11. CHAPTER 11
In the quiet of her uncle’s house, Daniella finished packing the dishwasher. Her movements were sharp and jittery. Ethan, who had rented a minivan, had arrived to fetch Emily ten minutes ago. Daniella had watched her daughter climb into the minivan and join Reef, Shay, Dawn, Jennifer, and Carly with both relief and trepidation. It wasn’t that Daniella didn’t trust Ethan’s driving. Daniella was sure he was an excellent driver. It was just that Daniella didn’t like her daughter traveling without her, and the thought of being alone was creeping her out.
A movement by her feet had her glancing down to see Hicks curled up beside her as she worked. Daniella felt better with their faithful bull terrier at her side. But that still didn’t stop the morning sun streaming through the windows, casting long shadows that seemed to play tricks on her eyes as every shadow felt like a threat. Even the whisper of the wind sounded sinister as it tapped against the windows.
Daniella gave herself a mental shake and took a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. The false alarm at the clinic had left her on edge, making everything seem like it was magnified or coming to get her. Red-hot anger spurted through Daniella at the knowledge that a person could make another person feel unsafe and as insecure as she was feeling. Before Doctor Ron Jackson started playing manipulative mind games with her, Daniella never minded being alone. Now, being alone made her uncomfortable and fearful.
At least Emily was safely in the care of her good friends and her cousin Carly. Ethan had assured Daniella that Blackwell’s security team wouldn’t be far behind them. It had been incredibly sweet of Ethan to rent a minivan to keep them all together on their trip to Boston. Uncle Sam and Harley had gone to investigate the alarming call from the clinic that Daniella had gotten earlier, which had lured her to the clinic on the false pretense of an emergency. She closed the dishwasher and dried her hands on a kitchen towel, glancing around the room, hating that she was left to wrestle with the silence and the shadows.
Daniella’s eyes caught the clock on the wall that hung above the breakfast table.
“Good grief,” she muttered. “Is that the time already?”
Hicks lifted his head, looking up at her curiously, moving his head from side to side.
“Are you coming?” Daniella asked the pure white dog with a few black and pink splotches on his nose.
Hicks lay his head back down on his paws.
“I’ll take that as a no, then,” Daniella said to the lazy dog. “Although if I was comfortable in a warm sunspot, I suppose I wouldn’t follow you either.”
Daniella started walking out of the kitchen when she nearly jumped out of her skin. The silence of the house was shattered by the sharp ring of her phone. Daniella pulled the device from the pocket of her cut-off jeans and frowned, noticing it was a blocked number. Her heart, which was already a drumbeat of anxiety, surged into overdrive as it drummed every nerve ending in her body onto instant high alert. The rational part of her screamed to ignore it as it could be her stalker. Another part of her brain reminded her that her daughter was traveling or that it could just be an insurance sales call.
No more running, Daniella!She gave herself a pep-talk. Whoever this is, I’m going to take this call.
Still, her hands shook, and her heart was ready to race right out of her throat as she answered, “Hello?”
“Daniella? This is Meg Parks from Boston Splash Magazine,” came the cheery reply, smashing some of the dark tendrils of fear snaking around Daniella’s heart.
“Who?” Daniella asked. Confusion furrowed her brow.
“Meg. Remember you called me early today, giving me an exclusive about your upcoming nuptials to Alex Blackwell?” Meg’s words only made Daniella’s brow tighten even more with confusion.
“Excuse me?” Daniella said. “I made no calls to any magazine.” Her voice was ice and assertive as she corrected Meg.
Her mind whirred with shock and disbelief that a magazine, especially a gossip rag like the Boston Celebrity Splash, had somehow found out about their marriage within hours of them discussing it. Or that they’d accuse her of calling them. Daniella hated gossip rags as she knew what they did to Carly and how badly they could slay the truth to turn into sensationalism.
Could one of my friends or family members have accidentally leaked the information?Daniella shook off the thought. No! She gave herself another mental shake. Why would they, though? And why would they pretend to be me?
“I have the number for the Plum Island Clinic on my phone,” Meg assured her. “Timestamped with the time you phoned me from there.” The woman paused. “Although…”
“Although what?” Daniella asked, irritated that Meg was persisting in her lie that Daniella had called her.
“I have to admit that you sound different,” Meg admitted. “Your voice was throatier and…” She paused. “Snootier.”
“I can assure you that I’ve only ever had a throaty voice when I had a cold and while I can be cold and cutting, I’m not snooty.“ Daniella realized that she’d just sounded snooty. “What time did you get this alleged call from me?”
