Sadie
The next few days at the office were a blur of hushed whispers and nervous glances. Bill Collins's name was never mentioned, but his absence was a palpable, terrifying presence. I was the silent observer of his downfall, the unwilling accomplice. A part of me was horrified by what Zane had done, but a more dominant part of me felt safe. He had promised to protect me, and he had kept his promise with a chilling efficiency that both terrified and thrilled me.
My phone buzzed with a message, and I pulled it out. It was a picture of me, taken from across the street. I was walking out of my apartment building, a small smile on my face, a cup of coffee in my hand. The text message read: "You look beautiful today, princess." My hands trembled as I typed a response. "Zane… are you watching me?" The response was immediate. "Always."
The word was both a threat and a promise, and it sent a shiver down my spine. I was a goldfish in a glass bowl, and he was the one watching. He knew when I left my apartment, when I got on the train, when I arrived at the office. He was a phantom, a whisper on the wind, a shadow I couldn't escape. And for some reason, I found myself completely captivated by him. I was a moth drawn to a flame, and the flame was Zane.
I went to my first class, but I couldn't concentrate. All I could think about was him. The way he had made me feel safe. The way he had kept his promise. The way he had a dark, possessive hold over my senses. I knew I should be running, but all I could do was smile. He was a monster, a monster with a beautiful face, but a monster nonetheless. I wanted to get closer, even as every instinct screamed at me to run.