Chapter Sixteen
Aurelia
I don’t think I’ve breathed since the moment Luke said, “There’s been a break-in.” My brain feels as though it’s rusted solid, the gears grinding and squeaking. It’s taking longer than normal for me to sort out my thoughts.
I have a stalker. The words circle in my brain like tweety birds around the head of a stunned cartoon character. A man has been following me, sending me messages and gifts. It’s unreal. I feel like I’m in The Truman Show, and I’ve only just realized my life has been a lie.
Bemused, I watch as the police officers approach and Ella starts talking to them. Luke’s listening, although he’s watching me. My gaze creeps up to his. He doesn’t smile.
I can’t believe he’s known since the moment I met him. Christ, I’ve been such an idiot. It all makes sense. Marcus’s insistence that I have a CPO. The odd feeling I’ve had that conversations stopped whenever I walked into a room.
I understand now why Luke was so serious when he showed me the self-defense moves. Why he’s been so strict with me. Crossing the pavement to make sure he walks on the roadside. The way he checks every building before I go in. He’s been trying to keep me safe.
Ella says his name, and he turns to look at her. Feeling a sudden wave of panic, I reach out and take his hand. “Don’t go.”
He looks back at me, and I wait for him to object and remove his hand from mine. But instead he says firmly, “I’m not leaving you,” and he closes his fingers around mine, bringing me with him as he crosses over to them.
“This is Constable James Parish,” Ella says, “and this is Constable Sarah Wilson.” She looks at me. “This is Aurelia Ashford, and this is Luke Grayson, her close protection officer.”
“Hello, ma’am,” Sarah says with a comforting smile. “I understand you’ve had a break-in.”
I nod and swallow hard.
“I’m so sorry to hear that. How are you? Are you okay?” She glances at where I’m holding Luke’s hand, but doesn’t say anything.
“I’m… ah… a little shaken up, that’s all,” I admit.
“You rang the police?” Sarah asks Luke.
“Yes,” he says. “Once I realized someone had been in the apartment, I removed the principal. We didn’t touch anything.” He looks at Ella. “Have you explained the history?”
“I was just about to.”
“I was placed with Aurelia after she started receiving suspicious messages,” Luke says.
“What kind of messages?” Sarah asks.
Ella explains that her security team has intercepted hundreds of social media messages, texts, and emails, as well as flowers and gifts.
To my horror, she explains that he’s sent a dozen photos of me over the past few months, taken at my parents’ house, at work, while I’ve been lunching with friends.
Then she explains about the photograph that was taken from Dominic’s phone.
That makes tears prick my eyes. I’m annoyed, but not shocked that he didn’t get rid of them.
I still have a couple of photos of him on my phone, although they’re not intimate ones.
I am upset though that Luke has seen them.
He’ll have suspected that Dom took them during one of the sessions I told him about—when I was restrained against my will.
He must have been furious. No wonder he went to Dom’s office and threatened to take him apart.
I hate that everyone knew about this and chose to keep it from me.
I’m so angry, it’s making me shake. The only thing that comforts me is that I know Luke has regretted not being able to tell me.
Several times, he’s been on the verge of confessing; I realize it now.
I had to do what your parents wanted. I believe him when he said it nearly killed him.
He’s my close protection officer; he was told not to tell me. My family chose not to. It’s a very different thing, in my mind.
“Just quickly,” Luke says, “before everyone turns up… I’d appreciate it if you could keep attendance to the minimum necessary because of the nature of the items he left on the bed.”
Sarah frowns.
“Underwear,” Ella clarifies.
“And a very personal item,” Luke adds, exchanging a glance with her.
Ella’s eyes widen, and pity lights Sarah’s eyes as understanding obviously sinks in.
“I don’t want my father seeing it,” I blurt out.
“It’s a crime scene now,” Sarah says softly. “We have to avoid contamination, so only the police will go into the room, okay?”
I nod. Relief sweeps through me. I can’t explain how awful I’d have felt if my family went in there and saw everything—my father, Marcus, Caesar. God, I’d have died.
Sarah murmurs to James, and he nods and pulls out his phone.
She turns back to us. “Given the history you’ve described, I’m referring this to the Criminal Investigation Branch.
They’ll probably want to speak to you tomorrow, and they’ll also want to examine the scene themselves.
Constable Parish and I will go up and secure the room now and make sure the perpetrator has left.
I’ve requested a female scenes-of-crime examiner.
