with a sigh, Lloyd stood up from the bed, deciding that first he would take a bath, and then try figuring out the rest of his day. But a note on his lamp side caught his attention. He reached for it, reading the neatly scribbled words. 'Thanks for letting me crash the night. I'll see you around.'

The letter read. Lloyd had read it once again for good measures, before he crumpled and threw it to the side, shaking his head as he chuckled. "You're a mystery, Johansson"

And for the first time in his life, Lloyd he liked that. A woman who wasn't so easy to read. A new challenge, he would have called it, but some reason, he knew Anastasia was going to be far more than that.

Locating his phone, he called a private investigator friend of his. As the phone rang, Lloyd tapped his foot impatiently. Only did he stop after the line had been answered. "Lloyd, what's up?"

"Andrew, hey, I uh, need a favor from you."

"Go on.

"I need you to run a background check on Anastasia Johansson for me, but I don't need her details. I just ne

ex fiancé. Get me his current location and movement and any other detail that might be helpful."

There was a brief pause on the other line and then, his friend, Andrew, spoke.

"Lloyd, is everything alright?

"Yeah, yeah. Nothing to worry about. Just, help me out, would ya?

need you to find someone, her

on as I can, and you'd

"Okay, sure." Andrew answered and Lloyd sighed in relief, thanking his friend. "So, I'll get you his details as soon as I can, have to tell me why you want this, okay?"

"Of course. Thanks again, man." With that, he ended the call and threw his phone onto the bed

He didn't know why, but something told him that Anastasia's safety wasn't entirely in the clear, especially after she had told him the story of her ex and what happened. It wasn't just her safety, but her peace of mind too,

And for some reason, Lloyd felt like that was the least he could do for her, as her friend, of course

But the more he thought of that, the more the words tasted bitter on his tongue

'Friend."

Yeah right, and the Pope was Jewish.

"You did what?" Leonica screeched into the phone from the other end. Anastasia had to pull the phone away from her ear, coupled with the sound of the locksmith doing his work on her door from behind, she felt like both sounds might make her go deaf. "Chill out Leonica." She began, catching her reflection across a mirror and grimacing at the numerous amounts of hickeys she saw on her neck. "You fucked Gabriel, didn't you?"

"That's different!" The other female exclaimed and Anastasia had a feeling that if she had been there, Leonica would have been waving her arms in the air, all dramatic and what not. "And he's Gabriel's friend. What happened to friends of the same feather flock together? Anastasia shrugged. "Maybe he's different."

He's a playboy, worse than Gabriel. Couldn't you

gone for any one, and how personally, she wouldn't advice she go for someone within Gabriel's friend group. Anastasia chewed on a protein bar as she listened, waiting until the moment she finished. "Do you even know what you're going to do now?" she asked

for some reason, she found herself humming. thinking of an answer, luckily,

chuckling as Leonica scolded her for avoiding her question, "Let's talk more when you've dropped the laid off." She

knowing that as things stood, she wasn't going to get anywhere with Anastasia. Answer or no answer, she also knew that she needed to take Ashley to school. "Fine, but once I get back, you and I, were going to seat down, face to face, and discuss this." Her stern tone had Anastasia nodding, but deep down, she knew that Leonica was most definitely

medical matter, school matter, or even recent development in her love life and if none of that worked, then she could just easily call Cassandra

to avoid giving a solid answer, because she knew

which she ended the call. Immediately she ended the call, Larry walked up to her, giving her a

such short notice." As she collected it, he gave her a certain look that Anastasia was all too familiar with, before adding.

The door's that way." She pointed towards the entrance, playful smile on her lips to let the locksmith know she was teasing him, even though

said as he turned around and walked

behind. "Drive safely, Larry "She said as she watched him drive off and

new locks and the protein bar, before she slumped onto the couch, pulling her feet up. She let out a sigh, staring up at the ceiling, her thoughts running

she'd have to get all serious with Lloyd and serious wasn't something she wanted. As a matter of fact, she didn't want anything with him, or at least that's what she's been telling herself and best believe it when she says that is one of the toughest lie she has ever had to repeat over and over

handsome man with bright qualities that had been dimmed by his reputation as Oslo's mumber one playboy Billionaire, but that aside, he was an alright man. Well, that and the fact that he was friends with Gabriel. But even

the key word. But right now, they couldn't even be considered fuck

at her door. She stood up and lazily dragged her leg

something, Larry?" she asked as she swung the door

wasn't Larry, but Derek. Blood drained from her face and as quickly as she had opened the door, she tried slamming it, but

asked as she backed away, only for

me, then I'd have no choice than to come to you. And guess

backing away until the back of her legs hit the edge of the couch, causing her to stumble and fall backwards, and with the fear and panic, she didn't have time to think before her reflexes kicked in, and the next thing she knew, her hands were flying, trying to hit him, fight him. But the moment her palm landed

s sound, movement, and sense of touch

silent. It was like

stared at the man standing above her, a crazed look

the blood from his inner cheek and sighed. "You've always been a feisty one

he charged at her, managing to pin her hand down. "I just

and watched as his eyes darkened, but then her attention

hoping that her guess

where her attention had been and as if reading her mind, be quickly covered her mouth before she could scream for help. "Don't cut our discussion short, Ana." He said

with reasoning, kicked off the vase on her coffee table. The shattering sound

her.

opportunity to

a heartbeat, she pulled the door open and came

to see her looking so frightened, but the moment his eyes landed on the figure behind her, he understood the entire situation. Quickly, he pushed her

said and watched as Derek's face contorted in

but the rest

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