Meg told her the time, and Daniella’s heart went cold. That was about ten to fifteen minutes after she’d left the clinic upon finding out that the emergency call had been false. She swallowed, her throat going dry and a cold shiver creeping up her spine. Flashbacks of similar incidents occurring three years ago ran through her mind. Daniella had managed to change her shifts at the hospital, so she wasn’t working when Doctor Jackson was on duty. He’d have her come in on false calls and ensure she got stuck at the hospital to keep her there.
“I wasn’t at the clinic at that time, and I have witnesses,” Daniella told her. “Whoever called you from my clinic was clearly pulling some sort of prank.”
She tried to downplay the situation, as the last thing Daniella wanted was for the press to get wind of her story, especially now that her name was about to be linked with Alex’s.
“Are you denying that you and Alex Blackwell are getting married in Boston tomorrow?” Meg persisted with her questions.
“How did you get my number?” Daniella asked.
Her mind spun, wondering if someone at the clinic was working for Doctor Jackson. However, she didn’t think so or couldn’t fathom any of her wonderful staff doing something like this.
“Alex Blackwell gave me your mobile number,” Meg told her. A flicker of confusion infiltrated the woman’s cheery voice for a second as if she was now doubting her source. “He said you’d fill me in on the wedding details.”
A flash of anger ignited within Daniella, a bright, hot flame against the cold fear inside her at the mention that it was Alex who’d given out her personal information or spilled their marriage to a rag. But Daniella’s voice of reason quickly countered the anger as she realized what Meg had said made no sense. Alex, the man who had become her unexpected haven, would never betray her trust in such a manner.
“How did you come to talk to Alex Blackwell?” Daniella asked.
“You gave it…” Meg’s voice trailed off. “Sorry. I mean, whoever called me claiming to be you gave me his number.”
“You called Alex and told him I gave you his number?” Daniella’s eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat as the cold realization dawned.
It really had started again. Doctor Jackson’s bogus call to lure her to the hospital was a calculated move, a chess piece advanced in his cruel game. He was trying to wedge a divide between her and Alex, to isolate her once more by playing them against each other.
“I’m sorry, Meg, but you’ve been fed misinformation,” Daniella informed Meg.
“So you and Alex Blackwell aren’t getting married in Boston tomorrow?” Meg’s words stopped Daniella cold. Before Daniella could answer, Meg continued, “And does that mean you’re denying that you and Alex are getting a judge to rush your marriage certificate?”
How on earth could she know that?Daniella’s thoughts became a whirlwind of suspicion and fear before her shoulders stiffened, and the pieces clicked into place with a chilling fit. The clinic call, the unexpected knowledge of their plans—it pointed to a breach from within—Daniella was not only being watched by people planted around the island by her stalker but they were also being listened to. Her eyes flew around the room, and her unease grew at the thought of someone having snuck into her home to plant listening devices.
A silent resolve fell over Daniella, and her fear was replaced by anger and resentment that someone could be so obsessed that they would go to such extremes. This had to stop. Daniella had a child, family, and friends to think about, and she knew the shadow that haunted her would not give up until they all lived in the darkness he cast. Daniella wasn’t much of an actress, but she had to try to put on a performance her cousin, Carly, would be proud of.
She took a breath and pinched the bridge of her nose as she told Meg, “You know what, Meg? If Alex no longer wants to be silent about our relations, then I won’t either.”
“Really?” Meg’s voice was filled with excitement. “You’re going to give me the scoop?”
A twinge of guilt washed over Daniella at what she was about to do, and it wasn’t nice. But Daniella reasoned with her conscience that she’d somehow get Alex to make it right.
“Yes, why not?” Daniella swallowed down the guilt. Sometimes, good people do terrible things to protect those they love. Her Uncle’s voice rang in her ears.
“Do you mind if I record this?” Meg asked.
“Sure,” Daniella said. You do know where you’re going, right?
“How long have you and Alex been in love?” Meg’s question hit Daniella right in the heart.
“Since the moment we met,” Daniella’s words echoed through her soul as she realized the truth in them.
“How long is that?” Meg asked.
“I’m not going to go into our history, Meg,” Daniella cut off that line of questioning.
Daniella wasn’t ready to answer that question truthfully to herself just yet. More guilt shot through her at the dark secret she carried with her. Daniella forced her mind away from it by glancing around the room, wondering where someone would plant a bug. Wanting to ensure the listener would hear the conversation clearly, Daniella stepped into the middle of the living room, where the acoustics were better.
