Page 27 of In A Mood For Mr. Wrong

I exhale through my nose, forcing myself to stay still, when every muscle in my body is screaming to do something, find Liam, make him regret ever breathing her name. She moves past me, setting her mug in the sink with shaky fingers. "We need to focus on finding out who gave him my information. That’s all that matters right now."

"That’s notallthat matters." My voice is lower now, sharper.

She turns, meeting my eyes, her expression guarded. "It is. Because the alternative is letting him control me. And I refuse to let that happen."

Damn it. I know she’s right. But it doesn’t make me want to put my fist through a wall any less. I take a slow breath, clenching my fists at my sides before relaxing them. "Fine. But you’re not dealing with this alone. We track down who helped him, we shut it down, and then…"

She crosses her arms. "And then what?"

I step closer, invading her space, letting the heat between us crackle. "And then I make sure he never comes near you again."

Her breath hitches, but she doesn’t move away. "Grayson…"

"I don’t care what it takes, Margot. He doesn’t get to haunt you. Not while I’m here."

Something shifts in her eyes, something she won’t say out loud. But I see it., and I’ll be damned if I let him win. Margotexhales sharply and turns away, gripping the counter like she needs something solid to hold onto. I don’t like seeing her like this, shaken, guarded, pretending she’s fine when she’s anything but. I move to stand beside her, keeping my voice steady. "We need a plan."

She nods, still not looking at me. "Yeah, I know."

"First, we find out how he got your number and address. I’ll push harder on my contacts to see if there was a data breach or if someone handed over your information."

She finally meets my gaze, her expression hard. "And if it was someone inside Perfectly Matched?"

I hold her stare. "Then we cut them off. No hesitation."

She swallows, nodding once. "Okay."

I take a step closer, lowering my voice. "Second, we need to keep you off his radar while we figure this out. That means no unnecessary contact with anyone outside of Elliot and Olivia. No slipping back to your place. No making yourself an easy target."

She lets out a humorless laugh. "So what, I just stay hidden here forever?"

"No, Evans. Just until I make sure you’re safe."

Something flickers in her eyes, frustration, maybe or something deeper. "I don’t like being backed into a corner, Grayson."

"I know. But this isn’t about pride. It’s about survival."

Her jaw tightens, but she doesn’t argue. Before I can say anything else, her phone buzzes again on the counter. We both glance at it at the same time, my gut twisting as another message appears on the screen:Did you like my gift? I have more.

Margot inhales sharply, her hands trembling as she snatches the phone up and locks the screen.

"That’s it," I grit out, grabbing my keys. "We’re done playing defense. It’s time to go on the offense."

She stares at me, her breath shallow. "And what exactly does that mean?"

I step closer, letting my anger seep into my words. "It means I’m going to find him before he finds you." Before she can respond, her phone buzzes too. We both glance at our screens, then back at each other.

Margot sighs. "It’s Olivia. What now?" She answers with an exasperated tone. "Liv, please tell me you’re not calling about Elliot too."

"Oh, Iam," Olivia says, her voice dramatic. "Except this time, it’s from the girl’s side. Margot, she’s freaking out too! She said Elliot was 'unexpectedly charming in a neurotic way' and now she doesn’t know what to do. She keeps texting me, overanalyzing every moment."

Margot groans, rubbing her temple. "So, let me get this straight, Elliot is panicking because helikedher, and she’s panicking becauseshe liked her back?"

"Exactly," Olivia confirms. "It’s a full-scale meltdown on both sides. Honestly, it’s like watching two deer freeze in headlights. You need to fix this."

Margot mutters something under her breath before responding, "Okay, fine. I’ll talk to her. But this is officially the least of my problems right now."

I smirk, leaning against the counter. "This is your matchmaking empire at work, Evans."

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