Alex joined Isabelle and Tony at the dining table and sat down quietly mechanically pushing his food around his plate. His mind was far from the quiet meal with Isabelle and Tony. The image of Jack’s frustrated face and Ryan’s eager nods kept flashing before him. The thought of his friends, the men he had once trusted, now plotting to silence him gnawed at his insides. They had too much at stake and Alex knew too much. His refusal could make him a target.

He glanced up, realizing Isabelle had been talking to him. Her warm voice barely registered through the fog of his thoughts.

"Alex, are you listening?" she asked softly, her eyes searching his face.

Alex blinked his eyes and forced a weak smile. “Sorry, what were you saying?” he asked.

"I was asking if you're okay. You’ve been quiet since you got home," Isabelle replied with concern deepening in her voice.

“I’m fine,” Alex muttered but his voice lacked conviction. His mind continued to whirl with thoughts.

“What if they were already planning something? What if Jack decided that I was too much of a liability to leave alive?” Alex thought to himself his pulse quickening with each anxious thought.

Isabelle watched him carefully. She knew him too well to be fooled by his vague reassurance. She opened her mouth to press him further but before she could, Alex abruptly stood up.

“I’m going to lie down for a bit,” he said, heading for the bedroom. His movements were quick, almost agitated.

Tony’s wide eyes followed his father with worriedness etched across his young face.

“Is Daddy okay?” he asked softly, looking up at Isabelle.

Isabelle gave Tony a comforting smile, trying to hide her own concern.

“It’s nothing, sweetheart. Daddy’s just tired.” Isabelle whispered softly but her heart raced, she could tell something was deeply wrong.

After tucking Tony in front of the TV with a cartoon to distract him, Isabelle followed Alex into the bedroom. She found him sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out of the window with his face pale and tense.

"Alex, please, tell me what's going on and I know something’s wrong. You’ve been acting strange all night.” She pleaded, sitting beside him.

Alex didn’t respond at first. His fists clenched tightly and his knuckles white. Then, after a long pause, he finally spoke with an urgent and low voice.

"We need to leave…. Now!" Alex explained.

Isabelle’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, leave? Why?” she asked.

“I’ll explain when we’re in the car,” Alex said, his eyes darting toward the door as if expecting someone to burst through it at any moment. “Isabelle, I’m serious. We’re in danger, and we need to go. Pack only what’s important.” He added.

Isabelle stood with alarm coursing through her, she had never seen Alex like this before and she became terrified.

“Alex, you’re scaring me. What kind of danger?” Isabelle laminated.

“There’s no time to explain right now,Just trust me. Get Tony and pack quickly” Alex said firmly, heading toward the closet.

Isabelle nodded with her heart racing. She rushed to the other room, quickly grabbing a small suitcase and throwing in clothes and essentials. Alex’s urgency left no room for questions. She could hear him moving around the house, checking the windows and doors. She could feel the tension radiating off him and it terrified her.

As she hurriedly packed, the low rumble of a car engine pierced the silence outside. Alex froze, his heart leaping into his throat. He crept to the window and peeked through the curtains. A car had pulled into the driveway, its headlights cutting through the evening gloom. Alex's stomach dropped and he couldn't see who was inside the car but he knew it could be them.

“Isabelle!” Alex hissed, rushing to her side. “Stay hidden with Tony. Don’t come out, no matter what happens. Do you understand?” Alex explained.

Isabelle’s eyes widened in fear but she nodded, scooping Tony up in her arms and retreating to the bedroom closet. She held Tony tightly, whispering calming words, though her heart pounded in her chest.

Alex, breathing heavily, stepped back into the living room. The house was eerily quiet, save for the ticking of the clock and the faint hum of the car engine outside. He stood in the center of the room, every muscle in his body tense as he waited for what would come next. The sound of a car door slamming outside made his heart skip a beat but he was out of time to run.

