Ever After New York

Cruel Intentions.

I search frantically around the room for my ring, not caring that I've pretty much taken apart the entire bed.

"Shit!" I screech, feeling the pit of anxiety spread through my entire being.

"Jo?" Hero questions, coming out of the bathroom with the towel still wrapped around his waist.

"My ring." I choke out. "It's gone!"

Hero's eyes widen. "What?"

"I put it on the nightstand before I left and now it's gone!"

"Why the hell did you take it off in the first place?" Hero demands.

"Because my fingers are starting to swell, and it was hurting. I was going to move it to a safer place when I got back but now it's gone."

Hero frantically runs his hands through his hair.

I needed to find this ring.

This ring meant the world to me.

It was Hero's promise to me that he would love me always.

And now, that promise was gone.

Hero grabs a pair of shorts out of the drawer and slips them on. After handing me one of his shirts to put on, he helps me search around the room for it.

We spend over an hour looking, and at this point I had a sickening feeling that whoever was here left with it.

I may never see that ring again.

I drop to the floor, resting my hands in my head.

Hero kneels down beside me and pulls me against him. "We will find it, Jo. I promise."

"What if we can't." I sob. "That ring meant so much to me."

"I know baby."

There's a knock on the front door and Hero quickly rises to answer it.

With great difficulty, I'm able to pull myself to my feet and follow him out.

It was the same officer from earlier, and he held a manila folder in his hand. "May I come in?"

Hero opens the door wider for the officer, and he steps inside. Hero gestures for him to have a seat at the island, and I take a seat next to him.

"So, we ran a background check on Christopher Fuller. 27-year-old male, dirty blonde hair, about six foot would you say?"

"Yes, that's him." I nod.

"What website was that article released from?" The officer asks.

"TMZ."

"That's interesting, because according to my records Christopher was fired from TMZ over three years ago for multiple reasons."

Hero and I look at each other with confused expressions.

"What were the reasons?" Hero asks.

"And how the hell was he able to write the article for TMZ? Or interview for them?"

"You've met this man before?" The officer asks.

"Yes, at a premiere. He interviewed me through TMZ... or, at least he said he did."

"Mr. Fuller was terminated from TMZ do to fraud, misrepresentation of the brand, and for stalking."

"Oh my god." I gasp.

I knew it was him.

It had to have been him.

But what did he want with me?