Shawn stared at him without understanding what he was talking about, but he had become quite curious.
“Ok, no problems, Billy... It’s not the first time that our mail got switched. It happens. So, what is it about? What did you find that was so shocking?”
Billy looked briefly at Stephanie as if to ask her approval to give him the envelope, and then he handed it to Shawn. He took it and quickly looked at its content.
“What is this?” he asked Billy, taking out a couple of photos, but his cousin said nothing more.
He sat down next to Stephanie who was looking down, still very upset.
“Will you explain to me what is going on here?” he kept questioning Billy, but then Shawn looked at the first photo and his face turned pale.
Heavy silence wrapped every corner of the car. Isabelle was staring blankly outside the window at the road that was opening in front of them. She was keeping a protective hand on her belly like she was afraid that someone was going to harm their baby girl. Shawn was driving but, from time to time, he was checking her just to be sure his wife was ok. From the first time since he knew Isabelle, he wasn’t able to fully understand what she was thinking. The things they’ve learned about in Billy’s office left both of them without too many words to say. He could sense her frustration and anger even if she seemed perfectly calm and composed. Shawn didn’t like her that way. He would’ve preferred to see her yelling and expressing her emotions that she was keeping so well bottled in. Isa
They got out of the car and went up the stairs to enter the apartment. The light at the entrance didn’t turn on and so as not to stumble, Isabelle took Shawn's hand.“Tomorrow I will fix this damn light,” Shawn said opening the entrance door. “Wait here until I will turn on the light inside. I don’t want you to harm yourself.”“I told you, sweetheart, nothing bad is going to happen to me as long as I am with you,” she replied and followed him closely. Shawn stopped on the threshold and turned on the light in the hallway. It was blind instinct, and his innate need to protect Isabelle that saved both their lives. Out of the corner of his eye, Shawn caught a sudden movement to his right. He twisted toward it, shoving Isabelle back. The quick jerk of
Isabelle fell on the chair and sighed with relief. Shawn was going to be just fine... She wanted to cry, to shout her happiness and frustration to the world. But she was in a hospital, the people around might’ve mistaken her for a crazy woman. She looked around and waited for the nurse. She put her hand on her belly, willing to let her baby girl know that mom and dad were fine, that the danger was gone, that everything would be all right now.“Mrs. Grayson?” she heard a voice and raised her head. In front of her, there was a woman with a warm smile on her face. Isabelle looked at her scrubs and understood that she was the nurse who had to take care of her. But she didn’t want to get up from that chair, she had to wait for Shawn's return because she wanted to be sure that he wa
‘My love, now, here, away from you, I realized that you’re all I need to feel whole. You are the only reason that keeps my heart beating. You’re always on my mind and I miss you terribly. I will call you later. I love you madly.’ That simple yet intense confession made her heart flutter. Stephanie smiled and closed her eyes. A slight sigh left her lips. Billy had been away three days now, and not having him next to her, in their bed, in their home, was hurting her more than anything else. She couldn’t stand this distance, not even for a second. Not now, not with all that was going on. Not after that cowardly attack on Shawn and Isabelle. A week had passed since those terrible moments when they went to the hospital to visit Shawn. 
“You don’t know him or what he’s capable of... But I do. Nathaniel is very intelligent and he’s a computer genius... He always managed to find me even when I thought he wouldn’t. Even when I was positive that I had covered my tracks. And after listening to what Isabelle had to say about those messages, after seeing those damned photos, after visiting Shawn in the hospital, I KNOW that this is his dirty work. I’m so afraid that he might do something bad to you... I would die if this happens...”“Sweetie, I know how to handle someone like Stevens. I don’t want to see you worrying about me… ever. I know that this bastard put you through hell. He tried everything to break your spirit, to bring you down, but you managed to survive, to rise up, to go on, to believe in people again.” He squeezed her tightly in his arms.“You entered my life so
Three days had passed since Billy had gone to New York and Stephanie still felt his kiss on her lips. He was texting her quite often, but that wasn’t helping much. Even after reading his texts, Stephanie was feeling empty without Billy’s presence. She had chosen to go back to work to feel closer to him, but seeing his office so empty didn’t help her much. But at least she kept busy helping Shawn's new PA, a girl sent by a work agency. She had taken over from Amber Young. They had discovered too late that she was Nathaniel’s accomplice placed by him at the company and had since that day she disappeared from the face of the Earth. Stephanie heard the phone ring and a voice message from Billy made her smile. As usual, his voice was so sensual, giving her a pleasant, warm, loving feeling
The pounding headache was unbearable, and the sense of nausea was draining the energy left in her, but Stephanie knew she had to pass over it and open her eyes. She kept repeating that all this wasn’t real… that what she was feeling was part of a nightmare. Stephanie blinked several times trying to focus on the room where she was. Her vision was still blurry, but she understood that she was in a bed that wasn’t hers. The sheets were made of silk, she felt the softness of the fabric under her fingers. A scent of jasmine, her favorite from an early age, could be sensed in the room. When she finally managed to look around, Stephanie had the impression that she was living in a cloud. All around her was white and ivory, like her bedroom, in Austin: the bedspread, the pillows, the curtains&hell
Stephanie knew that at this point there was nothing else to do but play the game. Nathaniel was so furious that he could’ve hurt her. Slowly, she undressed from her shirt and when she dropped it on the floor, Nathaniel started to tremble and groan, as if he was having an orgasm. She felt like throwing up but came quickly to her senses. This wasn’t the time to let herself go. She had to run from that room and that house... Unfortunately, what she had hoped for and dreaded at the same time was already happening. Nathaniel was taking some faltering steps towards her.“Now take off your bra! Come on, hurry up!” With one hand, Nathaniel was trying to lower the zip of his trousers to show her what seeing her like this was doing to him and with the other he was trying to touch her, to throw her on the bed, to