เข้าสู่ระบบLogan The police called me at seven fourteen in the morning. I knew the exact time because I had been staring at my phone, deciding whether sending Missy another message would violate the promise I made in the park. I had not contacted her since she walked away. Not because I did not want to. Because she had asked me not to. The restraint felt unnatural. Then an unfamiliar number appeared on the screen, and for one foolish second, I thought it might be her calling from another phone. It was not. “Mr. Carter?” “Yes.” “This is Detective Lena Brooks. I am contacting you regarding an active harassment investigation involving Allie Harper.” My body became still. “What happened?” There was a brief pause. “Are you aware of threatening messages and photographs recently sent to Ms. Harper?” “No.” The answer came automatically. Then the photograph Chase had mentioned during our call returned to me. The building. The anonymous acc
Allie Security did not bring the envelope inside immediately. For nearly forty minutes, it remained beneath the bright gate lights while officers photographed it from every angle. Nadia instructed everyone to keep their distance until the outer road had been cleared and the package checked for anything dangerous. I stood in Chase’s office watching the camera feed. The white envelope looked harmless. That made it worse. My name was written across the front in thick black letters. ALLIE HARPER No return address. No stamp. Nothing that explained why someone had crossed the road in the middle of the night to leave it at Chase’s gate. Chase stood beside me with one hand resting against the back of my chair. He had not released me completely since the hooded figure appeared on the camera. “What if there is something inside?” I asked. “There is something inside.” “I mean something dangerous.” “They are checking.” His voice was calm, but h
Chase The house changed within twenty minutes. The front gate locked completely. Two additional security vehicles arrived and parked beyond the main drive. Exterior lights came on around the entire property, turning the garden and walls bright enough to remove almost every shadow. Men moved between cameras, gates, and entrances while speaking into radios. Allie stood in the kitchen watching through the window. I closed the curtains. She flinched at the sudden movement. “Sorry,” I said. “No. It’s fine.” It was not fine. Nothing about this was fine. The photographs remained open on my phone. My front gate. The side wall. The guest room window. Whoever had taken them had been close enough to study the property. Close enough to know which room Allie used. I called the security director from the team first. He answered immediately. “I need the home address treated as an active threat location.” “What happened?” “An anonymo
Allie By the end of the first week, Chase had stopped asking whether I wanted coffee in the morning. He simply left it for me. Every day before early practice, I woke to find a cup waiting on the kitchen counter beneath a small metal cover that kept it warm. Beside it, he usually placed a short note written in the same neat handwriting he used when signing foundation documents. Practice until ten. Security team arriving at eleven. Eat breakfast. Or: Rain today. Do not use the balcony until the cameras are checked. The notes sounded more like instructions than affection. That was why I kept every one. The first morning, I had carried the coffee upstairs and returned the cup to the sink before he came home. By the fourth, I drank it at the island while answering emails, wearing one of his old team sweatshirts because the house was colder than my apartment. It was too large for me. Chase noticed immediately. He entered through the kitchen door aft
Chase Tara called me the morning after Missy met Logan. I was standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee I had forgotten to drink. Allie sat at the island, reviewing campaign emails while sunlight moved across the floor. My phone vibrated. Tara’s name appeared on the screen. I answered immediately. “Is Missy all right?” The question came out before I said hello. There was a short pause. “She is safe.” Relief arrived first. Then suspicion. “Why are you calling?” Tara exhaled. “She asked me not to tell you.” My grip tightened around the phone. Allie looked up from her laptop. “Tell me what?” “I waited until she came home,” Tara said. “I confirmed she was safe, and I did not contact you while she was still out because I knew you might show up.” “Where was she?” Another pause. The answer formed in my mind before Tara spoke. “She met Logan.” Anger moved through me so quickly that I had to place the coffee cup on t
Missy I told Tara everything except how badly I wanted Logan’s explanation to change what I already knew. She stood in the middle of her apartment with her arms folded while I pulled on my coat. “You are meeting him again.” “Yes.” “After he admitted using you.” “He admitted wanting information.” “That is using you.” “I know.” “After lying about his name.” “I know.” “After your brother discovered the entire thing at dinner.” “I was there, Tara.” “Then why are you acting as though I need to remind you?” Because part of me still remembered Luke. The easy conversations. The bakery advice. The way he had looked at my notebook as though my plans mattered. I did not say that. Instead, I checked my phone. The park Logan had chosen was thirty minutes away. Public. Open. Busy enough during the afternoon that I would never be alone with him. I had selected the exact meeting point myself. A bench near the main café and childre







