Chapter 13
After the security installers drove away, Willow walked through her home with new eyes.
The sensors and cameras were so discreetly placed that unless she looked for them specifically, she could almost forget they were there.
Almost. The subtle red lights blinking from various corners served as constant reminders that her sanctuary now needed guarding.
She prepared a simple dinner of grilled chicken and roasted vegetables, finding comfort in the familiar ritual of cooking while Casper worked on his laptop at the kitchen table.
The domestic normalcy felt surreal given the circumstances, but she was grateful for any sense of routine in what had become a thoroughly disrupted week.
"This smells incredible," Casper said as she set plates on the table. "You're going to spoil me for bunkhouse chow and takeout."
"I doubt that," she replied with a smile. "But I'm glad you're enjoying real food while you're here."
As they ate, Casper's expression grew more serious. "I need to know more about the people in your life, Willow. Anyone who might have reason to hold a grudge, anyone who's had access to your personal information, and anyone who might know your routines or location."
She nodded, having expected this conversation but still feeling reluctant to dissect her relationships under the harsh light of suspicion. "Where would you like me to start?"
"Tell me about Aaliyah first. How long has she been working for you?"
"About a year now. She's been wonderful. She’s professional, discreet, and appears trustworthy.
" Willow paused, gathering her thoughts.
"She came to me after working as a personal assistant for a Fortune 500 CEO.
Said she was tired of corporate politics and wanted to work for someone who valued integrity over image. "
His sharp gaze narrowed on her face. “You said appears trustworthy.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Well, yes. I confess that my last assistant shook my self-confidence in reading people. The one before Aaliyah.”
"You had to fire her, correct?"
A knot of disappointment and betrayal tightened in Willow's stomach. "Yes. Gloria Vasquez. She was my personal assistant for almost three years before I had to let her go."
"What happened?"
Willow set down her fork, her appetite suddenly diminished by the memories.
"For the longest time, I thought she was wonderful.
Efficient, helpful, always anticipating what I needed before I even asked.
I trusted her completely and considered her more of a friend than an employee.
She had access to everything… my schedule, my social media accounts, my personal spaces. "
"But something changed?"
"I started noticing things being misplaced.
At first, it was always small items such as costume jewelry, books, or souvenirs from trips.
Then things began disappearing entirely.
" She rubbed her temples, remembering the confusion and self-doubt of those weeks.
"I kept thinking I was losing my mind, that I was just being forgetful. "
Casper leaned forward, his attention focused on her words. "How did you figure out what was really happening?"
"My agent called me one day to say he'd seen some of my personal belongings being sold on an online auction site. At first, I couldn't believe it was Gloria. I made excuses, convinced myself there had to be some other explanation."
"But you investigated?"
"I had some basic security cameras installed in my LA condo without telling her.
Within a week, I caught her on video taking items from my bedroom and jewelry box, putting them directly into her purse.
" The betrayal still stung, even two years later.
"My agent started monitoring the auction site, and sure enough, those exact items appeared for sale within days. "
"Was that all she was taking?"
"No." Willow's voice grew quieter. "I discovered she'd created alternate social media accounts where she was essentially using my name and connections as her stepping stone to build her own online presence.
She was sharing details about my private life, posting photos from inside my home, even claiming to be my 'best friend' to get attention from my fans. "
"How did she react when you confronted her?"
"She was embarrassed at first, apologetic, claimed she was just trying to supplement her income, and never meant any harm.
But when I told her I had to let her go, she became angry.
Really angry. She accused me of overreacting, said I didn't understand how hard it was to work for someone famous without getting any recognition herself. "
Casper was making notes on his tablet, his expression thoughtful. "When was this?"
"Over two years ago. I know what you're thinking, and yes, there's a significant gap between firing Gloria and hiring Aaliyah. But I was so shaken that I decided I didn’t need an assistant.
Certainly not someone who had access to my house.
It was also then that I realized how tired I was of living in LA.
With my attorney's help, I found this place.
I moved, and then once I felt more settled, I hired Aaliyah. "
"We'll definitely look into Gloria’s current situation," Casper said. "What about your upcoming trip to LA? Who will you be meeting with?"
Willow pulled out her phone to review Aaliyah's itinerary notes.
"My usual professional circle, mostly. Nathan Foster is my film and TV agent.
He handles all my screenplay deals, and he's become a genuine friend over the years.
Christopher Baldwin is my entertainment lawyer, who negotiates contracts and handles any legal issues that arise.
We'll meet with Ryan Mitchell, who's a producer that champions my work and brings me the best projects. "
"Anyone else?"
"There's a development executive at one of the major studios who's my go-to person for getting my projects the green light.
We'll have lunch with him." She scrolled through her schedule.
"And if time allows, I'm hoping to grab drinks with Doug Malone and Becky Smithson.
They were costars from my teen acting days who stayed in the industry.
We try to catch up whenever I'm in town. "
"Tell me about Doug and Becky."
"Doug played my younger brother on the show, and Becky had a recurring role as my best friend.
We were all kids together and went through that whole crazy experience of sudden fame at the same time.
" A smile crossed her face at the memories.
"Doug's doing special-effects work now. He's incredibly talented with CGI and digital animation.
Becky is now into directing, mostly independent films and commercials, but she loves it. "
"Any romantic history with either of them?"
"God, no." Willow laughed. "Doug was like an actual little brother to me, and Becky became one of my closest friends. We've all stayed in touch over the years, but it's purely platonic."
As they finished dinner and moved to the living room, Willow studied Casper's profile as he reviewed his notes.
