Her room

The door opened at 11:47 p.m.

Shreya looked up so quickly that the book slipped from her hands.

Kai stood in the doorway.

He didn't enter immediately.

He simply looked at her.

She sat frozen beneath the dim bedside lamp, her fingers gripping the edge of the blanket. She had changed into her nightdress hours ago, but she hadn't managed to sleep. Every unfamiliar sound in the mansion made her heart race.

Now the one sound she'd been dreading had finally arrived.

His footsteps.

Kai stepped inside.

He was dressed entirely in black, his expression unreadable. There was something different about him tonight. Perhaps it was the hour, the silence, or the way he closed the door without taking his eyes off her.

He locked it.

Shreya heard the click.

Her stomach tightened.

Kai slipped his phone into his pocket and glanced around the room.

Then he looked at her again.

"Stand up."

Shreya stared at him.

She didn't know why.

She didn't know what he wanted.

But she got out of bed.

Kai waited until she was standing before walking towards her.

One step.

Then another.

She retreated automatically.

He stopped.

Her back was still several feet from the wall, but she felt trapped already.

His eyes lowered briefly to her trembling hands.

She clasped them together.

Kai tilted his head.

A small movement.

Somehow, it made her more nervous.

"Hands."

She looked at him in confusion.

He waited.

Slowly, she separated her hands and held them at her sides.

He said nothing.

The silence stretched.

Shreya could hear the air conditioning, the faint rustle of the curtains, and the frantic beating of her own heart.

"What did I do?" she whispered.

Kai's expression didn't change.

He took another step.

She retreated again.

This time, the backs of her knees struck the bed.

She sat down abruptly.

Kai stopped in front of her.

For several seconds, he merely watched.

Shreya lowered her eyes, unable to bear the weight of his stare.

"Look at me."

She obeyed.

His gaze moved slowly across her face.

She wished he would shout.

She wished he would tell her why he was here.

She wished he would do anything that might make his intentions easier to understand.

Instead, he stood there in complete silence.

Then he turned away.

Shreya released a breath she hadn't realised she was holding.

He walked towards the window.

She watched him from the corner of her eye as he drew the curtains apart, looking down at the dark grounds below.

Beyond the glass, the gardens were illuminated by discreet security lights. The iron gates stood at the end of the long driveway, guarded and impassable.

Kai glanced towards the gates.

Then, without turning around, he spoke.

"You tried the west door."

Shreya stopped breathing.

Her fingers curled into the blanket.

She hadn't told anyone.

She had tried that door two nights ago, after discovering that the handle required a security code.

She hadn't even made it outside.

How did he know?

Kai turned from the window.

She looked away too late.

He had seen her expression.

He began walking back.

Shreya scrambled to her feet.

"Please—"

He stopped.

Her voice died.

Kai stood a few feet away, his hands resting loosely at his sides.

"Again?"

One word.

She shook her head frantically.

"I didn't—"

He looked at her.

She fell silent.

Kai moved towards the dresser beside her.

Shreya remained motionless as he opened a drawer and removed a pair of cufflinks. He placed them on the polished surface, adjusted one sleeve, and checked the time.

Ordinary movements.

An ordinary man might have made them without a second thought.

But nothing about Kai felt ordinary to her anymore.

He was aware of her every movement.

She knew it.

When she shifted her weight, his eyes flicked towards her.

When she glanced at the door, he noticed.

When she took a cautious step sideways, his gaze followed her.

He never hurried.

He never needed to.

Shreya found herself moving towards the opposite side of the bed, trying to create a little distance between them.

Kai watched her do it.

Then he walked towards her.

She retreated.

He advanced.

She retreated again.

Until she found herself beside the wall.

Kai stopped before reaching her.

There was still space between them.

He hadn't touched her.

He hadn't even raised his voice.

Yet she couldn't seem to make her legs move.

He glanced at the empty space beside her, then returned his attention to her face.

Shreya's breath came in short, uneven bursts.

"Please don't."

Kai said nothing.

Her eyes burned.

"I won't try to leave again."

He watched her for a moment.

Then he stepped sideways.

The path to the door was clear.

Shreya stared at it.

She could move.

She could walk past him.

She could reach the door.

But she couldn't make herself believe he would let her get very far.

Kai returned to the dresser and picked up his phone.

He checked a notification.

Then another.

It was as though she had ceased to exist.

The sudden indifference unsettled her more than his attention had.

She stood against the wall, struggling to understand what he wanted from her.

Finally, she whispered, "Why are you here?"

Kai locked his phone.

He looked at her.

A long, dreadful pause followed.

"Go to bed."

That was all.

He walked towards the door.

Shreya watched him reach for the handle.