The night refused to stay quiet.
Even after the alarms were silenced and the broken window replaced with heavy steel shutters, the estate hummed with tension. Guards moved in silent patterns through the halls. Radios crackled softly. Somewhere outside, dogs barked once—then went silent.
Anabeth sat on the edge of the bed, knees drawn to her chest, Rafael's coat wrapped tightly around her like armor. Her hands were still shaking, though she tried to hide it.
Rafael stood near the window, phone pressed to his ear, voice low and lethal.
"Lock every exit," he said in Italian. "No one leaves without my approval. If you see anything that moves—anything—you report it."
He ended the call and turned to her instantly.
His expression changed the moment his eyes met hers.
The rage softened.
The violence withdrew.
Only fear remained.
He crossed the room in long strides and knelt in front of her, taking her trembling hands in his.
"Look at me," he said gently.
She did.
"You're safe," he told her. "Right now. In this room. With me."
Her throat tightened. "He knew where I was."
Rafael nodded. "Yes."
"That means—"
"It means someone close is feeding him information," Rafael finished.
The words settled like ice in her veins.
"Someone on campus?" she whispered.
"Or someone pretending to belong there," Rafael said.
Her mind raced. Faces flashed through her thoughts—students, staff, security, even professors.
"How long?" she asked.
Rafael hesitated.
"Longer than I wanted to admit."
Her breath hitched. "You knew?"
"I suspected," he said quietly. "That's why I put Cassian on you personally."
As if summoned by the name, the door opened.
Cassian stepped inside.
His clothes were damp with sweat and rain, knuckles scraped raw, jaw tight. His eyes found Anabeth immediately, checking her like a reflex—alive, breathing, unhurt.
Only then did he look at Rafael.
"I found him," Cassian said.
The room seemed to shrink.
Rafael stood. "Alive?"
"Yes," Cassian replied. "For now."
Anabeth's heart pounded. "Who is he?"
Cassian didn't answer right away.
He walked to the table, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it in one swallow. His hand trembled just slightly as he set the glass down.
"He wasn't supposed to be there," Cassian said. "That's how I knew."
"Knew what?" Anabeth asked.
"That he wasn't just watching," Cassian continued. "He was waiting."
Rafael crossed his arms. "Stop circling it."
Cassian exhaled sharply and finally looked at her.
"Because he knows you, Anabeth."
Her breath stopped.
"No," she said immediately. "I would remember him."
"That's the problem," Cassian replied. "You weren't supposed to."
Rafael's eyes darkened. "Say his name."
Cassian's jaw clenched.
"Elliot Moore."
The name hit her like a distant echo.
She frowned. "I… I don't know anyone by that—"
"Yes, you do," Cassian said gently. "Just not by that name."
Her head began to spin.
"He enrolled at your campus under a different identity," Cassian continued. "Teaching assistant. Library aide. Blends in. Quiet. Harmless."
Her stomach dropped.
"The library," she whispered.
Rafael's head snapped up. "You saw him?"
Anabeth nodded slowly, memory clicking into place with sickening clarity.
"There was a man," she said, voice shaking. "He helped me find a book during my first week. He smiled. He was polite. He said I reminded him of someone."
Cassian's fists clenched.
"That was him," he said. "He's been watching you since day one."
The room felt suddenly too small, the walls pressing in.
"But why?" she whispered. "I never—"
Rafael interrupted, voice sharp. "Because he's obsessed."
Cassian nodded grimly. "He has a history. Fixation. Control. He doesn't touch—not at first. He watches. Learns. Inserts himself slowly."
Anabeth felt sick.
"He took photos," Cassian continued. "Of you on campus. Of you leaving lectures. Of you sitting alone."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Why didn't anyone stop him?"
"Because he was careful," Cassian said. "And because he knew exactly how to stay invisible."
Rafael slammed his fist against the wall.
"He came near you tonight to provoke me," Rafael growled. "And it worked."
Cassian turned to him. "You can't let anger lead you right now."
Rafael shot him a glare. "And you can't pretend this doesn't affect you."
Silence fell.
Anabeth looked between them, heart aching.
"He almost died," Cassian said quietly. "Tonight."
Rafael stiffened. "You hurt him?"
"I could have killed him," Cassian admitted. "He wanted me to."
Anabeth gasped. "Why?"
Cassian's eyes hardened. "Because if I killed him, he'd win. He wants to be important. He wants to matter."
Rafael exhaled slowly. "So what now?"
Cassian's gaze flicked back to Anabeth.
"Now he knows we know," Cassian said. "Which makes him unpredictable."
Anabeth's voice trembled. "So I'm still not safe."
Rafael stepped closer to her, his jealousy flaring—not at Cassian, not at the stalker—but at the entire world for daring to touch her life.
"No," he said firmly. "You're not."
Cassian nodded. "Which is why campus is no longer an option."
Anabeth stood abruptly. "No."
Both men froze.
"I won't be locked away," she said, shaking but resolute. "I won't disappear because some man decided to watch me."
Rafael's expression softened—but his jealousy sharpened.
"I don't want anyone looking at you," he said. "I don't want anyone thinking they have a claim."
Cassian added quietly, "And I don't want you thinking this is your fault."
She looked at him then—really looked.
Cassian's restraint was cracking.
Rafael's control was slipping.
Both were burning.
"I won't run," she said. "But I'll be careful. With both of you watching."
Rafael studied her, conflicted.
Finally, he nodded once. "Then we change the rules."
Cassian raised a brow. "How?"
Rafael's eyes darkened. "We bait him."
Anabeth's heart skipped. "You want to use me?"
Rafael shook his head immediately. "No. We protect you."
Cassian added, "And we force him to make a mistake."
Silence.
Then Anabeth said something that stunned them both.
"Then I want to know everything," she said. "No more secrets. No more deciding for me."
Rafael searched her face.
Cassian held her gaze steadily.
Finally, Rafael said, "Alright."
But the jealousy in his eyes burned hotter than ever.
Because now the danger wasn't just outside.
It was between them.
And Elliot Moore—the shadow—was about to learn something he never expected:
Anabeth was no longer prey.
She was the spark.
And the fire was only beginning.