His Dangerous Love On Ice (Olivia and Zane) novel Chapter 153

Olive’s POV

My eyes widened as I read the message once, then twice, then a hird time, my hands starting to shake so badly I almost dropped my phone.

This wasn’t a reporter trying to get a statement. This wasn’t some random person who’d seen my name in the news.

This was a threat.

Someone was actively threatening me.

I read it again, my mind racing through different possibilities, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.

And then suddenly, my mind flashed back to the flowers that ha shown up at my office weeks ago. The strange messages I’d been getting. At the art gallery when I’d felt like someone was watching me even when they had sent me.

Was it the same person?

Had someone been monitoring me this entire time?

What did they have to do with Judy’s death?

‘People who know too much tend to die.’

Judy had known something. Had hinted at secrets about Klaus, about connections I didn’t understand.

And now he was dead.

And someone was warning me to stay away from whatever he’d known.

Or I’d be next.

My hands were shaking so badly, enough for me to barely hold my phone steady as I screenshot the message for some weird reason, then blocked the number even though I knew it probably wouldn’t matter, that whoever was doing this would just get another burner phone and keep going.

I started my car with trembling hands and pulled out of the parking garage, checking my rearview mirror every few seconds like someone might be following me.

Every car behind me felt like a threat. Every shadow in my peripheral vision felt like someone watching. Every red light felt like an opportunity for someone to pull up beside me and-

I forced myself to stop spiraling and focus on driving.

By the time I got home, I was so paranoid I checked every room in my apartment before I could even think about relaxing, looking in closets and behind doors and anywhere someone could hide, my heart racing the entire time.

No one was there,

But the feeling of being watched didn’t go away.

I grabbed my laptop and collapsed onto my couch, pulling up everything I could find about Judy Byron with shaking hands.

News articles about his steel company. Business profiles listing his accomplishments. Social media accounts showing a normal, successful life.

Nothing that explained why someone would want him dead.

Unless it wasn’t about his business at all.

Unless it was about something else entirely.

For a second, my mind went completely blank, white noise filling my head as something clicked into place.

Unless it was about Klaus.

I gasped…actually gasped out loud like someone had punched me in the stomach…and instantly started pulling up articles about my brother’s death, digging deeper than I ever had before.

LOCAL RACING PRODIGY DIES IN TRAGIC ACCIDENT

KLAUS MONROE, 19, KILLED IN HIGH-SPEED CRASH

All the same story repeated across different news sites. Racing accident. Lost control of his car. Died on impact.

Tragic but straightforward.

But I knew it was risky not telling him, dangerous even, because whoever was threatening me clearly didn’t want me looking into this.

And without thinking it through, without considering all the reasons this was a terrible idea, I brought up a different contact.

Paloma.

The stranger who’d somehow slipped into my life and made me feel like I could trust her even though I barely knew her.

But she was the best bet, someone who wouldn’t ask too many questions.

I dialed her number, each ring making my heart shake as I kept staring back at the window like someone was going to break through it at any second.

The call didn’t go through, just rang and rang before going to voicemail.

I tried again, my heart beating so hard.

But the number didn’t go through again, going straight to voicemail this time.

“Fuck,” I muttered, and Zane’s face flashed through my head, those blue eyes that would probably tell me I was making a mistake if he could see me right now.

But I chose to ignore the warning in my imagination.

I was too vulnerable to go see him right now, too raw and confused and scared, and I knew if I showed up at his penthouse he’d take one look at me and know something was wrong and then he’d push until I told him everything and I wasn’t ready for that conversation yet.

I contemplated calling Brenda instead. She would ask questions, but I could give her what I needed to without telling her the whole truth.

But I couldn’t bear bringing her into this mess, couldn’t risk putting her in danger too.

And just as I was about to dial Brenda’s number anyway because was that desperate, my phone rang and the name showing on my screen made my brows furrow in confusion,

And then my heart skipped.

Annie Monroe.