290: Unwanted Conversations

The night air was thick with tension as Bauer and Alex found themselves at a crossroads of unspoken rivalry and wounded pride. Their conversation, laced with sarcasm and veiled threats, echoed the complexities of their entangled relationships with Emma. Bauer, ever the tactician, utilized his role as a father not just as a shield but as a means of gaining a strategic advantage over Alex. "You know, Alex, there's a certain finesse in acknowledging when the game has shifted. Utilizing one's strengths, like my relationship with my son, is hardly deplorable. It's strategy," Bauer remarked coolly, his gaze steady and challenging. "You seem to have a knack for making yourself look good in Emma's eyes, using your son as a shield. Quite the father figure, aren't you? Clinging to past connections, hoping for a glimmer of attention from Emma? “Let's not pretend our intentions here are anything but self-serving." Alex's tone was laced with disdain, his gaze sharp as he assessed Bauer. B