“Why the rush to get married?” Meg asked.
“We’re not rushing,” Daniella said, not sure how to answer. “I suppose it can be seen that way. We want to get married before Alex starts filming the second season of The Cobble Cove Mysteries.”
“So you didn’t get a rushed marriage license?” Meg was not letting that go.
“Did the person pretending to be me tell you that?” Daniella’s frown deepened, and she suppressed a shudder, thinking about someone listening in on her conversation. The lie slipped casually from her lips: “Because we’ve had the license for a while now.”
“Yes,” Meg admitted. “At first, I thought it might be because you were pregnant. Now, that would’ve been a great story.”
“One that isn’t true,” Daniella told her. “I’m nearly forty-eight.”
“But didn’t you get some of your eggs frozen?” Meg’s question shocked Daniella.
“Where did you hear that?” Daniella spluttered.
A year before Tom died, they had decided to freeze Daniella’s eggs in case they wanted to have another child later in life. Daniella had actually forgotten about them in the midst of her grief, Emily nearly dying and losing her hearing, and then being stalked by Doctor Jackson.
“I can’t reveal my source,” Meg told Daniella.
“That’s rather private information,” Daniella pointed out. “It can get the clinic where my eggs are stored sued and shut down. So I suggest you tell me, or I’ll have you investigated along with it.”
“You can’t do that,” Meg sounded confident but soon changed her mind. “Can you?”
Daniella wasn’t too sure, but Meg didn’t sound sure either, so Daniella used the woman’s uncertainty to get the information. “Trust me, I have an attorney you don’t want to mess with. As you write for a celebrity gossip magazine, you may have heard of Paige Garland.”
“P…Paige Garland is your attorney?“ Meg didn’t sound convinced. “She only represents celebrities.”
“My cousin is a celebrity, and Alex is an A-lister…” Daniella’s voice trailed off for effect, and let that sink in.
“Revealing where I got the information from could get me fired,” Meg told Daniella.
“Not revealing it to me can land you in hot water as I’ll assume it was you that somehow got into my personal medical records.“ Daniella did know that was illegal without the patient’s consent. “That is illegal, and of that, I’m certain, being a medical doctor.”
“Okay!” Meg breathed. “This morning, I received a package addressed to me that was delivered to my office. Inside were two large envelopes with information about you and Alex Blackwell.”
Daniella’s eyes widened, and her heart lurched. “What sort of information?”
“Your file had an old address, where you used to work as a surgeon, and information about your late husband.” Meg’s voice dropped. “I’m sorry about your husband. I, too, lost my husband in the line of duty. He wasn’t in the army, though he was a policeman.”
“Oh!” Daniella’s eyes widened, and she was attacked by even more guilt over misleading Meg. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” Meg cleared her throat. “The envelope contained your medical records and your daughter’s. I’m so sorry about what happened to her as well. How awful.” She paused for a few moments. “Actually, you know what, Daniella. You have been through so much…”
Daniella’s skin started to crawl, and her chest rose and fell as her stomach knotted in a ball of anger laced with fear. “What else is listed in the file, Meg?”
Daniella heard the sound of papers being shuffled. “Oh!” Meg breathed. “I… Uh…” There was more rustling. “The file on Alex isn’t as in-depth, but it has a few articles about him and some information about a court case that was thrown out when a woman tried to sue Alex sometime last year.”
Daniella’s eyes widened, and her heart lurched. No, it couldn’t be! “Meg, what else is in my file?” She asked, turning Meg’s attention back to Daniella’s file as she made her way to the garage through the interconnecting door.
“It’s just a document from the investigator who gathered the information,” Meg answered.
Daniella stopped on her way to the storage boxes lined up against one wall of Uncle Sam’s garage. “Does it have the name of the PI?”
“Yes, Stanley Wells,” Meg read the name. “And he was hired by… Uh…”
“Don’t worry. I think I know who hired the PI to investigate me,” Daniella said, her voice dropping. She clenched her jaw. “What about the file on Alex? Was it also information gathered by Stanley Wells?”
“Uh… yes!” Meg confirmed. “Only this document lists you as the client for whom the information was gathered.”
