47

Chapter 47

Adrian’s POV

Since yesterday night my phone has been buzzing with lots of messages and I couldn't ignore it. Just this morning it had buzzed for the tenth time now and each vibration sent a jolt of fear through me.

The messages scared me. Who could be doing this? I thought.

I check my phone each time I hear it buzz. I knew it was an unknown number sending me another message, another photo. I knew someone was working for me. But who?

But I couldn’t stop myself. My trembling fingers unlocked the screen.

Another message. Another unknown number.

The photo took a moment to load. When it did, my heart stopped. It was me—on stage at The Velvet Room—barely dressed under the harsh lights. My face was clear. My shame, undeniable.

Underneath the photo:

Does your billionaire boss know what you really are?

I felt sick. My phone almost dropped from my shaking hands. This was like the fourth message since this morning and each one was worse than the last one they sent. Photos from the club, my mugshot, pictures of me and Pink at the park. Whoever was doing this knew everything about me.

Another notification came through.

The message read:

Linda Chen talked too much and got killed. Will you?

I threw the phone on the bed immediately and stumbled back. Breathing heavily...

Who was doing this? Martin? It had to be him. He’d found me at the park, made it clear he still had power over me. But how did he get these photos? How did he know where I was every minute of the day?

Or was it someone else. Someone from the club, or prison?

I wanted to tell someone. I needed help.

But who could I tell? Darcy?

The thought made me laugh bitterly. Tell the man who already regretted hiring me?

He sees me as a whore so why would I confide in him. After we slept together he threw money on me. He has insecurities with me getting close to his daughter. If I show him this he would just send me away so he could protect his daughter.

No. I won't involve anybody I'd take care of this myself,

I changed into another clothes,calmed myself.Pink would wake up soon. I need to prepare her for school.

As I reached her room...

“Good morning, Pink, let's get ready for school,” I said smiling. A fake smile.

She nodded but studied me. “Ms. Adrian, are you okay?”

“Of course. Why?”

“You look scared,” she said softly. “Like when I have bad dreams.”

Kids always noticed more than they should.

“I’m just tired,” I said, sitting beside her. “Didn’t sleep well.”

“Then think of happy things,” she said seriously. “That’s what Daddy tells me.”

I smiled faintly. “I’ll try that.”

Helping her get ready grounded me. Brushing her hair, packing her lunch—it gave me something normal to hold on to.

Leo drove us to school in the Range Rover. I sat beside Pink, listening to her chatter about art class, trying to stay calm.

That’s when I saw it—a gray sedan, four cars back.

Nothing strange, except I’d seen that same car parked outside the mansion this morning.

My pulse quickened. I watched it in the mirror, telling myself I was imagining things. But when we turned onto the main road, the sedan turned too.

“Leo,” I said quietly, not wanting to scare Pink. “The gray car behind us—has it been following?”

He looked at the rear mirror, tightening his face. He sped up the car, then made a few turns which were never part of our normal route. The car stayed with us.

“Yeah,” he said at last. “They’re following.”

My heart sank. This wasn’t paranoia.

“What do we do?”

“I’ll lose them. Hold on.”

Pink looked up, frowning. “What’s happening?”

“Nothing, baby,” I said quickly. “Leo just remembered a shortcut.”

He drove faster, weaving through streets, turning unexpectedly, even cutting through a shopping center lot. Finally, after several tense minutes, the sedan disappeared.

“Lost them,” he said. “But I need to report this to Mr. Rodrigo.”

“No!” The word came out too fast.

Leo looked at me in the mirror. “Miss Martinez, someone’s following us—”

“It might’ve been nothing,” I said quickly. “Coincidence. Don’t tell Darcy, please.”

“With respect, that wasn’t nothing.”

“Please,” I begged. “If it happens again, we’ll tell him. But not yet.”

He sighed, clearly unhappy. “If this happens again, I'll send a message across to Mr Rodrigo.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

When we got to Pink's school, she headed in with her friends not sure of what'd happened.

