Chapter 3

To avoid potential run-ins with Logan, I started heading out before dawn and coming back after dark.

I did everything to steer clear of his schedule.

Little did I know, there was a second threat closer than I thought.

It was Cameron Littlejohn, the new guy at the office.

Cameron was an average-looking guy with a pair of black-rimmed glasses.

He looked like the honest, simple type.

The malice value above his head never budged from a 10, which was well within the normal range.

He would grab me a drink or pick up my delivered packages at the office.

To me, he was a helpful and kind colleague.

One day, I worked late into the night.

Cameron and I were the only ones left in the office.

I wanted to grab a cup of coffee in the pantry.

While passing Cameron’s desk, I noticed him staring at the monitor, except the person on the screen was me.

More specifically, it was me at home in my pajamas.

It wasn’t candid photos. No, it was pictures from security footage.

I pulled my hand against my mouth in horror.

Cameron snapped his head back.

The digits above his head jumped straight to 800.

The number practically dripped with lust and obsession.

As it turned out, the 10 was nothing more than a front.

Now that Cameron had been caught, his true malice reared its ugly head.

“So you saw it, Eden?”

Sliding his glasses up his nose, Cameron let out a sickly grin.

His nice-guy act had completely disappeared.

“D-Did you install cameras in my home?”

I backed away.

“There’s no need to be scared.”

Rising to his feet, Cameron inched closer toward me.

“I just love you so much.

“You have no idea how beautiful you are when you sleep.

“My favorite part is when you roll over, holding your blanket.”

He reached for my face.

“Pervert!”

I grabbed the stapler off the desk and hurled it at him.

It struck him right between the eyes.

Blood trickled down his face.

While he clutched his head, I snatched my bag and bolted out of the office.

His exasperated growl echoed behind me.

“Eden, you can’t run forever!”

I rammed the elevator button frantically.

The elevator was stuck on the top floor.

It would take a while for the elevator to descend.

I had to take the stairs.

Fueled by adrenaline, I sprinted down eighteen flights of stairs.

Once out of the office building, I hailed a cab.

“Take me to Greenview Gardens!”

Huddling inside the car, I couldn’t stop myself from shaking.

My phone rang with a notification.

Cameron sent me a photo of my bedroom.

There was a bloody dagger sitting on my bed.

The text read, “I’m coming for you tonight.”

I broke down in tears.

My gut told me to call the cops.

However, what was that going to do?

There was no physical evidence of an assault.

The threat would only put him behind bars for no more than a few days.

Once he got out, he would be back with a vengeance.

I had to move away immediately.

It needed to happen tonight.

By the time I arrived back in the neighborhood, it was nearly ten.

It started raining heavily.

Drenched all over, I dashed into the building.

The elevator was back in service at last.

I hit the button for the sixth floor, and the elevator doors slid shut.

Just as the doors were about to close completely, an arm slipped through the narrowing gap.

The elevator reopened.

Standing on the other side, Logan held the familiar black umbrella.

Water dripped from the tip of his umbrella.

Taken aback by my presence, he furrowed his brows.

The value hovering over his head remained the same at 1,150.

I recoiled in a corner, averting my gaze.

For some strange reason, I felt safer next to Logan than with Cameron.

“Have you been crying?”

He entered the elevator and tapped on the button to close the doors.

Droplets of rain dripped from my hair to the floor.

I wiped my face in a flustered mess.

“No.”

Without another word, he stood there.

In the cramped space, his overwhelming presence closed in on me once more.

However, my fear of Logan had to take a back seat as the menacing look on Cameron’s face occupied my thoughts.

The moment the elevator doors opened on the sixth floor, I whipped out my house keys to open the door.

My hands shook so bad that I couldn’t get the key in the lock.

Logan’s voice crept up from behind me.

“Someone’s inside.”

I paused.

“What?”

“I can hear breathing.”

He pointed at the door of my apartment.

“There’s someone inside, and it’s a man.”