Page 75 of Lush

“Absolutely.”

“Oh my God.” Noelle paled, and her hazel eyes dulled. “Are you safe? I mean, this sounds dangerous. What are they?—”

“The day after I got back, I got a threatening note. Someone shoved and dragged me while I was jogging. Toby’s acting weirdly friendly. And then there’s the camera I found in the bridal suite last week. Blair. Oh, Reese got sent lilies—just like the ones at Conrad’s funeral. It’s all too much. I feel like I’m losing it?—”

“Slow down.” Noelle leaned in, her tone calm but firm, her practicality now cutting through my spiraling thoughts. “What’s their angle? Are they looking for money? Stocks? What exactly are they holding over you?”

I hesitated. “It’s…complicated.”

“Complicated.” Noelle’s eyes narrowed. “Have you called the police? Does Reese know? Your mom?—”

“He knows. I haven’t told anyone yet but you.”

Noelle shook her head, a crease forming between her brows. “If someone is watching you?—”

“I know!” I interrupted, frustrated. “But you know as well as I do that the whole town would know about it in less than an hour if I went to the police.”

Noelle clutched her phone. “You can’t just handle this on your own. Keeping secrets got us here in the first place.”

I moved Walter, then reached into my bag. I held up the camera for her.

“Shoot, you were serious.” Noelle took the camera, and her face hardened, her fingers trembling. “This camera could be from anywhere. Do we know if it’s for sure related?”

“Are you kidding me? It doesn’t just coincidentally show up where I am.” I felt my pulse quicken, my voice rising. “After everything that’s happened, you really think this isn’t related?”

She paused, eyeing the camera.

“Can you help me figure out what’s on this? Maybe where it came from?”

I hated to bring Noelle into this, but she was my only hope. She had all the resources and connections I didn’t, thanks to her tech company. And I trusted her to keep it quiet.

She studied the camera in her hands. “So, what really happened that night?”

The memory tightened my chest.

“Conrad and I got into it. He…grabbed me. I never told you that.”

Her eyes snapped up, catching the hesitation in my voice. “He what? When?”

“I went downstairs. Conrad was there. We exchanged words,” I exhaled sharply, my voice clipped with frustration. “Reese came down. That’s what started the argument.”

Noelle’s brows furrowed. “Okay, but why would that set him off like that?”

“Conrad had been taking Reese’s ideas—stealing them—and passing them off as his own. And Reese just had to sit there and take it.”

Noelle nodded, but I pressed on. “We were planning to expose him. That was the plan. But…Conrad found out about us. He was gonna tell on us.” I swallowed hard. “And Reese lost it.”

Noelle exhaled. “Shit.”

I nodded.

I watched Noelle look down at the camera before sliding it into her purse. Gigi stepped out of the dressing room, her arms full of clothes.

“What’s the vibe, ladies?” she asked, glancing between us, completely oblivious. “I couldn’t decide on one dress, so I’m getting all seven.”

Noelle and I changed the subject. I didn’t want Gigi involved. We stepped outside, and Gigi was still blabbing away. Then, I saw them across the street. I saw Blair talking to Mayor Castillo near the curb.

They were so close, faces almost touching…

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