Chapter 2 :The Stranger Watching

Elias barely remembered leaving the lawyer's office.

The image of Lucien Voss standing in the doorway lingered in his mind like a nightmare.

Those eyes.

That smile.

The certainty in his voice.

*"I've been waiting a very long time to meet you."*

The words echoed in his head all the way to the Moretti estate.

The mansion stood on the highest hill overlooking the city.

Dark.

Silent.

Watching.

Lightning flashed behind the clouds, illuminating the enormous building for a split second.

It looked less like a home and more like a prison.

Elias stepped out of the taxi.

The driver hurried away the moment the luggage was unloaded.

As if he couldn't wait to leave.

The iron gates groaned behind him.

For a moment, Elias felt trapped.

He pushed the thought away.

It was only for one year.

One year and then he could sell everything.

One year and he would never have to return.

---

The front doors opened before he could knock.

An elderly housekeeper greeted him.

"Welcome home, Master Elias."

"I'm not staying permanently."

The woman gave a sad smile.

"They all said that."

Elias frowned.

"Who?"

The woman immediately looked nervous.

"No one."

Before he could question her further, she hurried away.

The answer only deepened his unease.

---

Hours later, night settled over the estate.

Rain tapped softly against the windows.

The mansion felt enormous.

Every hallway seemed endless.

Every shadow seemed alive.

Unable to sleep, Elias wandered through the house.

His father's office remained untouched.

Dust covered the furniture.

Stacks of papers sat where they had been left.

Everything felt frozen in time.

Elias walked to the large desk.

Inside one drawer he discovered old documents.

Inside another, photographs.

Most were ordinary family pictures.

Until one caught his attention.

His breath stopped.

The photograph showed a teenage Elias standing outside his boarding school.

Someone had clearly taken the picture from a distance.

Without his knowledge.

Without his permission.

Confusion spread through him.

Why would his father keep this?

He flipped the photograph over.

A date.

Seven years ago.

Beneath it was a single sentence.

*"Still watching."*

The blood drained from his face.

"What the hell..."

A floorboard creaked behind him.

Elias spun around.

Nobody.

The office was empty.

Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that someone had been standing there moments earlier.

Watching him.

Just like the photograph.

---

Near midnight, exhaustion finally forced him back to his room.

The storm outside had grown worse.

Thunder rattled the windows.

Elias lay awake staring at the ceiling.

Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

Then his phone buzzed.

A message.

Unknown Number.

His stomach tightened.

He opened it.

The message contained only three words.

*"Welcome home, Elias."*

His pulse quickened.

Another message arrived.

*"Did you sleep well?"*

Elias sat upright.

How could someone know he was in bed?

His fingers quickly typed a response.

*"Who is this?"*

The reply came immediately.

*"Look outside."*

Every muscle in his body froze.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

He turned toward the large bedroom window.

Rain poured from the sky.

Trees swayed violently in the storm.

Nothing unusual.

Then lightning flashed.

For one horrifying second, a figure appeared beyond the gates.

Standing perfectly still.

Watching the mansion.

Watching him.

The figure vanished when darkness returned.

Elias jumped from the bed.

Another text arrived.

*"Goodnight."*

His hands shook.

There was only one person he could think of.

Lucien.

---

The next morning arrived with little sleep.

Dark circles shadowed Elias's eyes.

He was halfway through breakfast when a black luxury car appeared outside the mansion.

The housekeeper glanced through the window.

Her face immediately paled.

"Oh no."

"What?"

She swallowed.

"He's here."

A cold knot formed in Elias's stomach.

He already knew.

The front door opened.

Footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Steady.

Confident.

Uninvited.

Seconds later, Lucien Voss entered the dining room.

Perfectly dressed.

Perfectly calm.

As though he belonged there.

His dark eyes found Elias instantly.

And once again, the rest of the world seemed to disappear.

"Good morning."

Elias stood abruptly.

"What are you doing here?"

Lucien smiled.

"Visiting."

"You weren't invited."

"I know."

The answer came far too easily.

Lucien's gaze moved across Elias's face.

Studying him.

Memorizing him.

The attention felt almost physical.

Like invisible hands tracing every detail.

Then Lucien noticed the exhaustion beneath Elias's eyes.

A strange satisfaction appeared on his face.

"You didn't sleep."

Elias froze.

"How would you know that?"

For the first time, Lucien laughed softly.

The sound sent a chill down his spine.

Because it wasn't the laugh of a stranger.

It sounded like someone who already knew all of his secrets.

Someone who had been watching him long before they met.

Lucien leaned closer.

Close enough for Elias to hear every word.

"You should keep your curtains closed at night."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

The smile never left Lucien's face.

But something dark lived beneath it.

Something dangerous.

Something obsessed.

And for the first time, Elias realized one terrifying truth.

Meeting Lucien Voss had not started the nightmare.

The nightmare had already begun long before Elias returned home.

And Lucien had been waiting for him all along.

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