Penelope's POV
The photo stares back at me from my phone screen.
It's me in Andrew's bed. His bedsheets tangled at my waist, my hair is messy and my lips still swollen from all the kissing the night before.
The timestamp says 6:17 a.m.
The photo was taken through his bedroom window.
My skin prickles, heat crawling up my neck.
The message under the photo is short and sharp: Leave him, or everyone sees this.
My first thought isn't even who sent it, it's how. His apartment is on the sixth floor.
I quietly fling the covers back and quickly grab my jeans. Andrew stirs beside me. "Penny?"
I shove my phone in his face. "Explain this."
He blinks, still half-asleep. "What the hell..."
"Don't act like you've never had your life stalked before," I snap, yanking on my shirt. "Someone had a camera on us."
His jaw hardens. "I'll find out who."
"That's not the point, Andrew!" My voice cracks. "The point is, I'm in the middle of your mess now, and it's not just about Monaco anymore. Whoever this is, they know how to hit you where it hurts. And now I'm a target."
He immediately swings out of bed, grabs his phone, and starts dialing.
"Who are you calling?"
"Nick."
"Nick?" My laugh is bitter. "Oh, yeah, let's involve the one person in your life who's already dying to hate me."
"He can help."
"No, Andrew," I hiss, "he'll just use this as another reason to keep us apart."
The buzzer sounds before I can stop him from answering. And when the elevator doors open, it's not Nick.
It's Mom.
****
Andrew's POV
Penelope's mom is not someone I expected to see at my door at nine in the morning. She's dressed sharp, hair pinned back, eyes full of questions she hasn't asked yet.
"Good morning," she says tightly. "Can I come in?"
Penny freezes. "Mom."
"I saw the photo."
Her voice is so calm it's terrifying.
Penny immediately turns to me. "You sent it to her?"
"I didn't..."
Her mom interrupts. "It was forwarded to me from an unknown number."
Penny's face drains of color. "You've got to be kidding me."
"I think you should come home," her mom says. "At least until this blows over."
"No."
"Penelope."
"I said no!"
Her voice echoes off the walls, sharp enough to cut.
****
Penelope's POV
I don't even care that Andrew's standing right there. My mother's audacity is enough to push me over the edge.
"You've been waiting for a reason to drag me out of here," I snap.
"I've been waiting for a reason to keep you safe, Penny!" she fires back.
"This isn't about safety, it's about control."
Her eyes narrow. "Do you really think staying with him is worth risking your reputation, your career, your life?"
"Yes." The word leaves my mouth before I can stop it.
Andrew stiffens beside me.
Mom's gaze swings to him. "You have a choice. End this quietly, or watch her get destroyed alongside you."
"We will handle it," Andrew says flatly.
Her lips press into a thin line, but she doesn't argue. She turns to me. "Call me when you've come to your senses."
The door shuts, and I feel like my ribcage is too small for my lungs.
We don't speak for a long moment. Then Andrew says, "You know she's not wrong."
The words hits me harder than they should. "Excuse me?"
"I'm saying whoever sent that photo knows what they're doing. They're not going to stop at one threat."
"So your plan is what? Cut me out to protect me?"
"If I have to."
The heat rises in my chest. "Do you even hear yourself? You spent weeks telling me you'd fight for me, and the second it gets messy..."
"This isn't messy, Penny. This is dangerous."
"That's not your call!"
The door bell rings again.
This time it is Nick and Savannah together.
My stomach twists into knots instantly.
Andrew mutters, "Perfect," and lets them in.
Savannah's eyes flick from me to the tense air between us. "Oh good, you've already seen it."
Nick's jaw is tight. "Whoever's behind this is coming after her now, Andrew."
"You think I don't know that?" Andrew snaps.
Savannah leans on the counter like she owns the place. "I have a guess who sent it."
"Of course you do," I say dryly.
She smirks. "The guy from Monaco. The one who lost a fortune when Andrew backed out. He likes to play dirty."
Nick frowns. "Why the hell would he care about Penny?"
Savannah's gaze lands on me. "Because she's leverage."
****
Andrew's POV
I can feel Penny's anger like static in the air.
"Enough," I say. "Savannah, if you're going to help, then give me a name."
She shrugs. "He's not stupid enough to use his own. But I can find out. For a price."
Nick scoffs. "Of course. There is always a price with you."
Savannah's smile doesn't waver. "Think of it as hazard pay."
I glance at Penny, she's looking at Savannah like she can't decide whether to slap her or thank her.
Nick leans toward his sister. "Come home. Let me and Mom handle this."
Penny's voice is ice. "I'm fine here. The only thing you and Mom are handling is making decisions for me that I didn't ask for."
****
Penelope's POV
The room feels too small for all this tension.
Andrew's pacing now. "We're wasting time. The longer we sit here, the more leverage they get."
"Then do something," I snap. "Or do you need Savannah's permission first?"
He stops, turns. "What the hell does that mean?"
"It means that every time she shows up, you always let her run the conversation."
His eyes flash. "That's not what's happening."
"It's exactly what's happening, Andrew."
Nick mutters, "Wow, this is going well."
"Shut up, Nick!" Andrew and I say at the same time.
Savannah just sips her coffee, like this is all entertainment to her.
****
Andrew's POV
The fight with Penny burns hotter than I expect.
"You think I want Savannah here?" I say.
"You act like you do!" she fires back.
"You think I like watching her tear you apart?"
"You're not stopping her!"
"Because if I shut her down, she walks out with all the information we need."
The silence that comes after that is thick.
Finally, Penny says, "I don't know if I can keep doing this."
Those words feel like a gut punch.
****
Penelope's POV
I'm still shaking when Andrew grabs my wrist and pulls me into the bedroom.
The door slams behind us.
"You don't get to say that, Penny." he growls.
"Why not?"
"Because the second you walk out, they win. And I'll go crazy."
"Andrew."
"Don't 'Andrew' me," he snaps, stepping closer. "You're angry, fine. Be angry. But don't use it as an excuse to walk away from me."
The tension shifts, thickening into something darker.
He kisses me hard, almost desperate. I shove hard at his chest, but he doesn't let go until I melt into it.
Our clothes hit the floor in seconds. It's not tender; it's a collision of sharp breaths and clutching hands, both of us trying to prove something neither of us can name without caring about Nick and Savannah being in the house, somewhere.
When it's over, we're both panting. He presses his forehead to mine. "I'm not letting you go."
The moment should feel grounding. It doesn't.
Nick's voice cuts from the other room. "Penny! You need to see this!"
We quickly scramble into clothes and rush out.
Nick's holding his phone, eyes wide.
A new message.
A new photo.
But this one's not from outside Andrew's window. It's from inside my room.
In my bed.
And I'm not alone in it.
I'm sitting next to a man I've never seen before in my life, and the angle makes it look like we're kissing.
The message attached to the photo reads: Round two. Choose faster.