Page 74 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Stalker

“Yes,” she sniffled. “Yes. So happy.”

“You can stay in West Bay if you’d like, and…”

She stood up, shaking her head violently. “I can’t.”

“Why not? I was hoping maybe you’d come to work for Lancaster Games.”

She got the sweetest smile on her face. “Oh, I would love that. But I can’t. I absolutely can’t. Some… things have happened, and I know I need to leave West Bay as soon as possible after I graduate.”

With that statement, she hurried from the room. “I’m going to get cleaned up,” she called over her shoulder. A few seconds later, the bathroom door closed, and I heard the shower start up.

Just as I was wondering whether this was about her stalker—did she know about him?—a sound came from her phone.

I glanced back towards the shut bedroom door before hurrying over to it. I wanted to see the notification. Not in a creepy, snoopy way, but to see if she was in danger.

She had a few texts from friends, but the most recent one made me drop the phone as if it was a snake. It read:

Unknown:Pretty girl, you messed up. The pain will be so muchworse now…

That’s where it cut off.

Oh. My. God. I had to save her, help her, whatever. I couldn’t let this continue.

But what in the world was I going to do?

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Daisy

“What do you mean it’s your last paycheck?” Old Man Dinardo folded his thick arms over his broad chest, his brown eyes concerned.

“I… I have another job now. I’m so sorry, don’t you remember the two-week notice I gave you?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ivan paying attention to our conversation. His tattooed arms were busy flipping burgers, dropping fries into boiling hot oil, chopping salads—he did it all. But I was afraid he’d chop off his fingers or burn himself if he watched us too closely.

“Can we talk in private?”

Old Man Dinardo sighed. “We don’t have to, Daisy. I knew it was coming. I got your recommendation for the new hire, and she’s working out well. Nia’s been training her.”

I smiled with relief. “Oh, good. I just knew she’d be perfect.” I glanced over to where Nia was instructing Carly, a beautiful blonde with wild, curly hair, on how to wipe down tables at the end of the lunch rush.

Carly was a former sorority sister of mine who’d run into equally hard times as I had. If not worse. I winced inwardly when she turned, and I saw her perfect, tall, California-girl body. Perfect except for the very visible scars and devastation on one of her legs, from her knee to halfway up her thigh.

She’s been in a horrible car wreck and walked with a slight limp now. She’d lost her volleyball scholarship, her NIL deals, and her ability to pay for college.

I’d talked with Carmen about the possibility of hiring bothCarly and Nia, and she’d sent them each an invitation to an upcoming private hiring event at Sugar. I hoped for my friends’ sakes that she would hire them. She’d be crazy not to, I thought, and not just because they were friends of mine. Nia was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen. Carly was also gorgeous in a tan, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Malibu girl kind of way.

But Nia had small boobs, and Carly had bad scars. I knew Carmen would have to look beyond her normal hiring practices if she were to hire them.

I grinned and waved at the two of them, before giving Old Man Dinardo a hug, waving at Ivan, and hurrying from the deli.

Carmen had arranged for me to have a shopping trip with Madeline in a few minutes. I jumped in the beautiful, silver Lexus SUV Jack had bought me and pulled into traffic. I was headed to the more exclusive shopping area a couple of blocks away to meet Madeline for lunch.

She was already seated in the restaurant by the time I got there. I grinned at her as I slid into the booth across from her.

“Hey.”

Madeline smiled, her perfect features, flawless makeup, and understated but sophisticated outfit all going in direct opposition to her raunchy stripper persona. “Hey, girl. Congrats on landing Jack Lancaster,” she said leaning in, her blue eyes sparkling. “That man is fine as hell.” She thought for a second. “A little weird and nerdy, maybe, but I hear he can fuck like a goddamn pro.”