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—I know —Ethan replied—. That's why you should let us worry about finding him.
Hank frowned slightly.
Ethan looked at Chloe.
—After something like this, do you really think inviting so many people downstairs is a good idea?
Dealing with a stalker was already troublesome enough.
When he saw that she was about to argue, Ethan continued:
—You'll have to come up with an excuse to reduce the number of people around Taylor over the next few days, as well as the number of places she visits.
Judging by their reactions, it seemed clear that they were determined to continue staying in that house.
If that was the case, the only way to reduce unnecessary risks was to restrict access to anyone who was not essential.
Chloe opened and closed her mouth several times before lowering her gaze to the tablet and beginning to type. At first, they had wanted to maintain the appearance that everything was normal to prevent the outside world from learning what had happened.
But it was now obvious that some things would have to be suspended, at least temporarily.
—This is the list of people who know the exact location of Taylor's bedroom.
Chloe finished organizing the information and sent it to Hank.
Then she quickly added:
—I'm going to tell everyone downstairs to leave right now.
—Chloe, be nice.
Taylor interrupted her.
—Just tell them I'm tired and want to rest.
She paused briefly.
—Apologize to them and say I'll arrange another party some other time.
—Don't worry.
Chloe waved a hand and strode out of the room.
—I know what I have to do.
Ethan studied the list Hank had just received and mentally gave Chloe some credit.
She had not only included their names. She had also added basic information about each person, which would make any subsequent investigation considerably easier.
Most of them were members of Taylor's staff.
Bodyguards, makeup artists, assistants, and production personnel. Of course, that did not mean they were the only people who knew about the place.
Any one of them could have shared the information with someone else, and verifying something like that would be far more complicated.
—I'll look into their backgrounds and financial situations as soon as I can.
Hank put away his phone and turned his attention back to Taylor.
—Is there anything else we should know? Enemies? Any disputes over money or business interests?
Taylor gave a bitter smile.
—I live surrounded by fame and money. In this world, it's difficult to know who is truly your friend and who is waiting for an opportunity to become your enemy.
—All right.
Hank shrugged.
That was not going to get them very far. There was little else they could do that night. The rest would have to wait until they reviewed the list.
—We're leaving.
Hank stood up.
—And if you intend to keep staying here, a small suggestion: change rooms, keep a bodyguard on duty at all times, and conduct regular sweeps of the perimeter —Hank said. Then he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a card—. This is my number. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me. We'll stay in touch.
He then quickly shook their hands.
—I'll walk you out.
When they stepped into the hallway, the music downstairs had already stopped, and much of the crowd had dispersed.
Chloe was coming up the stairs accompanied by a brown-haired woman carrying several shopping bags.
The newcomer had fair skin and a faint look of concern on her face.
—Megan!
Taylor immediately approached her.
—Taylor, are you all right?
The two women hugged tightly. From how naturally they embraced, it was obvious that they had a very close relationship.
—Are you leaving already?
Chloe looked at Ethan and Hank before gesturing toward the newcomer.
—This is Megan, Taylor's personal assistant. She just arrived from Los Angeles.
—Nice to meet you.
Megan approached and handed them a card.
—If you can't reach Chloe, call me directly.
Then she looked at them with concern.
—I hope you catch that sick bastard soon.
Ethan took the card and cast a resigned glance at Chloe.
—Megan is like a sister to me —Taylor explained when she noticed his expression—. I trust her completely.
Ethan merely shrugged and slipped the card into his pocket.
The group went downstairs to the living room.
—Miss Swift.
One of the security guards approached with a transparent box in his hands. Inside was a large, carefully decorated cake, and a colorful bouquet of flowers rested on top of the box.
—Who sent this?
Megan, who had just arrived, stepped forward. She took the flowers and lightly breathed in their fragrance.
There was nothing unusual about it. With Taylor in Chicago for several concerts, it was common for her to receive gifts from promoters, sponsors, or prominent figures in the city.
—I don't know.
The bodyguard chewed gum as he spoke.
—A deliveryman brought it. Apparently, it's from a local bakery. He only said it was for Miss Swift.
Megan pulled out a card hidden among the flowers.
—For the lovely kitten. I hope you enjoy the fun.
The moment Ethan heard the word "kitten," the hair on his arms stood on end.
His gaze immediately fell on the cake in the bodyguard's hands. Every alarm in his head went off at once.
—Watch out!
He acted on instinct.
He extended one arm, wrapped it around Taylor's waist, and lifted her off the floor.
Despite her height, he moved her with ease. In only a couple of steps, he carried her to the sofa and threw himself down with her.
—Ah!
Taylor had no time to react.
One moment she was standing, and the next she had been thrown onto the sofa.
Hank was the second to react.
He grabbed Chloe and Megan and pulled them to the floor.
—What the hell…?
The bodyguard holding the cake looked completely bewildered.
—Are you insane?
Pinned beneath Hank and aching from the fall, Chloe shouted furiously.
Taylor also glared at Ethan from the sofa.
—I'm sorry.
Nothing happened. For a moment, the silence was so uncomfortable that it was almost absurd.
Ethan looked at Taylor, still pinned beneath him.
He had reacted too quickly.
He had thought it might be a bomb. He released the arm he still had wrapped around her and began to get up.
Then it happened.
Bang!
A violent blast shook the room.
The cake exploded.
Crumbs, frosting, and fragments flew everywhere.
Along with a large amount of blood. Ethan immediately covered Taylor again, shielding her with his body.
His instincts had been right.
Even so, the explosion caught him by surprise. He did not raise his head until everything had fallen silent again.
The carefully decorated cake was gone.
The bodyguard was covered in unrecognizable debris and bloodstains.
He remained standing for a second.
Then he staggered.
And fell heavily onto his back.