Alex stood frozen in the living room as the sound of the car turned to a soft knock which echoed through the house. His heart pounded in his chest, the sound reverberating louder than it should. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He had hoped he was wrong that they wouldn’t come for him so soon but here they were.

"Who’s there?" Alex called out, his voice wavering slightly as he stepped toward the door.

“Alex, it’s us,me, Ryan, Mark, Travis. We’ve got some things we need to talk about.” Jack’s familiar voice replied, though there was something off in his tone, something colder, less friendly than usual.

Alex’s pulse quickened. "What do you need from me? It’s late. I’d rather be alone tonight." He started.

There was a pause before Jack responded.

“We have important business to discuss, Alex. We thought it’d be best to handle it here, in private.” Jack responded.

Alex’s frustration and fear mounted. He knew Jack and the others too well, there was no way they just wanted to “talk.” This wasn’t a casual meeting. Their presence here, this late in the evening, with their voices sounding off was a clear sign that something sinister was afoot.

He took another deep breath, glancing back toward the hallway where Isabelle and Tony were hidden. He needed to protect them and right now the best way to do that was to play along at least for now.

"Alright,I’ll let you in.” Alex finally said, his voice tight with tension.

Alex moved slowly to the door, his hand trembled as he unlocked the door and slowly pulled it open. Standing on the porch were Jack, Ryan, Mark, and Travis, just as they had said but something was different. They were flanked by two other men strangers Alex had never seen before. These newcomers stood taller with a hard face and expressionless with cold eyes. The entire group exuded an aura of menace that made the hairs on Alex’s neck stand on end.

Jack smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Thanks for letting us in, Alex." He whispered.

Alex anxiously nodded and they pulled inside. As they stepped inside, Alex’s stomach churned. The new faces, whoever they were, looked angry, almost predatory and the way they stood behind his friends made Alex feel like a cornered animal.

He tried to keep his voice steady. "What’s this about? I thought we were done talking earlier." Alex laminated.

Jack's smile faded and he glanced at the others before locking his gaze on Alex.

"We didn’t finish, Alex. You see, when you walked out earlier, it left us in a bit of a situation. You know too much about what we’re planning. That’s a problem for us.” Jack altered.

Ryan, who was usually the more easygoing of the group, crossed his arms and stared at Alex with a coldness he had never seen before. "We need everyone on the same page, Alex and right now, you’re not on our page."

Alex's throat tightened. He took a step back, feeling the weight of the room closing in on him. “I told you, I don’t want any part of this. I won’t help you put people’s lives at risk for money.”

Travis sneered, his voice low and threatening. “It’s not that simple, Alex. You think you can just walk away, like nothing happened? You think we’re going to let you go and risk you running your mouth to someone?”

The two strangers, who had remained silent, stepped forward slightly with their presence looming larger in the room. Alex could feel his heart racing faster. This wasn’t just a warning but something darker.

Jack’s expression grew even colder. "You’re either with us, Alex or you’re a threat and we don’t like threats." Jack laminated.

“I’m not your enemy, but you’re pushing me into a corner here.”Alex said carefully, trying to buy time.

Mark, who had been silent until now, stepped forward with a grim expression. "Then maybe you should stop resisting, Alex. Just come back to the table and let’s make this work." Jack whispered.

Alex knew it was a trap. They weren’t here to make things work, they were here to silence him one way or another but he just didn’t know how far they were willing to go.

And then, in the silence that followed, a thought crept into Alex’s mind. They wouldn’t leave without getting what they wanted and if they couldn’t convince him, they’d make sure he never had the chance to stand in their way. His eyes flicked toward the hallway, where Isabelle and Tony were hiding. He couldn’t let this end here and he had to protect them.

“I need to think, this is a lot.” Alex finally said, trying to stall.

Jack’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded slowly. "Fine. But don’t take too long, Alex. We’re done playing games."

The room fell into an uneasy silence, the weight of the moment pressing down on everyone. Alex’s mind spun, searching for a way out before it was too late.