The knock came just after sunset.
Three sharp raps.
Not loud. Not polite.
Certain.
Isabella froze in the middle of the living room, Juan's half-finished puzzle still spread across the rug between them. Outside, the ocean wind rattled the windows softly, a sound she had come to associate with safety.
Tonight, it felt like a warning.
Juan looked up. "Mommy?"
Her heart lurched. She forced a smile she didn't feel. "Stay right there, sweetheart."
She crossed the room slowly, every step measured, every sense alert. She hadn't told anyone where she lived. Not officially. Not publicly.
She already knew who it was.
When she opened the door, Nolan stood there.
He wasn't alone.
Two men flanked him at a distance—quiet, watchful, professional. Security. The kind that didn't announce itself.
Her jaw tightened. "You said no press."
"There isn't," Nolan said immediately, his voice low. "They're here because someone followed me."
That sent a chill straight through her.
He stepped inside without waiting for permission, eyes sweeping the small space with swift assessment. The living room was modest but warm—soft lighting, worn furniture, traces of a child everywhere.
This was where his son lived.
The realization hit him with full force.
Juan peeked around the corner then, curiosity overcoming caution. "Mommy?"
Nolan turned.
The world narrowed to a single point.
Juan stood there in socked feet, clutching a puzzle piece, eyes wide but unafraid. Nolan felt something inside his chest split open painfully.
"Hi," Nolan said gently.
Juan hesitated, then lifted his chin. "You came again."
"I told you I would."
Isabella moved quickly, placing herself just slightly in front of Juan—not blocking, but shielding. "What do you want, Nolan?"
His gaze never left the boy. "To make sure you're safe."
Her pulse spiked. "From what?"
Nolan finally looked at her, his expression grim. "They know where you live."
The room felt suddenly smaller.
Juan sensed the shift. He tugged at her hand. "Mommy, are we in trouble?"
She crouched immediately, smoothing his hair. "No, baby. Not at all."
But Nolan heard the lie.
He crouched too, careful, deliberate. "Hey, buddy," he said softly. "Have you ever played hide and seek?"
Juan nodded eagerly. "I'm really good at hiding."
Nolan smiled faintly. "I believe you. Why don't you go play in your room for a few minutes while your mom and I talk?"
Juan looked up at Isabella.
She hesitated only a second before nodding. "Go on, sweetheart."
Juan scampered away.
The moment his door closed, Isabella rounded on Nolan. "You don't get to scare him."
"I won't," Nolan said firmly. "But I won't lie to you either."
She crossed her arms tightly. "Then tell me the truth."
"I already did," he said. "This deal—six months—it just became non-negotiable."
Anger flared. "You don't get to force me."
"I'm not," he replied evenly. "They are."
She scoffed. "Who is they?"
Nolan's jaw clenched. "People who want leverage. People who believe bloodlines are currency."
Her stomach twisted. "Your world."
"My world," he agreed. "Which is why I know how to shut this down."
"And the price?" she demanded.
He met her gaze. "Me. Fully present. Fully visible."
Her chest burned. "You move in, don't you?"
He didn't deny it.
"You don't have to share a space with me," Nolan added quickly. "But I need to be close. Close enough that no one mistakes my absence for permission."
She laughed bitterly. "You think proximity equals protection?"
"I know absence invites predators."
The words landed heavily.
She turned away, pacing, running a hand through her hair. She had built this life piece by piece, quietly, carefully.
And now it was under threat.
Juan's door creaked open slightly.
"Mommy?" his small voice called.
Isabella's heart broke.
She turned back to Nolan, eyes blazing. "You hurt him even once—"
"I won't," Nolan said fiercely. "I swear to you."
Her voice dropped. "Swear it on your empire."
He didn't hesitate. "I already walked away from it."
That stopped her cold.
"What?"
"I stepped down this afternoon," Nolan said quietly. "Temporary leave. The board is furious."
Her breath caught. "Why?"
"Because if I have to choose," he said, eyes dark and unwavering, "I choose him. Every time."
Silence stretched between them, thick and charged.
Finally, Isabella whispered, "You don't know how to live like this."
He stepped closer. "Then teach me."
Her resolve cracked—not fully, but enough.
"Guest room," she said stiffly. "Temporary."
Relief flickered across his face but he kept it contained.
"Thank you," he said.
"This is about safety," she warned. "Nothing else."
Nolan nodded. "Of course."
But as Juan burst from his room, running straight into Nolan's arms without hesitation, Isabella felt the ground shift beneath her feet.
Because Nolan didn't hesitate either.
He caught the boy easily, instinctively, holding him close like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Juan laughed.
And Isabella realized with a sinking heart
This wasn't temporary.
This was the beginning of something she wasn't sure she could survive