Page 111 of Twisted Truth

“I’m sure.”

I flop back against my pillows. My phone vibrates on the bed, and I look at it. A text from Asher comes through.

Glad I’m worth it. That’s a comfort at least.

My eyesnearly bulge from my sockets.

“I have to go,” I say breathlessly to my mom and Maya. “I’ll chat with you next week.”

I shut my laptop without another word and pick up my phone to dial Asher. He answers on the second ring.

“Hello, my Ella.”

“How the hell can you hear my conversation with my mother and sister?” I demand.

He chuckles. “When you were avoiding me like the plague, I took matters into my own hands.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You wouldn’t speak to me after the gala, and you avoided me by staying up in your room. I didn’t like it.”

“So what did you do?”

“Look up at the top of your TV.”

I slide off the bed and cross the room to the TV which sits directly across from my bed. There is a tiny black camera on top of it.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve been able to watch me in my room all this time?”

“Yes.”

“That’s disgusting and a horrible invasion of privacy, Asher! Why would you do that?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay and that you weren’t going to do something rash, like back out of our deal.”

“And how does watching me in my room accomplish that?”

“It’s not like I’ve been watching you constantly, I do have an empire to run.”

“That doesn’t make it okay!”

I frantically run over everything I’ve done in my room for the last week. “What have you seen?”

Asher chuckles again. “Not much, mostly you working or sleeping.”

“You watch me sleep?”

“I don’twatch. I’ve glimpsed you sleeping and turned off the feed once I knew you were safe in bed.”

“That’s so fucked up, Asher.” And then I think of what else I’ve done in my room. “Wait, have you watched me dressing and changing?”

He takes his time to answer. “Yes.”

“Asher!”

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen. And I like feeling like you’re close to me.”

I stare straight into the camera as I shout at him. “By watching me in my room like some creepy ass stalker?”