Dean woke in the dark, neck stiff, arm numb. Skyler's head rested on his shoulder; sometime in the night, Laura had crawled between them, tiny fist clutching his hoodie. His phone buzzed loud, relentless.
Laura whimpered. Skyler stirred. "Mother," Dean muttered, reaching. Skyler snatched it first. He opened his mouth don't wake her but Laura's grip tightened. He froze.
Skyler answered. "Dean, oh please, where are you?" his mother's voice crackled. His father, on speaker: "He's fine " "Speak!" she snapped. Skyler blinked. "Is it an emergency?" Silence. Shock rippled through the line. His mother: "No."
Skyler, midnight brain in full control: "If you don't mind, he's busy." Click.
Dean stared, mouth open. Skyler curled back into the couch and slept. Dean stayed awake, sipping his cold tea, watching them breathe. Eventually exhaustion pulled him under too.
Morning light filled the kitchen. Toast scent. Skyler stood at the stove, Laura perched on a stool beside her, "helping." Dean shuffled in. Laura launched arms up, legs kicking. "DADDY! Sit here!"
They ate together, Laura chattering about the drum kit arriving later. When she scampered to the bathroom, Skyler's face hardened.
"Dean. You cannot spend nights here." He nodded obvious. "You need to adhere to every part of the court order," she said, voice low. "Or you risk losing her."
"Of course," he said.
Skyler's eyes drilled into his. "First: do not miss our session."
Dean frowned. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Today was Thursday. He started to ask, but her expression stopped him.
Breakfast had felt like a family if you didn't know better. Long hug with Laura. Then: 24-hour villa check-in. He had to go.
The villa gates clanged. His mother pounced. "Where were you all night?" Her voice was shrill, controlling. His father stood behind her, arms crossed but silent the question in his eyes: Are you okay?
"Why sleep over? After your attempt?" his mother pressed.
Dean kept calm. Too late to care. They'd left him to nannies while chasing deals overseas.
His mother, seeing his silence, pulled the trigger: "I booked you an emergency session today. I'm coming."
Dean's stomach dropped. She was sabotaging Skyler. Everything she touched died.
Refusal? She'd claim non compliance. Legal suicide.
"We leave in two hours," she said. "Get ready."
Dean climbed the stairs to his childhood room. Two hours until she'd try to destroy everything he'd just found.