The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 34

Chapter 32: The Threat-2

+25 Points

While I was on the phone, Maya’s expression shifted from worried to calculating.”Bella,” she said when I hung up. “What if you talked to Caleb? Not about Tom, not yet. But about Jade. He needs to know she’s threatening you.”

“He won’t believe me,” I said automatically. “He chose her over me once already.”

“That was years ago. When he believed lies about you.” Maya’s voice was gentle but firm. “You saw him last night, Bella. That wasn’t a man who doesn’t care. That was a man

drowning in regret.”

“Regret doesn’t undo what he did.”

“No, but it might make him an ally against Jade.” Maya pulled up something on her phone

and showed it to me. “Look at this. I’ve been doing some research on Jade since you told me she was involved. She’s been trying to get close to Caleb for months, showing up at his events, making social media posts about their ‘friendship.’ But he’s been avoiding her. Publicly shutting down her advances.”

I looked at the screenshots Maya had pulled up. Jade at a charity gala, trying to pose with Caleb, while he clearly stepped away from her. Jade posting about catching up with old friends with a photo of Caleb in the background, obviously unaware she was photographing him. Article after article about “Victoria Lane’s jealousy over Jade Hart’s closeness to Caleb

Black.”

“He’s not with her,” Maya said quietly. “Whatever happened years ago, he’s not with Jade now. And if she’s threatening your son, threatening you, he deserves to know what kind of person

she really is.”

I wanted to argue, wanted to insist that Caleb was the enemy and I couldn’t trust him with anything, especially not information about Tom. But the truth was, if Jade was escalating, if she was willing to follow us to the zoo and take photos of my son, I needed all the help I could get. Even if that help came from the man who’d destroyed me.

“I’ll think about it,” I said finally. “But I’m not telling him about Tom. Not yet. Not until I have a

plan.”

“Fair enough.” Maya stood and headed toward the kitchen. “I’m making tea, you look like you

need it.”

While she was gone, I pulled up the photos Jade had sent and stared at Tom’s face. My beautiful, innocent boy who had no idea his existence was about to become a weapon in a war he didn’t ask to be part of.

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<Chapter 32: The Threat-2

+25 Points

I would protect him. No matter what it cost me, no matter who I had to face or what secrets I had to reveal, I would keep him safe.

Even if it meant working with Caleb Black. Even if it meant risking my heart all over again.

My phone buzzed with another message, and I opened it with trembling hands, expecting more threats from Jade. Instead, it was from an unknown number I didn’t recognize.

I know Jade contacted you. I know she’s threatening you and our son. We need to talk. Not as enemies. As parents. Please, Bella. Let me help protect him. – C

Our son. He’d said our son. Which meant Caleb knew about Tom too. My hands shook as I

read the message again, my mind racing. How did he know? How long had he known? Was he the one who’d told Jade, or had she found out independently?

And most importantly, what did he want?

I typed and deleted three different responses before finally settling on: How did you find out?

His reply came within seconds.

Anonymous photo sent to me yesterday, i know his name Tom, he is 3 years, i know you don’t trust me, and you have every right not to. But Bella, if Jade knows about him, he’s in danger. Let me help. Please.

I was mad, raving mad, which meant he’d been following us, watching us, investigating without my knowledge. The violation of that made me furious. But underneath the fury was something else, something I didn’t want to acknowledge.

Relief. Because for the first time in years, I wasn’t facing this alone. For the first time since

that terrible night, someone else knew about Tom and wanted to protect him. Even if that

someone was Caleb Black.

Maya returned with tea and found me staring at my phone with tears streaming down my face. “What happened? What did she say?”

“Not Jade.” I showed her the message. “Caleb knows about Tom. He’s known since yesterday. And he wants to help protect him from Jade.”

Maya read the message carefully, then looked at me with those wise, understanding eyes.”What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.” I wiped at my tears angrily. “I don’t know if I can trust him. I don’t know if this is genuine or if he’s playing some angle I can’t see yet. I don’t know anything except that my son is in danger and I’m terrified.”

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Chapter 32: The Threat-2

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