Chapter 25: Alaina

We drive into the office together in Lucas’s SUV. Stephan is driving us today, so Lucas can sit in the back with me. As we ride to work, Lucas is checking his phone for the morning news when his mouth turns down in displeasure.

‘Fucking unbelievable,’ he bursts out angrily, making me jump.

‘What’s wrong,’ I ask, alarmed.

He turns his phone towards me and I gasp in horror.

FROST’S GIRLFRIEND STALKER HELL!

‘How could they possibly know about this?’ I ask him.

‘I don’t know, sweetheart, most likely there has been a leak at the police department, but it could have been anyone is your building who saw the article then the damage to your door. There is no way to know for sure,’ he sighs putting his phone away and taking my hand in his, but I barely notice.

‘Oh God, everyone at work is going to have seen that. This will be a nightmare,’ I groan, now dreading my day.

‘Hey, just ignore them. None of this is your fault, Alaina. You didn’t cause this; just do your job as normal and everything will be fine,’ he tries to reassure me, but I look at him doubtfully.

‘They are also all going to know that I’m your girlfriend and that we are living together. I’ve known you two weeks; they’re going to think I’ve lost my mind,’ I finish, my voice slightly hysterical at this point.

‘I couldn’t care less that they know I’m your boyfriend,’ he says kissing my knuckles, seeming completely at ease with the whole situation, which honestly just adds to my frustration.

Thankfully the SUV has tinted windows, so we more or less manage to dodge the photographers waiting for us at the office and drive straight into the car park. Once we get out of the car, Lucas takes me by the hand and leads me into the elevator up to the main foyer. When the elevator opens, I try to loosen my grip on Lucas slightly, but Lucas has other ideas. He keeps hold of my hand and with a pointed stare, leads me out of the elevator and through the foyer.

Yep, people are definitely staring; actually staring is an understatement. They are openly gawking at us as we make our way to the private elevator that will take us to Lucas’s office. I can feel my face burn as people look and whisper as we pass them. Lucas, on the other hand, carries on as if nothing has happened, with a smile plastered on his face. Once inside the elevator, I release a breath and slump against the side of the elevator making Lucas laugh out loud.

‘I didn’t realise being my girlfriend could be such hard work,’ he teases, continuing to laugh.

‘Why do people have to stare so much? I felt like a monkey in the zoo,’ I grumble.

‘They’ll find something else to talk about by lunch time, sweetheart, I wouldn’t worry.’

‘Yeah, right, not only am I sleeping with THE Lucas Frost, but I’ve also managed to go get myself a stalker. Somehow I don’t think they will be talking about something else in the next four hours.’

At the mention of the work ‘stalker’ all traces of humour leave Lucas’s face and he stares at me intently.

‘We’ll find out who is behind this sweetheart,’ he says, pulling me close to him and I rest my head on his chest.

‘I won’t let anything happen to you,’ he promises.

‘I know you won’t.’

The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open. Putting on my best professional face I turn to him, take his hand and lead him from the elevator, much to his amusement.

‘Come on, time to get to work.’

I have a mountain of work to get through in the morning which is a welcome distraction from pretty much everything. I get a few funny looks when people drop things off to my desk, but thankfully they are too polite to say anything about the news headlines and the morning goes by uneventfully.

Lucas heads out for a business lunch, after kissing me deeply and making my knees weak in the office kitchen, so I have a couple of hours to myself. I’m just arranging notes that have been printed for a meeting tomorrow, when my computer pings with an incoming email.

Hmmm, strange, I don’t recognise the email address. I click on the email, it loads, and I gasp.

How could you betray me with him? Are you fucking him for his money? You were supposed to be mine? I thought that you loved me! I’ll make you sorry, you and your new boyfriend!! You fucking whore.

I re-read the email several times while I sit in shock at my desk. Tears burn hot behind my eyes, but I don’t let them fall.

Eventually I pull myself together, I reach down and grab my purse out of the bottom drawer of my desk and find Detective Edwards card. I dial the number and he answers on the second ring.

‘Hello, Detective Edwards,’ he says formally.

‘Hello, Detective, it’s Alaina Winters,’ I say, I can’t seem to stop the quiver in my voice. Naturally, being the detective he is, it doesn’t go unnoticed.

‘Miss Winters, are you alright?’ the detective asks, now sounding concerned.

‘I’ve been sent a threatening email at work from an address I don’t recognise,’ I whisper down the phone.

‘Don’t touch anything, Miss Winters, and don’t leave the office building. I’m on my way,’ he says urgently, and then hangs up.

I want to call Lucas, but he’s in a big meeting and I don’t know how to get hold of him, so I call Taylor.

‘Taylor, this is Alaina.’

‘What can I do for you, Alaina?’ he asks, Taylor is always to the point, no messing around.

‘I’ve had a threatening email at work. I can’t get hold of Lucas. The police are on their way.’

‘Stay there, I’m coming up, and I’ll get a hold of Lucas,’ he says, hanging up before I can respond.

Exactly two minutes later, the elevator doors open, and Taylor steps out, his face set in hard lines.

‘Who is coming to see you?’ he asks efficiently.

‘Detective Edwards,’ I answer, and he’s already picked up my desk phone and dialling another number.

‘Hello, this is Taylor. A Detective Edwards will be arriving shortly. Please send him directly to Mr Frost’s office,’ he instructs, then hangs up the phone.

He turns to look at me.

‘Lucas is on his way. Let me look at the email,’ he asks, gently moving me aside and glancing down at the computer screen. Then he’s pulling out his phone again.

‘James, this is Taylor. I need you to try and track an email that was sent to Alaina Winters’ email address,’ he says then listens for a few seconds.

‘Trust me, you’ll know the one I’m talking about when you see it. Get back to me ASAP. Thank you,’ he says and hangs up, putting his phone back in his pants pocket. He sits down next to me while we wait for the police and Lucas.

I sit with my elbows on my desk, rubbing my temples wishing desperately that this was some bad dream that I was going to wake up from.

‘How you holding up, Alaina?’ Taylor asks me quietly.

‘Honestly, Taylor, not great,’ I turn to him, giving him a weak smile.

‘Do you want me to call Carley?’ he offers, and I turn to look at him with some surprise.

He looks slightly embarrassed and uncomfortable, which is a new look on Taylor.

‘We’ve, uh, been on a few dates,’ he says making his ears go red.

‘Oh, I see,’ I smile at him, happy for my friend. Taylor has always seemed like a good man.

‘No, that’s OK, Taylor. I’ll call her after the police go. She’ll still be at school and I don’t want her to panic. There is nothing that she can do right now,’ I tell him, and he nods in agreement.

‘Tulips,’ I say to him, and he turns to me, perplexed.

‘Her favourite flowers,’ I inform him.

‘Just in case you were tempted to go and spend a fortune on a massive bouquet of roses. Her favourite flowers are tulips, doesn’t matter what colour.’ I tell him, and he smiles at me.

‘Thanks for the inside info,’ he says, and I laugh.

‘You’re welcome. Hurt her, and I’ll cut off your balls while you sleep.’ I turn to look at him seriously, and see him flinch at my threat.