The meeting, working with her, and everything that followed, seemed innocent until in hindsight it revealed her manipulative intent. This visit meant one of two things. She wanted something from him or she wanted to send a message.

He needed to proceed with caution, so he gathered every ounce of strength to attempt to outwit her and discover her plan. See, he had one up on her. She didn’t know he knew what she’d done to him.

“Orelia, I, I … am, shocked…”

No, no, shocked was too strong a word. She’d think she had all the power. “Sur … surprised to see you.”

A smile spread across her face and she touched a hand to her hair.

“Yes, this was a turn of fate. I had an engagement at a bookstore nearby and I was just getting ready to give a talk when a woman came running in saying a man had collapsed outside. I worried it might be one of my fans, so I ran out there. When I saw you lying there, I instantly knew why.”

Oh, my, no, how could she know? She must have seen him as he left the store. A tremor ran through his veins and settled in his stomach, then exploded into butterflies trying to escape.

What did she know?

If she knew of his stalking, he could be in trouble. Did they jail you for hiring trolls on Fiverr? Surely misdemeanors, if they were criminal at all. The embarrassment would be terrible, and the knowledge she’d destroyed his career and won even more devastating.

“Knew,” he said, feigning a weakness he no longer felt. Now with the adrenaline he could probably run a mile on a single breath.

She watched him with a gentle, concerned look which surprised him. She hadn’t cared about him for two years, so what was this? He began to think of excuses in his head for what he’d done.

He’d made a mistake. Jealousy got the better of him, but he was sorry. Could she forgive him?

“Of course I knew why you’d come. Bad William.”

He held his breath. Here it came. Nausea rose, and he wondered if at the very least he might projectile vomit toward her.

As though nothing was wrong and she’d already forgiven him, she smiled and pressed his arm. William shook his head to dissipate the creepy feeling of her touching him.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please forgive, he practiced in his mind. But he needn’t have bothered.

“I feel soo guilty,” she said. “This is my fault. You’d come to see me talk, hadn’t you? A surprise. We had a silly argument and you were being the bigger man.”

William exhaled, releasing the tension he hadn’t known had built inside. He tried to open his mouth to agree, to continue his ruse but he laughed silently in his head. He felt saved, freed to continue his vendetta because no matter how sweetly she smiled, he would never forgive her for what she’d done.