Chapter 4: The Son Nobody Knew Existed
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Not me.
Not Cody.
Not even Emmett.
The words stayed in the air like smoke.
Your own.
I looked at Emmett.
Then at Cody.
Then back at Emmett.
"No," I whispered.
It was the only word my mind could produce.
Emmett's face had changed. The calm, controlled expression he wore like armor was gone.
For the first time since I met him, he looked like a man who had been caught by a ghost.
Malcolm laughed softly from the other side of the door.
"I see she didn't know.""
Emmett's eyes narrowed.
"Malcolm.""
"No, no. Let her hear it.""
The doorknob moved.
Emmett stepped closer.
"Stay away from the door.""
The warning was not for Malcolm.
It was for us.
Cody grabbed my sleeve.
"Jillian.""
I looked at him.
"Is he telling the truth?""
Cody didn't answer.
That terrified me more than anything.
Because Cody had always been honest.
Even when the truth hurt.
Especially when it hurt.
The lock on the door clicked.
Someone outside had a key.
Emmett turned to the window.
"There's a fire escape.""
I stared at him.
"What about Malcolm?""
"He is expecting me to fight him.""
"And?""
Emmett looked at me.
"We do something he doesn't expect.""
The door opened.
But Emmett moved faster.
He grabbed the handle and slammed it shut again, forcing the men outside backward.
"Run.""
We didn't argue.
Cody climbed through the window first. I followed.
Emmett stayed behind.
I grabbed his arm.
"No.""
His eyes met mine.
"Jillian.""
"You don't get to stay here and pretend you don't care.""
Something flickered across his face.
Pain.
Regret.
Maybe even fear.
Then he said quietly:
"I have been pretending for sixteen years.""
Before I could ask what he meant, the sound of wood breaking filled the room.
The door was coming down.
Emmett pushed me toward the window.
"Go.""
This time, I listened.
We reached the ground just as shouting exploded upstairs.
Cody ran through the trees beside me.
I could feel how badly he was shaking.
"Stop," I whispered.
He looked at me.
"What?""
"You know something.""
His face fell.
"I know pieces.""
"Then tell me.""
He looked back toward the house.
"Not here.""
"Cody.""
"Not here, Jillian.""
The fear in his voice made me stop.
Because this wasn't teenage panic.
This was the fear of someone who had seen something no child should ever see.
A few minutes later, Emmett appeared through the trees.
Alone.
No Malcolm.
No men.
But there was blood on his shirt.
I rushed toward him.
"Are you hurt?""
"It's not mine.""
That answer somehow made it worse.
Cody looked at him carefully.
"You knew.""
Emmett stopped.
"What?""
"You knew who I was.""
The older man said nothing.
Cody's voice shook.
"You knew before tonight.""
Emmett looked away.
And that was confirmation.
I felt anger rising.
"You knew?""
Emmett turned toward me.
"Jillian—"
"No.""
My voice cracked.
"You knew there was a connection between you and Cody, and you let me walk into your car without telling me?""
"I didn't know if it was true.""
"But you suspected.""
A long silence.
Finally:
"Yes.""
I stepped back.
"How long?""
Emmett looked at Cody.
"Sixteen years.""
Cody swallowed.
"Why?""
Emmett didn't answer.
The forest around us felt suddenly too quiet.
I crossed my arms.
"You owe both of us an explanation.""
Emmett looked toward the road.
"I was twenty years younger when I met your mother.""
Cody froze.
"My mother?""
"Laura.""
The name hit him like a physical blow.
Nobody spoke.
Emmett continued.
"She wasn't supposed to be part of my world.""
"What world?"" Cody asked.
"The one your grandfather and Malcolm built.""
"The Bannon world?""
"The world where people thought family names mattered more than people.""
I watched Cody carefully.
He looked angry.
Not confused.
Angry.
"You knew my mother?""
"Yes.""
"Did you love her?""
Emmett didn't hesitate.
"Yes.""
Cody looked down.
"And then?""
"Then Malcolm found out.""
The pieces began connecting.
The old feud.
The hatred.
The warnings.
"What happened?"" I asked.
Emmett's jaw tightened.
"Malcolm believed Laura was a weakness.""
"Because of you?""
"Because she refused to obey him.""
The wind moved through the trees.
"Laura wanted to leave," Emmett said.
"And she did.""
Cody's voice was barely audible.
"But she died.""
Emmett looked at him.
"Yes.""
The silence after that was unbearable.
Cody wiped his face quickly.
A gesture I recognized.
He hated crying in front of people.
Especially strangers.
Except Emmett wasn't a stranger.
Not anymore.
"Why didn't you find me?"" Cody asked.
Emmett closed his eyes.
"I tried.""
"That's not an answer.""
"No.""
His voice lowered.
"It isn't.""
He looked at Cody.
"Malcolm made sure I believed you were gone.""
Cody frowned.
"What?""
"He told me Laura had taken you and disappeared.""
"But she didn't.""
"No.""
Emmett looked at him.
"She died trying to protect you.""
I felt Cody's hand find mine.
A small movement.
A child searching for safety.
Even at sixteen.
Especially at sixteen.
Then his phone buzzed.
Everyone froze.
Cody looked at the screen.
His face changed.
"What?""
I stepped closer.
"Who is it?""
He turned the phone around.
A photo appeared.
A photo of us standing in the forest.
Taken seconds earlier.
Underneath it was a message.
*YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE BOY ABOUT THE KEY.*
Emmett's expression hardened.
"The key.""
Cody looked confused.
"What key?""
I looked at Emmett.
"You know.""
He didn't deny it.
"Your father left something behind.""
"Shawn?""
Emmett nodded.
"The reason Malcolm wants Cody.""
Cody looked between us.
"What did my father leave?""
Before anyone could answer, another message appeared.
May you like
This one had only three words.
*CHECK THE DRAWINGS.*
