AUTHOR'S POV

Dream Aura,
07: 10 am.

Sybil sighed heavily throwing herself on the bed and covering her ears using a pillow to avoid noises.

What happened is that, after getting back home last night, she didn't get a blink of sleep as the car burst downstairs, then the fire brigade arrived, the police car siren, and the public panicking, what's not to ruin her sleep?

She had no idea about the car's owner, nor was she interested anymore because she was getting used to the violence of the city day by day.

Things like this are starting to feel normal at this point, making her feel guilty about her heart getting insensitive. The only concern she has is that no one should be harmed.

She had a day off, so she decided to go out shopping and refresh her mind a little.

She entered the shower and stood under the cold water with closed eyes. The thought of the man she saw smoking in the yard crossed her mind. She hadn't seen him yet she was seeing him everywhere.

Feeling a sting-like pain, she opened her eyes and realized that all of her bandages were soaked in water. She groaned as she completely forgot about them but not about the one who put them on her toes.

Alaric. She's thankful to him for everything.

She stepped outside the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her and dripping hair. Grabbing a comfy pair of clothes she began to wear them. Sitting on the edge of the bed she slipped into her pajama shorts.

Her eyes caught Alaric's messages popping on her mobile screen, which had been cracked since the very second day she stepped into the city.

' Meet me somewhere, anywhere.' that's all he texted in the last part of the night. She reached out to her mobile and clicked on the notification. Her thumbs were dancing over the mobile screen but she didn't know what to reply.

She played back down, looking at the screen. Her eyelids started to get heavy. The surroundings finally fell silent, and the sleep engulfed the beauty. The mobile was still in her hand; the message wasn't even replied to.

The moon was casting a soft glow through the window on her face and she was sleeping peacefully.

The silent building had another man downstairs sitting on a couch; the green-eyed man was hunched over his laptop in Dash's apartment, his fingers pressing the keys.

The room was filled with the aroma of his drink, the liquid fueling his determination. With each sip, his passion grew, and his eyes fixated on the screen before him.

Time seemed to stand still as the silent stalker delved deeper into his investigation. The world around him faded away, leaving only the glow of the screen and the sound of his fervent typing. The stubborn man has taken matters into his own hands. Curiosity and an insatiable desire for answers have turned him even angrier.

With every click and scroll, he hoped to uncover hidden truths; he tried to connect the dots but failed as the girl he was searching for seemed to have vanished all the clues as well as herself. None of the cameras has records of the night his father got shot.

Hunter groaned throwing his head back only to witness the darkness outside mirroring the mysteries he sought to unravel.

Hours passed, but he didn't notice. The laptop screen illuminated his face, casting a glow that revealed his unwavering dedication. At that moment, he was a detective, a seeker to find any clue possible, driven by an unyielding thirst for truth. For her.

He grabbed all the strippers' IDs and picked out those who were at the service that night.

He had doubts about a pole dancer as he saw her running, but he's someone who doesn't chase anyone without any investigation.

He inquired deeper, and the only girl who wasn't present that night was found out. He clicked on her ID and it started to buffer. His leg was wiggling because of him being too close to see the face of his enemy, just when he heard the door unlocking sound.

" You still up?" Dash asked as he saw Hunter looking extremely seriously at the screen.

" Network sucks in this area," Hunter mumbled making Dash peek at his laptop.

" Any clue found?" Dash asked sweeping his eyes across the screen.

"The pole dancer, I found her identity." Dash sat beside Hunter as the image was downloading while the information about her was shown beside it.

The twist was that instead of having Lia's name, Sybil's biodata showed up. Soon, the image downloaded dropped Dash's jaw. He moved the laptop and leaned to look closely.

" No f*cking way, it was her all this time?" His voice raised with each word, and his wide-open eyes turned to Hunter.

" You know her?" Hunter asked.

" She lives upstairs, the same girl I saw with Alaric a few days back." He revealed.

" Floor?"

" 9th, I clearly remember her punching it in the elevator the same night. It all makes sense now."

Hunter stood up with rage in his eyes, and Dash, too, was ready to follow him, but Hunter stopped him. "I'll go myself."

" But-" Hunters' hand gesture stopped Dash.

Unaware of the storm coming in her direction she was deep in her sleep. Her head lifted hearing the doorbell and harsh knocks. She opened her eyes and sat up lazily. " Please be Lia, please be Lia..." She muttered wearing her fluffy footwear, walking towards the door expecting Lia but as soon as she opened the door she found a tall man resting his hand on her door frame who studied her for a good moment before his eyes met hers, that was the exact moment she knew he wasn't there with any good reasons.

