The front door of Emily's penthouse was ajar when she arrived. Her heart raced. With no time to wait for the police, she ran inside, her eyes darting around the room.

There, in the middle of the living room, stood Daniel. He was holding Noah by the arm, a twisted grin on his face.

"You're late, Emily," Daniel sneered, tightening his grip on Noah's arm. "You always were too focused on your career. Now look where it's gotten you."

Emily felt a surge of fury and fear crash through her. "Let him go, Daniel. This is between us."

"Oh, it's much bigger than that now. You thought you could betray me and walk away? You thought you could have everything? Fame, power, and a perfect family? You don't deserve any of it," he spat.

Emily's mind raced. She had no weapon, no way to overpower him physically. But she had something far more powerful: her words. "Daniel, think about this. You can still walk away. You don't want to hurt Noah. He's innocent. This won't fix anything."

For a brief second, Daniel's grip faltered. She saw hesitation in his eyes. But it wasn't enough.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. Alex burst into the room, his face tense with determination. "Let him go!" Alex shouted, stepping toward them.

Daniel pulled a knife from his jacket, pressing it against Noah's throat. Emily's blood turned cold.

"Take another step, and I'll—" Daniel's words were cut short by the sound of a gun cocking. The police had arrived, their guns aimed at him through the door.

"Drop the knife!" an officer commanded.

Daniel's eyes flickered between Emily, Alex, and the police. His grip on Noah tightened, but his hand was shaking. He knew he had lost.

"You'll never be free from this," he whispered to Emily, before releasing Noah and dropping the knife. The police moved in, quickly restraining him as Emily rushed forward, pulling her son into her arms.