Adler | The Monarch & The Heirs BOOK 2.

Unforeseen | A THIRTY SIX

A/N: Dedicated to lomose123 and satiss_

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Stevie was beginning to worry for her sanity. At each time she heard the chime of her phone, her heart hammered in her chest.

She'd pray it was just that dipshit Rudolph making pathetic attempts to patch up. She'd literally been close to storming over to strangle the boy but the short rage was better on her nerves than dreadful anxiety which would knot up her stomach at the alternative of the stalker.

Scenarios would flood in her mind on facing what would become of her life if those photos were uploaded across the web. Her fortitude in the academy would surely crumble, Beswick would suffer the hounding of press and the tabloid breathing down his neck— his reputation in ruins.

The damage wouldn't be anything to what would come of how her parents would think of her and that was what ultimately terrified Stevie. It was the mere thought that had her break out in a cold sweat. As much as she could try to hope they would trust her over photos, it was evidently not too different from Rachel's case.

The irony. Or was this karma for that?

Stevie didn't know if that answer would be easier to swallow than the fact she was practically helpless until Charles would reach out. Helpless to fear the stalker wasn't lurking right around as she trudged to class.

She could hardly care for Garren rotating back to the weird attitude which only fluctuated in her presence and Stevie was officially sick of it. To hell with him. To hell with—

"Miss Powell."

Stevie halted in her tracks. Stiffly, she turned her head and saw a woman elegantly slip her four inch heels out of the gear shift of her luxury car to step onto the pavement. The woman briefly neatened her already crisp blazer hem before walking forward. Stevie was stood in stun as to why the stylish beauty was somehow familiar at meeting her cat-like eyes.

"Apologies for never formally introducing myself. I'm—"

"Jessica." Now it clicked. Stevie had gotten so used to half the woman's body hidden behind her desk, it took her busy mind a moment to process witnessing all five foot eight inches of Stellar Magazine's head secretary.
Not to mention, crossing paths on her street was plain odd.

"Could I have a word?" Jessica fluttered her thick lashes but the gesture wasn't needed to have Stevie coaxed.

She complied to follow the woman into the coffee house across the hotel, intently watching while she retrieved her order from the barista then returned to the booth. "Are you sure you don't want anything?"

Stevie shook her head.

"I understand if you're worried you might be late for class but I promise to be brief."

Stevie quite frankly didn't give a damn about punctuality. It felt it was inclined to copy the courteous manners and just softly nodded. "How did you know you'd find me here?"

Jessica visibly straightened from blowing at her coffee by the forwardness but then quickly recoiled to a small smile. In that instance, a pinch of panic stirred in Stevie's stomach that this was it. She was the one.

After all, who better to poke around Beswick's affairs than the secretary? The woman had caught Stevie first hand wandering in and out of his office a handful of times, any normal person would've grown curious. Curious enough to start tailing and gathering information.