Chapter 21

**Shadows of the Past**

Although the penthouse was meant to be a haven, it didn't seem like one. Even though Jake had installed security cameras, alarm systems, and guards at each entry, I still got the uneasy feeling somebody was watching. Every time I passed the enormous windows, the hairs on the back of my neck pricked, as though invisible eyes were watching me every step of the way. Paranoia, perhaps. Or perhaps the past was intruding into my present and refused to be buried.

Small things were the first. I caught a glimpse of a shadow moving. The feel of chilly air on my skin when there were no openings for views open. A lost object here and there. I convinced myself that the stress of everything was making me dream. Until the night I discovered the message.

I had gone to bed feeling worn out from carrying too many thoughts. But it was difficult to fall asleep. My mind kept going over everything that had brought me here, including Jake's unexpected homecoming, Dominic's impending danger, and the way my heart hurt from memories I wanted I could forget, as I tossed and turned. A whisper of paper slid on the floor, shattering my sleep when I eventually fell into a restless slumber.

Instantly, my breath caught in my throat and I sat up. Except for the dim glow of city lights coming through the drapes, the room was pitch-black. With my heart racing, I bent down to get the little piece of paper that had been tucked behind my door.

"He's closer than you think."

I felt a cold go through me. I turned the paper over with shaking fingers, but nothing else was there. Only that one, eerie sentence. I threw open the door, jumped out of bed, and entered the corridor. Not a thing. No motion, no sound. They had armed the security system. Nobody ought to have been able to enter without setting off an alert.

But someone had.

Despite the uneasiness that was churning in my stomach, I grabbed the note and hurried to Jake's room. I flung open the door without thinking. His phone was in his hand as he sat on the side of the bed, his face unreadable and gloomy. When I interrupted him, his head jerked up.

“Emma?” His words were tinged with bewilderment and slumber. "What is the matter?"

I presented the note. "They slipped this under my door."

In a split second, Jake was standing and walking across the room. As he read the note, his jaw tensed and he grabbed it out of my hands. "How in the hell—" Whirling toward the door, he summoned his security detail.

Guards were humming around the penthouse in a matter of minutes. They searched the video footage and looked at every potential entrance point, but to no avail. No evidence of a forced entry. There are no eerie people hiding in the hallways. The note seemed to have just materialized.

My arms were encircling me as I murmured, "It must be Dominic." "He is alerting me to his presence."

Jake's face became expressionless. That isn't feasible. Security would have discovered something.

"So tell me about this!" With a finger stabbed at the note still gripped in his fist, I snapped. Jake, someone entered here. The building has a person inside.

Exhaling sharply, he ran a hand through his hair. Security will be tripled. Emma, nobody is escaping me. I promise it.

I wished to believe him. I did, I did. But I couldn't get rid of the terror that was slithering inside of me.

That night, I slept very little. I clung to the blankets as if they might somehow protect me from the past snatching its way into the present with every creak and change in the atmosphere. I made the decision that I couldn't wait for the next danger to find me when daylight arrived. I needed clarification.

I took advantage of the fact that Jake had gone downstairs to meet with his head of security to look for any clues as to what the hell was going on. I was not a moron. Jake was withholding certain information from me. The way he sidestepped some queries and the hesitancy in his eyes whenever I brought up Dominic were all signs of secrets I wasn't sure I wanted to reveal.

I had to, though.

In his office, I began. The room was immaculate, with each file and book carefully arranged. Over the desk and the papers neatly arranged next to his laptop, my fingers followed. There is nothing unusual. My eyes then fell on the little drawer close to the bottom. secured.

My heart beat faster. Nothing was ever locked in Jake's office. Not beforehand, anyhow.

I fumbled about the desk until I came upon a paperclip, straightened it, and inserted it into the lock. After several attempts, there was a tiny click and the drawer opened. It contained only one item, a burner phone.

My fingers were shaking when I picked it up, my heart racing. The edges were worn and the screen was smeared. I turned it on after a brief moment of hesitation. The messages showed up after a few seconds.

As I scrolled through them, each one made my stomach turn.

"Is she still resisting?" Dominic:

"She does not yet trust me," Jake said.

Dominic: "Assist her. Jake, I need her returned.

“I’m handling it,” Jake said.

I could feel my face's blood draining. As I scrolled to the most recent message, my eyesight blurred and I gasped for air.

Dominic: “I’ll bring her to you myself when the time is right.”

I felt numb all over. I almost let the phone slide from my hand.

No. No, there must have been a mistake of some sort.

It wouldn't be Jake. He wouldn't.

I heard a creak behind me.

I whirled around, my heart thumping.

Jake was standing at the doorway, his face unreadable. His dark, piercing eyes, however, held something I couldn't quite identify.

I felt fear hit me like a tsunami.

"What're you up to, Emma?" Jake asked in a composed tone. Too serene.

With a forceful gulp, I put the phone behind my back. "Seeking clarification."

I caught the precise moment he recognized what I had come across because his eyes strayed to my hands. His body tensed, his face darkening.

He muttered, "You went through my things." not upset. Not shocked. I just quit.

“You told me lies,” I said. The betrayal weighed heavily on my bones, causing my voice to break. "You and he have been collaborating all along."

We were separated by a thick, oppressive silence.

Jake then added, "Emma, it's not what you think," in a voice which had been almost audible above a whisper.

It was too late, though.

because I was aware. I knew, but I wasn't sure I'd make it through the truth.

Small things were the first. I caught a glimpse of a shadow moving. The feel of chilly air on my skin when there were no openings for views. A lost object here and there. I convinced myself that the stress of everything was making me dream. Until the night I discovered the message.