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I hurried to the door, only pausing to check the peephole before opening it. The pizza delivery guy looked bored, not threatening, and I exhaled with relief as I took the box.

“You’re seriously jumpy,” Cassie observed when I returned to the living room. “What the hell happened in New York?”

I set the pizza on the coffee table and sank back onto the couch. “I need a minute,” I said before I took another long sip of wine. I needed all of the liquid courage for what I needed to say.

Cassie watched me patiently, her eyes never leaving my face. She knew me well enough to give me the space I needed.

“Did you ever have one of those moments where everything you thought you knew suddenly shifts?” I asked.

“Several,” she replied. “Usually involving tequila and bad decisions.”

I smiled despite myself. “This is worse than tequila decisions.”

“Okay, now I’m really worried.” Cassie set her wine down. “Whatever it is, Sutton, you can tell me.”

I took a deep breath. “I think Cain Ashcroft has been watching me for years. Long before the acquisition was even on the table.”

Cassie’s eyebrows shot up. “What? How do you know this?”

“I got a call today from a reporter. Dana Liu. She says she has documents showing that I was specifically named in acquisition plans dating back at least two years.”

“That’s… unsettling,” Cassie said carefully.

“That’s just the beginning,” I replied, draining my glass and immediately pouring another. “The whole weekend was bizarre. He had a dress made for me, Cassie. Not bought—made. It fit perfectly, like he had my measurements.”

“That’s creepy as hell. Like… how do you even get that information without the person being aware?”

“Money and influence. He has both in abundance. You know what’s even worse?”

“There’s worse?”

I hesitated, my wine halfway to my lips. How could I possibly tell her what happened in that alley? The murder was one thing and having sex in front of an almost dead body was another. It was something I could barely admit to myself, let alone my best friend.

“Something happened,” I said finally, setting my wine down. “Something I don’t think I can tell you about.”

Cassie’s expression shifted from concern to alarm. “Sutton, you’re scaring me. Did he hurt you?”

“No,” I answered quickly. “Not physically, at least.”

“But emotionally? Mentally?” She leaned forward, her eyes searching mine. “What did he do?”

I stood up abruptly, needing to do something else with my body. It ended with me pacing. “I saw something in New York. Something I shouldn’t have seen.”

“Like what? Him with another woman? Some shady business deal?” She paused, studying my face. “Wait, is this blackmail material? Did you catch him doing something illegal?”

“You could say that.”

“Sutton, whatever it is, we can figure it out together. Is that why you think he’s been watching you? Because you saw something and now he’s keeping tabs?”

I shook my head, pacing in front of the couch. “No, it’s the other way around. He’s been watching me for years, and then I saw… something.”

“You’re being cryptic as hell right now.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I just don’t know how much I should say. How much I can say.”

Cassie stood up and blocked my path, placing her hands on my shoulders. “Look at me. Whatever this is, it’s eating you alive. I’ve never seen you like this.”

I met her gaze. “If I tell you, you could be in danger too.”