THE PRICE OF LEAVING

ANIYA’S POV

I stared at the photograph on my phone until my fingers went cold.

You should have stayed married.

Those four words kept replaying in my mind.

Whoever sent the message knew about my divorce.

They knew where I worked.

And they had been close enough to photograph me without me noticing.

I looked at KC.

“Could this be Corbin?”

His expression remained unreadable.

“Do you have any reason to believe it is?”

I hesitated.

“No.”

“Then don’t accuse him without evidence.”

His answer surprised me.

I expected him to immediately blame Corbin.

Instead, he sounded completely rational.

“Then who could it be?”

“That is what I’m going to find out.”

Ethan walked back into the office.

“The building is secure.”

KC nodded.

“Good.”

Ethan looked at me.

“We’ve also checked the cameras around the building.”

“And?”

“Someone was standing across the street for approximately forty minutes.”

My stomach tightened.

“Did you get his face?”

“Not clearly.”

KC’s jaw tightened.

“Send the footage to me.”

Ethan nodded and left.

I looked at KC.

“I should go home.”

“No.”

I frowned.

“What?”

“You’re staying here tonight.”

I almost laughed.

“Absolutely not.”

“Aniya.”

“I have an apartment.”

“And someone knows where your office is.”

“They don’t know where I live.”

KC gave me a look.

“Are you sure?”

I went silent.

I hadn’t considered that.

The thought made my stomach twist.

KC picked up his phone.

“I’m arranging security for your apartment.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard.”

“You do.”

“I can protect myself.”

“I believe you.”

“Then—”

“But being able to protect yourself doesn’t mean you should have to.”

I stared at him.

His voice was calm, but there was something intense behind his eyes.

“You can’t control everything around you,” he continued. “Neither can I. But I can reduce the risks.”

I didn’t know what to say.

No one had spoken to me like that in a long time.

Not because they thought I was weak.

Because they understood that being independent didn’t mean refusing help.

I looked away.

“Fine.”

KC nodded.

“You’ll stay here until we know who sent the message.”

“Where?”

“My guest apartment.”

I looked at him suspiciously.

“You have a guest apartment?”

He gave me a faint smile.

“I have several properties.”

Of course he did.

The man probably owned half the city.

Ethan returned a few minutes later.

“The car is ready.”

KC looked at me.

“Let’s go.”

⸻

The guest apartment was on the upper floor of another luxury building.

I stepped inside and looked around.

It was beautiful.

Modern furniture.

Huge windows.

A view of the city.

Everything looked untouched, almost as though nobody actually lived there.

“You stay here?”

“No.”

“Then why do you have it?”

“For situations like this.”

I turned toward him.

“What kind of situations?”

His expression didn’t change.

“Business.”

I wasn’t convinced.

Before I could ask more, his phone rang.

He looked at the screen and stepped away.

I walked toward the window.

The city looked peaceful from this height.

People were going home.

Cars moved along the streets.

Everything looked normal.

But my life didn’t feel normal anymore.

My marriage was over.

My company was just beginning.

My ex-husband apparently wanted to interfere with my business.

And someone was watching me.

I touched my phone.

Another notification appeared.

This time, it was from Corbin.

Corbin: We need to talk.

I stared at the message.

I didn’t respond.

Another message came almost immediately.

Corbin: I know about your company.

My brows furrowed.

Then another.

Corbin: You’re making a mistake.

I locked my phone.

A minute later, it rang.

Corbin.

I ignored it.

It rang again.

I finally answered.

“What?”

There was silence on the other end.

Then his voice.

“Where are you?”

“Why?”

“I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Aniya, this isn’t a joke.”

“I know.”

“You’ve started a company?”

I looked toward the window.

“Yes.”

“You’re working with KC Sterling?”

My eyes narrowed.

“How do you know him?”

“That’s not important.”

“It is to me.”

Corbin exhaled.

“You don’t know what kind of man he is.”

I almost laughed.

“And you do?”

“I know enough.”

“You didn’t seem concerned about him when I was your wife.”

“That isn’t what I’m saying.”

“Then what are you saying?”

His voice became quieter.

“Stay away from him.”

I froze.

“Why?”

“Because he’s dangerous.”

I looked across the room.

KC was still on the phone.

His back was turned toward me.

“You’re warning me about dangerous men now?”

“Aniya—”

“No.”

My voice hardened.

“You lost the right to tell me who I can trust when you chose another woman over me.”

“That isn’t fair.”

“Neither was your speech.”

He went silent.

I continued.

“My divorce is final. My life is no longer your responsibility.”

“I know.”

“Then act like it.”

I ended the call.

My hands were trembling.

I hated that Corbin could still affect me.

Even after everything.

I turned around.

KC was standing there.

He had ended his call.

“How much did you hear?”

“Enough.”

I sighed.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“He warned me about you.”

KC’s expression remained calm.

“What did he say?”

“That you’re dangerous.”

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Did you believe him?”

I studied him.

“I don’t know.”

He nodded.

“Fair enough.”

That answer caught me off guard.

“You’re not going to deny it?”

“No.”

My brows lifted.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t lie to people I respect.”

The room fell silent.

I stared at him.

There was something about the way he said it that made my heart beat faster.

“Are you dangerous?”

KC walked toward the window.

“Yes.”

The honesty in his voice sent a chill through me.

“But not to you.”

I looked at him.

“How can you promise that?”

He turned.

“Because I don’t hurt the people I choose to protect.”

I swallowed.

There was something hidden behind those words.

Something I didn’t understand yet.

Before I could ask, Ethan entered the room.

“KC.”

His expression was serious.

KC immediately turned toward him.

“What happened?”

“We found the car.”

“What car?”

“The one connected to the person watching Aniya.”

My heart started racing.

“Where?”

Ethan looked at me before answering.

“Outside Corbin Vale’s office.”

Silence filled the room.

I stared at him.

“What?”

Ethan continued.

“The vehicle has been parked near Corbin’s building for the past two days.”

KC’s expression darkened.

“Does Corbin know?”

“We don’t know.”

I felt confused.

“If the car belongs to someone watching me, why would they be outside Corbin’s office?”

KC looked at me.

“That is the question.”

My phone buzzed again.

I looked down.

Another unknown number.

This time, it wasn’t a photograph.

It was a message.

You think leaving him means you’re free?

My blood ran cold.

A second message appeared.

You haven’t seen what happens when people betray the wrong person.

I looked up.

KC was already watching me.

“Show me.”

I handed him the phone.

He read the messages.

His expression became dangerously calm.

Ethan looked over his shoulder.

“KC…”

“I know.”

KC returned the phone to me.

Then he looked directly into my eyes.

“From this moment, you don’t respond to any unknown number.”

I nodded.

“And you don’t meet anyone without telling me or Ethan.”

I swallowed.

“Okay.”

He walked toward the window.

I watched him closely.

For the first time, I realized something.

Maybe Corbin had been right about one thing.

KC Sterling was dangerous.

But the more frightening realization was that I was beginning to trust him anyway.

And somewhere in the city, someone was making it very clear that they didn’t want me to.