Part 8
Maya stared at me, her mouth slightly open. "Dad... you just threatened him."
"I didn't threaten him, sweetheart," I said, standing up and grabbing my jacket. "I promised him. Now, we need to leave. Right now."
We walked out of the office. The counselor was waiting in the hallway, looking anxious.
"Is everything alright, Mr. Vance?" she asked.
"We're going to the police station," I told her directly. "If anyone comes looking for Maya or the children, you tell them nothing. If Evan shows up here, you lock the doors and call 911 immediately."
The counselor nodded fiercely, her face hardening with determination. "Understood. Keep those children safe, Arthur."
I led Maya out of the school building and toward my truck. The afternoon sun was beginning to dip below the tree line, casting long, dramatic shadows across the asphalt.
As we reached the passenger side, Maya stopped, her hand frozen on the door handle.
"Dad," she whispered, her voice trembling as she looked toward the entrance of the parking lot. "Look."
I turned my head.
A sleek, black SUV was parked idling near the exit gates. The windows were heavily tinted, but I knew that vehicle anywhere.
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It was Evan.
He hadn't stayed at his office. He had been waiting for her to leave the school.