Shock waves zapped through Daniella, and she raced over to the boxes, her eyes widening in surprise to find the tape had been ripped off the box marked important documents. Balancing the phone between her shoulder and ear, Daniella discovered her files had been rifled through. They were mainly financial files, medical files, and one other she’d hidden in the box. Daniella stopped cold when she noticed three files were missing: Emily’s medical records from the meningitis and all the specialists they saw afterward, Daniella’s medical records from the fertility clinic, and the file she now knew Meg was in possession of.
Daniella dropped her forehead on the cool garage wall as she drew in a calming breath to steady herself.
This is not good—not good at all! Daniella felt sick to her stomach and then nearly jumped out of her skin when the garage door blew shut. She stared wide-eyed at the object holding her chest, and her heart thumped like a trapped bird.
“Daniella, are you still there?” Meg’s voice was filled with concern. “Is this some sort of prenup thing that you and Alex are looking into each other’s personal lives?”
“Excuse me?” Daniella pushed herself away from the wall. “What do you mean?”
“The file on you was commissioned by Alex Blackwell six months ago,” Meg’s words sent another jolt of shock through Daniella.
Her eyes narrowed as she realized it may just be another Doctor Jackson tactic. “Can you send me a picture of the document?”
“Sure,” Meg was suddenly very helpful. “Sending it now.”
Daniella felt even more terrible about misleading the young woman. Or at least Meg sounded relatively young. Daniella’s heart squeezed for her if she was young and had lost her husband.
You’re a terrible person, Daniella, her subconscious screamed at her. It’s for a good cause, her logical side reasoned. Daniella felt like she was in a bad comedy with her good side on one shoulder and her bad side on the other, each pulling her in opposite directions.
Daniella’s phone bleeped, and she closed the box and went back into the living room. A frown creased her brow as she noticed the lower living room window was wide open.
Was that like that before?Daniella couldn’t remember. Her mind felt like it was in a constant state of shock and disbelief, and ready to hit fight or flight mode at any second. How many times had she walked past her box in the garage and not realized it had been tampered with. Daniella wasn’t even sure when it would’ve been tampered with other than in the past two weeks when her boxes had been delivered to Uncle Sam’s house.
Daniella pulled up the picture and stared at the invoice sent from Stanley Wells, Wells Investigations. Stanley Wells had started his own investigation firm! It was an itemized list of what Stanley had been hired to investigate. Daniella’s eyes dropped to the bottom of the page, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw Alex’s name scrawled on the document. A smile spread across her lips, and her heart warmed—Alex hadn’t signed the document. Whoever had signed it trying to fake his signature and handwriting obviously didn’t realize that Alex wrote his E’s backward.
“Listen, Meg.” Daniella walked through the house and out the backdoor to where she hoped she couldn’t be heard by their eavesdropper. “What’s it going to take to have you return those files to me and not write about this?”
“I—“ Meg hesitated. “Daniella, I really need this story. I’ve been trying to get noticed by more serious news outlets. I—” She went silent for a few seconds. “I’ll send them back to you.”
Daniella sighed, and her heart went out to the young woman. She knew how hard it was to succeed in life, especially after the loss of someone you loved. Daniella knew she should check Meg’s story, and she was going to, but right now, the young woman needed a break.
“Thank you,” Daniella said. “What is your mobile number, Meg? I see you’ve blocked it.”
“Why?” Meg asked.
“If you prove to be trustworthy, I may want to tip you off on an exclusive you can sell to a more reputed news outlet. So don’t break your word to me about running a gossip piece about Alex and me,” Daniella warned.
“Really?” Meg sounded amazed. “You’d do that?”
“Yes,” Daniella answered.
“Okay, sending you my number now,” Meg told her, and within a few seconds, Daniella heard a message ping on her phone.
Daniella walked back into the living room, putting her phone on speaker. “I don’t trust journalists or reporters,” Daniella told her honestly. “But I’m going to trust you.”
“You can trust me,” Meg assured her.
Another pang of guilt shot through Daniella, and because she clenched her jaw each time she felt guilty, she was starting to get a toothache.
“Be at the Boston courthouse tomorrow at two-thirty in the afternoon,” Daniella invited Meg. “Don’t tip off any other reporters because I will not be amused if you do. Alex will be furious with me as he doesn’t want reporters there at all. Contrary to what the world believes, Alex is a very private person, and we’ve been having a few issues lately in our relationship.” She gave a dramatic sigh, hoping it sounded authentic. “I don’t want our wedding day ruined by a horde of paparazzi, or my marriage will be over before it begins.”
“I won’t!” Meg promised. “I need this one for myself. Thank you, Daniella. Thank you!”
