A SILENT CHASE

The first time he saw her, he forgot how to breathe.

It wasn’t just her beauty—though that alone was enough to render any man speechless—it was the way she existed, completely unaware of the way she had captured him so effortlessly. The way she laughed, the way she moved, the way she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as if the gesture wasn’t the most mesmerising thing he had ever seen.

He hadn’t meant to follow her.

Not at first.

But something about her pulled him in, like a silent gravity he couldn’t resist. He told himself he’d only watch for a moment, just long enough to satisfy the aching curiosity in his chest. But moments turned to minutes, then hours, then days. And before he knew it, she had become a habit—one he had no desire to break.

He wasn’t dangerous. He wasn’t some menacing shadow lurking with ill intent. He was simply… captivated. Hopelessly drawn to a woman who barely knew he existed.

Or so he thought.

Because she did know.

She saw him. Not just the way he lingered near, not just the way his gaze always found her in a crowd—but him. The man beneath the rough exterior. The quiet, hesitant soul hidden behind the ink and scars.

And instead of fear, she felt amusement. Instead of running, she played along.

Her glances became more frequent. Her movements are more teasing. She left breadcrumbs for him to follow—little invitations wrapped in knowing smiles and lingering stares. She was testing him, waiting for him to finally step forward.

But fear had its claws in him, deep and unrelenting.

What if he ruined it? What if, the moment he spoke, she saw him the way everyone else did? What if she changed her mind?

So he stayed in the shadows, always on the edge of her world, desperate yet paralysed.

But she wouldn’t wait forever.

And sooner or later, he would have to decide—step into the light or let her slip away.

Cover by thvfiqz