Chapter 8 - Shadows on the Horizon
Peace, however, in the world of Stellan Cross, was never permanent.
Late one night, while Stellan was down in his private study reviewing security reports, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was an unknown number.
I picked it up cautiously. "Hello?"
“Nora Miller, right?” A harsh, raspy voice hissed through the speaker. “Tell your mobster boyfriend that the game isn't over yet. Beatrice may be out, but the board still has friends in high places. If he thinks he can hand over the shipping docks to an illegitimate baby, he’s out of his mind.”
"Who is this?" I demanded, my hands shaking.
“Just a friendly warning. Pack your bags, sweet-heart. Because the next visitor won't be talking.”
The line went dead.
Panic surged through my veins. I grabbed my robe, scooped Fern up from her crib—she whimpered softly in her sleep—and bolted out of the bedroom toward the private elevator leading down to Stellan's study.
When I burst through the double doors of the study, Stellan was standing by the desk with a phone to his ear, his expression turning as cold as carved stone. He saw me, immediately hung up, and strode across the room.
"Nora, what's wrong?"
"Someone... someone just called," I gasped, tears of fear pricking my eyes. "They threatened us, Stellan. They said... they said you can't give the docks to Lily."
Stellan pulled me and the baby into his arms, his grip fiercely protective. "Did you recognize the voice?"
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"No, it was distorted. But they sounded like they meant it."
Stellan closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of my hair before pressing a firm kiss to my forehead. "Pack a bag, Nora. We're moving to the estate in Lake Forest tonight. Permanently."
