His Shield, Her Secret Empire

Ericks

ail, and his texts were unanswered. I told myself he was busy, tending to D

g look. "He's with Dani, you know," she said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "Dani had

, my voice tight

ywhere at once." She leaned in conspiratorially. "He was really upset about the whole Amelia Carpenter th

y dumped, leading to her alleged mental breakdown. The same Amelia who had mocked D

ained. "Look, Holly, Kade's got a lot on his plate. Dani's not doing well. The family... they're under a lot of pressure right now

do with me?" I asked, my v

thing to divert attention. Someone who isn't... you kn

ing-it all flooded back, but now with a sickening clarity. The "danger" wasn't to us. It was to him and his family. And I was the convenient, unassuming targe

glint in his eyes. He hadn't been warning me for me. He had been warning me that

cked up. His voice was tired, flat. "Holly,

, my voice shakin

ther end of the line. Then, a sigh. "Holly,

adn't known I possessed. "Did you use me? Did you let them hurt me to pro

The Carpenters are ruthless. They would use anything against us-especially rumors about our fa

fallen in love with, the man I had endured so much for, had deliberately put me in harm's way. He had watch

a desperate plea, an attempt to salvage any shred of dignity,

ter now, almost a placation. "But this... this is big

kes game. My chest ached with a pain so profound it felt physical. Like a jagged piece of g

I stumbled around, numb, until my phone vibrate

asm that had just opened in my life. "The new K.B. Barry manuscript? It's a masterpiece! The publisher is thr

novelist, the literary genius. I had sought anonymity to escape the pressure, but also to find so

ith concern now. "Is everything alright? You've been so quiet since you sta

A yearning for some

I lied, my voice

It's truly raw, emotional... I mean, the way you captured that mother-daughter dynamic, the

, the one I poured my soul into after my mother's death, the one that explored the agonizing depths of loss and the

d seen the threats, felt the fear. I carried the guilt of her brilliance, her refusal to stay hidden, her eventual, tragic end. I believed her visibility had killed her. So I chose invisibility for myself. I became K.B. Barry, the elusive male author, avoiding the spotlight at all

protecting for my own sake. But he hadn't. He had seen a con

od there, silhouetted against the hallway light. He was holding a small, delicate vase of white lili

, his voice hoarse. "

agent, I was sure. But he had seen the

ving a really hard time. The pressure, the threats... I just... I had to." He look

brushing my cheek. "Please, Holly. Don

e warmth was deceptive. It was a comfort born of manipu

endability. I looked at him, truly looked at him, and saw not the charming

eyes, the last flicker of hope d

voice hollow, emotionless. "I

eyes wide with a dawning ho

-" he started, b

ate attempt to find a pulse in our shattered connection. I needed to hear

screaming the answer I already knew. My heart, already shattered, splintered into a million tiny pieces.