“Of course,” Daniella said, ignoring her good side, which was screaming at her. “Maybe I can even get Alex to do an interview.”
“Wow!” Meg said excitedly. “That would be amazing. I’ll be there tomorrow. Thank you, Daniella, and I’m so sorry about the misunderstanding.” She paused. “If it wasn’t you who called me from the clinic, then who was it?”
Good question!Daniella thought. “It was me.” Let’s see how the narcissist enjoys his limelight being stolen. “But please, please, don’t say anything. You know… it would make Alex mad.”
“Of course,” Meg said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Daniella was feeling physically ill by the time she’d ended the call. Never had she pulled such a horrible stunt as she just had, misleading Meg, and Daniella felt the woman was going to get a shock when a horde of reports turned up at the Boston Courts the following day. Because if Doctor Jackson thought it would cause a rift between her and Alex, Daniella was sure he’d contact all the local news outlets.
Daniella squared her shoulders and breathed away her guilt over Meg, reminding herself why she was doing this. Uncle Sam had empowered her to make a stand and stop running so she and Emily could finally live normal lives. Daniella wanted more than anything to stop being on constant high alert that Doctor Jackson would pop up and try to kidnap Emily again to manipulate Daniella. Emily still had nightmares about that, and Daniella knew they wouldn’t stop until Emily felt safe again. She wanted her daughter to feel secure.
“Oh shoot, is that the time?” Daniella’s eyes’ landed on the big clock in the living room. “I’d better finish packing.”
She was about to go to her room when Daniella realized that Hicks hadn’t been in the kitchen when she’d walked out the back to talk privately to Meg. Her brow creased as she went to the kitchen to double-check.
“Hicks?” Daniella called, and she heard a bark coming from the living room.
She walked back into the room and was surprised to see him trying to squeeze back into the house through the window.
“How on earth did you get out there?” Daniella looked at the dog, confused. “Here.” She opened the window a little wider.
As the window opened, Daniella was nearly bowled over as Hicks shot through it like a sixty-pound snarling torpedo speeding down the hallway. Daniella gaped after the animal for a few seconds before starting to follow him. She was brought to a halt as she stepped into the hallway to hear Hicks’s snarl turn into a bark. Cold shards of fear flooded Daniella, and she picked up one of Uncle Sam’s silver candelabras.
Holding the heavy silver object like a baseball bat, Daniella slowly made her way closer to her room. The growling intensified, a crescendo that matched the pounding of her heart. A chill went down Daniella’s spine as a scream echoed through the half-open bedroom door right before there was a crash before the door flew open. A figure clad head to toe in black, like a specter drawn from Daniella’s nightmares, emerged. The door slammed shut behind them, trapping Hicks and casting Daniella and the intruder in a standoff as they came face to face. Time slowed, and the air thickened with tension as the burglar’s hazel eyes, which was all Daniella could see of the person’s face, met hers. They were filled with a hate so intense that Daniella felt it pierce her soul. Thrown by the burning emotion in the burglar’s eyes, Daniella was floored for a few seconds, and then the person moved.
Daniella raised the candelabra threateningly and commanded, “Stop!” She could hear Hicks’s barking escalate as he thumbed against the closed door.
But the figure ignored Daniella and lunged forward in a blur of motion, tilting Daniella’s world as they knocked into her. Daniella hit the wall behind her. The impact jolted her, and her head hit the wall. Pain flared brightly like a starburst behind her eyes before the world faded to black like a curtain falling on her consciousness. As her body slackened, the pain and fear crumpled into the distance as the echo of her own heartbeat sounded like a lullaby lulling her into the void.
Consciousness crept back into Daniella’s world to the sound of a voice filled with worry calling her name.
“Daniella? Can you hear me?” The voice sounded familiar and made her feel warm and safe.
Her mind tried to reach the soothing voice through the swirling mist that held her in the tranquil darkness.
“Daniella, please, open your eyes.” The voice sounded closer as the mist slowly let go of her, and she drifted to the surface and toward the light.
Her eyelids were as heavy as lead, but she pried them open and immediately wished she hadn’t, as the sunlight felt like it was trying to burn out her eyeballs and send its rays into her aching head.
Eyes!Daniella’s brows shot up, and she winced in pain, grabbing her head as the memory of what happened flooded back. “The burglar had hazel eyes.”
“Burglar?” Two male voices echoed through the room.
Her vision cleared, and she found Alex and Harley staring down at her, looking horrified.
