Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 75195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Then, suddenly a sharp knock on the door jarred me from my thoughts.
Aggravated, I scowled at the closed door. “What is it?”
“Apologies, sir.” My butler, Spencer’s voice came through the door. “But there’s something I believe requires your immediate attention.”
I sighed, feeling the magic of the painting slip away. “Come in.”
Spencer entered the studio, carrying a silver platter with a new phone resting on top of it. His eyes flickered to the canvas, taking in the painting of Nova, but his expression remained impassive.
I scowled. “What’s so urgent it couldn’t wait until morning?”
Spencer held the platter in front of me. “Your new phone arrived. Before I could finish putting in your preferences, Mr. White called.”
“Oh.” I wiped my paint-smeared hands on my pants, picked up the phone, and placed it against my ear. “Hello, Peiter?”
Spencer slightly bowed and then carried the platter away.
Peiter’s voice filled my ears. “Tristan! Sorry for the late call, but I’ve got some news you’ll want to hear.”
“What is it?”
Peiter’s voice was a mixture of excitement and concern. “Well, I hacked into your mystery woman’s apartment and was able to easily get a feed going for her bathroom and bedroom.”
My body drummed with lust. “Have the feed sent to me immediately—”
“Yes, that’s no problem. But here’s the thing that’s bothering me. Someone had already set up cameras in her place.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What?”
“The cameras were new as if the person just put them in her place this morning.”
Horror poured over me. “What the fuck?”
Peiter continued, “Not only that, this person was monitoring her place while I was hacking into his system.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What? Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” Peiter replied, a hint of paranoia creeping into his voice. “And here’s the weirdest part—I tried to trace who it was, but they slipped away fast. I mean, really fast. Almost like. . .”
“What?”
“Almost like they were aliens.”
I frowned. “It’s not aliens. It’s something else.”
“You know how the government covers things up.” Peiter’s voice trembled. “It could be, Tristan. You never know what they’re up to. Conspiracy theories are not just theories, you know. There’s always some truth hidden beneath them.”
“Forget about the aliens and government.” I frowned, trying to make sense of what he was telling me. “I need you to figure out who could have been trying to spy on her.”
“Well if it isn’t the aliens, then it could be whoever sent you the video.”
I stumbled back. “What?”
“I’ve been struggling to trace the third server. This person is good. Maybe, it is the same person. . .or being. . .”
“Third server?”
“This person didn’t use one server to send the video. This was a complicated delivery. Lots of skill involved, just like with the monitoring of her apartment. Very high tech.”
“But can you figure this out?”
“Of course I can, but understand this. . .”
“What?”
“If it is aliens, I am stepping back from this.” He raised his voice. “I cannot be involved!”
I gritted my teeth. “It is not aliens.”
It’s some fucking psycho.
Peiter scoffed. “Tristan, in our world, nothing is ever ordinary. You should know that better than anyone. This could be something big, something we can’t even imagine.”
I ignored his rant and thought about the woman burning in the video that had been texted to me. Now with this new information, a cold chill zipped down my spine.
Was Nova in danger?
Even more horrible, was I the one who had put her in harm’s way?
But why would all of this be happening in the first place?
The painting of Nova loomed over me.
I swallowed hard. “Peiter, I need you to find out who this person is. It must be your top priority. I’ll give you anything you fucking need to get this done. See if you can find out who’s behind this. But be careful. Don’t let them know you’re watching.”
“Don’t worry,” Peiter’s voice trembled again. “I’m on it. Just be ready, Tristan. If this is what I think it is, it could change everything that we know about the universe, aliens, and even the catastrophic evolution of our kind.”
Suddenly, the line went dead, leaving me standing in the studio.
My mind spun with questions and fears.
Who was watching her earlier?
Why?
What did they want?
And what was I going to do about it?
I turned to the painting.
Did I somehow put you in danger? Or was someone already watching you?
Nova’s face stared back at me from the canvas.
Regardless, I will get a whole security team to protect you from the shadows. Nothing will happen to you.
I had to find out who had invaded her privacy.
A dark determination settled over me.
I texted Dominic.
Me: I need your top guys to protect someone for me. When you wake up, call me immediately.
Then, I dialed Peiter back.
My hands shivered.
“Tristan?”
I gripped the phone hard. “Deliver the feed of Nova to my studio television screen.”
“You’ve got it, Tristan.” He hung up again.