15

Emma's POV

As the door closed behind me, I leaned back for a moment, took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself. Joseph's voice still rang in my ears, as if he was still here, bothering my mind with his unreasonable demands.

I shook my head, trying hard to erase the image of that strange man from my mind. I had to focus on my children now. I could hear fussing from the living room, which meant that all four of my children were getting restless.

As I walked into the living room, I saw them running around. My two boys, Adney and Adolf, seemed to be busy playing tag, while my two girls, Ainsley and Allonza, sat on the sofa with toys in their hands. However, even though they looked calmer, I could see signs of fatigue on their faces. They needed a rest.

"Adney, Adolf, enough playing, it's time for bed," I said in a firm tone, hoping to stop their commotion.

Adney, who was always the most difficult to control, immediately put on a protestin