Tne Man Watching

CHAPTER 8: The Man Watching From the Shadows

(Daniel’s POV)

The moment Amara ended the call, I knew one thing with absolute certainty.

We were no longer alone in this situation.

“Who was that?” I asked.

Amara slowly lowered the phone, her face pale with confusion.

“I don’t know.”

“What exactly did he say?”

She swallowed like some one who has her mouth over filled hot food that don't know if to swallow it or throw it away.

“He said he took the photograph of me yesterday.”

My jaw tightened.

So it was the same person.

“Did he say anything else?”

Her eyes met mine.

“He knows about the investigation file you have on my family.”

The room fell silent as dead as the grave yard. Even if a pin drops you could hear it's sound.

That piece of information changed everything.

Very few people knew about that file.

Only three, to be exact.

Me.

Caleb.

And the private investigator I hired six months ago.

Which meant one of two things.

Either someone had hacked into my system…

Or someone much closer to this situation had been lying to me.

“Daniel,” Amara said quietly.

“Yes?”

“You’re not surprised.”

I walked toward the window, my mind racing through possibilities.

“I suspected something like this.”

She stared at me.

“Suspected someone was secretly stalking me?”

“Watching both of us.”

“That doesn’t make it better.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

Amara paced across the living room, clearly trying to process everything that had happened tonight.

First the truth about the investigation.

Then the connection to her uncle.

And now this mysterious stranger.

“I think I should call the police,” she said suddenly.

“No.”

She stopped walking.

“No?”

“This man hasn’t threatened you.”

“He’s clearly spying on me!”

“Yes,” I said calmly. “But reporting it now could make him disappear.”

“And that’s bad?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because if he disappears, we lose the only person who might actually know the truth.”

She stared at me like I had lost my mind.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m practical.”

“You’re obsessed.”

That word hung in the air.

Maybe she wasn’t wrong.

My brother’s death had been the one puzzle I had never been able to solve.

And now, suddenly, pieces were appearing from unexpected places.

Amara crossed her arms.

“So what now?”

“Now we find out who that man is.”

“And how exactly do you plan to do that?”

“I’ll start by tracing the number.”

“Just like that?”

“I have resources.”

She sighed heavily and dropped onto the couch.

“You know what the worst part of this is?”

“What?”

“I was actually excited about this event.”

My gaze softened slightly.

“You still can be.”

She laughed bitterly.

“Daniel, someone just called me to say they’re secretly photographing me. I’m way past excited.”

I sat across from her.

“You’re safe.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“I can.”

“And how exactly do you plan to protect me?”

The question was blunt.

Fair.

“I’ll handle it,” I said.

She shook her head.

“You keep saying that like you’re some kind of superhero.”

“I’m not.”

“Then what are you?”

I hesitated.

Then answered honestly.

“Someone who doesn’t lose.”

She studied me carefully.

“You really believe that.”

“Yes.”

Another long silence passed between us.

Then Amara asked something I wasn’t expecting.

“Why didn’t you tell me the truth earlier?”

I met her gaze.

“Because I didn’t trust you.”

The honesty of that answer seemed to surprise her.

“And now?”

“I’m starting to.”

“Starting to?”

“That’s the best I can offer right now.”

She leaned back on the couch and exhaled slowly.

“You’re a very strange man, Daniel Cole.”

“I’ve been told.”

“But you showed up here tonight.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

That question lingered between us.

I could have given several logical answers.

The investigation.

The photograph.

The mysterious caller.

But none of those were the real reason.

“I wanted to see your reaction,” I said.

“To what?”

“To the truth.”

“And?”

“You were surprised.”

“Of course I was surprised!”

“But you weren’t defensive.”

Her expression shifted slightly.

“What does that mean?”

“It means you probably didn’t know anything about your uncle’s connection.”

“Probably?”

“It’s still a possibility.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“You still think I’m involved.”

“I think you’re connected.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

“No,” I admitted.

“It’s worse.”

She stared at me for several seconds.

Then suddenly laughed.

“You know what’s funny?”

“What?”

“If someone told me three days ago that I’d be sitting in my living room discussing murder investigations with a billionaire client…”

I raised an eyebrow.

“My brother’s death wasn’t murder.”

“Fine,” she corrected. “Suspicious fatal accident.”

“…I would have told them they were insane.”

“And now?”

“Now I’m starting to think my life has turned into some kind of thriller movie.”

I almost smiled.

Almost.

Her phone buzzed again.

Both of us froze instantly.

Unknown Number.

Again.

Amara looked at me nervously.

“Should I answer?”

“Yes.”

She placed the phone on speaker and pressed accept.

“Hello?”

The same voice returned.

Calm.

Amused.

“You sound tense, Amara.”

“Who are you?”

“Someone who knows your uncle very well.”

My body went completely still.

“Samuel Nwoye?” Amara asked.

“Yes.”

Her breath caught.

“Where is he?”

A soft chuckle came through the phone.

“That’s the real question, isn’t it?”

“Tell me.”

“He’s the reason Daniel’s brother died.”

Amara’s eyes widened.

“That’s impossible.”

“Oh, it’s very possible.”

I stepped closer to the phone.

“Who are you?” I demanded.

The man laughed again.

“Daniel Cole.”

“You’ve been searching for answers for five years.”

“Yes.”

“Well… congratulations.”

A pause followed.

Then he said something that made my blood run cold.

“You’re finally getting close to the truth.”

The line went dead.

And suddenly…

This investigation had become something much bigger than either of us expected.