The next call didn't come at night.
It came in the middle of the afternoon.
Liora wasn't expecting it.
That's what made it worse.
She was standing by the kitchen counter, half-focused on a conversation Adrian was having with someone on his laptop. The sunlight filled the room, warm and ordinary, making everything feel grounded again.
Safe.
Her phone lit up.
She didn't notice it at first.
Then it rang.
The sound cut through everything.
Liora's eyes snapped toward it instantly.
Incoming call.
Unknown Caller.
Her stomach dropped.
Not fear.
Not fully.
But something close.
Adrian glanced over. "You going to answer that?"
She hesitated.
"It's the same number," she said quietly.
His expression changed immediately.
"Don't," he said.
Simple.
Clear.
But the phone kept ringing.
Persistent.
Waiting.
Liora stared at the screen.
Why now?
Why in the middle of the day?
Her fingers moved before she fully decided.
She picked it up.
"Liora—" Adrian started.
Too late.
She pressed accept.
Silence.
Her breath slowed.
"…Hello?"
Nothing.
No voice.
No movement.
But this time—
it didn't feel empty.
It felt like someone was there.
Listening.
Her grip tightened.
"If you're going to keep calling me," she said, her voice steadier than she felt, "at least say something."
A pause.
Then—
"…Liora."
The voice was soft.
Barely above a whisper.
But it was there.
Clear.
Her entire body went still.
Adrian looked up sharply.
"…Who is this?" she asked.
Silence again.
Then—
"I missed you."
The words were quiet.
Almost gentle.
But they didn't feel that way.
They felt wrong.
Liora's throat tightened.
"You have the wrong number," she said quickly.
"No," the voice replied.
A pause.
"I don't."
The line went dead.
The silence that followed was heavier than anything before.
Liora slowly lowered the phone.
Adrian was already standing.
"Who was that?"
She shook her head slightly.
"I don't know."
"What did he say?"
She swallowed.
"…He knew my name."
That was enough.
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"Give me the phone."
She handed it over without argument.
He looked at the number, his expression darkening slightly.
"Same one," he muttered.
Liora wrapped her arms around herself unconsciously.
"That wasn't random," she said.
"No," Adrian replied. "It wasn't."
The rest of the day didn't recover.
Even with the sunlight still pouring through the windows, even with normal sounds surrounding them, something had shifted permanently.
The calls had changed.
From silence—
to voice.
From distant—
to personal.
"Stay here tonight," Adrian said later.
Liora blinked. "I already stay here."
"I mean—don't go out. Don't answer unknown calls. Just… stay close."
She studied him for a moment.
"You're taking this seriously."
"I should have from the beginning."
That made her pause.
"…You think he knows me?" she asked.
Adrian didn't answer immediately.
But his silence said enough.
"Yes," he said finally.
The word settled heavily between them.
Evening came slower than usual.
Liora found herself watching the windows more often.
Listening to sounds she would've ignored before.
Every small noise felt… intentional.
"You're doing it again," Adrian said from across the room.
"Doing what?"
"Overthinking."
She let out a quiet breath. "Can you blame me?"
He walked over, stopping in front of her.
"No," he admitted.
Then—
without hesitation—
he reached out and gently pulled her closer.
Not tight.
Not urgent.
Just enough.
"You're safe," he said quietly.
The words were simple.
But this time—
they didn't feel absolute.
Liora rested her head lightly against his shoulder.
"…I know," she said.
But something in her voice didn't fully believe it.
Night fell.
The apartment dimmed into soft shadows, the city lights flickering outside like distant signals.
Liora sat on the couch again.
Her phone in her hand this time.
She wasn't avoiding it anymore.
She was waiting.
Adrian watched her from across the room.
"You don't have to answer if he calls again," he said.
"I know."
"Then why are you holding it like that?"
She didn't look up.
"…Because I want to know who it is."
That answer didn't sit well with him.
But he didn't argue.
The silence stretched.
Minutes passed.
Nothing.
Then—
The phone vibrated.
Both of them froze.
Incoming call.
Unknown Caller.
Liora stared at the screen.
Her heart was beating faster now.
But her expression stayed calm.
Slowly—
she answered.
This time—
there was no silence.
"I knew you would," the voice said.
Soft.
Certain.
Liora's grip tightened.
"…Who are you?"
A quiet breath echoed through the line.
Not loud.
Not rushed.
"I've always been here," he said.
Her chest tightened slightly.
"That doesn't answer my question."
Another pause.
Then—
a faint, almost amused tone slipped into his voice.
"You'll remember me."
The call ended.
Liora stared at the screen.
The words replayed in her mind.
You'll remember me.
Something about it—
felt worse than before.
Not because it was threatening.
But because it sounded…
certain.
Across the room, Adrian was already moving.
"This stops now," he said.
His tone had changed.
No more uncertainty.
No more waiting.
"I'm going to find him."
Liora looked up at him.
For the first time—
the fear felt real.
Not because of the voice.
But because of what it might lead to.
And somewhere, far from their reach—
UNKNOWN MAN'S POV
a phone screen lit up again.
A message this time.
Sent.
Unread.
"She heard me today."
A pause.
Then another message appeared beneath it.
"She'll remember soon."
The sender didn't wait for a reply.
He never needed one.
Because in his mind—
she already belonged to him.
She just didn't know it yet.
End of Chapter 4