Chapter 20 – A Gift No One Wanted

POV: Elena

The message lingered on Jace's phone long after he lowered it.

Answer your front door. I left you a little gift.

A cold feeling settled in my stomach. The text wasn't dramatic or threatening, which somehow made it even worse. Whoever had sent it was confident enough to know we'd open the door. They wanted us to find whatever had been left outside, and they wanted us to know it was intentional.

Jace slipped his phone into his pocket and headed for the staircase.

"Stay upstairs." "I'm coming with you." His shoulders stiffened. "Elena, this could be dangerous." "So I could stand here wondering what's in that box." He opened his mouth to argue, but before either of us could say another word, Richard stepped out of his study. One look at Jace's face told him something was wrong.

"What happened?"

Jace handed him the phone without a word.

Richard read the message carefully, his expression revealing almost nothing. He looked toward the front entrance before pressing a button on the wall that connected directly to the estate's security office. "Have someone check the front porch immediately," he instructed. "No one opens the door until they've cleared the area."

Within moments, two security guards hurried outside while the rest of us waited in the foyer. My mother appeared from the living room, her eyes moving anxiously between our faces. "What's going on?" "No one knows yet," I answered quietly.

And the silence was interminable. Every passing second made the knot in my stomach tighten. I found myself staring at the glass panels beside the front door, half-expecting someone to appear on the other side. Instead, one of the guards returned carrying a large white gift box wrapped with an elegant silver ribbon.

"There was no one outside, sir," he reported. "The package was sitting beside the front steps." He placed it carefully on the marble floor before stepping back.

It looked almost beautiful. That was what frightened me the most. The ribbon was perfectly tied, the box was spotless, and there wasn't a single indication that anything about it was dangerous. It looked like a birthday present waiting to be opened.

Richard crouched beside it, studying every angle before touching it. "Bring the scanner." Another guard disappeared and returned a minute later with a portable scanner used for suspicious packages. He slowly passed it over the box while everyone watched in complete silence.

After a careful inspection he glanced up.

"I can't detect anything hazardous." Jace still didn't seem convinced. "Move back," he said, positioning himself in front of me. I frowned. "What are you doing?" "Just stay behind me." His tone left no room for argument.

Before I could protest, he carefully untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside rested a long white bridal veil folded with almost unsettling precision.

No one spoke.

The veil was beautiful, delicate even, but seeing it inside that box made my skin crawl. Beneath it lay a stack of glossy photographs.

Jace picked up the first one, and the color drained from his face. "What is it?" I asked. He handed it to me. My fingers trembled as I looked down. The photograph showed us leaving the charity fundraiser several nights earlier. Another showed us walking across campus after Media Day. A third captured us entering my academic building.

There were more.

I am sitting alone outside the library. Jace is climbing into his SUV. The two of us are standing outside the Calloway house after dinner.

Every picture had been taken without our knowledge. Someone hadn't simply been watching us. They had been following us. My breathing became shallow as I reached the bottom of the stack.

A small ivory envelope rested underneath. I carefully opened it and unfolded the note inside. A fake bride should at least look convincing. I stared at the words until they blurred together.

Whoever had written them knew exactly where to hurt me. They weren't trying to expose us yet. They were enjoying the fear first.

Richard took the note from my hand and read it once before folding it neatly. "We're keeping this quiet. I looked at him in disbelief. " Quiet?" "Yes." "Someone has been stalking us." "And leaving anonymous packages," Jace added. Richard remained as composed as ever. "I understand that." "No, I don't think you do," I said, unable to hide the frustration in my voice. "This isn't some harmless prank."

"I never said it was." "Then why aren't we calling the police?" His gaze settled on me. "Because the moment law enforcement becomes involved, the media won't be far behind. If word spreads that my family is being targeted, speculation will begin immediately."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You're worried about gossip?" "I'm worried about the consequences." His answer only made me angrier. "Someone is invading your family's privacy, and you're still thinking about headlines."

"I'm thinking about protecting everyone in this house." 

Jace let out a humorless laugh.

"No, you're thinking about protecting the Calloway name." The room fell silent. Richard's expression hardened ever so slightly. "Watch your tone."

"I'm tired of watching yours."

For several seconds, father and son simply stared at each other. My mother stepped forward before the argument could escalate. "Please," she said softly. "Fighting isn't going to solve anything." Jace finally looked away, but the tension remained.

He turned toward one of the guards. "I want every security camera checked. Every recording from the last two weeks." "We've already started reviewing them," the guard replied.

"Good. Then don't stop until you find something." I glanced back at the photographs scattered across the foyer floor.

One detail suddenly caught my attention.

"Wait."

Everyone looked at me. I picked up the picture of Jace and me outside my classroom. "This wasn't taken by the same person," Jace frowned. "What do you mean?" "The angle is different."

I held it beside another photograph taken outside the house. "Whoever took this one was standing much closer." Richard's eyes narrowed.

"So?"

"So that means..." My voice faltered as the realization settled over me. "There wasn't just one person watching us."

No one spoke. Even Richard looked unsettled. The house telephone's shrill ring shattered the silence.

One of the maids answered it, listened for a few moments, then slowly turned toward us. Her face had gone completely pale.

"Sir..."

Richard stepped forward. "What is it?" "The caller refused to give a name." She swallowed nervously. "They only said one thing. " Every muscle in my body tensed.

"What did they say?" Jace demanded.

The maid looked directly at me. "They said... if Miss Hart wants to know who's been taking the photographs..."

She hesitated.

"...she should come to the old greenhouse behind the athletic center tomorrow night."

The line went dead.