~Chapter 1~
•The Girl in the apartment •
Rain slid down the glass in thin silver lines.
From the dark apartment across the street, Adrian Voss watched it fall without blinking.
The city was quieter tonight.
The usual noise of traffic had softened into a distant hum, leaving only the steady rhythm of rain tapping against the window.
Adrian liked nights like this.
Dark.
Still.
Perfect for watching.
His binoculars rested lightly against his eyes, the cold metal barely noticeable in his steady grip.
Across the street, the warm glow of a small apartment window cut through the rain like a beacon.
Apartment 3B.
He adjusted the focus.
There she was.
Lila Hart.
Standing in her kitchen, barefoot on the tile floor, stirring something slowly in a small pot.
Steam curled upward, fogging the window slightly.
She wore an oversized sweater that slipped off one shoulder, her hair tied loosely like she hadn't bothered to fix it properly.
Careless.
Unaware.
Adrian's gaze sharpened.
People were most honest when they believed no one was watching.
He had learned that years ago.
Lila hummed quietly as she cooked, a soft melody that Adrian couldn't quite hear but could almost imagine.
Interesting.
He had never seen her hum before.
That meant she was in a good mood tonight.
Adrian lowered the binoculars for a moment and glanced at the notebook resting on the table beside him.
The pages were filled with neat, precise writing.
Observations.
Schedules.
Patterns.
He flipped to today's page.
Lila Hart — Tuesday
Left apartment: 7:42 AM
Coffee shop shift: 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Lunch: turkey sandwich, iced coffee
Returned home: 6:12 PM
Mood: calm
Adrian tapped the pen lightly against the page.
Then he added one more line.
Humming while cooking.
A small detail.
But details mattered.
Everything about Lila Hart fascinated him.
Not because she was extraordinary.
But because she was… predictable.
Safe routines.
The same café every morning.
The same walk home.
The same late-night tea before bed.
Predictable people survived longer.
At least they did when someone was watching over them.
Across the street, Lila lifted the spoon to taste the soup she was making.
She wrinkled her nose.
Too salty.
Adrian almost smirked.
She always added too much salt.
He knew that because he had been watching her for three months.
Three months of quiet observation.
Three months of learning every habit, every routine, every expression.
Three months of making sure nothing bad happened to her.
His phone buzzed on the table.
Adrian ignored it.
His attention was still fixed on the apartment window.
Lila carried her bowl to the couch and sat down, curling her legs beneath her as she reached for the TV remote.
A normal evening.
Safe.
Calm.
Adrian finally looked down at his phone.
Marcus Hale
One missed call.
Another buzz.
A message appeared.
_You're doing it again, aren't you?_
Adrian didn't reply.
Another message came instantly.
_Watching the girl._
Adrian typed back with one hand.
Adrian:
Observation.
The typing dots appeared.(....)
Then Marcus replied.
You call it observation.
I call it stalking.
Adrian's expression didn't change.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Marcus understood .
Most people didn't.
They thought obsession meant chaos.
Emotion.
Lack of control.
But Adrian Voss was the opposite of chaos.
Everything he did was calculated.
Controlled.
Necessary.
Across the street, Lila stood from the couch and walked toward the window.
Adrian's grip on the binoculars tightened slightly.
She stopped.
Right in front of the glass.
For a brief moment, her eyes scanned the street below.
Adrian didn't move.
The room behind him was completely dark.
She couldn't see him.
Still…
Something about the way she looked out into the rain made his pulse slow.
As if she felt something.
As if instinct whispered that she wasn't alone.
Lila rubbed her arms slightly and pulled the curtain halfway closed.
Not fully.
Just enough.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
Careless again.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"You should really close your curtains," he murmured quietly.
Across the street, Lila turned off the living room light.
Her apartment fell into darkness.
The window went black.
Adrian lowered the binoculars.
The night had ended.
But tomorrow would be the same.
She would wake up.
Follow the same routine.
Walk the same streets.
Completely unaware that someone was always watching.
Always nearby.
Always protecting her.
Adrian picked up his notebook and closed it carefully.
One last thought crossed his mind before he turned away from the window.
Not curiosity.
Not fascination.
Something much darker.
Something far more dangerous.
Possession and obsession.
And Adrian Voss was not the type of man who shared what belonged to him.🖤