Chapter 14
Apparently, I’ve acquired a stalker. And not the fun kind that sends flowers and writes poetry—the workplace variety that lurks by copy machines and asks questions designed to make your skin crawl.
Adelyn.
At first, I thought her constant hovering was just standard office nosiness. You know, the kind of boredom-induced curiosity that makes people invest way too much emotional energy in other people’s lunch choices.
But lately, her “casual” interest has evolved into something that feels distinctly predatory.
“Heading somewhere, Jas?” she’ll chirp with that fake-bright voice whenever I so much as breathe in the direction of an exit. Like she’s conducting surveillance disguised as small talk.
What I’d initially written off as workplace personality disorder is starting to feel calculated. Deliberate. The kind of calculated that makes you check over your shoulder and wonder what exactly someone thinks they’re going to find.
After last night’s intensity with Liam—which, holy shit, still makes my brain short-circuit when I think about it—I arrived at the office stupidly early.
Hoping for some quiet before the daily chaos of phones and meetings and people demanding things I may or may not be qualified to provide.
The building was practically empty, exactly how I like it. Peaceful. No constant buzz of corporate bullshit that makes clear thinking impossible.
I was making coffee in the kitchenette, minding my own goddamn business, when movement caught my peripheral vision.
Adelyn, materializing like some kind of workplace poltergeist, standing by the counter and fidgeting with a sugar packet like it held the secrets of the universe.
Her smile was textbook professional, but her eyes? Sharp as broken glass.
“Early start today?” she asked, tone carefully casual. “Or just couldn’t sleep?”
Classic fishing expedition. The kind of question designed to sound innocent while actually being loaded with implication.
I shrugged, taking a sip of coffee. “Something like that.”
“Mmm.” Her gaze drifted toward the hallway leading to the executive offices, and I swear I could practically hear her brain calculating. “Lots of closed-door meetings lately. You must be exhausted, keeping up with all those… private consultations.”
The way she said “private consultations” made my skin feel like it was trying to escape my body. There was an insinuation buried in those words, a suggestion that she knew more than she was letting on.
Which, considering recent developments in my life, was absolutely fucking terrifying.
“That’s how record labels work,” I replied, forcing my voice to stay level. “Confidential projects, strategic planning. Standard corporate bullshit.”
Adelyn’s laugh was about as genuine as a three-dollar bill. “Of course. I’m sure it’s all very… professional.”
I walked away before I could say something that would confirm whatever suspicions were clearly brewing in her scheming little head.
But I could feel her eyes tracking my movement like a predator watching prey.
The familiar sensation of being watched settled between my shoulder blades—not out of concern or kindness, but out of that particular brand of curiosity that wants to find something it can use against you.
It reminded me of childhood. Of my mother pretending she wasn’t reading my diary, only to throw my own words back at me during fights weeks later.
That same invasive interest disguised as innocent concern.
Back at my desk, I tried to focus on emails, but my phone buzzed with a text that made me smile for the first time all morning.
Office lobby. With coffee. Come save me from corporate decor. —Nora
Thank Christ. I grabbed my jacket and escaped downstairs, grateful for any excuse to get away from the oppressive feeling of constant surveillance.
Nora was waiting by the lobby fountain, looking like she’d stepped out of a magazine spread about successful women who have their shit together.
Tailored suit, designer heels, and two coffee cups from the expensive place down the street—the kind I could never justify buying for myself.
“Okay, spill it,” she said without preamble, handing me a latte. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve been hit by a truck driven by anxiety.”
I hesitated, unsure how much I could share without revealing the absolute chaos my life had become recently. “Adelyn’s being weird.”
“Weird how?”
“Like she’s trying too hard to seem casual, but she’s always around. Always watching, always asking loaded questions.” I took a sip of the latte, letting the warmth settle my nerves. “I can’t shake the feeling she’s fishing for something specific.”
Nora’s expression shifted into lawyer mode, sharp and analytical. “You’ve got a corporate spy on your ass.”
“That’s not exactly comforting.”
“It’s accurate, though.” She studied my face with the kind of intensity that made her dangerous in courtrooms. “What could she possibly be looking for? You’re a model employee—efficient, professional, never causing drama.”
‘If only you knew,’ I thought, remembering the auction, the money, the nights with the Blackwood brothers.
Any one of those things would be enough to detonate my entire professional existence if it got out.
“Maybe I’m being paranoid,” I said, though the words felt hollow even as I spoke them.
“Paranoia is a survival instinct in corporate environments,” Nora replied seriously. “Trust your gut. If she’s digging, she’s got a reason.”
“So what’s my play here?”
Nora’s smile turned predatory. “She’ll push, Jas. That’s what people like her do—they push until they find a crack, until they get a reaction that confirms their suspicions. So don’t give her one.”
“Easier said than done.”
“Is it, though?” Nora stepped closer, her voice dropping to that confident courtroom tone. “Look at everything you’ve survived. Foster care. Supporting Leo through his disasters. Building a career in one of the most cutthroat industries on the planet. You’re not that scared little assistant anymore.”
Her words hit like a revelation. She was right. Somewhere along the way, I’d stopped being the girl who apologized for existing.
The promotion, the way the brothers looked at me with actual respect and desire, the knowledge that I could make impossible decisions and live with the consequences—it had all fundamentally changed me.
“You’re right,” I said, feeling tension leave my shoulders for the first time all morning. “I can handle one nosy coworker.”
“Damn straight you can.” Nora squeezed my arm. “And if she tries anything, you call me. I’ll destroy her so completely she’ll need GPS to find her own reflection.”
For the first time that morning, I felt ready to face whatever came next. Adelyn could watch all she wanted, could fish for information until she grew gills.
I wasn’t the same woman who’d started at Cadence Records months ago.
I was stronger now. More confident in my own worth. And I had an army in my corner—Nora, the brothers, even Leo in his chaotic way.
I wasn’t fighting alone anymore.
“Thank you,” I said, meaning it more than she could possibly know.
“That’s what friends are for.” Nora checked her watch. “Now get back up there and remind them why they’re lucky to have you. And remember—you belong in that building just as much as anyone else.”
