Elena sat in her office, absently stirring the now-cold coffee on her desk. The warmth of Adrian's support that morning still lingered in her chest, but so did the sharp chill of that anonymous text message. She couldn't ignore it anymore.
Someone was watching her.
And they weren't afraid to act.
Just as she was about to rise to join Adrian for lunch, her office door opened—without a knock. Michelle stood there in a crisp white suit, arms crossed, her gaze cool and calculating.
"Busy?" she asked with a falsely sweet tone.
Elena's brows lifted. "Is there something you need, Miss Sinclair?"
Michelle stepped further in and closed the door behind her. "I wanted to give you a bit of advice, woman to woman."
Elena remained seated, but her spine straightened. "I'm listening."
Michelle's lips twisted into a smirk. "You may have won Adrian's attention for now, but don't think for a second that you've truly earned your place."
Elena's fingers tightened around her cup. "And what place would that be?"
"The one you've been parading around in," Michelle said, voice sharp. "The wife. The partner. The woman beside the CEO." She took a step closer. "That seat doesn't come without blood."
Elena set her cup down carefully. "Are you threatening me?"
Michelle laughed—a cold, humorless sound. "Not at all. I'm warning you. This world… it doesn't take kindly to fairy tale girls pretending they belong in it."
The words stung. But Elena had grown since the girl who first walked into the Blackwood mansion. She stood, her voice calm but firm. "Then I guess I'll just have to prove I'm not pretending."
Michelle's smile faltered for a split second. "We'll see."
As Michelle turned to leave, Elena's phone buzzed again.
"You don't belong with him. Not in his world. Leave, before it's too late."
No number. No name. Just that same ominous warning.
Elena stared at it, heart pounding.
Who was doing this?
And why now?
—
That evening, Adrian returned to the penthouse earlier than usual. Elena stood by the window, her arms wrapped around herself as she watched the city lights flicker like fireflies against the darkening sky.
He walked over, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You've been quiet."
She turned to face him, her eyes troubled. "Michelle came to see me today."
His eyes darkened immediately. "What did she say?"
"She warned me. Told me I don't belong in this world. That I won't survive it."
Adrian exhaled slowly. "You're stronger than she thinks."
She handed him the phone. "And then there's this."
He read the message and cursed under his breath. "Enough is enough."
He took her hand, pulling her gently toward the couch. "I've already sent the texts to my head of cybersecurity. Whoever's sending them, we'll find them."
Elena searched his face. "What if it's someone inside the company?"
Adrian paused. "Then I'll burn them out, one by one."
She believed him.
Still, unease coiled in her gut. "Why now, Adrian? Why are they targeting me now, after all this time?"
"Because they see what we're building," he said. "And they hate that I'm choosing you over them."
She reached up, brushing his hair from his forehead. "Just promise me something."
"Anything."
"Don't shut me out again. No matter what happens."
He leaned forward, kissing her gently. "Never again."
—
The next day, things moved quickly.
Adrian called for a full security sweep of both the company and their home. Every server, every email, every employee ID was being audited. Elena, though nervous, admired how quickly he took charge.
He wasn't just doing this as the CEO.
He was doing it as her husband.
Later that afternoon, as Elena was reviewing partnership reports, her assistant Mia burst in, pale and visibly shaken.
"Elena—you need to see this."
She handed her a brown envelope.
Inside were photographs.
Dozens of them.
Elena… at the café with Mia. Leaving the penthouse. Sitting alone at the park. At her parents' grave.
Every image was timestamped. Every angle… precise. Stalking, not coincidence.
Elena's blood ran cold.
"These were left in the front reception, addressed to you," Mia said quietly.
Elena shoved the envelope into her bag and rushed to Adrian's office.
He was in a meeting, but the moment she walked in with her expression pale and strained, he stood.
"What happened?" he asked, instantly by her side.
She handed him the photos.
He flipped through them, his jaw tightening with each one. When he reached the final photo—her, asleep in their bed—his entire body stilled.
This wasn't just surveillance.
This was obsession.
"We need to get you out of here," he said suddenly, urgency in his voice.
"What?" Elena blinked.
"I'm pulling you from public appearances and moving you to a secure location until we find out who's behind this."
"No!" she said, stepping back. "I'm not hiding. I won't let them scare me into running."
"Elena—"
"I'm tired of running. I want to fight, Adrian. I need to."
He looked at her—really looked—and nodded. "Then we fight together."
—
That night, Adrian called a closed-door emergency meeting with his most trusted executive team. Elena sat beside him, her presence commanding for the first time.
"I want every employee screened again. Go back five years if you have to," Adrian ordered. "Anyone with a grudge, financial trouble, or external ties—flag them."
His security chief nodded. "Understood, sir."
Elena added, "We need to consider Michelle as a person of interest."
Several glances were exchanged around the table. Adrian didn't flinch. "Agreed. Investigate her too."
The meeting ended with everyone on edge.
But Elena felt oddly at peace.
Not because the danger was gone.
But because she was no longer facing it alone.
—
Later that night, as Adrian leaned back on the balcony smoking a rare cigar—a habit he only indulged in during high-stress situations—Elena stepped outside and joined him.
"Any regrets?" she asked, resting her chin on his shoulder.
He tilted his head. "Only that I didn't protect you sooner."
They stood in silence for a long moment, the city buzzing beneath their feet.
Then he said softly, "There's something else you should know."
She turned. "What?"
"I think I know who's behind the messages."
Her pulse quickened. "Who?"
He looked her dead in the eye.
"My stepbrother."
Elena's mouth fell open. "What? You never told me you had a—"
"Half-brother. My father had an affair. He was disowned. But he's always blamed me for everything he lost."
"And you think…?"
"I think he's back. And this time, he wants more than revenge."
Elena stepped back, absorbing the revelation.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" she whispered.
"Because I didn't think he'd come this far. I underestimated him. And now you're paying the price."
She reached for his hand. "Then let's make sure he pays it back."
And together, they looked into the darkness, ready to face whatever storm was coming.