Chapter 4

I hid in the pile of junk, peeking through the gaps at the shadowy figure standing before me. My whole body was trembling. Fortunately, the killer only paused for a moment before continuing down the stairs.

"Wow, she's smart, hiding in such a disgusting pile of filth. The killer would never have guessed a clean lady like her would be there."

"Guys. I'm starting to hate the idea of her dying."

I didn't have time to care about the comments. I quickly opened my phone and scanned my WhatsApp contacts for anyone who could be the hero.

My contact list was short. After a quick check, I narrowed it down to two people who fit the description. The first was Joseph Finch, my classmate, and the second was Paul Waechter, the grandson of the building's janitor.

I froze. They were both strangers to me!

I quickly typed out a message asking for help and sent it to both of them. According to the comments, the hero had set a special notification ringtone for me. Whoever replied fastest would be him.

Soon, my phone vibrated. It was Joseph.

"Stay where you are and don't go anywhere! I'm coming to find you!"

The next second, Paul also responded. "Get out of there right now! That man is highly intelligent, and your location is no longer safe. Run!"

Joseph and Paul replied almost simultaneously, but their messages pointed me in completely different directions. Which of them was the hero?

I looked up, hoping to see some hints from the comments, but there was nothing. Just as I hesitated, a new set of hurried footsteps echoed through the stairwell.

Was Joseph coming for me? No, it couldn't be. He lived on the top floor of the building, while these footsteps were clearly coming from below. It was the killer—he had to be back!

The steps drew closer by the second, and my heart slammed wildly against my chest. I wasn't close to either Joseph or Paul, so I had no way of telling which one was the brilliant protagonist.

Just then, the live comments returned.

"Oh my gosh! The heroine is asking the hero for help!"

"But why did she ask two people at once? Who's that other dude?"

"She's saved! Our hero is coming!"

"Are we about to see his handsome face? I love seeing him and the heroine together!"

I caught yet another key detail. The hero was supposedly handsome.

I recalled carefully. Joseph was indeed attractive. When we first started university, he had even been voted the campus heartthrob.

Meanwhile, I had never seen Paul as an adult. His grandfather, however… Well, chances were, he probably didn’t stand out in looks either.

Therefore, the hero had to be Joseph. I decided to trust him and stayed hidden, holding my ground.

When the footsteps finally stopped in front of me, my heart clenched in terror. "Stephanie Moore? Are you in there?"

It was Joseph!

I pulled away the reeking pile of junk covering me, and my eyes met his handsome face. He was panting, carrying a large bag as if he had just returned from outside. No wonder the footsteps sounded like they had come from below, even though he lived on the top floor.

"Sorry, Stephanie. I just went out for a late-night snack. I hope I'm not too late," he said, still gasping for air.

Before he could continue, I suddenly realized something was off. Soon, I remembered the discrepancy.

The comments had indicated that, although the hero lived in the same building as me, he would've been home, sleeping, when the incident started. Joseph, on the other hand, had just returned from outside…

A chill shot straight from the soles of my feet to the top of my head. The next second, I heard the faint clicking of footsteps again.