The living room fell into a deathly silence.
—Ah…!
A few seconds later, Chloe and Megan came to their senses and began screaming one after the other.
—Shit.
Ethan felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and frowned.
At the same time, he could feel Taylor's body trembling uncontrollably beneath him. He tried to get up, but she clung to him tightly and shook her head again and again.
She had never witnessed anything like it.
But seeing the explosion from so close had finally shattered what little composure she had left.
At that moment, Ethan was the only person who made her feel safe.
And Taylor was not willing to let go of him.
—It's all right… It's over. Everything will be all right.
Ethan gently patted her shoulder.
—I'm going to see what happened.
His calm tone seemed to reassure her. After hesitating for a few seconds, Taylor finally loosened her arms and curled up on the sofa.
Hank had also been stunned by the explosion, but as soon as he regained his composure, he hurried over.
The three bodyguards inside the house rushed into the living room with tense, bewildered expressions.
—Stay back.
Ethan pulled out his badge and motioned for them to keep their distance.
Miraculously, the bodyguard at the epicenter of the explosion was still alive.
He groaned in pain, his body covered in cake debris and a shard of acrylic embedded in his shoulder. The wound did not appear serious, although blood was beginning to seep slowly around the fragment.
—Easy… It's only a scratch. You'll be fine, big guy.
Ethan knelt beside him and gently patted his cheek to make sure he was still conscious.
—I'm calling an ambulance.
—No… Don't call emergency services. I don't want to cause any problems for Miss Swift.
The bodyguard seemed to know his own limits well. Realizing that he did not appear to have suffered any serious internal injuries, he repeatedly shook his head.
Hank pulled out his phone with a frown.
It was time to call for backup. They were no longer dealing only with a stalker and a few threatening letters.
Now there was an explosive involved.
The level of danger had just increased considerably.
—Please.
Chloe was still shaken, but she had not forgotten her responsibilities. She hurried over and grabbed Hank by the arm.
—This can't become public. I'm begging you. If you need more help, I can call your boss and ask him to coordinate everything.
—I know what I'm doing. A bomb just went off. We can't afford to handle this without additional help anymore. My team will coordinate the case, and we'll do everything we can to prevent any leaks.
Hank looked at her seriously.
—Do you understand?
Chloe remained silent.
—All right.
Chloe finally released his arm.
The situation had gone completely beyond her ability to control it. At that moment, she had no choice but to trust them.
As for the private security company, if she could have found immediate replacements, she probably would have fired every one of them that same night.
Whatever the explanation, this had happened under their watch.
And they would have to accept their share of the responsibility.
Hank thought for a few seconds before making two calls. He understood perfectly why his superiors had asked him to handle the matter, and he also understood how delicate the situation was.
That was why he called only people he trusted.
—This was only a warning.
Ethan put on a pair of gloves and carefully removed a small fragment stuck to the bodyguard's clothing. He brushed away the cake debris covering it and handed it to Hank.
—What do you think?
Hank examined it.
—Animal hair?
Hank studied the small tuft and gently rubbed it between his gloved fingers, frowning.
—If I'm not mistaken, it's cat hair.
Ethan looked up at Chloe.
—Do you still have the photographs from this morning?
—Yes.
Chloe moved away from the bodyguards, hurriedly searched through her bag, and pulled out one of the photographs they had received with the letters.
Ethan and Hank moved closer to compare them. The image showed the cat's severed head on Taylor's bed. Its fur was yellowish, with black markings around its ears and neck.
The tuft Hank was holding had exactly the same combination of colors.
There were even traces of dried blood clinging to the tips.
It did not seem like a coincidence.
In all likelihood, it belonged to the same animal.
Megan also approached, although she stopped as soon as she saw the photograph. Visibly shaken, she ended up sitting beside Taylor while Chloe remained standing near them.
All three women looked at Ethan, waiting for an explanation.
—My instincts tell me the suspect placed a small explosive charge inside the cat's body.
Ethan studied the cake debris scattered across the floor and pursed his lips slightly.
—Then he hid it inside the cake and used some kind of detonator to set it off at exactly the right moment. It could have been a timer, a pressure mechanism, or even a remotely controlled device. We won't know until the technicians examine the remains.
Megan turned pale.
—Ugh…
The description, combined with the bloodstained tuft Hank was still holding between his fingers, was too much for her. She quickly grabbed a trash can and began vomiting.
Taylor looked away and covered her mouth with one hand. Chloe also appeared close to losing her composure, but she managed to remain steady.
Ethan momentarily ignored Megan's reaction and focused on the scene again.
—Now we know something else about our stalker —he continued—. He isn't just an obsessed fan writing letters from his mother's basement. He knows about explosives and how to handle them.
Hank looked at the injured bodyguard and then at the relatively limited damage to the room.
—The charge was small.
—Yes. It was powerful enough to cause panic and injure anyone nearby, but not enough to kill everyone in the room —Ethan confirmed—. He controlled the amount of explosive remarkably well.
Ethan slowly scanned the room.
—That requires experience or, at the very least, some kind of training. Maybe military, law enforcement, or specialized training. And if he really detonated it remotely, it means he was watching or knew exactly when she would be near it.
Hank's expression hardened.
—Then he might still be nearby.
—Or he has someone on the inside —Ethan replied—. Either way, this is no longer just a threat. He wanted to prove that he can reach her whenever he wants.
He looked at Taylor.
—Do you remember what I told you upstairs?
She watched him in silence.
Chloe remembered as well.
He'll definitely do something else to make sure you know what fear feels like.
When Ethan had said it, Chloe had thought he was being dramatic.
She had not expected his words to come true so quickly.
—This is a warning —Ethan continued—. A response to what happened today.
After briefly explaining his conclusion, he removed his jacket, now completely stained with frosting and cake debris.