Slade Grogan hid in a dark, small corner of the airport. The halls were congested with hundreds of men and women bustling from one terminal to another. Some toted large suitcases making it awkward to move through the flow of bodies.

Slade watched the crowd with eager anticipation. He knew that Carly Thornton was in that crowd, somewhere. His blood was pumping. The adrenaline rush was almost too much to bear. He found himself restless and agitated.

For so long he had been waiting for this very moment. A moment that would outshine any other in his lifetime. For the last six years Slade Grogan had been searching for the truth about Carly Thornton. He'd turned over every rock and waded through mud and muck until he had finally found what he wanted.

An insatiable grin emerged from the corners of his mouth. Life would never be the same for Carly after today. Slade couldn't understand the deep-rooted animosity he felt towards Carly. It didn't make sense to him, but for some unexplained reason Carly Thornton had become an obsession to him. She burned in his blood. Even when he slept, he was dreaming of her.

Anger seized him then. He felt his hands clenching into fists.

Six years ago Carly Thornton became an overnight success in the recording industry. Her husband had been responsible for opening doors for Carly that she never would have been able to open on her own.

Carly Singleton had been born into a family of poverty. But despite her upbringing, she had married one of the wealthiest men in the world. Meeting Douglas Thornton had been no accident. Slade was sure of it.

Carly was smart, brilliant. But she was manipulative and conniving, much like himself. And Slade was convinced that Douglas had been a victim of her manipulative tactics.

Slade had to admit that Carly was a vibrantly beautiful woman. She had a sophistication about her that far exceeded others that traveled in her circle. Carly was ambitious, driven, and often head-strong and overbearing, Yet the world was captivated by her smile.

Slade was sickened by it all. What did people see in this woman? So what if she could sing. Didn't they know that behind those baby blue eyes was nothing more than a liar?

For one brief moment Slade felt a sense of betrayal. Some people considered him to be no better than a snake in the grass. In most part that was the truth. For eleven years he had made a living out of destroying other people's lives. It is what brought him peace and satisfaction. It wasn't something that could be easily explained. But it was something that consumed him day after day. And today would be a day of glory for him.

Slade scoped out the place watching as people scurried across the floor in a hurry to get to where they needed to go. In an instant he saw her.

For a moment he stood mesmerized. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She wore a tailored black pant suit with a heavy jacket and a red silk blouse underneath. A string of sparkling diamonds hung around her neck. Her body moved with uninhibited grace and elegance.

She had long golden hair that curled down the middle of her back and cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. She was flawless. Everything about her was mere perfection. She was a woman full of confidence. Men were so entranced by her that they stopped and watched as she walked by.

She'd smile at them, or she'd speak in that sweetly sultry voice of hers. No matter where she was in the world, no one was immune to her charm. Even Slade.

He had to shake himself from the trance.

Slade followed Carly's approach. She weaved in and out of the crowd with long, luxurious legs that carried her with a sense of pride. Her movements were rhythmic almost like a well-oiled machine. She was a woman in control of her domain. And the world knew it.

Carly had everything she could ever imagine. Her life was just where she wanted it to be. Not only was she a mother and a wife, but she was at the top of her career. At the age of 32 she had more platinum records than any other recording star in the world. People from all over the universe came to hear her sing. Literally, Carly Thornton was worth millions, even billions.

Carly passed Slade without seeing him. He waited a few seconds, then he stepped out into the crowd and began to follow her. He was careful to stand far enough back so that she could not see him. He wanted to catch her unawares. He wanted to see the shock on her face when he revealed the truth.

For a moment Slade found himself moving a little too fast. He had to remind himself to slow down. He didn't want to ruin everything now. He wanted the advantage of surprise. He'd been thinking of this moment for so long it was about to shatter his nerves. He was so close. Too close. He could feel the excitement flow through him. His hands began to sweat.

Then before he knew it, Carly stopped walking and whirled around to face him. Her eyes were cold and flecks of anger sparkled in the vivid blue.

