CHRISTIAN
The stalker went underground againduring our trip to Italy, as expected. That was what I wanted; I needed him out of the way while I sorted out the mess in my company.
Alex hadn’t reported anything suspicious while I’d been gone, but instinct told me the stalker was planning something bigger than a few measly notes and wanted to fly under the radar until he could bring it to fruition.
His note to me had likely been a slip-up. An ego-induced mistake that’d compelled him to prove he wasn’t scared of me and that he wasn’t going away.
However, I needed to flush out the traitor first before I could deal with him effectively.
Harper Security’s annual poker tournament was coming up in a few weeks. It was the one time of year when almost every employee could gather in one place for a night of fun and relaxation. The only people who couldn’t make it were those on long-term jobs, but my suspects would be there. I’d made sure of it.
I loosened my tie as I took the elevator up to my apartment. Work was a goddamn shitshow these days, and my nights with Stella were the only things keeping me sane.
I love you.
My heart thrummed at the memory.
It’d been a week since Stella turned my world upside down, and I was still reeling from the impact.
I’d kept telling myself I didn’t believe in love, that what I felt for her wasn’t love, but she’d shattered that illusion with one simple phrase.
The minute she’d said those words and looked at me with those beautiful green eyes, I’d known the truth.
I was in love with her.
It’d happened slowly. Bit by bit, piece by piece, like a puzzle becoming whole, until I couldn’t deny or ignore it any longer.
I believe in everything when it comes to you.
That’d been the closest I could bring myself to admitting the truth out loud. One of my fundamental life beliefs had fractured, and I hadn’t had time to process.
When I eventually said the words, I wanted them to be real. Heartfelt.
The elevator doors slid open.
I stepped into the hall and entered my penthouse, but I paused two steps in. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled in warning.
A strange stillness hung in the air. Usually, Stella was in the living room taking photos or working on her collection. Even if she was elsewhere, I felt her when I came home. Her warm, calming presence filled whatever space she was in.
That presence was gone, replaced with the lemony scent of disinfectant.
Nina wasn’t scheduled to come in today, so Stella must’ve been the one who cleaned. She only did that when she was particularly stressed.
I quickened my steps and checked her favorite rooms. She wasn’t in the library, bedroom, or kitchen either, nor was she on the rooftop where she usually did yoga. I didn’t have any missed messages from her, and she didn’t pick up when I called.
“Stella?” I called out. My voice sounded calm despite my rising panic.
No answer.
She’s fine.
She probably stepped out for fresh air or a snack. If something was wrong, Brock would’ve contacted me.
Christ,why is it so fucking hot in here?
I pushed the sleeves of my shirt up.The air conditioning was on full blast, yet I was burning up.
I doubled back to the living room but saw something that gave me pause along the way.
My office door was open.
I always closed it before I left for work, and Stella never went in there except to take care of the plants. Even then, she closed the door on her way out.
I pulled my gun from my waistband and kept it in hand as I stepped into the office.
Cold foreboding splashed the back of my neck.
The first thing I noticed was the spill of papers on my desk, along with three plain but distinctive black binders.
The second thing I noticed was the note penned in her delicate, sprawling script.
We need to talk about the files, but I’m not ready. I’ll be back when I am.
I let out a string of curses.
I shouldn’t have left the files somewhere where she could stumble on them, but I’d wanted to keep them close and couldn’t bring myself to throw them out after all these years.
What if she saw them and thought…
“Stella!” This time, my panic was audible.
I knew she wasn’t there, but that didn’t stop my stomach from hollowing at the silence.
Goddammit, sweetheart, where the hell are you?
I held onto the hope that she’d stepped out to gather her thoughts and would be back that night until I reentered our bedroom and took closer stock of what was missing.
Her favorite clothes. Her toiletries. That fucking unicorn.
My blood roared in my ears.
Stella wasn’t gone for the afternoon.
Stella was gone, period.
* * *