SECRET SERVICE

Chapter Thirteen

Gwendolyn stood in front of the mirror, her reflection almost unrecognizable after two weeks of isolation. Her eyes, once bright and full of life, were now shadowed with fatigue, and the forced smile she wore felt like a mask that could c***k at any moment.

She had been locked away in her room under her father's orders, "for her safety," they had said, but it felt more like a prison.

Today, she was finally free to return to work, to reclaim some semblance of normalcy, but the weight of everything that had happened pressed heavily on her shoulders.

As she prepared to leave, she couldn't help but think of Alaric. He hadn't tried to contact her, not once since that night, and the silence hurt more than she cared to admit.

Her father had leaked to the press that they had broken up—a convenient excuse to explain her sudden disappearance from public life. The tabloids had eaten it up, speculating wildly about the reasons behind their supposed split, but Gwendolyn hadn't been given the chance to correct them. Not that she would have; her father had made sure of that.

Steeling herself, Gwendolyn straightened her blouse and grabbed her bag. It was time to face the world again.

Her buzzed with activity, the usual hum of business as usual. Gwendolyn walked through the familiar halls, her heels clicking on the polished marble floors, drawing curious glances from the employees. Most were too polite to ask where she had been, but she could see the questions in their eyes. She had been gone too long, and the rumors had already started to swirl.

Before she could settle into her office, her publicist, Diane, intercepted her. Diane was a sharp, no-nonsense woman who had been managing Gwendolyn's public image for years. Today, her expression was even more severe than usual.

"Gwendolyn, we need to talk," Diane said, ushering her into a private conference room. Once the door was closed, Diane wasted no time. "You've been out of the public eye for two weeks. The press is in a frenzy, and your father's little stunt with the breakup announcement has only made things worse. We need to control the narrative."

Gwendolyn sighed, feeling the weight of Diane's words. "I know, Diane. I'm aware of the situation."

Diane nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Good. Then you understand that any interaction with the press has to be carefully managed. No off-the-cuff remarks, no personal feelings. Stick to the script I've prepared, and we can get through this."

Gwendolyn bit back a retort. She knew Diane was just doing her job, but it felt suffocating. "I'll do my best," she said, keeping her tone neutral.

"Your best is not enough right now, Gwendolyn. We can't afford any slip-ups," Diane warned before softening slightly. "I know this has been hard on you, but we have to think of the bigger picture. Your father's reputation, the company—everything is on the line."

Gwendolyn nodded, her throat tight. "I understand."

Diane's stern expression eased into something almost sympathetic. "Good. Now go and get back to work. Show them you're still in control."

Before she can begin to focus on her work, Willow barged into her closed office.

"Gwen! Where the hell have you been?" Willow asked, her voice a mix of relief and frustration. "I've been trying to reach you, but no one would tell me anything."

Gwendolyn hesitated, then sighed. "It's a long story, Willow. My father... he thought it was best if I stayed out of sight for a while. There's been a situation."

Willow's eyes widened in surprise. "A situation? What kind of situation?"

Gwendolyn glanced around, lowering her voice. "It's complicated. Someone broke into my apartment. My father thought it would be safer for me to stay out of sight until they could figure things out."

Willow gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God, Gwen. Why didn't you tell me sooner? Are you okay? Between you ghosting me and Desire leaving, I have been going stir crazy in this stuffy place by myself."

"I'm fine now," Gwendolyn said, though the words felt hollow.

"What do you mean Desire left?"

Willow nodded, her brow furrowing in concern. "Yeah, she just up and left. No warning, no explanation. It's weird. But granted, she rarely spoke anyway. She probably got a new job and just left."

Before they could discuss it further, the door to the office suite opened, and Alaric stepped in.

Gwendolyn's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, but any relief she felt was quickly overshadowed by the tension that radiated between them. Willow glanced between them, sensing the charged atmosphere.

"I'll leave you two alone," Willow muttered, backing away and giving Gwendolyn a supportive look before disappearing down the hallway.

Alaric approached slowly, his expression unreadable. "Gwen, we need to talk."

She folded her arms, trying to maintain a cool exterior despite the storm of emotions churning inside her. "About what? The fact that you haven't tried to contact me in two weeks? Or that my father decided to leak a fake breakup story to the press?"

Alaric winced, but he didn't back down. "I'm sorry, Gwen. I didn't want it to happen like this, but I had no choice."

"Like this?" Gwendolyn's voice shook with anger. "You didn't have a choice? You just disappeared, Alaric! I was locked away, and you didn't even try to reach me."

"It wasn't safe," Alaric insisted, his tone urgent. "You don't understand. I had to stay away, to make sure you were protected."

"Protected from what?" Gwendolyn demanded, stepping closer. "Or should I say, from who?"

Alaric hesitated, his eyes searching hers before he finally spoke. "Your father and Michael... they know who the stalker is."

Gwendolyn's blood ran cold. "What? If they know, then why haven't they done anything? Why lock me away instead of arresting this person?"

"I don't know," Alaric admitted, his frustration evident. "But I found something. A letter was left at your home after the second break-in. They've been keeping it from you, and I think it holds the key to who's behind all of this."

Gwendolyn's mind raced as she tried to process what Alaric was telling her. "So why didn't you tell me sooner? Why didn't you fight for me?"

"I was trying to figure it out," Alaric said, his voice strained. "I've been working with Cassie—"

"Cassie?" Gwendolyn interrupted, her voice sharp. "You're working with her?"

Alaric sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's the only one who could help me dig into this without drawing too much attention. Gwen, I came here today to force their hand. By showing up, I knew the Secret Service would be alerted, and they'd have no choice but to confront this."

Gwendolyn stared at him, torn between anger and confusion. "You're playing a dangerous game, Alaric. If they know who this stalker is, why aren't they doing anything? Why keep it a secret?"

"I don't know," Alaric said quietly. "But I'm going to find out."

Before Gwendolyn could respond, a stern voice interrupted them. "Alaric."

They both turned to see a Secret Service agent standing in the doorway, his expression grim. "You need to come with us."

Alaric nodded, giving Gwendolyn one last look. "I'll be back, Gwen. I promise."

As he was escorted away, Gwendolyn stood frozen, the weight of his words settling over her like a dark cloud. Something was terribly wrong, and the secrets her father and Michael were hiding were just the beginning.

She couldn't shake the feeling that her world was about to unravel even further, and this time, there might be no way to put it back together.