“Why are you following me, Mr. Grogan?” Carly asked with a sneer in her voice. She held her chin high almost as if she were trying to intimidate him.

Slade straightened his shoulders and beamed a cheerful smile at her. “I would like to ask you a few questions, if I might,” Slade responded coolly.

“You know I don't give interviews.” Carly's voice became hard. “Especially to someone like you.”

Instantly Carly pivoted on her feet and headed back in the direction she had been walking. Slade quickly sidled up next to her unphased by her abrupt dismissal of him.

It was a well known fact that Carly Thornton only gave interviews on rare occasions if ever. She was a private person. She didn't want her personal live to be put on display for the whole world to see. But Slade knew that was merely a cover up to the truth. Carly was hiding something. Something deep, dark, and sinister. The world didn't know it. Even her husband didn't know it. But he did. Slade Grogan had unburied the secrets of Carly Thornton's past. And very soon, everyone would know what he knew. Slade couldn't wait for his moment of triumph.

“You know, Mrs. Thornton, I don't take rejection very well.” Slade's eyes glistened with mischief. “It only makes me more determined to get what I want.”

Carly grinned. Her eyes slanted towards Slade. “You will never get what you want, Mr. Grogan,” Carly demanded. “I despise people like you. You are a cold, heartless man who has no regard for other people's feelings. You report half-truths. You destroy people with lies and innuendo without one shred of concern for their welfare.”

Carly walked with her back straight and her head held high. She was poised and, as always, she was in control of her emotions. Slade couldn't wait to shatter that control.

“Mrs. Thornton . . . may I call you, Carly?” Slade asked with skepticism in his voice.

Carly turned her nose up at the request. “I reserve that privileged for only those to whom I call a friend. You, Mr. Grogan, are no friend.”

“I never said I wanted to be your friend,” Slade admitted. “I merely asked for an interview.”

“And I merely informed you that I don't give personal interviews.”

Slade couldn't begin to comprehend the feelings that were attacking him at the moment. He felt a sudden rush of exhilaration pass through his limbs from his fingers to his toes. He could never remember experiencing this type of excitement with anyone before now.

Normally Slade didn't care about the people he wrote about. He was cold, calculating and vindictive. He had always been able to separate himself from his job. That had been pivotal in his career. He knew from the beginning that if he were to succeed as a big time journalist, he had to remove the human factor from the equation. There was no room for emotions. They clouded one's judgment, made one soft and susceptible to diseases of the mind.

Most people who met Slade didn't like him. And that was understandable. Slade aleniated people and, in doing so, he had come to live a solitary life isolated from the world except from those he worked with and those he destroyed. He'd never once cared about having friends or keeping them. Up to this moment, he'd been perfectly content with his life.

But as Slade stood there watching Carly Thornton, something about him began to evolve. He was no longer just a journalist. He had become a man. A person with real needs, and wants, and desires. He didn't know where these emotions were coming from, but they burst from him like a raging river. He had to stop them. Somehow, some way he had to stop them.

“Something wrong, Mr. Grogan?” Carly asked curiously.

Slade turned his face just enough to get a glimpse of her. Something about Carly captivated him.

It wasn't her beauty. Or the elegant way she carried her body when she walked. It wasn't the sweet sound of her voice, or even the color of her eyes. She was his equal. She stood her ground. She did not allow him to shake her composure. He admired her tenacity. He fed on it, thrived on it.

“Not at all, Mrs. Thornton. I might ask the same of you.”

Carly raised an eyebrow. “Actually, I've never been better. Life has been good to me.”

“Care to speculate on that?” Slade asked mischievously.

Carly stared at him with eyes that were hard and emotionless. “If I were to do that, I'd be consenting to an interview . . . And you know. . . ”

“You don't give interviews,” Slade interrupted sarcastically.

Something sparked his anger. Abruptly Slade grabbed Carly by the arm. His fingers wrapped around her flesh like a band of steel. He jerked her around to face him. The glare in his eyes was like molten lava.

