CLOSER THAN SHE KNOWS

Michael didn't move for a second after the door closed.

The house felt different even though it was quiet.

He stood there, eyes fixed on the empty space Jessica had just left behind.

He didn't even know why he was still standing there.Finally, he exhaled and walked back into the living room. Picked up his phone from the table.

A few minutes later it vibrated. One new message from an unknown number.

His jaw hardened. He opened it.

"Fix it before she finds out everything".

His fingers paused. He stared at the screen for a long moment.

His chest tightened. Something shifted.

He placed the phone down slowly and ran a hand down his face.

Then another message came in  fast,

like they had been waiting for him to open the first one.

"You think you can keep this clean forever?"

He didn't reply.

He just stood there, staring at the screen long enough for the words to start feeling louder than they should.

His thumb hovered over the phone for a second , he thought about calling the number back, asking who exactly it was.

But he didn't. He already knew it wouldn't help.Instead he set the phone back on the table carefully.

Like if he touched it too hard, something would slip out of control.

His eyes drifted to the hallway where Jessica had been standing not long ago.

She had been acting differently. Avoiding him.

That part stayed with him more than the messages — because threats he understood.

He had always dealt with them. Business pressure. People trying to corner him.

That was normal.But Jessica wasn't supposed to be part of that world. And now she was , without even knowing it.

Michael closed his eyes for a moment. Just to reset.

For the first time that morning his thoughts were no longer on Jessica alone , they were on what she had just walked into. And that was the part he didn't like.

His teeth pressed together. He didn't hesitate. He made one call.

"Find out who this number belongs to."

He ended the call. His chest felt heavy.

But the feeling didn't leave ,because that message wasn't random. It was too specific.

He walked immediately to his laptop and checked something he usually ignored unless necessary.

He logged into the security system, then he saw it. A background access ping.

Not from inside the company network. From outside. Something closer.

His expression didn't change. But his grip on the desk tightened slightly.

Someone had been close enough to see a pattern and that pattern involved Jessica.

He leaned back slowly, finally understanding the direction this was going.

This wasn't just about him anymore. It was crossing a line he didn't allow.

And Jessica  without knowing ,it  was already inside it.

He glanced at the empty hallway again.

She thought she was just living her normal life. Going to work. Coming home.

But someone else had been tracking that routine like clockwork.

His phone vibrated again. This time he picked it up immediately.A photo. And a message.

"You should've stayed with her longer."

Michael's fingers stilled on the screen. That wasn't a guess. They had seen her.He made another call immediately.

"Trace every access point connected to my network."

He paused. 

"And find out who's watching her."

He ended the call and looked at her name in his contacts.

His thumb hovered over it for a second to call her, to ask if she got to work safely, if she was okay.

He locked the screen instead.She wouldn't like it. She already looked at him like something wasn't right. Calling her now would only make it worse.

Michael exhaled slowly and ran a hand through his hair. This wasn't supposed to be complicated. None of it was. But somehow it was.

He grabbed his car keys from the table , almost without thinking and walked out.

The morning air hit his face. It didn't clear anything. He got into his car, started the engine... but didn't drive off immediately.

His eyes moved to the dashboard screen. He opened the security system and selected her name. Her last known route appeared. Nothing unusual. Just the same road to work.

He leaned back slightly, watching the small indicator. Told himself it was nothing. Just checking Making sure He didn't close it.

Then he took a different turn  one that led toward her usual route. A few minutes later he spotted her from a distance.

He kept driving. Close enough to stay near. Far enough not to be seen.

Until she reached the next turn.His eyes darkened slightly as he looked ahead.

Something cold settled into place behind his calm. This wasn't just pressure anymore. It was getting closer. And Jessica had no idea.

His grip firmed on the steering wheel. Because one thing was clear now  if he didn't handle this soon, she wouldn't just be caught in it. She would become the reason it all fell apart.

He stopped the car for a second. Looked ahead. His jaw hardened.Then he drove away.

But his time he knew — he wasn't the only one watching her. And next time, it might not just be a message.The feeling didn't leave.

Neither did the thought that if anything happened to her now, he wouldn't be able to pretend it had nothing to do with him.

JESSICA — ON HER WAY TO WORK

She glanced back.A car was parked by the side of the road.

Engine off.

She told herself it was nothing and kept walking.But a few steps later something felt off.

She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and kept going. Told herself to stop overthinking.

She looked forward again.

Kept walking. Didn't turn immediately just listened Footsteps

Her chest felt tight.

She turned the corner quickly.

The footsteps stopped.That made it worse.

She paused  just for a second.

Then looked back. The road behind her was empty.

Her brows pulled together slightly. That didn't make sense.She let out a quiet breath.

Her fingers tightened around her bag strap.

"You're imagining things," she told herself.

But her heart was beating faster now. And this time  Jessica couldn't shake the feeling that she hadn't imagined it at all.