The following morning, Anthony was gone before she woke up.
Lily stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the city, her mind tangled with the night before.
They hadn't crossed a line.
Not yet.
But the way he looked at her. The way he touched her…
Her body had betrayed her.
And that was dangerous.
A soft chime pulled her from her thoughts.
She turned to find her phone vibrating on the nightstand.
Unknown Number.
Frowning, she answered.
"You should leave him before it's too late," a voice said, low and sharp.
Lily's blood ran cold. "Who is this?"
A pause.
Then, a quiet chuckle. "He didn't tell you, did he?"
A shiver ran down her spine.
She gripped the phone tighter. "Tell me what?"
Silence.
Then the line went dead.
Her stomach twisted.
Who was that?
And more importantly…
What was Anthony hiding?
Lily didn't see Anthony until that evening.
By then, her thoughts were tangled, her nerves raw.
She had spent the entire day replaying the phone call, wondering if she should tell him, wondering if she even wanted to know what he was hiding.
When he finally walked in, his presence was like a storm.
Dark suit. Top button undone. Jaw tight, as if something had already tested his patience.
The air changed instantly.
He stopped a few feet away, studying her. Reading her.
"What's wrong?"
Lily hesitated.
She should lie. She should pretend nothing happened.
But before she could answer, Anthony was already closing the distance.
One step.
Two.
And suddenly, he was right in front of her.
His fingers curled under her chin, tilting her face up, his eyes locked onto hers. Searching. Demanding.
"You're hiding something."
Her breath caught.
Because he was right.
And she wasn't sure she was ready for what came next.