Chapter Seven - White Lilies.

The bathroom light hummed twice, glowing dimly.

Jayden stood frozen in the middle of the living room, his heart slamming so hard against his ribs in sharp panicked beats that echoed in his ears.

He was sure the light hadn't been on before, he never let it on when leaving the house.

Slowly, Jayden began taking heavy steps towards the bathroom, as he edged closer, a dry gasp escaped his lips.

His throat tightened, fingers curling uselessly as this sides as his nails bit into his palms as it pain might be his only anchor.

“Get a grip,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “You live alone.”

But that word alone felt like a haunting lie.

Suddenly, his phone began ringing.

Jayden flinched so sharply, that his soul almost left his body.

Slowly, he took it out from the bag strapped on his shoulders, the screen light, bright and cruel in the dim room.

It was a private number, his stomach dropped.

For three unending seconds, he stared at the screen, chest rising anf falling in shallow, uneven breaths until the call ended.

Another vibration followed immediately.

This time, he answered with trembling fingers.

“Hello,” he whispered, trying to keep his voice steady but failed miserably.

From the speaker, Ronan's voice slid through, smooth and amused.

“Why are you trembling so much,” Ronan asked softly, “inside your own apartment?”

Jayden’s blood ran cold.

“What…what are you talking about?” His eyes darted around the room, to the ceiling, the corners, the shadows. “How would you even…..”

Ronan chuckled. “Seems like my card had no effect seeing the way you dropped it.”

Jayden staggered back a step, his heel hitting the edge of the rug.

“You….” His breath hitched. “You’re watching me?”

Silence stretched, choking and deliberate.

“I prefer to think of it as keeping an eye on my debtor.” Ronan added, calmly.

“You sick bastard,” Jayden shouted, rage finally clawing past the fear. “You installed cameras in my house? Do you know how illegal that is? You’re infringing on my rights….”

“Rights?” Ronan interrupted lightly. “Jayden, you owe me. I’m just making sure you don’t forget that.”

Jayden’s hands trembled as he dragged them through his hair. “Where the hell are they? I will pay you so get them out of my apartment.”

“Should I come over then?” Ronan taunted, sharply.

Jayden swallowed hard, disgust curling in his stomach. “You’re insane.”

“Make sure you use the sponge tonight,” Ronan continued, voice dropping, intimate. “Or should I teach you how to use it?”

Jayden’s chest heaved. “You don't get to control me nor watch me.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Ronan murmured, almost fond. “That ship sailed the moment you kissed me. So better….”

Jayden hung up, fear clawing back into his spine.

He stood there shaking, the phone still pressed to his ear long after the line went dead.

Then he moved fast, so fast and frantic, throwing open cabinets, checking behind frames, under tables and inside vents.

Yet he found nothing, no blinking red lights, no wires, no lenses which scared him worse.

But then, a creeping doubt wormed into his mind, Ronan could be anywhere even outside, watching from the shadows.

His pulse raced as he imagined unseen eyes following every step, every breath.

He wasn’t safe, not for a single second, grabbing his work bag instinctively, he walked out of the apartment, banging the door behind him without looking back.

—

As he climbed the stairs to his hotel room, he kept glancing back making to be sure he wasn't followed.

The moment he got into his room, he banged the door shut, locking it instantly.

Slowly, he lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, eyes darting around the room.

The hotel room smelled like detergent and unfamiliar soap.

Every sound made him flinch, the hum of the AC, footsteps in the hallway and the distant slam of another door.

Fear moved in his veins every minute, keeping his awake all night.

—

By the time the sun rose, his apartment was being torn apart.

Drawers emoted, cushions sliced open, wall panels removed, light bulbs broken, carpets tore apart.

Three men moved through the space with professional efficiency, scanning, dismantling and muttering to one another.

“Found one,” a man said near the ceiling vent.

Jayden's stomach twisted in dread.

Then another and another.

By the time, the sun began setting, they were done and on the table was littered with tiny devices black, silver and nearly invisible.

“They’re gone,” one of the men said. “All of them.”

Jayden nodded, but the tightness in his chest didn’t ease by any inch.

Even after they left, he stood in the center of the room, arms wrapped around himself as that unsettling feeling of being watched hung over him.

Just as he was about to lower himself into a cushion, his phone rang.

He picked it up with trembling fingers after staring at the ID for a second.

“Seems like you hired the best,” Ronan teased, voice calm.

“What do you want now?!” Jayden shrieked, eyes scanning the room.

“You,” Ronan replied quickly. “It is so similar right. I just want you inside your bath tub with the sponge on….”

Jayden hung up instantly, breath heavy.

His mind was finally made up, that night he put the apartment up for sale returning to the hotel room.

—

A week later, Jayden stood in his new apartment which was closer to work, quieter and walked in layers of security, motion sensors, anti bug scanners and cameras if his own.

With Ronan's silence even though it felt unsettling was quiet, Jayden returned to his life believing control was finally within his reach.

But when he returned to his office the next day, he saw his favourite flower, white lilies on his desk with a note. “I'm sorry.”

In an instant, he tossed it instant the dustbin knowing exactly who it was from. Drake.

But they kept coming, on his desk, at his doorstep and he kept tossing them all away before he could breathe in the scent.

Until one evening, he returned from work, exhaustion crushing his bones, only to see the lights on in his apartment.

He froze, his fingers trembling on the doorknob as a shiver crawled up his spine.