AN UNSETTLING KNOCK

CHAPTER THREE 

IAN'S POV 

I scanned the empty area. This person has got to be kidding me. Before I could even take another step, my phone buzzed again with a follow-up text:

“My bad, I guess you don't need this piece of trash.”

I stared at the screen, a knot of unease tightening in my stomach. The message didn't make any sense, but I didn't have time to unravel it now. It was already 3:00 AM, and I needed to get my ass back to Granny’s side and pretend to be sound asleep—I definitely wasn't in the mood for her melodrama tonight.

Turning back toward Roy, I shoved my phone into my pocket and gave him a quick, dismissive wave. “Hey, I’m heading to Granny’s place. Catch up with you later.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but I was already moving, picking up my pace as the cool night air bit through my jacket. Behind me, the shadow of a figure stepped out from near the poolside, watching silently as I hurried away into the dark.

There was no sign of any vehicles—just a serene, quiet night filled with the faint chirping of nocturnal birds and the steady rhythm of my footsteps echoing against the pavement. I pushed through the dead end, hoping to cover the remaining miles before 3:30 AM. My eyes were wide open now, fully alert to the stillness around me.

The jacket provided immediate comfort and warmth against the rising chill. As I walked, my mind swiftly drifted back to the moments I had spent with the stranger. What a sweet and lovely soul.

In a world that often felt cold and predictable, that brief encounter felt almost surreal, like a quiet refuge meant just for me. A small, subconscious smile tugged at the corners of my lips, lightened by the lingering memory as I pressed forward into the dark.

I walked past modest, identical row houses where sedan cars sat parked in neat driveways under dim, buzzing streetlights. Soft glows spilled from living room curtains, illuminating front lawns trimmed with manicured perfection and forgotten children's bicycles. The quiet neighborhood exuded an air of steady calm.

I was in my area now, my safe place since childhood. I moved quietly past the shuttered side shops lined up together, keeping close to the shadows where the moonlight couldn't reach. 

Each step was light and deliberate, carefully avoiding the dry patches of gravel scattered across the pavement. I slipped around the corner without making a sound, scanning the quiet street to ensure no eyes followed me. Gliding past the final alleyway, I finally reached Granny's shop.

The front door was locked from the inside, making it harder for me to get in. That wasn't the plan, though. I walked around the shop to the back, where a small door leads to the basement—my designated escape route ever since I met Roy.

A smile touched my lips as I remembered how we discovered the place together during a night out. Ever since, I’ve carried the key, just in case of necessity.

I reached into my back pocket, pulled it out, and unlocked the door before slipping inside to climb the dark passage. I used the flashlight on my phone to illuminate the path.

At the end of the corridor was a room filled with old memories Granny had shared with her children—glimpses of my childhood, her forgotten dreams, and a lot more that was none of my concern at that moment.

Ignoring the nostalgia, I opened the door linking the room to mine, kicked off my shoes, and collapsed tiredly onto the bed.

The mattress gave a familiar, creaky groan under my weight, welcoming me back into the quiet room. I let out a heavy breath, staring up at the shadows dancing across the ceiling as the adrenaline finally began to fade. 

Outside, a faint rustle in the alley made me freeze for a second, my heart hammering against my ribs. I listened closely, but only the low hum of the wind answered. 

Satisfied I hadn't been followed, I let my eyes drift shut and pulled the blanket over my shoulders. Tomorrow would bring its own set of problems, but for now, I was safe.

How could I even think of being followed? The text message from earlier kept baffling me, my mind racing back to the unknown sender.

I reread the message over and over, staring at the screen and trying to parse its true meaning.

A frustrated groan escaped my lips as the logic slipped through my fingers. I closed my eyes, trying to piece together the entire night in a quick flashback.

That was when I remembered the folded paper the stranger had slipped into my hand earlier. Oh, how could I have forgotten that?

That was the "trash" the text was referring to. I couldn't believe I had misplaced it while trying to explain myself to Roy earlier.

My hands scrambled in the dark, frantically feeling along the edges of the mattress and the floorboards.

When it wasn't there, I shed my trousers and tore through every pocket. I checked my jacket—nothing. Then the sickening realization hit me: I had dropped it by the poolside.

A quiet vibration in my palm made my stomach drop.

I looked down to see a fresh text from the same unknown number.

“Looking for this?” attached with a photo of my bracelet sitting on a glass table. Behind the table, barely illuminated by the pool lights, were my own balcony doors.

A shadow moved on the other side of the glass, right outside my room.

Then came a soft, deliberate knock.