Page 21 of Monsters Wear Crowns
I swallowed the unease crawling up her throat. This wasn’t just a random attack. It felt personal. My phone vibrated on my desk. A message. I reached for it, suddenly feeling nauseous. At that moment, I already knew, already felt the weight of icy unease settling in my chest.
Unknown Number: Did you miss me, Adela?
My grip tightened around the device. The words coiled through me, wrapping my stomach in a vice of tension and something far more dangerous.Was it him?
A shaky breath left my lips. I wanted to believe I was overthinking it, that this was some game–a calculated move by a rival, a ghost from the underbelly of the tech world. But I knew better.
My pulse roared in my ears, memories from the night before flashing behind my eyes. The way he touched me, the way he looked at me. The power he exuded with nothing more than a whisper against my skin.
I squeezed my eyes shut, inhaling sharply through my nose. Fear curled in my stomach, twisting tight, but it wasn’t alone. Because underneath it, there was a wild and deep arousal. It had me craving the unknown rather than running from it.
Laura’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I blinked, forcing my features into something more composed. “Yeah. Just–thinking.”
Laura narrowed her eyes but let it go. “Well, if whoever that was tries again, we’ll be ready.”
I gave a slow nod before turning away. I returned to my desk, but the restless energy hadn’t left. Instead, it followed me as I walked toward the towering windows lining my office. The city stretched endlessly before me.
Where was he?
The question sank deep into my bones.
Before I could process it, a knock at my office door made me jump. One of my assistants stepped in, holding a sleek black envelope. “This just arrived for you, Miss Sinclair. Hand-delivered. No sender.”
I took the envelope, a new wave of unease prickling at my skin. The texture of the paper was smooth, expensive. I flipped it over, slid a manicured black nail under the seal, and pulled out a single playing card.
A black king.
Beneath it, in an elegant, slanted scrawl, was a time and place.
Laura strolled in and eyed the card in my hands. “Well,that’scryptic as hell. Who’s it from?”
I hesitated, but I knew. “I don’t know.”
Laura scoffed. “You do that thing when you lie, you know. The way your lips twitch.”
I clenched my jaw. “I’m not lying.”
Laura folded her arms. “Then tell me why you suddenly look like you look like shit.”
I wanted to brush it off, pretend it was just some business meeting I’d forgotten about. But the truth clawed at my throat. The breach, the message, the envelope–none of it was coincidence. A cold realization slithered through my veins.I let my fucking stalker finger me. I kissed him.
I forced a breath, locking my expression into something neutral. “It’s nothing. Just work.”
Laura didn’t look convinced. “Adela–”
“I need to get back to this breach,” I cut in, tucking the playing card into my desk drawer. “Let me know if anything else comes through.”
Laura exhaled, clearly wanting to push, but eventually gave a slow nod. “Fine. But if you start getting murder-y stalker vibes, you tell me, got it?”
I mustered a smirk. “Got it.” As soon as Laura left, I let outa dramatic breath and turned to the windows, staring at the sprawling city below.
***
The dim glow of my laptop screen was the only light in the penthouse. I sat at my sleek wooden desk, fingers hovering over the keyboard, re-reading lines of code and intrusion logs for what felt like the hundredth time. The clock on the wall read just past midnight, but sleep wasn’t an option. Not with all of these unanswered questions. I never texted the unknown number back. I didn’t trust myself to.
I leaned back, exhaling sharply, before glancing at the elegant black card resting beside my laptop. I picked it up, the texture smooth beneath my fingers, and twirled it absentmindedly. My gut told me there was a connection between Rafe and that breach. I’d always been smart. I always saw the game before others even realized they were playing. But this…this felt different.