Something was deeply reassuring about the methodical way he approached her protection, the careful attention he paid to every detail of her life and relationships.
For the first time in weeks, she felt like someone was taking her fears seriously without making her feel paranoid or foolish.
Casper closed his tablet and set it aside, but his expression remained serious. "There's one more thing I need to ask about, and I hate to pry into painful territory, but I have to understand the complete picture."
Willow felt her stomach tighten, sensing what was coming. "My parents."
"Your background file mentioned estrangement. I need to know if they could factor into this situation in any way."
She was quiet for a long moment, then stood. “Let’s get comfortable before we have this conversation.”
They washed the dishes and put the leftovers in the refrigerator.
She poured a glass of wine, and he opened a beer.
They walked into the living room, and each sat on the sofa, twisting so they faced each other.
When she finally spoke, her voice was carefully controlled.
"Warren and Cecily Thorton are still alive, living somewhere outside Los Angeles now.
We have what you might generously call a basic relationship involving the occasional holiday cards and nothing more.
" Saying it aloud sounded so cold, and she wondered what he thought of her statement.
"What happened?"
"They were my managers until I turned eighteen.
Legally, anyway." She pulled her legs up under her on the sofa, wrapping her arms around her knees in a protective gesture.
"They started me in child modeling when I was five, and they.
.. they had very specific ideas about what that required.
I was put on a diet and calorie restrictions.
They constantly monitored my weight and appearance. "
Casper's jaw tightened, but he remained silent, letting her continue at her own pace.
"When the TV show came along, they saw dollar signs.
They pushed me to audition for movies while I was still filming the series, wanted me to take every opportunity that came along, regardless of how exhausted I was or whether it was appropriate for someone my age.
" Her voice grew quieter. "It took me years to realize that to them, I wasn't their daughter. I was their primary source of income."
"How did that change?"
"I started seeing a therapist when I was seventeen, someone who helped me understand that what was happening wasn't normal or healthy.
When I told my parents I wanted to go to college instead of immediately pursuing more acting work, they were furious.
They said I was throwing away everything they'd built, that I was being selfish and ungrateful. "
His gaze was intently pinned on her, but he didn’t interrupt, allowing her to speak at her own pace. She sipped her wine, then returned the glass to the coffee table.
"When I turned eighteen, I took control of my finances and my career.
To their credit, they hadn't stolen from me.
They'd been paid well as my managers and had put most of my earnings into trust accounts.
But they couldn't accept that I was making my own decisions.
" She paused, the memories clearly painful.
"They tried to start their own talent agency, thinking they could replicate their success with other young actors, but they never managed to sign anyone significant.
My mother attempted to open a modeling agency, but that didn't work out either. "
"Did they try to maintain contact?"
"They initially backed off. I think they hoped I'd come crawling back when college got difficult or when I realized how hard it was to make it in the industry without their connections.
But when my screenwriting career took off, and especially after I won the Oscar, they came back with demands.
They felt entitled to a percentage of my success and claimed they deserved credit for launching my career. "
"Fucking hell," he muttered.
She snorted at his curse and nodded. “Well put.”
After another sip, she continued, “I had to get attorneys involved.
They were showing up at industry events, telling people they were still my representatives, even contacting my agents and trying to negotiate deals on my behalf.
" Willow's voice grew steadier as she talked about taking action.
"My legal team sent cease-and-desist letters, and eventually we had to get a formal agreement that they would have no contact with me or my professional representation. "
"Do they know about your current living situation?"
"I don't think so. Well, to be honest, I don’t know. I've been very careful about keeping my location private. I’ve gone to great lengths to keep this address from being publicly linked to me, but, as you know, nothing is really hidden in our digital world. I will say that they haven’t overtly tried to contact me here. ”
“But they could have hired someone?”
She blinked, her mouth opening and closing several times.
“I… I…” The air rushed from her lungs as she thought about the possibility of her parents being behind the roses and notes.
It was still hard to imagine they would think of terrorizing her.
“Well, I’ll say that they're resourceful when they want to be, and they still have connections in the industry.”
Casper was quiet for a moment, processing the information. "Willow, I'm sorry you went through all of that. No child should have to deal with that kind of pressure and exploitation, especially from their own parents."
"I've had a lot of therapy," she said with a wan smile. "I'm in a much healthier place now, physically and emotionally. But yes, it's possible they could be behind some of this. They've never fully accepted that I'm not their meal ticket anymore."
"We'll look into their current activities," Casper said gently. "But for what it's worth, you should be proud of how you've built your life on your own terms. That takes tremendous strength."
The validation in his voice made her throat tighten unexpectedly.
She'd spent so many years feeling guilty about cutting ties with her family, wondering if she'd been too harsh or unforgiving.
Having someone understand the necessity of her choices without judgment felt like a gift she hadn't known she needed.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For taking all of this seriously, for not making me feel like I'm overreacting."
"You're not overreacting," he said firmly. "You're protecting yourself, and that's exactly what you should be doing."
But it was more than professional competence that drew her to him.
The way he'd watched her television show to better understand her situation, the gentle patience he'd shown during her moment of doubt about the security installation, and the easy domesticity of sharing meals and conversation had all awakened feelings she'd thought she'd carefully buried.
As the evening settled around them and the new security system kept a nighttime visitor at bay, Willow realized her feelings were strong for the enigmatic man who'd appeared on her doorstep just when she'd needed him most. The timing was terrible, the circumstances far from ideal, but her heart seemed determined to ignore those practical considerations entirely.
For better or worse, she was baring her soul for him and longed for the opportunity to know everything about him as well.