The Mistake

Chapter 5: The Unseen Threads

I knew from her piercing gaze—sharp and unrelenting like a hawk—that Ava Williams didn’t buy Jason’s sudden confession. Letting me walk free was only a temporary move, a tactical retreat.

"Don’t celebrate too soon, Emma. I’ll be watching you," she had said, her words cold and final.

I didn’t reply. I narrowed my eyes and walked out of the police station without a backward glance.

But I knew the truth: the moment I stepped out of that building, my life had no more exits.

When I finally got home, it was past midnight. Exhausted to my core, I washed up and collapsed onto the bed. But no matter how tired I was, sleep wouldn’t come. Every time I closed my eyes, his face appeared—Jason’s face.

No, not Jason. It was him. The other man.

The man who haunted my thoughts like a ghost carved into my mind.

It didn’t take much imagination to figure out Jason’s sudden confession had something to do with him. Once again, he had saved me.

And yet, in the middle of all this chaos, I felt something new. Something terrifying.

I was falling for him.

By morning, my curiosity burned brighter than my fear. Gripping my phone, I called my mom. Maybe she knew something about him.

"A blind date?" I ventured cautiously.

"What blind date?" my mom replied, confusion evident in her voice. "Emma, are you out of your mind? You’ve been with Jason for months. Why on earth would I set you up with anyone else?"

Her tone of disbelief left me stunned.

Not my mom, then.

So… had he come looking for me himself?

That thought sent a chill of intrigue through me.

At 3 p.m. that afternoon, I arrived at Morning Brew Café—a quiet, tucked-away spot compared to the bustling streets outside.

And there he was.

The man who had been consuming my thoughts.

His name rolled off my tongue before I could stop myself. "Who are you?"

"Daniel Hayes," he said, his lips curving into a faint smile.

"And why did you lie to me?" I pressed, unable to hold back.

"Because I like you," he replied simply. "That night, the circumstances were… complicated. I had no choice but to approach you like that."

His deep, steady gaze pinned me in place. His eyes—dark, endless like the night sky—both frightened and mesmerized me.

It felt like being back in the honeymoon phase with Jason.

But before the spell could deepen, Daniel broke it.

"Are you going to kill Jason?" he asked bluntly.

The words hit me like a brick.

"What?" I gasped, unable to believe what I’d heard. "Why would I kill him? He’s already confessed. He’s locked up. There’s no need."

Daniel leaned forward, his voice low and deliberate.

"Because we can’t guarantee he won’t change his story later. He’s a loose end, Emma. Loose ends are dangerous."

A chill ran through me.

"Only the dead," Daniel continued, his tone calm and calculated, "can keep secrets forever."

His eyes lit up with a glint of something unhinged—an unsettling mix of excitement and madness.

"But he’s in custody," I argued, my voice barely above a whisper. "How… how could anyone get to him?"

Daniel’s smile widened as he leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear.

"You’ll do it," he whispered. "All you need to do is mention my name."

The next day, Ava approved my request to visit Jason in custody.

The air inside the holding cell was freezing, every sound swallowed by the oppressive silence. When I finally saw Jason, he was a shadow of the man I once knew—his hair disheveled, his face gaunt.

He looked up at me with hollow eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he growled, his voice hoarse and broken.

I hesitated, my heart hammering in my chest. Then, I said the words that had been haunting me.

"Daniel Hayes sent me."

The reaction was immediate. Jason recoiled as if I’d struck him, his entire body trembling. His eyes went wide with terror.

"Why?" he whispered, his voice cracking. "Why won’t he just leave me alone?"

His sudden outburst startled me, but at the same time, a dark satisfaction rose within me.

"Why?" I echoed, my voice cold and bitter. "Do you really think you don’t deserve this?"

Jason’s wide-eyed terror only deepened, and for the first time, I felt like I held the power.

He deserved everything that was coming to him.

Or so I told myself.