جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 220

Karden’s POVEric had left the engine running. The heat from the vents made the leather smell like new, like money, and the dashboard lights made little islands of color in the dark. I sat back, one foot on the floor, one knee up against the seat. My hand traced the seam of the upholstery like I was checking the world was real. It was real. Every last plan, every last quiet lie, sat heavy in my pocket where my phone was, and it felt good to have it there.Eric was late. He said he would be five minutes and then ten. I did not mind. Waiting was fine. Waiting was better than moving too fast or letting anyone think they had me figured out. The pause had power. People rushed. People made mistakes. I liked being the one who watched them rush.My thumb found my phone. It lay face down. I did not pick it up. I heard it buzz once, twice soft like someone tapping a glass. I knew who it was. I had been avoiding the sound all night. My mother had the kind of worry that sounded like homework. It

River’s POVThe apartment was too quiet except from the soft hum from the fridge. I sat on the edge of the couch, hunched forward, elbows digging into my thighs. My phone lay face up on the coffee table, the screen gone black, but it might as well have been glowing. My mind kept replaying the way it lit up a few minutes ago, the way my chest had seized when I read those words.Just because you expose one stalker doesn’t mean there isn’t another one. Be careful, my lovely River.That message hadn’t left me since it appeared. It clung to my ribs, burrowed under my skin, like a poison that wouldn’t stop spreading. Lovely. That was the part that made me want to scream. That word didn’t belong to me. Not in their mouth. Not like that. It wasn’t a compliment, it was a brand, a chain.I dragged both hands through my hair, gripping fistfuls until my scalp burned. My chest felt tight, my throat raw. Noah had tried to pull me out of it, I could tell. He’d suggested we walk back slowly, that we

River’s POVThe door clicked softly behind Noah, and for a long while I just sat there, listening to the faint echo of his steps fading down the hall. It was strange, how quickly a place could shift once he wasn’t in it. The apartment felt too big, too quiet, like even the air had changed the moment he left. I pulled my knees up against my chest, sitting sideways on the couch, my phone heavy in my hand.He had said he was just going to send a package to his mom. Something normal, something simple, but the knot in my chest didn’t loosen. If anything, it grew tighter.Because I wasn’t thinking about him.Not in that moment.I was thinking about Daniel.And that stupid message.Warn Daniel or he’ll regret messing with me.Those words replayed in my head like an echo I couldn’t turn off. Karden’s name alone was enough to make my stomach twist. He was dangerous in ways that didn’t make sense, reckless and cruel. And the idea of him or another stalker circling Daniel… it made something shar

River’s POVI didn’t even know where to begin. Sitting across from Daniel, with the faint smell of coffee in the air and the low murmur of voices from other tables, it felt like the walls were pressing in on me. He was watching me with that steady look of his, like he already knew something was wrong but was waiting for me to say it out loud. My phone sat between us on the table, face down, but I could feel it burning against the wood like it held a secret I didn’t know how to handle.Daniel leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his expression unreadable but sharp. “You asked me to meet,” he said finally, breaking the silence. “So talk. What’s going on, River?”My fingers curled around the edge of my chair. For a second, I thought about brushing it off, making it sound small, but the truth was clawing at my throat. I let out a shaky breath and flipped the phone over. The message was still there on the screen, the words I couldn’t get out of my head: Warn Daniel or he’ll regret messi

River’s POVThe walk back to the apartment felt longer than it should have. The streets weren’t busy, just a few people heading home, headlights sliding over the pavement, but every sound seemed louder. The scrape of shoes on the sidewalk, the hum of a passing car, even the wind pushing against the buildings, it all felt like it was pressing against me. My thoughts were a mess.I had promised myself I would tell Noah the truth when we got back. No half-truths, no holding back. He deserved it. But now that I was climbing the steps toward the apartment, my chest was tight, and I could already imagine the way his face would change when he realized I had gone behind his back.The lock clicked when Noah pushed the door open. The warm air inside greeted us, carrying the faint smell of his cologne mixed with detergent. Home. Safe. But the safety didn’t sink in for me. It only made the guilt sharper.I kicked off my shoes and lingered near the doorway, my fingers tugging at the hem of my jack