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Of course, I could have gone to the police and given them the evidence, but that would have opened up a can of worms, and one I didn’t want. I left the fireplace and went to bathe to get rid of the smell of smoke. I had lost my appetite and kept looking out my window to see if anyone was out there watching me.How long has this been going on and just how much did they have on me?
These thoughts haunted me in my sleep. The next morning, my alarm woke me up. I had woken up a few times throughout the night; I only got a few hours of sleep. I rolled out of bed feeling feverish and tired. My limbs felt heavy. With the way I was, it was unlikely I’d make it to work. I dialed Morrison’s number.
“Morris, clear my schedule for today. I’ll be staying home. Keep me posted on important developments at the company,” I said in a faint whisper.
“Noted, ma’am. You don’t sound okay. Anything I can do to help?”
“Thanks. I’ll be fine.” I smiled trying to assure myself more than him. I ended the call and walked shakily to the restroom. I took myself to the living room and curled on the couch, watching what was playing on the phone’s screen. Still, I couldn’t focus. If this person had access to me, then they’d have other explicit images of me. I had to do something.
An idea came to mind. With hope in my heart, I called Karl. He answered on the second ring.
“Hello, Marie, miss me?” I could hear the breezy air with which he spoke. It confirmed my suspicion he didn’t receive anything similar, or he was hiding it well.
“Yes, I do. However, I called for something more urgent. Yesterday, I received an envelope with images of us having sex at your party. I don’t know who it’s from, but I know if they were able to get those photos, then they would have been at the party. I need you to check the CCTV cameras to find out who looked suspicious.” I stopped to catch my breath. I was banking my hope on this. If it failed, it would be near impossible to find out this person’s identity.
Karl was silent for a moment. Did he know something? Or saw something suspicious?
“Karl?” I prodded him.
“I’m sorry, Marie. I ought to have told you. During that moment, I saw some camera flashes, but I couldn’t chase the person given the situation we were in.” He sounded apologetic, but that didn’t ease the anger I felt. I breathed in deep to calm myself.
“Karl, you ought to have told me. Right now, I fear for my safety and privacy. Whoever this was, they were there! We’ve got to find them,” I spit out.
“I assure you that I will find out who this is and bring them to justice. Tell me, what do you need to feel safe?” When he said that, my anger abated. Suddenly, I wanted him around.
I blurted out, “I’ll feel safe with you around.” I added, “You don’t have to worry, I can take care of myself.”
“Nonsense. I’ll be there soon.” He shut down my protests. Within an hour, I heard a knock at the door. I opened it to see him. Relief washed over me, and I rushed into his arms. I felt safe and protected.
“Thank you for coming.” I nuzzled his neck, happy for his presence.
“Come in.” I led him into the living room. It felt weird having him around, and with my current state, I felt inadequate somehow. He didn’t seem to mind. He pulled me into an embrace on the sofa. I was lulled to sleep by his steady breathing.
I was relieved not to receive any more threats, although we were stumped as to who the mystery person was. However, going over what happened that day, I suspected Howard, but I had no evidence. He has been silent ever since that day, and in a way I was relieved to not hear from him.
My phone rang. I answered immediately when I saw that it was Selena. “Lena! How are you?” I left my seat and went to the window, looking down at the city’s bustling street.
“Great actually. The billion-dollar hotel I invested in at Dubai, Evergreen Continental is holding a launching ceremony. As one of the shareholders, I have to be in attendance and want to know if you’d like to join me as my guest.”
“I’d love to, but you know how swamped I am at the moment. When are you leaving?” Selena wasn’t the type of person to stay around in a place for too long.
“This weekend. Come see me off at the airport.”
“I won’t miss it.”
The weekend came. I drove to the airport and was led to the tarmac where Selena’s private jet was. When I got on the plane, I saw her going through a magazine. I sat by her side. She looked up, a smile on her face. “You made it,”
“I had to see you off. You look set.”
“Yes. I wanted to make sure I saw you before I left.” She saw my sad face and commented, “Karl?”
“No, not him.” I could not tell her just yet. She still wasn’t on board with Karl and me being together.
“Whatever it is, I hope you tell soon. I care for you.” She placed a hand on my knee. “And be careful around Karl, he’s my brother but I don’t want him to hurt you. Promise me.” She squeezed my knee.
“I promise to try.” That was the best I could do. She accepted that. The pilot informed her that it was time to leave. Saying my goodbye, I walked slowly to my car, in deep concentration. Whatever my relationship with Karl, she was right, I had to protect my heart.But can I?
Chapter 18