“Excuse me, Mr. Grogan, please remove your hand from my arm now before I'm forced to hurt you. I'm trained in self-defense. You might find yourself lying on the ground if you aren't careful.”

Slade's grip tightened. His eyes were unflinching. “Mrs. Thornton, your threats don't scare me.”

Carly's right knee went up and hit it's target. Slade fell to his knees wincing in pain and gasping for air. Carly smiled and turned away. “Have a good day, Mr. Grogan. Don't say I didn't warn you.”

Slade doubled over. It took a few minutes for him to recover, then swiftly he leapt to his feet and renewed his pursuit of Carly. When he caught up to her she ignored his presence beside her. This only irritated him more.

“Mrs. Thornton, you can't get rid of me that quickly. I've been doing this line of work for eleven years. You don't intimidate me.”

Her tone was condescending when she replied, “I never said I was trying to intimidate you. I only wish to be left alone. I gave you fair warning. You failed to head to it. You had it coming.”

Finally Carly came to her terminal. She scanned the group of people and fell in behind the last person standing in line at the ticket counter. Slade stood with her, nothing more than an annoyance.

“You are strong,” Slade said with indifference. “I give you that much. But I don't think you are as strong as you want people to think you are.”

Carly grew outraged. She turned abruptly toward Slade. “What is that suppose to mean? Are you threatening me?”

“Of course not, Mrs. Thornton. I'm merely making an assumption.”

“Based on what?” Carly asked belligerently.

“Well you see, I've been watching you., Carly. You've intrigued me most of my career. You have this persona about you. You lead people on making them believe you're a saint.”

Carly snorted. “I don't profess to be a saint, Mr. Grogan. I just prefer to keep my personal life to myself. I don't see a crime in that.”

Carly took a step forward. Slade did to. “The crime lies in the fact that you hide the truth from the world, Carly. You allow them to believe that you are this perfect person. But I know the truth. I know your secrets.”

For a moment there Carly let her guard down. Her face turned ashen from fear. “Secrets?” she implored. “I don't know what you mean, Mr. Grogan.” There was a slight crackling in her voice. He'd hit a nerve.

“Oh, I think you do,” Slade responded effortlessly.

Carly was on the verge of panic though she hid it well. Her heart raced in her chest. Her mind began to spin. Her knees grew week and she thought she might fall to the ground. She struggled with the knowledge that her past had finally fallen into the hands of someone like Slade Grogan.

Carly detested the man. There was no values in his journalistic techniques. His career thrived on poorly developed ethics. He'd made his career out of hurting people. The man was relentless and would stop at nothing to get a good story. He'd written hundreds of stories built purely around lies and deception. Through the years this had caused chaos and much criticism in his career. But somehow his career only flourished amid the tears and the failed marriages. Carly did not care to be his next victim.

“Look, Mr. Grogan, you have no right to intrude into my life like this. I've kept certain things a secret for a reason. I wish to keep them that way.”

“And I feel the world has a right to know the truth. To know exactly who you are.”

Carly stared at Slade Grogan. Her anger was raging inside of her. “You have nothing on me, Mr. Grogan. Now please leave.”

“With or without your help, Mrs. Thornton, I have a story ready for print. It will go out tomorrow morning in the New York Times,” Slade acknowledged with a gleam in his eyes. “Millions of people will be reading it.”

Carly eyed Slade with disdain. “If you have your story, Mr. Grogan, what do you need me for? Obviously you've done your work. What is there left to do?”

For a moment Carly thought Slade's eyes had softened. “It is true that I have my story complete and ready to go. But I wanted to check my facts, make sure everything was correct. There's still time to make changes before it hits the presses. What do you say, Mrs. Thornton, have you changed your mind about this interview?”

“Not at all,” Carly replied a little to hastily. “And I believe you are lying. I think you came here with the sole intention of watching me cower. Well I am not like that, Mr. Grogan. If you wish to print your story, then do it. I won't stop you.”

