The phone call with Carson had left me more rattled than I'd like to admit.
"Adjust. Watch. Wait." He said it like a mantra, and I repeat it to myself as I pace around the apartment.
Arrow is coming today. Not tomorrow. Today. Which means the clock is ticking, my heart is ticking, my apartment is ticking. I pace. I glare at the pristine walls. I glare at myself in the mirror. I glare at the wardrobe like maybe if I look hard enough, Ria's life will explain itself to me.
Nothing.
I drag myself to the living room and sit, leaning back into one of the white chairs. Too perfect. I feel like a cat that wandered into a diamond store.
But time won't wait.
I glance at my phone. Madison hasn't texted yet. Good. Let her stew.
Small steps. Small, precise manipulations. That's how Ria would have handled it. And I? I'll do it better.
I start with little things: I rearrange the magazines on the coffee table. Not out of order, just… slightly angled. Slightly inconvenient. Maddie will notice. She always notices. Always. I smirk.
Next, I glance at the snacks on the counter. Some of them are expired. Just slightly. Not enough to be dangerous, but enough to make her panic when she inevitably comes over to "check on me."
I sip my coffee slowly, letting the tension build. By the time Maddie appears, I want her nerves fraying just a little. Not enough to run screaming, just enough to start noticing she's no longer in control.
The buzzer rings.
My heart skips. Arrow.
I glance at my reflection again. Smooth hair, clean clothes, calm eyes. Not exactly me, but… workable.
I open the door.
And there he is. Obsessive. Hot. Perfect.
"Ria," he breathes, scanning me like he's memorizing my every detail. "You… you look okay."
I tilt my head. "Thanks. You?"
He steps inside, hands in pockets, cautious but confident. His eyes flick around, not missing anything, absorbing the apartment. I can feel the subtle calculating energy. He's already trying to map me, to map Ria. Perfect.
"I… was worried," he admits finally, voice low but intense.
I let a tiny smirk escape. "Worried about what?"
"About you," he says. Straight. Honest. Obsessed. Dangerous. Perfect.
I step aside, letting him pass. "Then your concern is… justified."
Arrow moves with measured steps, careful but not awkward. He notices the subtle changes in the apartment, probably senses that the balance of power is different. I don't correct him. Let him think. He doesn't know yet.
And then… Maddie.
Of course she arrives. Because of course she does. Perfect timing.
She bursts in, phone glued to her hand, expression oscillating between panic and forced cheer. "Ria! Oh my God, you're okay!"
I smile. Sweet. Innocent. Slightly off. "Yes. I'm fine."
Her eyes flick to Arrow. His presence is like a magnet. Maddie freezes slightly. She doesn't know how to position herself. I notice. I note. I grin inwardly.
This is the fun part.
I let her stew in discomfort for a moment. Tiny pauses. Slight glances at her hands. She shifts. Breathes faster. She thinks I don't notice. I notice everything.
I start small. "You always arrive at the most… dramatic moments, don't you, Maddie?"
Her lips twitch. "I… I just—wanted to see you."
"Of course," I say softly. Smile fixed. Eyes sharp. "You've always been… attentive."
Her eyes narrow. Not enough for anyone else to notice. But I do. Oh, I do.
Arrow glances at me, then at her, and I can see the subtle tension forming. He's observant too, but not suspicious yet. Perfect.
I sip my coffee. Pause. "You don't need to worry so much. I'm stronger than I look."
Maddie swallows. "I know. I just—"
"Just what?" I ask, voice sweet. Dangerous.
Her phone buzzes. She glances down. Probably a work message. I lean back, watching. Small cracks forming. She straightens. Adjusts her posture. Sweats slightly. The kind of thing only happens when someone realizes they're losing control, slowly, subtly.
Arrow approaches cautiously. He doesn't touch me, but his eyes are glued to mine. Obsessed. Always observing. I give him nothing. Nothing real. Just Ria-energy. Calm. Controlled. Slightly mischievous.
I stand. Walk over to the window. Adjust the curtains slightly. Tiny movement. Maddie notices. She bites her lip.
"Ria," Arrow says softly, voice a low hum. "You've… changed."
I glance at him. "Have I?"
"Yes." His gaze sharpens. "In ways I… don't know if I like."
I smirk. Perfect. Let him feel just slightly unsettled. Good.
I glance at Maddie. She's still observing, still tense. Small victories.
"I like change," I say softly. "It keeps people… guessing."
Arrow steps closer, cautious but deliberate. "Ria…"
"Yes?" I turn, slow, calm. Perfect posture. Slight smirk. Dangerous charm.
"You—" He pauses. Hesitates. His lips part. "You're… different than I expected."
I tilt my head, eyes narrowing slightly. Maddie flinches almost imperceptibly. Small, almost invisible, but it feels like victory. Tiny chaos.
"I get that a lot," I say. Voice calm, soft, deadly.
The rest of the afternoon is spent like this. Tiny adjustments. Maddie subtly watching. Arrow absorbed. Me in complete control. Every word, every glance, every sip of coffee, every tiny movement designed to remind them all: I'm no longer passive. I'm Ria, but better. And you're going to notice, little by little.
Maddie tries to engage in conversation. I respond politely, but each answer is just slightly off. Not rude. Not obvious. But subtle, deliberate, tiny shifts that make her second-guess herself.
Arrow notices too. Slight tension. Slight fascination. Obsessed. Perfect.
By the time evening falls, Maddie's internal panic has grown just enough for me to enjoy a quiet smile. She doesn't know why she feels unsettled. She only knows something is… off.
Arrow, meanwhile, still watches me. Studying. Learning. Obsessed. Perfect.
And me? I sip my drink. Calm. Smiling. In control.
This day—this one day—is mine.
Little by little, Maddie's life will become slightly… uncomfortable. Just enough to teach her that Ria isn't the only one who can play these games.
And Arrow? He'll learn who I really am… eventually. But not yet. Not today.
Today is about control, subtle chaos, and preparation.
The apartment is quiet now. Sunset bleeding through the windows. The city hums below, oblivious. Maddie simmers. Arrow obsesses. And me? I grin.
Because the game has begun.