“There was a burglar?” Harley asked in disbelief. “Here, in our house, and you didn’t call me.”
“No, I was too busy trying to ensure Hicks was okay,” Daniella answered, and her eyes widened. “Hicks!”
“He’s fine,” Harley assured Daniella. “We managed to persuade Uncle Sam to take him to Betty’s house.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’d better message him and tell him you’ve woken up.”
“In the meantime, can you tell us what the heck happened?” Alex sat beside her on the sofa and handed her a glass of water. “You may need this.”
“Thank you,” Daniella said gratefully, taking the room-temperature water and sipping it before she explained what happened.
Then she remembered what she suspected and needed to tell Harley and Alex before they said anything else. Daniella attempted to sit up and was hit by a wave of dizziness, which caused her to wince as the blood rushed to her head, making it throb.
“Easy,” Alex cautioned, his hand gently pressing against her shoulder, urging her to lie back. “You took quite a hit. You have a lump on the back of your head and…” His eyes widened as they fell on her side that had been pressed against the sofa and his sharp intake of breath alarmed her. “Blood!”
“What?” Daniella looked at Alex, confused.
“You’re bleeding,” Alex said, his tone laced with worry.
“You’re bleeding?” Harley lifted his head from his phone and dropped to his knees beside the sofa. “Stay still.”
“Calm down!” Daniella told both men as she quickly examined her head. Alex was right. There was a big bump at the back of it. “Turn around, both of you, please.”
Harley and Alex stood and walked a few feet away with their backs turned to her while she quickly examined her side. There was no wound. Confusion furrowed her brow as Daniella examined the dark stains on her shirt. The realization hit her with a mixture of horror and relief.
“You can turn around now,” Daniella told them. “I’m not injured beside the golf ball at the back of my head. This is not my blood.” She saw the relief wash over Alex and Harley, then quickly said in sign language to them, Hicks must’ve bitten the intruder when he flew into my room to confront them. Be careful what you say in here because I think the house may be bugged. She looked at Alex. I think yours may be as well.
Alex’s eyes widened momentarily before nodding in understanding, and he signed back, We know about my house as Sam and Harley found bugs.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, Dani,” Harley said out loud as she signed to her. We’re leaving them where they are to let whoever planted them think they have the upper hand.
Sam said it was a strategic decision and would turn our vulnerability into a deceptive weapon against our unseen adversary. Alex explained.
I’m going to get the bug device and find out where they are planted. Harley told them. Act as naturally as you can.
Alex and Daniella nodded.
“I’m going to call Jennifer about the marriage license and then Uncle Sam,” Harley said out loud. “I’ll be back soon.” He strode out of the living room.
“You gave us such a fright, Daniella,” Alex told her, and she could see he meant it.
“I can imagine what it must’ve looked like arriving here to …” Daniella’s eyes widened. “The burglar was in my room.”
She swung her legs over the sofa and pushed herself into a standing position. The world wobbled as she swayed from dizziness, and she landed in Alex’s arms as he caught her before she collapsed. Daniella’s breath caught in her throat as their eyes met, and her heart went wild, making her feel lightheaded, not from the bump on her head but from the impression Alex had made on her heart.
“Whoa, slow down there, speedy.” Alex’s voice was soft, and she could feel it vibrate through his warm, solid chest, which she pressed against.
Their eyes locked, and Daniella felt their lips being drawn toward each other. But before they could meet, Harley’s voice came from the kitchen, making the spring apart with such force she nearly fell over. Alex’s hand snaked out and caught her wrist, steadying her.
“Daniella!” Harley called and shot across the room. “Why on earth are you trying to stand up?”
“The burglar was in my room,” Daniella explained as Alex slowly let her go when she was steady on her feet. “I need to see what they took.”
“Let me help you,” Alex offered before Harley could. “Or at least let me come with you so you don’t pass out on the way.”
“Okay,” Daniella said with a nod, feeling comforted. In truth, she was nervous to go into her bedroom alone at the moment. “Thank you.”
“I’ll wait here for Jennifer to call me back,” Harley told them, then signed. I’m going to check for bugs.
Daniella and Harley walked into her room, and she couldn’t suppress the shudder that hit her at the thought that someone had violated her private domain. Her eyes scanned the room, and her heart lurched when she noticed that the photo of Tom had the frame smashed.
She rushed to the table, and her eyes landed on the warning written in lipstick on her bedside table.
This is just a frame that can be fixed. If you marry Alex, you won’t be able to fix what will happen to one of you.