C25 Chapter 25

Emily turned back to Jules, her expression stern but with a hint of worry. Thompson had left abruptly after getting the call, leaving them alone in the hospital room.

"Jules," Emily said, her voice firm but controlled, as she settled into the chair beside the bed.

Jules looked up, a mix of defiance and guilt flashing in her eyes.

"You need to listen to me, young lady," Emily said, her tone serious. "Running away like that...it almost cost you your life. You can't just rush into things without thinking."

Jules' gaze dropped, a hint of shame creeping in.

Emily's expression softened slightly. "I know you're scared, but you have to trust us. Trust me. We want to keep you safe."

Jules' voice was barely a whisper. "I saw him, Mom...it was Alex."

Emily's eyes locked onto Jules'. "We'll deal with that. But first, we need to deal with you and your recklessness. Not everything can be handled in a rush, okay?"

Jules nodded, a small sigh escaping her lips.

Emily's words hung in the air as Jules processed what she'd just been told. The hospital sounds seemed to fade into the background as mother and daughter had a silent standoff.

Finally, Jules broke the silence, her voice a mix of frustration and fear. "You don't understand, Mom. I saw him. He's not dead."

Emily's expression remained firm but compassionate. "I believe you saw someone, Jules. But running away like that isn't the answer. You have to trust the people trying to help you."

Jules' eyes dropped, and for a moment, Emily thought she'd finally gotten through to her. But then Jules' gaze snapped back up, determination etched on her face.

"You're not listening," Jules said, her voice rising. "This isn't about me being reckless or impulsive. This is about Alex. He's alive, and he's coming for me."

Emily's grip on Jules' hand tightened. "That's exactly why you need to stay safe. If this is about Alex—"

Jules cut her off, her words spilling out in a rush. "It's about everything. About what happened. I don’t know why’s he’s coming for me but I know You can't protect me from this, Mom. I need to face it."

The intensity in Jules' voice made Emily's heart ache. She remembered the days after Alex's death, how Jules had shut down, refusing to talk about it. This was the most she'd spoken about it in months.

"We will face it together," Emily said softly. "But not like this, Jules. Not with you putting yourself in danger."

The tension in the room was palpable when a nurse walked in to check on Jules, breaking the heavy atmosphere. Emily used the interruption to steer the conversation towards safer topics—the nurse's updates on Jules' condition, the hospital food (which they both agreed was terrible), and when the doctor might discharge her.

As the visit ended and the nurse left, Emily pulled out her phone to check for messages from Thompson. Nothing.

"You should rest," Emily said, her voice gentle but firm. "We'll talk more about this later."

Jules nodded, her eyes drifting closed as exhaustion took over.

As Jules' eyes drifted closed, Emily stayed beside her, her mind racing with thoughts of Alex and the message Thompson had shown her. "She's just the beginning." What did it mean? And why was Jules so convinced she'd seen Alex?

The machines beeped softly as Emily's thoughts swirled. She'd thought they'd dealt with Alex's death, with the grief and the trauma. But this...this felt like a new chapter in a nightmare she'd thought was over.

After a while, Emily got up to stretch her legs, leaving Jules sleeping. She stepped out into the corridor, pulling out her phone to call Thompson. He answered on the first ring.

"Any updates?" Emily asked, keeping her voice low.

"Working on it," Thompson said, his tone serious. "Got the team digging into possible connections to Alex. You keep Jules safe."

Emily nodded, though Thompson couldn't see her. "I will. Keep me posted."

As she hung up, Emily's gaze hardened. They'd get to the bottom of this. And if someone was playing a twisted game...they'd pay.