Once she’s arrived, she and I will photograph the apartment and then bag the items while Constable Parish takes statements from you both. Is that okay?”
My eyes sting. I’m so relieved that she understands why I’m so horrified.
Roy at reception hands the officers a spare key card. They walk over to the elevator, and soon they’re going into the carriage, and the doors close.
The main doors open, and I turn and see Marcus coming through, followed closely by Caesar and my parents.
They see us and come over, and Marcus immediately wraps me in his arms. “Jesus,” he says, “are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I push him away, but he’s immediately replaced by Caesar. “Guys, I’m fine.” I extricate myself from their embraces, then discover my mother standing in front of me. She’s in tears, pressing her hand across her mouth.
“Baby,” she says, “come here.”
I stand there and let her pull me into her arms. Over her shoulder, I meet Luke’s eyes. I’m trembling again. I love my mother with all my heart, and I’m so glad she has recovered from her illness. But right now, all I can think is that she knew I had a stalker, and she chose to keep it from me.
Eventually, maybe feeling my frostiness, she releases me. I submit to a hug from my father, then fold my arms defensively, conscious of everyone looking at me as Ella introduces the family to the police and vice versa.
“Have you checked the apartment?” my father demands.
“The police officers are up there now,” Ella advises.
“I want to go up.” Marcus holds out his hand to Luke. “Give me your key card.”
Luke shakes his head. “Sorry, Marcus, the police are processing the scene. Nobody goes upstairs until they release it.”
“She’s my sister,” Marcus says, in a voice that tells everyone he’s used to getting his own way.
“I’ll come with you,” Edward says to him. “I want to see what he did.”
“No.” Luke speaks firmly. “Sorry, sir, but you can’t.”
Edward fixes him with a glare that would have turned lesser mortals to dust. “I appreciate that you got my daughter to safety, but this is not your decision to make.”
Luke exchanges a glance with Ella. She comes forward and says firmly, “You can go up there when the police have finished, sir. Not before. You don’t want to contaminate the scene.”
That pacifies them, although they both look annoyed.
“Okay,” my father says to Ella, “so once Aurelia’s given her statement, she can come back with us?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I think it best if she stays with us for a while, don’t you?” he says to Mum.
“Absolutely,” Mum says.
“We’ll need to get the locks changed on the apartment,” Marcus states.
“And find out how he got hold of a key card,” Caesar says.
“Rick is checking the video footage of the corridor at the moment,” Ella says. “It won’t take him long.”
“I think maybe from now on we need a camera in the elevator,” Dad says. “And this lobby.”
“The car park?” Caesar says.
“Yes,” Dad continues, “and maybe the gym, and if—”
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t talk as if I wasn’t standing in front of you,” I announce icily.
Dad stops talking, and they all turn to look at me.
“Do you know how violated I feel?” I ask.
Dad’s expression softens. “I know. It’s awful that he was inside your apartment, and—”
“No,” I snap. “I mean I feel violated by all of you.”
They all stare at me. Dad opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again.
“You all knew I had a stalker,” I whisper. “And you chose to keep it from me.”
Mum looks aghast. “We didn’t want you to worry.”
“That wasn’t your choice to make.” I don’t know how to make them understand how I feel.
“Baby…” Dad says.
“I’m not a baby,” I yell. “I’m a grown woman.
A director at the company. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about this.
All this time… I was so angry with you,” I say to Marcus, who’s looking alarmed, “for making me have a CPO. And so upset with Luke for being on my case the whole time. I feel like such an idiot.” I look at him.
His brown eyes are full of pity and understanding. “I’m so sorry,” I tell him.
“Why are you apologizing to him?” Marcus says indignantly. “He didn’t tell you either!”
“No, but that was because you told him not to. You didn’t tell me out of choice.” I press a hand to my heart. “I can’t believe you kept it a secret from me.”
“We did it for your own good,” Dad snaps. “We can argue about it later. Now, after you’ve given your statement, we’ll take you home, and you can stay with us for a while.”
Ice filters through my veins. “No.”
“No what?”
“I’m not staying with you.”
Impatience flickers across his features. “Don’t be childish. Do you understand how serious this is?”
I move closer to him, absolutely furious. “Don’t you dare call me childish or baby again. This is my life. Do I understand how serious this is?” Suddenly, I don’t care who knows. I need them to understand how bad this is. “He left my underwear on the bed, Dad. And my vibrator.”
Mum goes white. Marcus says, “Jesus.” Caesar and Dad both look horrified.