But she won’t. She saidobsessedand savored it, the word rolling off her tongue with intent. She didn’t flinch—she welcomed it. Struck the match with a smile. Now she gets the fire.
“She has full surveillance on the whole house, including her bedroom.”
My pulse spikes, and a slow smile spreads across my face. “Lucky me.”
Matt hesitates. “You want her bedroom feed too?”
I don’t blink. “Of course I want the bedroom camera. That’s the one that matters most.”
Matt shakes his head. “This is fucked up. You know that, right?”
“I know.”
And still, he keeps typing.
The screen flickers, and the feed stabilizes.
There she is—live. Real. Now. Barefoot. Curled into the corner of her couch, her robe slipping off one shoulder, laptop balanced on her thighs. The blue light flickers across her skin, her face slack with focus.
“Zoom in. I want to see what she’s looking at.”
Matt leans in, fingers flying across the keys, and the image sharpens—cleaner, tighter.
She’s playing back the moment I slipped the second note into her mailbox.
“She’s trying to see who I am.”
Matt raises a brow. “Or trying to ID the guy stalking her.”
I keep my eyes on her face—focused, composed, devouring the footage.
There’s no fear. Only heat. Curiosity.
She’s not backing away. She wants to play.
“Remember what you said, brother—if she runs, you let her. Don’t force this, Bastien. No good comes from that.”
I nod once. “I hear you.”
Matt checks his watch and stands, stretching. “I’ve got to head out. Got someone coming over.”
“A date?” I ask, brow raised.
He smirks. “Something like that. Try not to look so shocked.”
I let out a dry chuckle. “Hope she knows what she’s in for.”
“She doesn’t,” he says, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “That’s the fun part.”
At the door, he pauses. “Good luck with your fantasy girl, B. Hope she’s everything you think she is.”
“Me too,” I say.
But I’m not hoping. I already know.
Once the door clicks shut behind him, I turn back to the monitors. No audience. No interruptions. It’s me, the screens, and her.
I rewind to Monday morning. The second note.
