Annie could not sleep. She just lay on her bed with her eyes closed, but her mind refused to shut down. Every creak of the building sounded deliberate. Each passing car outside felt like it slowed too much near her window.
Sasha insisted on staying over.
"I'm not leaving you alone," she said firmly, as she dragged a blanket to the couch acting like she owned the place.
Annie had tried to forcefully laugh it off.
"It was probably nothing, maybe my imaginations." But then, the image wouldn't leave her.
That silhouette! His stillness. The way it didn't want to move until she screamed.
Sasha suggested calling the police. Annie thought it was a good idea. She picked up her phone… and then lowered it again.
What was she going to say?
"Hello, I saw a shadow outside my window?"
No break-in... No proof... No face. Just fear? And fear didn't file reports.
By morning, she was so exhausted from thinking and fear. Vivid dark circles sat under her eyes like a secret she didn't want anyone to notice.
Still, she got up. It was literally a survivor mode. Life didn't pause because she was scared.
She dressed carefully while Sasha went ahead to shower. Her dress sense was not flashy today. She chose a soft grey blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt, paired with a closed-toe heels. Hair pulled into a low, sleek ponytail. Minimal makeup, just enough to hide the lack of sleep.
She made sure she looked composed and controlled. If something wanted to shake her, it would have to try harder.
Sasha watched her from the bathroom.
"You don't have to go."
"Yes, I do." Her voice was calm.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
A&R looked the same as always. Tall glass walls. Polished floors. Controlled temperature and controlled conversations.
Everything looks Normal. That almost annoyed her.
How could everything be normal?
She walked past reception and felt it — the quiet acknowledgment. A few glances. A few admiring looks.
But today, admiration didn't register. Every sound made her flinch. A chair scraping too suddenly.
A printer whirring behind her.
Footsteps approaching faster than expected. She was overthinking too much.
She wasn't being watched, she just felt… on edge. And she hated it.
She walked into her office and shut the door softly behind her. Her eyes scanned the room automatically.
Desk.
Chair.
Drawer.
Nothing out of place.
She slowly exhaled.
"You're imagining danger." She said to herself
Work helped.Numbers. Fabric samples. Color palettes. Client revisions.
She forced her mind to focus on textures and layouts instead of shadows and windows. But her body betrayed her.
When someone knocked unexpectedly, she jolted.
When laughter erupted down the hall, her heart skipped.
She kept glancing at the entrance.Not because she expected the hooded figure but because she noticed someone else was missing.
Adrian.
Again.
He hadn't shown up yesterday, and he wasn't here today.
She didn't know who to ask, not especially when she knows Mr Leighton was his replacement... But why? Those were questions that had no answer.
And asking might sound weird… obvious. Why would she care?
Still, the absence felt deliberate.
Mid-afternoon, Mr. Leighton appeared at her door. He didn't knock this time.
He just leaned casually against the frame like he owned the air inside it. Maybe he owned the place. He was obviously highly respected like Adrian in the company.
"You look tired," he observed, his eyes scanning her face thoroughly.
"Busy," she corrected smoothly.
He smiled.
"I like the ponytail."
Her fingers instinctively brushed the back of her neck. He was too forward and too comfortable. She didn't know if that unsettled her more than the shadow had.
"Is there something work-related you needed?" she asked as politely as possible.
He chuckled softly. "Always straight to business."
His gaze lingered a second too long before he straightened.
"We're finalizing the West Tower presentation. I'll send you the updated layout."
"Thank you Sir." she replied almost immediately.
He didn't leave immediately.
Instead, he studied her.
"You sure you're okay?"
There it was again...That tone!
Concern disguised as curiosity.
"I'm fine." She said casually
His lips curved slightly, unconvinced.
"If you need someone to walk you to your car later, let me know. It gets quiet in the parking lot."
Her stomach tightened. Why did that sentence feel heavier than it should?
"I'll be fine," she repeated.
"Offer stands," he said lightly almost winking before walking away.
Annie's stomach twitched. Did he just wink? She sat there for a long moment. "Quiet in the parking lot..." The words echoed.
She shook her head. "You're overthinking everything."
Soon, it was late afternoon. The office slowly began to empty. Still Adrian didn't show up. Maybe his presence wasn't much needed. She didn't know why she was this curious. She waved the thought from her head.
When she finally packed up to leave, her movements were slower than usual. She slipped her planner into her bag. Zipped it. She checked her phone. There was nothing. No messages, no unknown numbers.The silence was almost worse.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and stood. As she adjusted the strap, something inside shifted oddly.
She frowned. That wasn't there before.
She set the bag back on her desk and unzipped it again. Her fingers moved carefully this time.
Planner.
Wallet.
Lip gloss.
Perfume oil and roll on
And then...
Paper! Old and slightly creased.
Her breath slowed. She pulled it out slowly observing it. It wasn't recent, it wasn't new. It was a photograph.
Her.
And him.
Months ago, before everything shattered.
She was smiling in it. Carefree. His arm clunged around her small waist. Possessive even then, though she hadn't recognized it. The background was familiar; a park bench near her old apartment.
Her hands began to tremble. She had thrown this photo away. She remembered tearing it from a frame. She also remembered dropping it into a trash bin outside her building.
So how... It was impossible!
Her chest tightened. No one had touched her bag today. She had kept it near her.
Hadn't she?
Her mind replayed the day quickly.
Reception.
Office.
Meeting room.
Mr. Leighton at her door. How could Mr Leighton get a hold of that?
No! Absolutely no one close enough. No one obvious.
But the photo was in her hand. Looking real, Present.
Her pulse pounded in her ears.
He's closer.
The thought slid in uninvited.
Closer than you think.
She shoved the photo back into her bag abruptly, zipped it, and forced herself to breathe.
It could be a coincidence.
It could be...
No.
There was no coincidence in that. Someone wanted her to remember.
Or feel watched.
Or both.
Her office suddenly felt smaller and cold. She quickly grabbed her bag and headed toward the elevator.
The hallway lights were dimmer now. Fewer voices. More echoes.
When she stepped into the parking structure, the air felt cooler. A natural fresh air blew her hair to the side. Her heels clicked sharply against the concrete floor, the sound bouncing off pillars and parked cars.
She scanned instinctively. There was nothing unusual.
Just rows of vehicles.
She told herself to walk normally.
"Don't rush."
"Don't look scared."
Halfway to her car, she felt it again.
That prickle.
That invisible pull at the back of her neck.
She slowed.
Don't turn.
Don't panic.
But she did.
Her head snapped toward the far end of the parking lot.
Between two pillars.
There.
A man wearing a black hoodie. He was standing still. Watching, hands in his pockets.
Her breath caught violently in her throat. The distance was far enough that she couldn't see a face. But the posture was very familiar. His stillness and the way he didn't flinch.
Time stretched. She took one step backward.
The figure tilted slightly. As if acknowledging her.
And then...
Gone.
Slipped behind a concrete column. Like he vanished into thin air.
Annie's heart slammed against her ribs.
She moved forward quickly this time, scanning every angle, every shadow.
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No sound.
Just empty concrete.
Her hands shook as she unlocked her rented car. She got inside and locked the doors immediately. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she stared through the windshield.
He had followed her.
To work.
To A&R.
Which meant...
He already knew where she worked.
Her fingers tightened around the steering wheel at the thought of it. This smells trouble
His showing up was deliberate and he wasn't hiding anymore.
He was letting her see him. Just enough. Not enough to catch him though. But enough to make her afraid.