"Axel, tell that’s not what I think it is," I said, my voice shaking as I held up my phone, showing the grainy photo that stared back at us.
The red laser dot fixed on my chest felt like a brand, searing into my mind even through the screen. Axel’s expression hardened as he grabbed the phone to examine it more carefully.
"Give that." He zood in, his jaw clenching. "Son of a bitch."
"Is it real? Could it be photoshopped?"
"I don’t know, but we’re not taking chances." He was already dialling. "Security, this is O’Brien. I need a full sweep of the venue imdiately. Check for elevated positions, rooftops, and adjacent buildings. Now."
He put the car in gear, tyres squealing as we sped away from our driveway back toward the venue.
"Wait, where are we going?"
"Back to the rooftop. If soone had a line on you, they might have left evidence. And I want our people checking our house while we’re gone."
"Axel, if there was a sniper..."
"Then they had their shot and didn’t take it. This is intimidation, Layla. They’re trying to scare us."
"Well, it’s working."
We arrived back at the venue in record ti. Security was already swarming the building, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. The rooftop was empty now, with chairs stacked and tables cleared, the magic of the evening reduced to cleanup.
The head of security t us at the entrance. "Mr. O’Brien, Mrs. O’Brien. We’ve swept the periter. No signs of anyone on adjacent rooftops, no spent casings, no disturbances."
"What about surveillance footage from neighbouring buildings?" Axel demanded.
"We’re pulling it now, sir. Should have sothing within the hour."
"Call the second you find anything."
We drove ho in silence, feeling the tension between us. When we arrived, more guards were waiting for us, looking serious.
"House is clear, sir," one reported. "No signs of forced entry, no devices, no disturbances. We’ve doubled the periter patrol."
Inside, Axel locked the door behind us and imdiately pulled out his laptop in the study. I paced behind him, unable to sit still.
"This is Cassandra’s doing," I muttered. "It has to be. She’s clearly lost it after her data breach slip. Did you see her face when she realised what she’d said?"
Axel nodded with a tight jaw as he typed. "Erica’s in on it too. That bag hand-off. Daniel’s their pawn, but she’s the key. She’s been in our inner circle this whole ti."
"So what do we do? Confront her? Cut her off?"
"We need proof first. Solid proof that ties them together. Otherwise, it’s just accusations."
His phone rang. Security again. He put it on speaker.
"Sir, we traced the number that sent the photo. It’s a burner phone purchased with cash three days ago from a convenience store in the downtown area. Store’s cara caught soone in a hoodie but couldn’t get a clear face."
"Keep digging. Pull traffic cams, ATM footage, anything within a three-block radius."
"Yes, sir."
He hung up and turned to . "We’ll tighten security, hire more guards, trace that unknown number through every avenue we have. But Layla, if they could send a photo like that..."
"What else are they planning?" I finished, my voice small.
My phone buzzed, making jump. But it was just order updates: Eclipse Beauty had surged past one hundred thousand pre-orders overnight. The viral confrontation with Cassandra and her slip about the fake breach had all fuelled the buzz.
"Look at this," I showed Axel. "One hundred thousand."
"That’s incredible."
"It should feel like victory." I set the phone down. "But instead, it tastes like bait. Like they wanted us distracted while they planned sothing bigger."
Axel stood, pulling into his arms. "We won tonight, Layla. Don’t let them take that away from us."
"I know, but..."
"No buts. Eclipse Beauty is a success. You’re safe. I’m not going to let anything happen to you."
He kissed my forehead, and I let myself lean into him for a mont, drawing strength from his strong presence.
"Co on," he said finally. "You need rest. We both do."
We headed upstairs, but at the landing, Axel paused outside his bedroom door instead of walking to mine.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"You’re sleeping in my room tonight."
"Axel? I..."
"For security reasons," he said firmly. "My room has a direct line to the security system, reinforced locks, and it’s at the back of the house away from street view. You’ll be safer there."
I wanted to argue, but the image of that red dot on my chest flashed through my mind again.
"Fine. But just for tonight."
"Just for tonight," he agreed, though sothing in his eyes suggested he didn’t quite believe that any more than I did.
His room was larger than mine, decorated in dark woods and deep blues. The bed was massive, probably king-sized, with crisp white linens that looked impossibly inviting.
"I’ll take the chair," he said, gesturing to the leather armchair by the window.
"Don’t be ridiculous. The bed’s big enough for both of us. We’re adults."
"Layla..."
"I’m too tired to argue, Axel. We’ve shared a bed before, rember? Just get in."
He hesitated, then nodded. "I’ll change in the bathroom."
While he was gone, I borrowed one of his T-shirts from a drawer; the fabric was soft and slled faintly of his cologne. When I climbed into bed, the exhaustion of the evening finally crashed over .
Axel erged in sleep pants and a t-shirt, pausing when he saw already under the covers.
"You look exhausted," he said softly.
"I am. Today was a lot."
He slid into the other side of the bed, careful to leave space between us. "Try to get so sleep. I’ll keep my phone on in case security calls."
"Okay."
I closed my eyes, but sleep evaded . My thoughts tangled in questions. Who had taken that photo? Was it really a sniper, or just a laser pointer ant to scare us? What was in Erica’s bag? What were they planning next?
"Layla?" Axel’s voice cut through the darkness.
"Yeah?"
"Stop thinking so loud. I can practically hear your brain working."
Despite everything, I smiled. "Sorry. Can’t help it."
"Co here."
"What?"
"You’re going to drive yourself crazy lying there worrying. Co here."
I hesitated, then shifted closer. His arm ca around , pulling against his chest, so close that I could hear his heartbeat.
"Better?" he murmured.
"Yeah," I admitted. "Better."
"We’ll figure this out. Together. But right now, you need to rest."
His hand moved in slow circles on my back, and I found the motion soothing. Gradually, my racing thoughts began to quiet, replaced by the warmth of his body and the security of his presence.
I must have drifted off, because the next thing I knew, early morning light was filtering through the curtains. I was still pressed against Axel, his arm wrapped securely around , his other hand resting on my hip.
For a mont, I just lay there, listening to his steady breathing, feeling safer than I had any right to feel given the circumstances. His fingers flexed slightly against my hip, and I realised he was awake.
"Morning," he greeted, his voice sounding rough from sleep.
Reviews
All reviews (0)