The Billionaire's Mistake (Anya and Daniel)
MISTAKE 88

Chapter 88: Confronting the Jones

Emma's fingers trembled slightly as she turned the key in the front door. The joy from Anya's wedding felt distant now, replaced by a familiar heaviness as she stepped into the house. The lingering scent of her sister's wedding flowers still clung to her dress, a stark contrast to the suffocating atmosphere inside. The silence in the house was deafening until Charles's voice shattered it. "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded from his position in the living room armchair, the evening shadows making his expression even darker.

"At Anya's wedding," Emma said, keeping her voice steady despite her racing heart. "I told you about it last week."

"Last week?" Charles let out a harsh laugh, the sound echoing off the walls. "And you didn't

think to invite me?"

"It was a small ceremony." Emma remained by the doorway, her hand still on her purse.

"Small ceremony?" He leaned forward, his knuckles white against the armrest. "Or are you just hiding something from me? You've been acting strange lately, Emma. Very strange."

"What would I be hiding, Charles?" Emma set her purse down carefully, her movements deliberate. "My sister got married. I went to support her. That's all there is to it."

"And my mother called today," Charles said, changing tactics, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. "She was quite upset.

Emma's jaw tightened. "I'm sure she was.

"She says you were rude to her again. Disrespectful After everything she's done for this

family."

Goetending the Jones.

"Disrespectful?" Emma turned to face him fully. "Is that what she calls it when someone stands up for their child?"

"Don't start this again."

"No, let's start this," Emma cut in, her voice gaining strength. "Let me make myself perfectly clear. Henry is my son. The same way your mother acts like you're her whole world? He is my everything. If your mother ever lays a hand on him again, even just a pinch, I will raise this house to the ground."

Charles exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Emma, she's his grandmother. What harm could she possibly do? You're being hysterical."

Emma discretely reached for her phone, turning on the recorder before facing Charles again. You need to learn to get along with my family," he continued, standing up to pace the room. This constant tension isn't good for anyone, especially Henry."

"Get along?" Emma's voice was quiet but firm. "I won't let anyone mistreat our son. If they can't love him properly, they need to stay away. It's that simple."

"She's disciplining him!" Charles stopped pacing, turning to face her. "That's what grandmothers do. Do you even care about our marriage anymore? About the family we've built?"

"Our marriage?" A bitter smile crossed Emma's face. "This has been a business arrangement from the start, and you know it. Someone's getting something out of it, though it certainly isn't me. But I've held up my end of the bargain. "What are you talking about?" Charles stepped closer, his shadow looming over her.

Changři (8) Bontanna the Samens

"What do I care about you and your filth? My only concern is Henry. He's the only pure thing. in this house."

"Your son, your son!" Charles threw up his hands, his voice rising. "What has she really done. that's so terrible? You're making mountains out of molehills!"

Emma's control snapped. "She tied him with fishing line and hung him on his bunk! She locked our son in a dark room and wouldn't tell me where he was until I threatened to call the police! Or have you conveniently forgotten that?" "You're exaggerating-"

"I don't care what you do to me in this house," Emma's voice rose to match his. "But that is my son. If any of you touch him again, we will all die together in this house. That's not a threat, Charles. That's a promise." "He's my son too!" Charles's face reddened with anger.

"Then why have you never protected him? Where were you when he was crying in that dark room? Where were you when he had rope marks on his arms?"

"Don't be dramatic. He's a boy; he can't be pampered!" Charles stepped even closer, his breath hot on her face. "Has anything really happened to him? This builds character! You're turning him soft!"

Emma went still, her voice dropping to a whisper. "The biggest crime I have ever committed was choosing a father like you for my son. Henry deserves so much better."

Charles's hand shot up, ready to strike. Emma didn't flinch; her eyes locked on his.

"Touch me," she said calmly, "and I'll call the police. How would you like our family name in the headlines for domestic abuse? What would your precious mother say about that?" Chagh Coribanting the Jones.

His hand trembled in the air between them, the tension thick enough to cut.

"Do it," Emma challenged. "Show me exactly who you are. Show Henry exactly who his father. is."

Charles slowly lowered his arm, his face dark with rage. "This isn't over, Emma. You will learn your place very soon. Both you and Henry will learn respect.

Emma walked out of the living room, her steps measured until she reached the front door. The cool evening air hit her face as she stepped outside, and only then did she allow her hands to shake as she pulled out her phone and dialed. "Anya? Are you there?"

"Emma? What's wrong?" Her sister's voice was warm with concern. "You just left the wedding, a few hours ago."

"I just..." Emma's voice cracked as she sank onto a nearby bench. "I had to stand up to the again. It's getting worse, Anya."

"Tell me everything. Don't leave anything out."

Emma let the evening air cool her heated skin. "Charles was waiting when I got home. He and his mother... they still don't see anything wrong with how they treat Henry. They think I'm the problem." "What happened exactly?"

"The usual accusations first. Where was I? What am I hiding? Why didn't I invite him to your wedding?" Emma wiped at her eyes. "Then he defended his mother again, about what she did Chapter 38. Confronting the ones

to Henry. He actually defended it, Anya."

"The fishing line incident?"

"Yes. He said it builds character. Said I'm making Henry soft." Emma's voice broke again." What kind of father justifies hurting his own child?"

"Listen to me." Anya's voice was firm through the phone. "You're doing the right thing. Protecting Henry is your priority. It has to be."

"I recorded him this time," Emma whispered, glancing back at the house. "Everything he said about it being okay to hurt Henry, about 'learning my place.' I got it all."

"Good," Anya said. "That's very good, Emma. We might need that. Keep it safe."

"I don't know how much longer I can do this. Every day, I see Henry watching his father, learning from him. It terrifies me, Anya."

"You don't have to do it alone. We'll figure this out together, step by step. You're stronger than you know, Emma."

Emma closed her eyes, letting her sister's words wash over her. "I just want Henry to be safe. To grow up knowing what real love looks like, not this twisted version they're showing him."

"He will," Anya promised. "Because he has you. And you have me. We're going to get through this, Emma. Together. You did the right thing today, standing your ground."

As the evening settled around her, Emma felt something shift inside her chest. It wasn't quite hope not yet but it was the beginning of something. A determination to break free from the shadows that had defined her life for so long. For Henry. For herself. For the future they both deserved. The recording on her phone felt like a first step, a sinall piece of evidence in what she knew would be a longer battle. But for the first time in years, she felt ready to fight.

Chapte BB Confronting the Jones

"Thank you, Anya," she whispered into the phone

"Alw