Solicitude

Chapter Fifteen

"Text message threats?" I asked. "You mean, you've been also getting them." How could Alexander not tell me about it? It concerns me and he kept it from me.

"Why would he come after you? It's been three years." Well, that's a question that I do not know the answer to. Whatever the answer is, I surely don't give a damn anymore.

"It's nothing that matters anymore. These," I held the pictures in my hands, "-these are empty threats just like all the other messages," I said.

"And why exactly would you say that?" He asked.

"It's because I know him too well." Do I? I know how his brain works, we've been friends since forever.

"Know him? People change, Kathleen. Do you know him too well that you're aware of his status?" He questioned.

"Status? I knew him if that's what you want to hear but what status are you implying?" He frowned and rubbed his temple.

"You never told me he was Andrew James."

I have never heard of someone telling his name in a long while. Two names I have long tried to forget yet here he is, bringing all the emotions back.

"Andrew James, yes, him. Intern in your company at the age of nineteen, fiction editor at the age of twenty-one, published author at the age of twenty-four. What's more to know about him?" He surely does know about him. Andrew James, author of the famous romance novel, "Loving My K"

"So I do know him more than you do," he said. How? What is he talking about?

"Let me tell you something that the public doesn't know," He said. "Andrew James, sadist dominant, he left publishing for Pain and Submission, the second best BDSM club in New York, next to mine. Not only was he a mole to my company but a rivalry with my club."

And at that moment, my heart stopped beating. "W-what are you talking about?" I stuttered.

"Empty threats are still threats, Kathleen. You do not take them for granted especially with our high positions. Why he left you? That's what we both don't know why but the second he started threatening me, I knew I had to do something. I paid my private investigator to check his identity, turns out Andrew James is now Anthony Jackson."

Well, what a day full or revelations! "He obviously wants something but he won't get it no matter what, I'll deal with it, Alexander," I said.

"Kathleen, you're playing with fire, here. You don't want to mess with someone you clearly don't know anymore, we'll do it together," he said while he walked closer to me.

"Thank you for being concerned, Alexander but I'll handle him myself. I'm not playing with fire, I am fire," I attested.

His brows knitted because our talk has been slowly heating up to an argument. Then, I added, "What's the worst he could do? Ruin my reputation? Oh, I'd love to see him try," I sarcastically said.

"So you're not taking this seriously?" He frowned. Of course, I am! I just don't want him to see me as the weak and vulnerable girl before.

"What do you want me to do? Panick? Freak out? Call the police? Alexander, we don't even know what he wants!" I growled. Clearly, he didn't like me raising my voice at him.

"That's not what I meant, Kathleen. I just want you to let me handle this with you, after all, you're not the only one who he's been bothering," he calmly explained. He sighed then added,

"He can get you from me."

Silence fell. His words left me unable to speak or move. It's like my brain froze. Is that way he was too concerned? Why didn't he tell me anything about it?