Ella’s POV:
I’ve always prided myself on being independent, capable of handling anything life throws my way.
But lately, sothing has shifted.
Sothing is wrong. At first, I told myself I was imagining it, that the subtle changes in my surroundings were a result of my heightened emotions. After all, being pregnant with Arec’s child, and juggling the confusion of what we actually are, it’s a lot for anyone.
But now, as I step outside my apartnt building, heading down the sidewalk towards Kate’s house, I feel it again, that sa unsettling sensation. It’s like soone’s watching , following . I glance over my shoulder for the hundredth ti, but there’s nothing. Just empty streets, flickering streetlights, and the soft hum of traffic in the distance.
Yet I can’t shake the feeling. A shadow lingers in the corner of my vision, never fully forming but always there. I tell myself it’s my imagination, a trick of the mind, but the hairs on the back of my neck say otherwise.
The first real scare ca just a few days ago. I was walking ho from Kate’s, enjoying the crisp night air and trying to clear my head. It had been one of those long, exhausting days where nothing seed to go right, and I was lost in thought. The sound of screeching tires pulled back to reality just in ti. A car swerved onto the sidewalk, right where I was standing.
I jumped out of the way, my heart pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears. The driver didn’t stop. They didn’t even slow down. The car sped off into the night, leaving standing there, shaken, my body trembling from the adrenaline rush.
I tried to calm myself, rationalize it. Maybe it was just a reckless driver, soone not paying attention. Accidents happen, right? But deep down, I knew sothing was off.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept replaying the mont in my mind, the sound of tires screeching, the way the car seed to veer towards intentionally. What if it hadn’t been an accident? What if soone had tried to hurt ?
But why? Who would want to hurt ? Could it be Klaus? I hadn’t thought of him after the video incident, but he seed to be bitter and angry over my new life with Arec. Could it be he still harbored so twisted grudge? The thought alone sent a chill down my spine.
A week later, the paranoia I had managed to suppress ca roaring back. I was waiting for the subway, standing close to the platform edge. The station was crowded, filled with the usual buzz of commuters heading ho after a long day. I was trying to focus on my phone when suddenly, I felt a force behind . A firm shove.
I stumbled forward, catching myself just in ti before I fell onto the tracks. My heart nearly stopped. I turned, but the crowd was thick, faces indifferent, eyes forward. Whoever had pushed blended into the sea of people. For a mont, I stood frozen, my entire body trembling with fear and disbelief. If I hadn’t caught my balance...
It wasn’t an accident this ti. Soone had deliberately pushed .
Since that day, I’ve been hyper-aware of everything around . Every flicker of movent, every shadow seems like a threat. I started avoiding the subway, opting to walk whenever I can, though even walking feels unsafe now. I look over my shoulder constantly, my heart skipping every ti I see soone walking behind . I’ve started taking different routes ho, avoiding the places I usually go, but the feeling won’t go away.
Soone wants dead. I don’t know who, or why, but I can’t ignore it anymore. I try to rationalize, to make sense of it. Maybe it’s not personal. Maybe it’s random. But the thought feels weak, like I’m trying too hard to find comfort in an uncomfortable truth.
Would Klaus go that far? No, that would be too extre, right? But still, I can’t stop wondering. What if?
Finally, the paranoia got too much to bear, and I decided to tell Arec. We were sitting in his office, the room felt colder than usual.
"I think soone’s trying to kill ," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Arec looked up, his expression shifting from neutral to concerned in an instant. "What do you an?"
I told him everythino, the car, the subway, the constant feeling of being watched. His expression darkened with each word, his jaw clenching as he processed it all.
"Ella, why didn’t you tell sooner?" His voice was low, steady, but I could hear the tension beneath the surface.
"I thought...I thought maybe I was just being paranoid. But it’s happening too often now. It can’t be a coincidence."
He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "This isn’t just paranoia. If soone’s targeting you, we need to take this seriously."
I didn’t want to admit how much his concern reassured , how good it felt to have soone else acknowledge my fears. But then doubt crept in. Was he worried about , or was he just worried about the baby? After all, the baby was the only real thing between us.
"I’ll assign security," Arec said firmly, pulling out of my thoughts.
"No," I protested. "That’s not necessary. I’ll be careful from now on. I’ll avoid walking alone, take different routes..."
"I’m not taking any chances." His voice was final, leaving no room for argunt. "Whoever this is, they’re not going to stop. I’m not risking your life or the baby’s."
There it was again. The baby. Was all this concern for , or for the life growing inside ? I wanted to ask him, but the words caught in my throat. What did it matter? If soone really wanted dead, I needed all the help I could get.
Over the next few days, Arec’s protectiveness only grew. He assigned a security detail to follow everywhere, even though I protested. I could feel their eyes on , shadowing my every move, but at least the shadows felt less threatening now.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t just about my safety, it was about the baby. Would Arec be this protective if we weren’t having a child together? If we were just two people bound by a contract?
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