The stalker has been quiet. It’s been days without a single sign or trace of him. My phone is still under Viviana’s name, so maybe that helped, and aside from the fight the other night, I haven’t stepped foot outside this place.
I suppose I should feel bad, shouldn’t I? Being held here, technically a captive. Yet, somehow, for the first time in years, I feel like I can breathe. Flynn does things that get under my skin, and the danger wrapped around him like smoke is impossible to ignore, yet… I don’t know. I feel something.
Letting out a slow breath, I wander toward the bedroom window. It’s locked, like always, and I can’t reach the balcony, so I just lean closer, pressing my fingers to the cool glass. Outside, the sun cuts through the trees in soft beams, the kind of golden light that makes everything feel warmer than it is. Maybe today I can finally walk around the estate.
I grab my phone, connect it to my headphones, and pull on a pair of warm leggings and my favourite boots. The fuzzy brown wool sweater I love feels like a soft shield as I slip it on, the fabric snug against my skin. It’s perfect for walking through the trees, for pretending I’m normal again.
When I head downstairs, the house is quiet. Neither Kaden nor Flynn is anywhere in sight, and I assume they must’ve left early. Lunch had beenbrought up to my room again. I didn’t ask, but it was there waiting. I should find it unnerving. Maybe I do. Still, I miss him. Which is insane, considering everything.
He left so abruptly last night while I was going through the old pictures. I thought he’d be angry that I’d stepped over some invisible line. Instead, he looked worried. That’s what stayed with me. The worry. Something’s happening. I can feel it, but I’m never told enough to understand the full shape of it. So, instead of spiralling, I’m choosing to enjoy this, whatever this is.
The moment the sun hits my face, warm and bright, I almost feel like I’m doing something wrong. It’s too good, too rare, too peaceful. It feels like a sin.
A low throat-clearing startles me slightly, and I turn to find one of the guards standing near the door. His expression is unreadable, but not unfriendly.
“Can I walk around the property?” I ask, gesturing toward the trees in the distance. He nods once. I offer a quiet thank you and begin down the path, tucking my phone into my pocket as I go.
I pull up my playlist and press play, and the opening notes ofYouthby Daughter begin to hum softly in my ears. The drums kick in, slow and haunting, and I find myself picking up the pace, letting my boots crunch over fallen leaves and soft patches of moss. There’s no one here to judge me, no one to stop me.
In the middle of the trees, I pause. A wild thought hits me. I untie my hair, shaking it loose around my shoulders, and open my arms. Then, slowly, I spin. Not fast. Not dramatic. Just slow, small turns in time with the song, letting the music curl around me. It’s stupid. Childish. Freeing.
I stop after a few circles, breath coming steady, and look around. No one’s watching. Or at least I hope not. The scent of wet earth and pine clings to the air, sharp and grounding, and I breathe it in like it’s medicine.
Maybe things will be okay. Maybe Declan and Flynn will find whoever’s been stalking me, and then I’ll finally be free.
Though, I wonder if I truly will be. Flynn has been… different. Possessive in a way that makes my pulse skip, in a way that should scare me but doesn’t, at least, not enough.
The real problem is how easily I do what he wants. How every time his hands are on me, my spine melts and I forget how to argue. It isn’t just fear. That’s what terrifies me the most.
I do like him. I’m not sure when it started, but it’s there, wrapped in every look he gives me, every moment he lets his walls slip. He scares me. Yet, in the same breath, he makes me feel like I’m the only thing in the world worth protecting.
Last night’s kiss still lingers in my mouth, the softness of it so unlike him. He let me take the lead.
Flynn is controlling, primal, obsessive. He’s dangerous, volatile—the kind of man you don’t just fall for; you get consumed by him. Still, part of me thinks he’d make a good boyfriend.
Yes, I’ve lost my mind.
What the hell am I even thinking? He’s not just in the Irish mafia; he is the bloody mafia. Even Viviana… I still can’t believe she’s part of it willingly. I wonder how that happened. Was her family involved too? Or did she fall for someone like I’m starting to—
I don’t finish the thought. I just keep walking until I realise I have no idea where I am. The path behind me is gone, swallowed by tall trees and dense brush. The mansion isn’t anywhere in sight. The forest here is thicker than I thought, and I feel the first tickle of nerves crawl up my spine.
I pause, grab my phone, and stop the music. My fingers move on their own. I call Flynn.
He picks up on the second ring. His voice comes sharp.
“You okay?”
“Yes. I went for a walk around the estate, and now I’m—” I sigh, trying not to sound panicked. “Lost.”
Silence stretches.
“You serious?” There’s a flicker of amusement in his tone. He sounds entertained. Of course he does.
“Never mind. I’ll find my way back.” I hang up before he can answer, cheeks burning. He’s probably already smirking.
It can’t be that hard. I keep walking, pushing branches aside. Three songs pass before I reach a clearing. A lake. The water glimmers under a halo of light breaking through the trees. There’s a tall iron fence, the same that surrounds the entire estate. Why would he block it off? It’s beautiful out here.
My phone vibrates in my hand. One new message.