“That's a shame,” Slade remarked dryly. “I had hoped you would change your mind. I sincerely hope your husband understands. And that precious son of yours. I'd hate for him to find out the truth. That his grandfather is a murderer.”

Carly's face turned gray. When she said nothing, Slade continued. “I'd also hate for him to learn that his very own mother took the blame for that murder. That she spent half her life locked away in a mental hospital.”

Carly swallowed hard. Tears sprung to her eyes. “You print one word of that slander and I will sue you for everything you're worth.”

“Like I said, Mrs. Thornton, your threats don't scare me.”

Carly wanted to scream. She was furious. Her hands were shaking and her legs were wobbling beneath her weight. She felt ready to fall at any moment. How had this gone so wrong? How had she let Slade Grogan get under her skin like this? He was nothing but a menace to society. He had no real purpose in the world so why did God allow such a man to pursue a career when it destroyed so many innocent lives?

Carly was baffled, horrified. She'd never wanted her secrets exposed like this. She'd never wanted Douglas to find out who he was really married to. If the story was released, there was no telling what was in it. But one thing Carly was certain of, that was her love for her husband, and his love for her. He would be kind, understanding, even supportive. It was true that she had never divulged the secrets of her past to her husband, but it had never bothered him. He accepted things just the way they were. They were blissfully happy together. Nothing could break the bonds of their marriage.

“Mr. Grogan,” Carly muttered, “You think you have me by a string. But let me inform you that you've got nothing. I had a hard life as a child. I experienced things a person should never have to go through in life. I've suffered tragedy. I've grieved and in the end I've found healing. Yes, I have kept things from my husband. But I love my husband and he loves me. We have a beautiful son together. You might destroy my career, but my marriage will stay in tact. So what will you have gained in the end?”

Carly presented her ticket to the woman manning the counter. She checked Carly's baggage in and handed the ticket back to her. “You will be boarding at gate 11,” the woman informed her with a warm, friendly smile.

As Carly headed toward gate 11, Slade Grogan followed her.

“Your career is what I desire to destroy,” Slade announce with bitterness that was clearly evident.

“Why? Because I am far more successful than you'll ever be. Because I'm financially affluent? Because people love me and hate you? What is it Mr. Grogan, I'd like to know.”

Slade sneered up into Carly's eyes. He pierced her with a look of steel. “You manipulated your husband, Carly. You smiled at him. You lied to him. And you convinced him to marry you. He had millions of dollars before you came along. You sunk your claws into it. Your husband was ultimately responsible for your success. Without him you would be nothing.”

Furious Carly spat out. “I have talent, Mr. Grogan. That's more than I can say about you. I put my heart into my career. I can sing. I can perform. People love me, they love who I am, what I stand for. I would like for them to continue seeing me as I am today, not as I was ten years ago before I married my husband.”

Carly was silent a moment. Inside she was fuming. “I'm not afraid , Mr. Grogan. I believe you will be rather shocked to know that the truth doesn't matter to my fans. They will still love me despite the fact that I had a tragic past. So do as you wish. Print your story. But don't be disappointed if you don't get the results you desire.”

With that statement Carly was gone. Slade was still standing in the very spot Carly had left him when she turned and glared at him just before entering the plane. His jaw was jutting out. Anger simmered in the depths of his eyes. She smiled and winked at him. With dignity she entered the plane and disappeared out of sight.

Well that had gone well, Slade thought to himself. He hadn't exactly gotten the response he had hoped for. Carly neither denied or acknowledged his allegations. Slade was disappointed. He didn't know if he still wanted to print the story. Somehow it didn't seem as important anymore. Without even knowing it, Carly had manage to steal his thunder. How had he let that happen? Wasn't he suppose to be the one in control?

Angry at himself, Slade turned to leave the airport. He glanced over his shoulder one last time. For reasons unknown he would never forget this day.