Chapter 5 The Morning After

Sunlight streamed through the wide windows of the penthouse, gently slipping across Emily's face as she stirred awake.

Her body was curled under the plush white blanket on the L-shaped couch, and her head rested on a firm, warm shoulder. The slow, steady rhythm of Nick's breathing rose and fell beneath her cheek.

For a moment, she didn't move.

Last night...

It hadn't been planned.

But it had felt inevitable.

The kiss, the way they held each other after, the quiet confessions without words. And though they'd fallen asleep without crossing any more lines, it still felt like the beginning of something irreversible.

Emily tilted her head slightly and looked up at him.

Nick was still asleep, his dark lashes resting gently on his cheeks, lips parted just enough to reveal the softness beneath the CEO exterior. Without the burden of responsibility in his expression, he looked younger. Calmer.

And dangerously beautiful.

She sat up slowly, careful not to wake him, and padded quietly to the kitchen. Her thoughts were anything but quiet.

What happens now?

They hadn't defined anything. No promises. No regrets. Just... something new. Something fragile.

She turned on the kettle and leaned against the counter, arms crossed. Her phone buzzed on the kitchen island, and she grabbed it.

A message from an unknown number:

"You should stay out of his life, Emily. Before you get hurt."

Her heart stopped.

Hands trembling, she stared at the words. The number was blocked. No way to trace it. No name. Just that warning.

"Emily?" Nick's voice came from behind her.

She turned quickly, hiding the phone against her chest.

He stepped closer, his hair tousled, shirt wrinkled, and eyes still half-lidded from sleep. But the moment he saw her face, he straightened.

"What is it?"

She hesitated. "Nothing. Just tired."

Nick wasn't convinced. "Liar."

Emily exhaled and handed him the phone.

His jaw clenched the second he read the message. "This came just now?"

She nodded. "I didn't reply."

Nick set the phone down with controlled precision. "I'm calling security."

"Nick, wait-"

"No." His voice was hard now. "Whoever this is, they're crossing a line. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

"But I am dealing with it," Emily said, frustration creeping into her voice. "Because I'm here. Because of you."

He froze.

She bit her lip, instantly regretting the words. "I didn't mean it like that. I just mean... I knew what I was getting into."

Nick looked at her, pain flickering across his features. "No, you didn't. I should've kept you out of this."

"I wouldn't have wanted you to," she said, stepping closer. "Nick, last night... I don't regret it."

Neither did he.

That much was clear in the way he looked at her, like she was both a mystery and a safe haven all at once. He reached for her hand.

"I'll keep you safe, Emily," he said quietly. "Even if it means cutting myself off from you."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"If this escalates... If Delaney comes closer..." He swallowed. "I might have to let you go."

She snatched her hand back, heart stinging. "You don't get to decide that for me."

He looked torn. "I'm just trying to protect you."

"And I'm not some fragile doll who needs to be hidden in a box!" she snapped. "You either trust me enough to stay by your side-or you don't."

They stared at each other in tense silence.

Finally, Nick nodded once. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Emily exhaled slowly, her pulse still racing.

After breakfast, Nick left for an emergency board meeting. Emily insisted on going to the bookstore alone, despite his protests. She needed normalcy. Needed to feel like herself again.

But normalcy didn't last.

She stepped off the subway and froze on the street corner.

Across the road, a black car idled. Dark-tinted windows. No plates.

Her phone buzzed again.

Another message.

"Told you to stay away."

Emily's breath caught.

She turned back toward the train station, pretending to tie her shoe as she peeked over her shoulder.

Still there. Watching.

Think, Emily. Think.

She pulled her phone from her coat pocket and hit speed dial.

"Kendra," she whispered, "someone's following me."

"What?" Kendra's voice jumped an octave. "Where are you?"

"Corner of 8th and Belleview. Black car. No license plate. They're not moving."

"I'm coming," Kendra said. "Now. Go into the nearest shop. Don't stay outside."

Emily ducked into a corner café, the bell above the door jingling.

She found a table near the back and sat down, heart pounding.

Two minutes later, the black car was gone.

By the time Kendra arrived, Emily had gone pale.

"Okay," Kendra said, sliding into the seat. "Time to talk."

Emily hesitated. But the fear, the secrecy-it was too much.

So she told her.

Everything.

About Nick. The messages. The threats. Marcus Delaney.

Kendra blinked, absorbing it all. "So you're telling me your roommate is the CEO of Hale enterprises , you may or may not be falling for him, and some disgraced executives are stalking you?"

Emily winced. "Basically, yeah."

Kendra let out a long breath. "Girl, I thought my love life was dramatic."

Emily managed a laugh, but her smile faded quickly. "I'm scared, Ken."

Kendra reached across the table, gripping her hand. "You're not alone. And you're stronger than you think."

That night, back at the penthouse, Nick was pacing when she returned.

"Where were you? I told you to wait for Mark before leaving!"

Emily closed the door quietly and leaned against it. "I didn't want a bodyguard trailing me like a lost puppy."

Nick stepped forward, eyes blazing. "And what if something happened to you?"

"Something did happen," she shot back. "Another message. A car. He's getting bolder."

Nick's expression changed instantly. He pulled her into a hug so tight it almost hurt.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into her hair. "I should've been there."

"I was okay," she whispered. "Kendra helped. She knows everything now."

Nick pulled back slightly. "That's probably for the best."

They sat on the couch, the same one where everything changed last night. But tonight, their closeness wasn't about heat or chemistry-it was about comfort. Fear. Solidarity.

Emily rested her head on his shoulder again.

"Are you going to find him?" she asked softly.

Nick's jaw clenched. "I'll do more than find him."

There was steel in his voice now. Cold and certain.

Emily lifted her head. "And if he comes for me again?"

Nick looked at her, voice low and dangerous. "Then he'll learn the hard way not to touch what's mine."

What's mine.

The words curled around her like a blanket. Terrifying. Comforting. Real.

"I'm not running, Nick," she whispered.

His eyes met hers. "Neither am I."

The kiss that followed wasn't fiery like before. It was soft. Steady. A promise.

This was no longer about blurred lines or accidental intimacy.

This was about something deeper.

And they were in it-together.