Kamille's POV

"Are you okay, Chris?" I asked, noticing his mood shifting. His expression had changed from concern to anger; the lines of his face tightened with tension. My heart clenched with worry. What had sparked such intense emotion?

He forced a tight-lipped smile, but his darkened eyes betrayed him. "I'm fine, Kamille," he replied, his tone strained. "I'm just uh trying to process everything."

I nodded, though his words did little to ease my unease. Something was clearly bothering him.

"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

He hesitated, his gaze flickering before meeting mine. "It's just I can't help but wonder what Zeke's part in all of this is," he admitted, his voice a whisper.

My heart skipped a beat. "What are you saying, Chris?" I asked. I refused to believe he was making irrelevant accusations without evidence.

His expression softened, as if realizing his mistake. "Oh, never mind, Kamille," he said hastily, forcing a smile. "I must have been blabbering. Don't worry about it."

Dang! Is he a mind reader?

"Chris, don't brush this off," I insisted, my voice firm. "If you have something to say, say it." My expression hardened as I fixed him with a piercing stare.

Silence stretched between us, the tension thickening. Chris met my gaze; I subtly raised my eyebrows, urging him to continue.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Okay, Ms. Kamille," he relented, his voice low and resigned. "I just I can't shake the feeling that Zeke might have had something to do with what happened to the kids."

"Chris," I began, "that's not funny." My heart pounded.

"I know this is hard to hear, but Zeke has been following you and the kids since you arrived in London." He paused, taking in my surprise. "He knows all your movements, your visitors everything. He also knows about" He paused, looking at me.

"Knows about what?" I asked, my voice calm despite the turmoil within.

"He knows you were with me at the restaurant the night Royer was hospitalized."

A chill ran down my spine. Zeke had been following me? Every move, every person – he knew it all. Memories flashed, suddenly suspicious. The night Royer was hospitalized, rushing from the restaurant it was as if Zeke had been waiting.

I shook my head in disbelief. Zeke was many things, but a stalker? There had to be an explanation.

"Chris, this can't be true," I protested, my voice trembling. "There must be a mistake."

His expression remained grim. "I wish I could say so, Kamille," he replied, his voice heavy. "But I've seen the evidence myself. He's been watching you for months."

Anger, fear, and betrayal surged. How could he invade my privacy like this? What did he hope to gain?

I hardened my expression. "I don't believe this. I need to hear it from him."

"I doubt he'd welcome that conversation," Chris said slowly.

"How did you find out?" I asked, suspicion lacing my voice.

He took a deep breath, recounting his discovery. "I found it odd how Zeke always seemed to know what was happening, but I dismissed it as vigilance. But then I noticed he was always around, even when others didn't notice. That's when I investigated. It felt like he was orchestrating things to appear as a superhero."

The pieces fell into place. I'd been a fool to trust Zeke. Anger and betrayal washed over me. How could he deceive me? What else was he hiding? No one else from my past knew about me and the kids; Chris had to be right.

I couldn't trust him anymore. I only hoped he had a reasonable explanation.

With steely resolve, I turned to Chris. "Thank you, Chris," I said, gratitude and determination in my voice. "I'll find Zeke and get to the bottom of this."

As I stood and hugged him, a strong scent of candlewood filled my nose.

Zeke.

I turned slowly, meeting his intense gaze. Anger burned within me, but beneath it was fear, perhaps longing. His presence filled the room. I saw his gaze fix on Chris; anger filled his eyes, a rage that could shred Chris to pieces. Was he angry because Chris had revealed his secret? My eyes glistened with tears, but I blinked them away. He didn't deserve them. Not anymore.