The Forbidden Throb (Emma and Daniel) novel Chapter 200

The Forbidden Throb

Chapter 200

1 just” She swallowed hard. I asked around.”

“You stalked me.”

“No! The word came out too loud, too sharp. An elderly woman passing by gave us a concerned look. Lily noticed, and her voice dropped to a desperate whisper. “No, I just-1 needed to explain. “

“You know what this is, right?” I kept my voice level, clinical. “Showing up at my home uninvited. Using illegal means to obtain my address. That’s stalking, Lily. That’s harassment.^

“I didn’t Her voice cracked. ‘I wasn’t trying to-”

“I could report you. I watched her face go even paler.

“Please,” She reached out as if to grab my arm, then thought better of it. “Please, just let me explain. Five minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”

A young couple walked past us, slowing down to stare. The woman whispered something to her companion, both of them glancing back as they

continued toward the building entrance.

Perfect. Just what I needed to become the subject of neighborhood gossip.

I sighed and said curtly. “There’s a coffee shop two blocks north. We can talk there.”

Relief flooded her face, so intense it was almost painful to watch. “Thank you. Thank you so much, I—*

“Save it.” 1 started walking, not waiting to see if she’d follow. “And if you ever show up at my home again, I’m calling the police. Are we clear?”

“Yes.” Her voice was small behind me. “Yes, I understand.”

The coffee shop was nearly empty-just a few students hunched over laptops in the corner.

I chose a table by the window, far from anyone else. Lily sat across from me, hands wrapped around a cup of tea she’d ordered but hadn’t

touched.

I didn’t order anything. I wasn’t planning to stay long enough to drink it.

“Five minutes, I reminded her, checking my phone, “Starting now.”

She took a shaky breath, her fingers tightening around the cup. “Emma, I know what I did was wrong. I know that. But please you have to understand how hard things have been for me.”

I said nothing, just looked at her steadily.

9:50 am P

Chapter 200

“I’ve been working so hard,” she continued, words tumbling out faster now. “Do you know how difficult it is to build a decent resume from scratch? I’ve been taking on every unpaid internship I could find, working retail on weekends to pay for rent, staying up until three in the morning to keep my GPA above 3.8. I finally-finally-managed to get some real experience. Real opportunities.”

Her voice cracked. “I had interviews lined up with three major publications. The Globe was actually considering me for their summer program. And now…” She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. “If the university issues a formal disciplinary notice, it’ll show up on my record. Every background check will flag it. Every potential employer will see it.”

“Lily-

“No, please, let me finish. She leaned forward, desperation making her voice sharp. “I’m not from money like you are. I don’t have family

connections or safety nets. If I can’t make it in journalism, I have nothing to fall back on.”

She was fully crying now, but there was something calculated about it-the way she watched me through her tears, gauging my reaction.

“I’m not asking you to forget what happened,” she said, her voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “I know I can’t undo what I did. But Emma, please-if you could just tell the university that you’re willing to let this go, that we’ve worked it out between us… I’ll do anything.”

“Stop.” The word came out flat, emotionless.

She froze, staring at me with red-rimmed eyes.

ry your life is hard,” I continued. “I’m sorry you’re scared about your future. But none of that is my problem. You made your bed, Lily.

et to lie in it.”

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9:50 am p

The Forbidden Throb