weight of the card felt heavier than it should have, dragging her mind back to a

She had been going along a crowded street when she'd accidentally bumped into him, spilling her coffee all over his i

t he merely smiled, something abou

t, they had been inseparable. In the beginning, there was a lot of laughter, the

as everything she had ever wanted: his calm strength, his sharp wit, an

and tightened her grip on the invitation as another recollection came t

ting through the memories. She had ruined all they had worked so hard to build. She had to

llable a reminder of the treachery, of the decis

ht of the past was still heavy on her chest. Her mind went back to the tim

o her from earlier that day. He had been aloof and distracted, and she hadn't known why. The screen lit up

ith order. "Evelyn, listen to me." "You don't get it," she said. You need to stay

's voice had gotten past her defenses. "You believe you know him? You think you know what he's capable of? Evelyn

, was now the enemy in her father's eyes. "Choose wise

tried to resist, but the pull of family, the loyalty that ran deeper than love, had tri

ars she had been holding back now hurt her eyes. She h

coming on, and the blinds let in the golden light of the setting sun. She sat at her desk, m

on the desk, but

s still in the tempest of her mind, divided between the past and the present, Alexander's

dn't felt for years. It felt as if someone was wat

She looked back over her shoulder without thinking, but the area was deserted

leyway under her building was gloomy too. The lamps made long shadows that looked like they went on forever. Her gaze

leaned closer to attempt to f

hin

ayed with her, burrowing beneath her skin. As she stood up and crossed the

hin

go away. It gnawed at her, like something lurking just out of her grasp. And then, just as she we

vacant. A cold went down her spine. Someone had been observing her. But who? Evelyn's mind was

breath, waiting for something to happen. Her footsteps echoed along the tiny corridor as she fumbled for her keys, the cold metal burning into her palm. S

s she was used to that made her feel safe. Not this time. It was a calm that seemed to have been transformed,

sually ordered space appeared out of sync. Small things, little details, had been moved j

elt a chill run down her spine as she walked across the room, and her heart raced with each step. However,

ft it there. The picture itself was fine, a picture of her and her son smiling and having fun at a family p

ge before her. Someone had been in her apartment, someone who knew more than they should. The weight of

left this was watching her. And they

ture all pointed to something she wasn't ready to deal with. She had always known that her life wasn't as tranquil as

ammered in her chest as she struggled to slow her breathing, every muscle in her body ten

ogether the events in her mind. Who had done this? Why? And what did they imply by "I k

only people who ever came over were folks she had let into her life before, people who knew her too well. The

ouldn't i

ant steps, she walked toward the door, her hand lingering j

whatever danger had been hiding in the shadows. She felt her heart rush as

overwhelming. Evelyn blinked, her mind scramb

magined t

of her broken psyche, putt

door. It was too fast, and then a figure walked out of the dark hallway. T

figure moved closer, coming out of the shadows slowly and on purpose. His presence was scar

hs she wasn't ready to hear. Evelyn's heart raced as the

person she had once known and the sc