And suddenly concerned that she’d read the note all wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d completely missed the mark, would it? But no, there was no reading between the lines this time. He had been pretty clear. He was going home and now Hannah knew exactly where that was.

Had done so all along.

When the doors pinged open on the penthouse floor and she stepped out into the hallway, something registered in her brain – something she had never before seen.

The door to P-1 was open, daylight spilling out from the inside, some of it partially obstructed by the shadow of a lone figure standing in the doorway. Hannah stopped in her tracks and looked over at the entrance to P-2, her brain feeling like a bowl of mashed potatoes.

A soft meow came from the open doorway and the cat appeared, wrapping itself around its master’s legs and looking at Hannah with an expression that suggested, ‘Duh, do you get it now?’

Hold on … she had another sudden revelation. Was that the mangy stray from the shelter Ward had got so worked up about? The one that was doomed to be destroyed . . .

‘Hey, P-2,’ a voice said softly, and she glanced up to meet Ward’s gaze as he leaned lazily on the doorframe.

Hannah opened and closed her mouth, unsure what to say. She pointed a finger at him and the cat and then back again down the hallway. ‘You … you …’

‘I know,’ he said, with a rueful smile. ‘But I didn’t find out until yesterday.’

He stood up straight then and began to approach her cautiously, as if still gauging her reaction, cognisant that she was still in the middle of an information overload.

‘But Ed …’ she whispered, pointing at the door. ‘He’s old and he can’t get around and had a nurse visit some days and …’

‘Edward is my full name, but I’ve been Ward since Jefferson Prince decided it went better with Wildcat. I go by Ed to my friends. As you know, my knee was busted, hence my need for strength and conditioning visits from Shelley. I believe you’ve already met Pretzel. And you’re the one who always said I was a relic from a different time …’

Pretzel? She squinted at him. ‘You never told me your real name was Edward,’ Hannah admonished weakly as he continued to get closer.

‘You never asked.’ His green eyes were intent on her face and she tilted her head up, still trying to make all of this make sense. But suddenly she was within striking distance of his chest, and she could feel the heat of his body as he moved ever closer. ‘And you read all my notes, all my thoughts and personal stuff.’

‘Not your notes – our notes. Our thoughts and personal stuff, Hannah. This whole time. It was both of us.’