Mae's heart raced as the door to Room 13 clicked shut behind her. The low hum of the club's music, the buzz of voices, and the chaos of Hell's Angels disappeared, leaving only the unsettling quiet of the private room. The air was thick, almost suffocating, and Mae's pulse quickened with every second that passed.

The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a small lamp on the table in the corner. The shadows clung to the edges of the space, giving it a claustrophobic feeling. Mae took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she stepped further inside, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor.

There was no sign of anyone.

Her skin prickled with unease as she scanned the room, her mind racing. Why had he asked her to come here? What was he planning? And why did this feel like a trap she couldn't escape?

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and Mae jumped, the sudden noise shattering the silence. She pulled it out with trembling hands and glanced at the screen.

"Sit down, Mae. We need to talk."

The message was short, but the weight behind it made her stomach churn. She hesitated for a moment, glancing around the room again, half-expecting him to appear from the shadows. But there was no one. Just the oppressive silence and the nagging feeling that someone was watching her.

Slowly, Mae made her way to the small table in the corner and sat down. The chair felt cold against her skin, the tension in the room pressing down on her. She stared at her phone, waiting for the next message, her heart pounding in her chest.

Another buzz.

"You've been asking too many questions, Mae. It's time for you to understand your place in all of this."

Mae's throat tightened, her hands trembling as she read the message. She had tried to keep her distance, to play along without getting too involved, but now it felt like the walls were closing in. He knew everything. He had been watching her, tracking her every move.

Another message came through, this time more direct.

"I gave you a choice. You could've left, Mae. But you didn't. You stayed. Now, you'll see what happens when you try to step out of line."

Mae's breath hitched. The air in the room felt heavier, as though the very walls were pressing in on her. She hadn't seen this coming. She thought she had been playing it smart, careful to not reveal too much, careful to stay just on the edge of whatever game he was playing. But clearly, that hadn't been enough.

Her fingers hovered over the screen, unsure of how to respond, unsure if she should respond at all. What did he want from her? What was her role in this nightmare she had stumbled into?

But before she could type anything, her phone buzzed again.

"Look at the table, Mae."

Her heart skipped a beat. She glanced down, noticing for the first time the small envelope resting on the table beside the lamp. It hadn't been there when she walked in. Or maybe she had been too caught up in her own thoughts to notice it.

With shaking hands, Mae reached for the envelope and carefully opened it. Inside was a single slip of paper with just one word scrawled across it in neat handwriting:

Obey.

Mae's stomach turned as she stared at the word, the command clear and unyielding. A cold sweat broke out on her skin as her mind raced with what this could mean. Obey? Obey who? Him? The man she had been texting, the one who had been pulling the strings behind the scenes?

She crumpled the paper in her hand, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't want to play this game anymore. She didn't want to be a pawn in his twisted world.

Her phone buzzed once more.

"You can leave now, Mae. But remember, I'm always watching."

Mae stood up so fast that the chair scraped loudly against the floor. She backed away from the table, her eyes darting around the room as if expecting him to step out from the shadows at any moment. But the room remained empty, save for the eerie sense that someone, somewhere, was watching her every move.

Without another word, Mae bolted for the door, her hand fumbling with the handle before she managed to yank it open. The noise from the club hit her like a wave as she stumbled into the corridor, her heart still racing, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and fear.

She didn't stop moving until she was outside, the cold night air hitting her like a slap in the face. She took deep, gasping breaths, her legs trembling beneath her. The city buzzed around her, people walking by, unaware of the storm raging inside her.

Mae glanced back at the club, the neon sign of Hell's Angels casting an eerie glow against the night sky. She felt like she had escaped something dangerous, but deep down, she knew she wasn't free.

She never would be.

The messages, the command to obey, the envelope—they were all part of the game. And as much as she wanted to pretend she had some semblance of control, she knew the truth. He was always one step ahead, always watching.

Mae pulled her phone from her pocket, staring at the screen, half-expecting another message to appear. But it remained silent. For now.

Her mind raced as she started walking down the street, her heart still pounding. What did he want? What was his endgame? And why did she feel like she was being pulled deeper into something far more dangerous than she had ever imagined?

As she turned the corner, heading back to her apartment, her phone buzzed one last time.

"Goodnight, Mae. Sweet dreams."

She stopped in her tracks, staring down at the screen in horror. He knew where she was. He always knew.

Mae shoved the phone into her pocket and quickened her pace, her pulse racing as the city loomed around her, dark and unforgiving. There was no escape. Not from him.

And now, Mae was left with one terrifying realization: she had no choice but to obey.

Mae couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the buzz of her phone, saw the single word flashing in her mind—Obey. The walls of her apartment felt too close, suffocating her in a grip she couldn't escape. She tossed and turned, trying to shake the unease that had settled deep in her bones.

