“How? I don’t understand.”
“The world works in mysterious ways, my friend. I’m just glad I was able to help.” He shut his laptop.
“My head is spinning, man.” I rubbed my temples. “I suppose in your line of work, you’ve got some serious connections?”
“You’d be correct, but due to the sensitive nature of this particular matter, I handled this myself; nothing was outsourced.” I couldn’t help but pinch my brows in confusion. “Before I started building systems to stop hackers, I was a black hat, always looking for ways to break in,” he added as if that somehow made it all make sense.
“So this is real. Whatever happened to her is just gone? Like poof?”
He gave me a sharp nod. “I’ve also set up digital traps and will be alerted to any further activity, but I don’t expect there to be any.”
“Because you’re that good?”
“Correct, but should anything materialize, you have my word I’ll shut it down faster than it takes me to call you.” He moved to stand.
“Thank you.” I extended my hand to him. “I’m forever in your debt.”
He took my hand in a firm shake. “There’s no debt owed; it was the right thing to do.”
I made my way back to the bedroom, a room that wasn’t supposed to be ours, but Jenna felt it was the most secure option from prying eyes with direct access to the elevator and security. After quietly closing the door, I leaned back against it, watching Lily, who hadn’t moved since I’d left.
While Cameron had insider information, an endless list of possibilities ricocheted through my head, leaving me feeling off-balance. I didn’t care about whatever she’d done in the past, but knowing those actions had consequences and that she was paying the heavy price didn’t sit well.
“No.” Her voice tore through the darkness. “No.”
I hurried to her side in six long strides, then froze as she began to thrash in her sleep. My heart ached watching her trapped in pain. Climbing onto the bed, I gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Lily, wake up.”
She jolted awake immediately, with eyes wide and deep in terror. I stayed still, not wanting to overwhelm her further, andwaited until recognition flickered. When it did, the panic in her gaze slowly gave way to something softer before I pulled her into my arms. Lily grasped at me like she couldn’t get close enough, her fingers dug into my shirt as if letting go would pull her back into the nightmare.
I held her and kissed the top of her head. “I’ve got you.” I kissed her again. “I’m right here.”
Her body trembled against mine, and all I could do was hold her tighter, be her anchor, and reassure her I wasn’t going anywhere.
“You’re safe. It was just a dream.”
Lily shook her head no, almost violently.
“No,” she rasped. “It felt real. Itwasreal.” Her voice splintered under the weight of each word that crossed her lips.
“No one will ever hurt you again, I promise.”
“You can’t say that. You don’t know—” The pain in her voice was debilitating.
“Cameron removed what you put on the internet.”
Lily gasped, recoiling from my embrace as if my words had physically slapped her, and climbed out of the bed in a flash.
“You think that I—You think I started an OpenVeil account?” There was no masking the hurt in her voice as I realized the error of my words.
The adult website OpenVeil? What in the actual fuck!
“Lily—” I was stunned. My throat went dry as I shoved myself off the bed and stood opposite her.
“No.” She waved her hands frantically for me to stop. “No, you don’t get to stand there and accuse me of putting myself on the internet for God knows whose viewing pleasure.”
“I’m not judging you, I?—”