" Who do you w-want?" She stuttered.

" Owner," Hunter replied.

" Owner of what? I don't own this apartment." Her eyebrows crashed together.

Hunter pulled out a jewellery from his pants pocket. When he raised it to his face she realised it was her anklet. She looked at her ankle and then back to her feet to confirm it was hers.

" Where did you find it?" She smiled, trying to take that but he clinched that in his fist and moved his hand away from her.

" Outside Strippers Den." He said bouncing it in his palm. " Exact at three fifty-three. You lost it when you got hit by my car." He reminded looking calm. Extremely calm.

" Oh My God, I remember you-" she spoke a bit loudly but held herself back as a thought hit her. " Did I perhaps damage your car?" She innocently asked.

He chuckled. She frowned, having no idea why his eyes had madness in them, yet he was trying to show no emotions.

He stepped inside leaning to her ear. "I know what you did there." He said lowly making her hold the door tightly.

She looked at him, his face close enough to fan his breath on her face. He examines her expression as she gulps and stares in silence for a moment.

What does he know? And how? Her heart stopped beating. "What are you talking about?" She questioned.

"Don't you know?" He inquired, stepping closer, not breaking the eye contact.

"I don't." She turned her voice cold and pushed the door slightly; he noticed her standing straight, sliding his hand and sliding his hands into his pockets. " You want something back in return for my anklet?" She asked only what she could conclude; she knew just by remembering his car model he was rich enough to ask for something cheap from her.

He gave her a nod. " I want answers." He replied.

" Who do you work for?" He asked, knowing a girl alone wouldn't dare to get in the king's way. Even superpowers hesitate.

" I'm a coach in a ballet dance class." She replied honestly.

" And?" He raised his eyebrows gesturing her to continue.

" That's all." Her voice came out shaky.

" Aren't you a pole dancer too?" He raised his eyebrow.

" No, I'm not." She shook her head.

" I want the truth." He demanded.

" I'm not lying-"

"Weren't you dancing at Strippers' Den last Sunday?" He asked, looking dead into her eyes, leaving no chance to lie.

It took her a while to process that it was not about his car, but he was there for something else.

He is either another 'red couch guy' or, worse, the owner of that club. She concluded sensing the dark vibes.

" No, I wasn't." The first lie she spoke knowing there'll be no going back.

" The sweat on your forehead is telling different stories." That is how deadly he was lurking.

She wiped her face with her sleeve and broke the eye contact. The way he was looking at her she felt like he could read her eyes.

He looked like he was there for the truth and he seemed to have a lot of time and patience to get that from her.

She noticed how he took a second to breathe out before speaking. " So you aren't gonna open your mouth when I'm going easy on you." He pushed the door making her flinch and take a few fast yet tiny steps backwards.

" I already told you what I know; now get out of here before I call security." She raised her voice.

"Shish" He placed his big palm on her mouth and pushed her against the wall. His intence gaze was on her fearful ones. She grabbed his wrist with both of her hands that hardly encircled his broad wrist fully. Her other hand tried to push him.

Hunter pushed himself on her trapping her completely. She yelped breathing heavily as he leaned to her face. "Not shouting." He warned, pulling out his gun from his waist pocket, making her voiceless.

She held her breath when he brushed the hard metal against her neck. " The less time you'll take to answer, the easier death I'll give you. The choice is yours." He spoke in a low voice.

Sybil began to pent heavily; her mind unlocked the memories of the day she witnessed a murder. She was no longer able to think straight anymore.

He found her panicking and removed his hand from her mouth. Her lips were parted underneath. "Speak, little one." He moved his gun and placed it under her chin to lift her face. She gulped down her saliva looking straight into his dark eyes.

His gaze followed the little movement in her neck before he lifted his gaze to meet hers again.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she closed her eyes, thinking it was one of her last breaths only if she knew the entire hell was waiting for her welcome.

He dug his gun painfully into her skin. His fingers were on the trigger that was almost half-pressed.

" No, don't." Dash rushed in. " We need her." He added stopping him from emptying his gun in her.

She opened her eyes to see Dash, then moved her gaze towards Hunter, who stepped backward. " You brought this on yourself, now face the consequences."

With that, Hunter slammed his gun on her head, making her lose consciousness.

Before she could fall to the floor, he caught her with one arm and threw her over his shoulder, followed by his command. " Prepare the basement for her welcome."

• Impossible loves make the best stories.

Chapter Published On: 11 February 2024.

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