4

Chapter 4

Ella

My eyes locked with the stranger's. I finally saw his face.

He had the kind of face that seemed to be made for only him. The kind of presence that screams dark aura… and the kind of eyes that would make your heart shift… the rarest pair of amber eyes.

He had the kind of handsomeness that could only be likened to inexistent fiction characters. And his body… broad chest, slim waist, and long straight legs.

Something snapped inside me. Fear? Confusion? I couldn't explain.

Wait… Is he even real?

Jasper's cries snapped me out of my trance.

He was holding his wrist tightly. A part of me felt happy that he was being taught a lesson, but the thought of this stranger distracted me as many questions ran through my mind.

He closed the distance between himself and Jasper, leaning in to whisper something into Jasper's ear.

In half a second, Jasper's face drained of colours, then fear crept up his face, his body shaking.

Without another second, Jasper stumbled backwards before running back to his car.

I swallowed hard, taking a step back as the stranger turned to me, our eyes locked.

What did he say to Jasper to make him run off like that?

But that wasn't the main question lingering on my mind. Who the fuck was this man?

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. It suddenly felt like my tongue was tied down to my mouth.

He suddenly closed the distance between us. He didn't speak, but his eyes were all over me… as if checking me out.

I swallowed hard, pushing my fear aside and mustering courage to ask the million dollar question lingering in my mind.

“Who… are… you?” My voice cracked into a whisper, but he heard me.

He moved his hand to my face, but froze mid-air before pulling back... just like last night.

“Why do you keep following me?” I asked again, my voice steady and demanding this time, “last night… and even now… wasn't just a coincidence, right?”

His eyes glued to mine for a moment, as if trying to see through me. I felt chills.

“Mine…” my voice cracked again, my stomach twisting nervously, “what did you mean by that?”

He didn't say anything. Instead, his eyes lingered on me... Longer than normal.

And without a word, he pulled a card, his palm hot against mine as he held my hand, thrusting the card into my palm.

I stiffened at the hotness of his hand. It's snowing heavily this period, and everywhere is cold... Isn't his hand supposed to be cold, considering that he wasn't even wearing gloves?

I swallowed the lump in my throat before my gaze dropped to the card.

Kael Ashfang. Shadow Ridge Security.

Nothing else was written in the card.

I blinked, lifting my gaze, but he had already disappeared.

I stiffened, my chest pulsing heavily.

My gaze dropped to the card, fingers tightening on it.

My phone pinged with a text, and I lifted it to my face.

Jasper;

‘You’re rolling with wild animals now, huh? Look what that bastard did to me’

I was going to ignore the text, but the attached image drew me in.

My thumb hovered over the picture, trembling, before I clicked on it.

And I froze.

Jasper's wrist, where the stranger grabbed earlier, had deep scratch marks. The kind of mark you wouldn't get from just being grabbed by a random person.

I told myself that I was just overthinking it, but I knew what I saw. The mark looked like they were gotten from claws… too deep and precise.

My breath caught.

I swallowed hard, my grip tightening on the phone as I lifted my gaze. I was the only one standing here under the snow, cold biting into my skin, but not enough to dismiss the chills I still felt from earlier.

I couldn't go to work anymore, so I turned and headed back to my apartment.

*****

By night, my eyes suddenly snapped open, cold air gracing my face as I sat up on my bed.

I was sleeping, but even in my deep sleep, it felt like someone was watching me. Not just anyone… the stranger from earlier.

I stilled on the bed as my gaze drifted to my window. They were opened, fresh snow covering the windowsill.

My fingers slowly curled on the bedsheet, breath hitching.

I was sure I locked them before I slept off. I couldn't have forgotten to, knowing that it's snowing outside and I would freeze to death if I left them open.

Did a thief break in?

But I brushed it off immediately. The neighborhood and even this apartment was heavily guarded, and I also live on the sixth floor. There's no way a thief could've made it through up to here.

I swallowed hard, scrambling on the bed, cold sweat forming on my forehead as his image flashed through my head.

No… he didn't… He really didn't.

I shook my head in denial, but just then, a dark shadow flashed past my window.

I stiffened…