He touches her arm, just a brief, friendly contact. She doesn't pull away.
Rage floods through me, white-hot and violent. My jaw clenches so hard I taste blood. How dare he? How fucking dare he touch what's mine?
I force myself to breathe, to think. This is a problem. A weed in my carefully cultivated garden. And weeds need to be removed. Completely.
I watch them for another ten minutes, my fury building with every smile, every laugh, every easy moment between them. When they finally stand to head back to the office, I've made my decision.
***
The helicopter lifts off from my building's rooftop, the city spreading out beneath us in a glittering sprawl of lights andlives. My pilot knows better than to make conversation. He flies in silence while I stare out at the darkening sky.
My phone is already in my hand. Bjorn answers on the first ring.
"Sir."
"The intern at Sinclair Designs. Leo Castellano." My voice is calm, detached. The rage has crystallized into cold purpose. "Remove him."
"Understood. What level?"
"Make sure he understands he is never to go near her again. Ever. I don't care if he has to leave the city, the state, the fucking country. He doesn't speak to her, doesn't look at her, doesn't exist in her world anymore."
There's a brief pause. "And if he refuses?"
"Then make sure he understands the consequences of refusal. Be creative. Be thorough. But Bjorn?" I let the steel enter my voice. "No permanent damage. I'm not a monster." Or am I?
"Understood, sir. It will be handled tonight."
I end the call and look down at the city lights below. Somewhere down there, Eve is probably still smiling at whatever the intern said. Still completely unaware that I've just erased him from her life.
The thought should disturb me. Should trigger some recognition that what I'm doing is wrong, excessive, cruel.
But all I feel is satisfaction. One more threat neutralized. One more potential complication removed from her path.
She'll wonder why he disappeared so suddenly. Maybe she'll even be sad for a day or two. But she'll move on, and she'llnever know that I was the one who protected her from another man who wanted to use her kindness, her beauty, her light.
The helicopter banks left, and I catch my reflection in the window. Dark eyes, hard expression, the face of a man who's made peace with his own monstrosity.
I think of Maria asking if I have family. People who worry about me.
Soon, I tell myself. Soon I'll have Eve, and the loneliness will end.
I have to believe that.
Because if possessing her doesn't fill this void, then nothing will.
And I don't know how to survive that truth.
Chapter 9 - Eve
The flower shop is a riot of color and scent, a small oasis tucked between a coffee shop and a bookstore. I've been coming here for years, ever since I moved to this neighborhood. The owner, aptly named Mrs. Bloom, knows my preferences—peonies when they're in season, white roses when they're not.
"Miss Sinclair!" She greets me with a warm smile, already reaching for the roses. "Your usual?"
"Please." I set my purse on the counter, grateful for this small moment of normalcy. The past few days have been a nightmare of crisis management and sleepless nights. I'm running on caffeine and sheer stubbornness at this point.
Mrs. Bloom begins wrapping the roses in brown paper, her movements practiced and efficient. "You know, that lovely young man from your office was in here earlier this week. Asked all about your favorite flowers."
I freeze, my hand halfway to my wallet. "Young man?"
