The apartment was unusually quiet.
Isabella Carter sat on the couch, staring at the photograph on the table.
The red words written across it seemed darker under the soft lights of the room.
NEXT TIME YOU DIE.
Her fingers tightened around the glass of water she was holding.
"This has to be some kind of sick joke," she said quietly.
Across the room, Alexander Knight stood near the balcony door, carefully examining the lock.
"It's not a joke."
His voice was calm but firm.
Isabella frowned.
"You can't seriously think someone broke into my apartment just to leave a threat."
Alexander didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he pushed the balcony door open slightly and checked the metal lock.
After a moment, he spoke.
"The lock was forced."
Sophia gasped.
"Someone actually came inside?"
"Yes."
Isabella slowly stood up.
"That's impossible."
Alexander turned toward her.
"Security cameras cover the main entrances, but balconies are harder to monitor."
Sophia looked nervous.
"This building has twenty-four-hour security."
"That doesn't mean it's impossible to enter."
Isabella crossed her arms.
"So what are you saying?"
Alexander walked back into the living room.
"I'm saying whoever did this knows your schedule, your home, and your routines."
Sophia whispered,
"That means… they've been watching her."
A cold silence filled the room.
Isabella shook her head.
"No."
Alexander looked directly at her.
"You're not taking this seriously."
"I almost died tonight and now someone leaves a creepy photo in my apartment. Of course I'm taking it seriously!"
"Then start acting like it."
She glared at him.
"Excuse me?"
"You keep treating everything like it's a minor inconvenience."
Isabella stepped closer to him.
"And you keep acting like you're the boss of my life."
"I'm the one trying to keep you alive."
"I didn't ask for a bodyguard!"
"And yet here I am."
Sophia quickly stepped between them.
"Okay! That's enough."
She looked exhausted.
"You two have been arguing since the moment you met."
Isabella huffed and sat back down on the couch.
Alexander rubbed his temples slightly.
The tension in the room slowly faded.
A few minutes later, Sophia stood up.
"I should go home. Tomorrow will be a disaster with the media."
Isabella sighed.
"You're leaving me with him?"
Sophia smirked.
"He saved your life."
"That doesn't mean I trust him."
Alexander raised an eyebrow.
"You don't need to trust me. You just need to listen to me."
Sophia laughed softly.
"You two are unbelievable."
After saying goodbye, Sophia left the apartment.
The door clicked shut.
Now only Isabella and Alexander remained.
An awkward silence filled the living room.
Isabella glanced at him.
"So…"
"So?"
"You're staying here?"
"Yes."
"All night?"
"Yes."
She sighed dramatically.
"This is going to be very annoying."
Alexander leaned against the wall.
"I've had worse assignments."
She rolled her eyes.
"I feel so honored."
He ignored her sarcasm.
Instead, he continued scanning the apartment carefully.
After a moment, Isabella spoke again.
"You know… you don't have to act like a robot."
"I'm not acting."
"You barely talk."
"You talk enough for both of us."
She smirked.
"See? That was almost a joke."
"It wasn't."
Isabella walked toward the kitchen and poured herself another glass of water.
Then she glanced at Alexander again.
"Why did you become a bodyguard?"
He didn't answer immediately.
"That's personal."
"You're protecting my life. I think I deserve to know."
He remained silent.
Isabella sighed.
"Fine. Be mysterious."
Alexander finally spoke.
"I used to work in security for high-risk clients."
"Like politicians?"
"Yes."
"And now celebrities."
He looked at her.
"Some celebrities attract dangerous enemies."
She frowned.
"You keep saying that like you already know something."
Alexander didn't respond.
Because the truth was…
His instincts had been warning him since the moment he saw the stage accident.
Something about this case felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Suddenly
A loud buzz came from Isabella's phone on the table.
She picked it up.
Unknown number.
"Probably a reporter," she muttered.
She answered the call.
"Hello?"
No response.
"Hello?"
Only silence.
She frowned.
"Who is this?"
For several seconds, there was nothing but quiet breathing on the other side of the line.
Then
A distorted voice whispered softly.
"Did you like my gift?"
Isabella's face turned pale.
"What?"
Alexander immediately looked at her.
"What's wrong?"
The voice continued.
"You should have died tonight."
Isabella's hand began shaking.
Alexander quickly took the phone and put it on speaker.
"Who is this?" he demanded.
The voice laughed quietly.
"You must be the bodyguard."
Alexander's eyes hardened.
"If you have something to say, say it."
"Oh, I already did."
The voice paused.
"I warned her."
Isabella whispered,
"Why are you doing this?"
Another small laugh.
"Because the game has only just begun."
Alexander spoke coldly.
"If you come near her again"
"Too late."
The voice interrupted him.
Then it said something that made the room go silent.
"I'm already closer than you think."
The call suddenly ended.
A cold chill spread through the apartment.
Alexander immediately walked toward the balcony again.
But the street below looked normal.
Too normal.
Isabella whispered,
"Did he mean someone is inside the building?"
Alexander didn't answer.
Because at that exact moment
A slow knock echoed from the apartment door.
Both of them froze.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Alexander slowly moved toward the door.
His instincts screamed danger.
He looked through the peephole.
Then his entire expression changed.
"Who is it?" Isabella asked nervously.
Alexander didn't reply immediately.
Instead, he opened the door slowly.
Standing outside was a young delivery boy holding a small black box.
"For Miss Isabella Carter," the boy said.
Alexander took the box carefully.
"Who sent this?"
"I don't know, sir."
The boy quickly walked away down the hallway.
Alexander closed the door.
Isabella looked uneasy.
"What is that?"
"I don't know."
He placed the box on the table.
Slowly, he opened it.
Inside was another photograph.
But this one was far worse.
Isabella gasped.
The picture showed Alexander pulling her away from the falling stage light earlier that night.
Which meant
Someone had been inside the hall… watching them.
Across the photograph, the same red words were written again.
But this time they were different.
Alexander read them out loud.
His voice turned cold.
"Next time… I won't miss."
Isabella's heart pounded in fear.
Because whoever was behind this…
Was no longer just watching her.
They were hunting her.
Alexander's eyes slowly moved from the photograph… to the apartment window.
Across the street, in the darkness between the buildings, a small red light blinked once.
Like the recording light of a camera.
Someone was watching them right now.
And suddenly Isabella's phone buzzed again.
A new message appeared on the screen.
"Turn around, Isabella."
Her hands began to shake as she slowly looked toward the window…
Because she had the terrifying feeling that whoever was hunting her was no longer outside the building.
They were much closer than that.i
Who was the mysterious man watching Isabella?
Now Who was the mysterious man watching Isabella?
How did he know her every movement?
And why did he want her dead?
Most importantly
What would happen when he finally decided to stop playing games?