Group's headquarters that should need him back, but he's still here. What's he really after?"

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Really? I had no idea."

She honestly didn't know much about what was happening at The Lane Group, but Andrew sticking around did seem weird. Plus, he'd been dropping hints and saying things that were way too flirty.

Tristan hugged her tighter, his voice dropping even lower. "Feels like trouble is coming from all sides..."

The mess inside the Davis family was bad enough. Andrew Lane was just more drama on top.

Emily rubbed his back and said, "You just don't trust me enough."

Tristan shook his head instantly. "No, it's Andrew Lane. He's too sneaky."

Emily let out a little laugh. "You think I can't tell?"

Tristan didn't say a word.

Emily looked him in the eyes. "You're scared that something will happen between me and Andrew again, aren't you?"

He looked away, stubborn as always. "No. I trust you."

Emily gave him a gentle smack on the back. "Come on, you don't have to pretend."

Tristan pressed his lips together, silent.

Emily's voice softened. "Let me tell you about a dream I had. In my dream, I never left Riven for the

capital. never met you. I stayed net

with the Lane family So many things happened and because of them, I couldn't take the entrance exam. I never even went to college. My whole life was in the Lane family's hands. I had no freedom, no job, and everything was just... hard."

Tristan pulled back a little, looking at her, his eyes full of concern. "And then?"

Emily's face was calm, but her eyes looked far away, lost in a memory.

"After that, something really bad happened between Andrew and me. In the dream, I just couldn't take it anymore..."

The room felt heavy. Emily tried to brush it off, gave a little shrug. “So I jumped into the sea. Right as I hit the water, I woke up."

Tristan stared at her, lips slightly parted, worry clear on his face.

"That dream felt so real. When I

vel

woke up, I was terrified. I kept thinking, what if it actually

happened? What if one day lended up that desperate? fo FindNovel.net

Emily gave him a small, brave smile. "That's when decided I had to get out of Riven. So I came to the capital. I met you. So much has happened since But honesty it was that dream that made me sure I needed to keep my distance from Andrew Lane. I'm never looking back."