Later that day

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the yard as Aiko approached the weathered barn that was behind the Henderson property. Her steps were brisk, fueled by a restless energy that had been simmering beneath her skin since the tense confrontation at breakfast. Aiko could not fully relax, her senses primed for any hint of his return.

Jack ruined our weekend! That man scares me, and I’d better lie low for a while. Time to train.

Aiko’s restless mind was symptomatic of her fear for her and her foster family. She decided to take it out on a punching bag rather than risk another confrontation. Besides, Jack and Liam ran off hours ago to do some promised chores, and Mrs. Henderson took Emma to her art lesson, so she should have some time to let off some steam. Training always soothed her.

“What are you to up?” Annabelle said, taking her out of her thoughts.

“I think I'll hit the bag in the barn for a while. Unless you want to spar with me,” Aiko replied.

The older girl crossed her arms and gave Aiko a scowl; she seemed in a far worse mood since Jack entered their lives.

“Spar? No way! My brother allows you to hit him because he’s looking to get some kisses out of you.”

“Annabelle, I’m sorry if I offended you, but I want to be friends.”

“Not a chance,” she said, leaving Aiko alone.

Moments later, Aiko entered the barn. The ragged punching bag begged for punishment. Annabelle’s words cut her to the bone. But she shoved the hurt aside, focusing instead on the steady cadence of her breathing and the familiar weight of her gloves as she tugged them into place. The musty scent of hay and aged timber enveloped her as she stepped into the dimly lit interior of the barn, allowing the comforting familiarity of her surroundings to soothe her ruffled emotions. The space had become a sanctuary during her time with the Hendersons—a place to center herself. The rhythmic dance of strikes and blocks, the controlled exertion of muscle and sinew, had a grounding effect that helped quiet the turbulence of her thoughts.

I wish Liam was here. Training is much better with a partner.

Aiko moved to the center of the open floor, rolling her shoulders to loosen the taut muscles as she settled into her starting stance. She inhaled deeply, breathing for a beat before exhaling in a slow, controlled stream. Her movements flowed with a practiced grace, each strike and pivot executed with crisp precision. Aiko lost herself in the familiar patterns, allowing the world to narrow until there was nothing but the thrum of her pulse and the whisper of her breath.

Kick. Strike. Block. Pivot.

A sheen of perspiration soon beaded across her brow as the exertion took its toll. Still, she pressed on, driving herself through the motions with an almost frantic intensity. Each strike became a release, a physical manifestation of the roiling unease that had taken root within her since Jack’s arrival. Aiko was so consumed by her efforts that she failed to register the telltale creak of the barn door swinging open. It wasn’t until a low, appreciative whistle pierced the silence that she became aware of her audience.

Who is here?

She broke off mid-form, whirling to find Jack leaning against the doorframe. His pale eyes glittered with undisguised interest as they raked over her sweat-slicked form. A lazy smile curved his lips, somehow managing to seem both admiring and utterly predatory all at once.

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“Well, well,” he murmured, his gaze lingering in a way that made Aiko’s skin prickle with discomfort. “Aren’t you just full of surprises?”

Aiko felt her muscles tense, coiling like a tightly wound spring as her instincts screamed a warning. She held Jack’s stare, refusing to be cowed by his blatant attempt at intimidation.

“What do you want?” she demanded, keeping her voice level despite the thunderous pounding of her heart.

Jack pushed away from the doorframe, ambling further into the barn with a casual nonchalance that set Aiko’s teeth on edge. He moved with the languid grace of a predator, each step measured and deliberate as he circled her in a slow, appraising orbit.

“Just admiring the view,” he replied at last, his tone deceptively mild, even as his pale eyes continued their bold perusal. “You’ve got some impressive moves, Takahashi. I can see why the Hendersons were so eager to take you under their wing.”

A knowing smile ghosted across his features, hinting at some unspoken implication that made the fine hairs on Aiko’s nape prickle with trepidation. She tensed further, her hands curling into white-knuckled fists as she fought to maintain her composure under the weight of his unsettling scrutiny.

“If you’ve got something to say, just spit it out,” she bit out, her patience rapidly fraying. “Otherwise, I’d appreciate being left alone to train in peace.”

Jack let out a tsk, shaking his head in a mockery of reproach. “Such hostility,” he chided, his tone taking on a silky undertone that set Aiko’s instincts jangling with warning. “And here I thought we were becoming fast friends.”

He took another deliberate step forward, his movements slow and purposeful—a wolf stalking its prey. Aiko held her ground, refusing to retreat despite the thunderous pounding of her heart.

“You see, Takahashi, I can’t help but feel like we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot,” Jack continued, his voice a low, intimate murmur that carried unmistakable weight. “The way I see it, you and I are a lot alike—two outsiders who’ve been taken in by a family, not our own. We should be allies, not adversaries.”

His smile widened a fraction, all teeth and no warmth. “I think it’s time we got to know each other a little better, don’t you?”

The thinly veiled threat in his words was unmistakable, a not-so-subtle reminder that she was firmly enmeshed in the twisted web he was weaving around the Henderson household. Aiko’s throat constricted, her heart pounding so hard it thundered in her ears. But she maintained her composure.

“I don’t have anything to say to you,” she managed at last, proud of how steady her voice remained despite the turmoil roiling within. “And I’m not interested in getting to know you better, either. So why don’t you take the hint and leave me be?”

Jack’s smile morphed into a cruel, mocking grin as he shook his head in exaggerated disappointment.

“Playing hard to get, are we?” Making a tsk sound, clucking his tongue in a show of feigned admonishment. “That’s no way to treat family, Takahashi. Especially not after the Hendersons have been so generous in opening their home to you.”

A flicker of unease lanced through Aiko at the implicit threat underlying his words. She opened her mouth, a biting retort poised on her tongue, but Jack barreled onward before she could give voice to her outrage.

“But I suppose I can’t blame you for being a little... skittish around new people,” he continued with an indolent shrug. “Especially given your, shall we say, unique circumstances?”

Aiko felt her breath catch in her throat, her pulse skittering into a staccato cadence as realization blossomed like an icy fist clenching around her heart. Jack’s knowing smile told her all she needed to know—he seemed to be aware of something in her past, but what?

“You don’t know anything about me?” Akio said.

“Oh, little girl, but that’s where you're wrong. I know all about that cryptic message. And you’ll never see your other uncle again,” he said, letting out a menacing chuckle.

A wave of nausea washed over Aiko, her earlier bravado crumbling in the face of this new revelation. She could only stare at Jack, mute and helpless, as he drank in her distress with undisguised relish.

“That’s what I thought,” he purred, taking another deliberate step forward until they were almost toe-to-toe. Aiko could smell the faint tang of his aftershave, cloying and suffocating, as he leaned in to murmur against her ear.

“Don’t worry, Takahashi. Your secret’s safe with me.” His smile was a rictus gash, all sharp edges and malicious promise. “For now.”

With that parting shot, he pulled back and turned on his heel, sauntering toward the barn door with a nonchalant whistle. Aiko could only watch, paralyzed by a potent cocktail of fear and revulsion. He paused at the door and gave her a wicked stare.

“Oh, and in case you were wondering—I prefer to be called Uncle Jack. We’re family now, after all.”

Then he was gone, the echo of his mocking laughter filling the stifling silence of the barn like a specter. Aiko felt her legs buckle, her breath escaping in a ragged gasp as the full weight of Jack’s implied threat crashed over her in a suffocating wave.