Then,Leo drove back to the mansion, I kept looking back, making sure we weren't followed again. My heart beats increased.

When I got inside the house, at my doorstep...

A paper was on the floor. I was surprised to see it.

With my shaky hands, I picked the paper. The words I saw were written in capital letters which read: YOU CAN’T HIDE FOREVER.

I dropped it at once. This only means that someone inside the house is tormenting me. And even if they are outside,they have access to the mansion.

Was it a staff member? A guard? Someone I saw every day?

Or had Martin somehow gotten in?

I fell to the floor when my legs couldn't support my standing. I held my legs with my hands trying to calm down.

There was nowhere safe. Not here, not anywhere.

And I open my mouth to tell anybody that means I'd tell them the past I try to forget.

Tears burned my eyes. I’d worked so hard to build a normal life. I’d found something good with Pink—something that felt like family. The bad past had its way to damage a good future.

After a long time of sitting and waiting, I stood up, hid the note in a drawer, had a shower, pretending to be fine when Pink arrived.

The afternoon passed in a blur. I went to pick her from school. She normally tells stories on our way back home then when we got back she freshened up, I assisted her in writing her assessments. I did all these carefully not minding I was still scared jumping at every sound I heard.

When evening came, I went to the kitchen to make her bedtime snack. Warm milk and cookies—our little ritual.

The house was quiet. Too quiet.

I reached for the milk when a voice spoke behind me.

“Working late?”

I screamed.

The milk I made for pink slipped from my hands, poured on the floor, then on his shirt, then when I tried to turn my leg slipped due to the liquid on the floor and I stumbled backward. Then he caught me.

Before I could hit the floor, he held me with his strong arms.

“Oh my God!” I gasped. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you were behind me, "I'm sorry”

“It’s okay Adrian,” he said, his tone calm but eyes sharp. “Adrian, you’re shaking.”

I was.

"Are you okay?"

“I’m fine Mr Rodrigo,” I lied. “Your shirt, maybe I can wash it for you since all this was my fault."

“Adrian.” His hands held mine, making me still for some time. “Look at me.”

I couldn’t. If I did, he’d see everything—the fear, the secrets.

“Please,” he said softly.

I finally looked up. His eyes showed he was worried. It broke me.

“What’s wrong?” he asked again. “And don’t say nothing is wrong. You've been on edge for days.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” I whispered.

“Adrian…”

“I said nothing’s wrong!” My voice broke. I turned back to grab tissue to clean the mess “I just need to…”

“Stop.”

His voice was low.” I'm here, if you open up we'd seek it now."

I wanted to ask him for help, to show him those messages.

“I’m fine Darcy" I said in a low tone.

Then my phone rang again.

Once. Twice. Three times.

Darcy’s eyes went to where the phone was. “Is someone—”

“It’s nothing,” I said too fast. “It's a spam call.”

He didn’t believe me.

“Is someone threatening you?,” he said, his voice sharper now, “you need to tell me now. For Pink’s sake.”

That hit hard. He was right. Anything If I was in danger, that means she was also in danger.

Before I could pick up the phone to answer them again. And again.

The rapid beeps made my skin crawl.

“Adrian,” Darcy said, his tone turning cold. “Let me see your phone.”

“No.”

“Then, talk to me."

I opened my mouth to tell him everything. The phone calls. The messages. The pictures. The treats but no word came out. My mind raced.

Then,we heard movement from the hallway.

We both froze.

The footsteps were slow. Heavy.

Darcy straightened, his expression darkening. “Stay here,” he said.

“Darcy, wait—”

He was already moving to where the sound was coming from. But, I followed him.

Then, we saw a figure at the end of the hall.

“Who’s there?” Darcy called.

No answer. The figure didn’t move.

My phone buzzed in my hand. I looked down.

A new message.

I’m here.

I lifted my eyes slowly to the end of the hall.

The figure began walking to us, footsteps were heard through the quiet house.

And for the first time, I truly understood that I wasn’t being watched anymore.

They were inside.