NINE
JULIAN
The alarm hasn’t gone off yet when Olivia jumps out of bed, runs to the bathroom, and shuts the door. I move quickly across the room.
“Olivia?”
I listen and hear the toilet flush. “You okay?”
Through the door, her voice sounds tight. “I’m fine.”
She opens the door after a few minutes.
“You sure you’re okay?”
Nodding, she says, “I’m just tired.”
“You have been tired for the past week or two.”
“I’m okay.” She walks to the bed and sits on the edge, not climbing back in.
I walk over and stand in front of her. I lift her chin so she has to look at me. “Olivia.” My voice softens. “You look pale.”
“I’m fine. Really, I am. I think I’m coming down with a stomach bug. It will blow over.”
That’s not convincing at all and she knows it. I sit beside her and slide my hand across her back, feeling the tremor in her spine through her shirt. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m feeling a bit shaky, but it’s most probably from the bug.”
I clench my jaw. “I’m calling a doctor.”
“No.”
“Olivia.”
“No doctors.”
My eyes lock with hers. “You have been sick for days.”
“I just need sleep.”
“You need to be checked.”
She shakes her head. “Please.”
The single word hangs between us. Eventually, my shoulders sag. “I don’t like this.”
“I know.”
“You promise you will tell me if it gets worse?” This woman is so stubborn.
“I promise.”
I press a kiss to her forehead. “I think you should stay home today. Rest.”
She nods. “I’m fine, really I am.”
I don’t like this. She hasn’t been herself for a while now. “I have a meeting this morning, and the moment I’m done, I’m coming home to you. Can I bring you anything on my way home?”
Shaking her head, she lies back down. I bend down and kiss her forehead again. She doesn’t feel feverish against my lips.
I hesitate to leave, but I have to be in the boardroom this morning. I look at her one more time before I step out the door.
The drive downtown does nothing to ease the knot in my stomach. My focus is fractured, split between the upcoming board meeting and the image of Olivia looking so pale against the sheets.
By the time I step out of the private elevator onto the executive floor of NexaCore, my phone is already in my hand.
I pause outside the boardroom, typing a quick text to check on her, before pushing the heavy glass doors open.
Her reply is almost instant, reassuring me she’s feeling better already.
Two grueling hours later, the meeting finally wraps up. I head straight back to my office, eager to grab my coat and get back to the penthouse.
But my assistant, Leo, is standing by my desk, looking unnaturally stiff. A small, unmarked square box sits directly on top of my laptop.
“This was couriered up directly while you were in the meeting, Mr. Thorne,” Leo says, his voice quiet.
“It bypassed the main mailroom. The courier said it was urgent personal business.”
“From who?”
“There was no return name.”
Leo exits, closing the door behind him. The room feels suddenly cold.
I step up to the desk and pull off the lid.
Resting inside the white tissue paper is a woman’s black Venetian mask. It is an intricate piece of art, made of delicate, laser-cut metal filigree that mimics fine lace, patterned with swirling floral details.
But it’s ruined.
The mask is snapped brutally in half right down the center of the nose bridge.
The jagged, fractured edges of the metal are sharp and twisted.
Stray, delicate flakes of the black coating are chipped off, scattering like soot over the white paper.
The satin ribbons meant to tie around a woman’s head hang limp from the severed sides.
Beneath the broken pieces lies a small card. I flip it over.
She’s too fragile for your world, Julian. When she breaks, I will be the one to take care of you. I’m removing the distraction.
An icy cold feeling grips the back of my neck. No signature. No name. But I don’t need one.
Kieran.
A brutal, protective rage hits me, burning away the last of my worry. He isn’t just hovering in the shadows anymore. He’s actively watching us, targeting Olivia, and tracking my every move.
I grab my keys, ignore the blinking lights on my desk phone, and head straight for the exit. I need to get back to the penthouse. Right now.