Chapter 16
For a second, annoyance flared in my chest. Hadn’t the restraining order taught him anything? Was he truly stupid enough to risk prison time just to stare up at my window like a pathetic ghost from the past?
I walked back out to the balcony, looking down at the street below.
A figure was indeed standing near the corner coffee shop, half-hidden beneath the awning. He looked hollowed out—wearing a cheap, ill-fitting jacket, his head bowed against the chilly evening breeze. But as I watched, he didn't pull out a phone to text me again. He didn't scream or make a scene. He just stood there, staring up at the brightly lit penthouse windows where I stood safe, powerful, and completely untouchable.
I didn't cower. I didn't rush inside to lock the balcony door in a panic. Instead, I raised my wine glass in a silent, mocking toast toward the dark street corner, letting him see that I knew he was there, and that he meant absolutely nothing to me anymore.
Slowly, as if feeling the full weight of his own insignificance, Daniel turned his back and shuffled away into the crowded city streets, swallowed up by the anonymity of the night.
I finished my wine, feeling a profound sense of closure settle over my soul.
The next morning, I handed the screenshot of the text message and the unknown number directly to Richard Sterling, my attorney.
“Violation of the restraining order,” I said calmly as Richard looked at the image.
May you like
Richard smiled, his eyes glinting with predatory professional satisfaction. “Consider it handled, Elena. A bench warrant for his arrest will be filed by Monday morning. Looks like your ex-husband is about to find out what a real prison cell looks like.”
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