The city outside seemed indifferent to her turmoil. Cars honked in the distance, people shouted as they passed by on the street, and the familiar hum of late-night life buzzed through her window. But inside, Mae was alone with her thoughts, and the weight of the command she'd been given pressed down on her like a heavy stone.

She sat up in bed, glancing at her phone on the nightstand. The screen was dark now, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he texted again. That man, the one who'd been watching her, controlling her from afar. The one who had slipped so easily into her life that she hadn't even realized how deep she was until it was too late.

A part of her wanted to ignore it, to throw the phone out the window and pretend that none of this was happening. But that was impossible now. She was caught in his web, and there was no getting out.

The cold light of dawn began creeping through the curtains, casting long shadows across the floor. Mae sighed, throwing off the blankets and standing up. Sleep wasn't coming. She needed to get out, to clear her head before the inevitable happened—before the next step in this twisted game was revealed.

Grabbing a jacket, she slipped it on and made her way out of the apartment, moving quickly down the stairs and out into the cool morning air. The streets were quieter now, the city just beginning to wake up. She shoved her hands into her pockets, her mind racing as she walked aimlessly through the neighborhood.

She wasn't sure where she was going. All she knew was that she couldn't stay still, not when the weight of his words still clung to her like a vice.

Obey.

The word echoed in her head, and despite herself, a chill ran down her spine. What did he want from her? What was the next step in this sick game? Mae had been on the defensive for so long, playing along, doing her best to stay out of trouble. But now, it felt like the walls were closing in, and she was running out of options.

As she walked, her phone buzzed again.

Mae froze, her breath catching in her throat as she pulled it from her pocket. The message was from the same blocked number, and her heart sank as she opened it.

"You shouldn't have left your apartment, Mae."

Her pulse spiked, and she glanced around, panic rising in her chest. How did he know? She hadn't told anyone she was leaving, hadn't seen anyone following her. But somehow, he always knew.

Mae's hands trembled as she quickly typed out a response.

"What do you want from me?"

She waited, her eyes darting around the empty street. The seconds dragged on, each one heavier than the last. When her phone buzzed again, she flinched, dread curling in her stomach.

"Meet me at the club. 8 PM. Don't be late."

Mae swallowed hard. Of course, it was the club. Hell's Angels had always been the epicenter of this nightmare, the place where it all began. But there was something about this message, something about the command to meet him there, that made her feel like this was different. This wasn't just another text, another reminder of his control.

This was something more.

It's a trap, she thought. But what choice did she have? She was in too deep now, and there was no running from it.

She shoved the phone back into her pocket and continued walking, trying to clear her head. Her heart raced, her thoughts swirling with a thousand different possibilities. Every instinct told her to run, to get as far away from the club as possible. But she knew it wouldn't matter. He would find her, just like he always did.

As the day dragged on, Mae couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled in her gut. She spent the afternoon pacing her apartment, her nerves on edge, counting down the hours until she would have to face him. Her mind raced with questions, but none of them had answers.

What did he want? What was he planning? And why couldn't she shake the feeling that tonight would change everything?

By the time the clock struck 7:30, Mae felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin. She slipped into a black dress and heels, her mind elsewhere as she prepared to leave. The dress felt like armor, the heels like weapons. She needed something, anything, to make her feel like she had control—no matter how fleeting.

When she arrived at Hell's Angels, the familiar thrum of the club's music greeted her. The neon sign glowed in the night, casting an eerie light over the entrance. Mae hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. She could still walk away. She could still leave and never look back.

But that wasn't an option, was it?

Taking a deep breath, Mae stepped inside.

The club was packed, the energy of the crowd palpable. The music pulsed through the floor, and the air was thick with smoke and the scent of alcohol. Mae moved through the crowd, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of him, the man who had been orchestrating this all.

But he wasn't there. Not yet.

As she made her way to the VIP section, her phone buzzed again.

"Good. You're here. Go to the private room. You'll find what you're looking for."

Mae's stomach twisted. She didn't know what that meant, but the command was clear. She made her way through the back, her legs shaking as she approached the familiar hallway that led to the private rooms. The shadows felt darker here, the air heavier.

Room 13.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she pushed the door open, stepping inside once again. The room was just as she remembered it—dimly lit, quiet, and suffocating.

But this time, there was something waiting for her on the table.

A small envelope.

Mae's breath caught in her throat as she walked toward it, her hand trembling as she picked it up. She carefully opened it, her pulse quickening as she pulled out the slip of paper inside.

But it wasn't just a note this time. It was a photograph.

Mae stared at the picture in shock, her heart dropping into her stomach. It was a photo of her, taken just days ago, standing outside her apartment. Her mind raced as she realized what this meant—he had been watching her more closely than she ever could have imagined.

Her phone buzzed again, the sound loud in the silence of the room.

"I told you, Mae. I'm always watching. Now, let's see if you can play your part."

Mae's fingers tightened around the photo, her breath coming in shallow, panicked gasps. She was trapped. There was no escaping him. No running, no hiding.

And she had no idea what was coming next.