Chapter 13 #2
Her wild imagination made me laugh. I thought back over the male clients I'd met these past months. A few had chatted with me more than necessary, but our interactions were all normal. No one seemed particularly special.
Me: [Can't think of anyone. Maybe.]
M: [Don't overthink it. If he means no harm and just keeps sending flowers, treat it as free decoration for your studio. If he does anything that makes you uncomfortable, call the police immediately. Also, check your studio locks—replace them if needed. Safety first.]
Me: [I know. Thanks for always listening to my rambling.]
M: [That's what friends do. And you listen to me complain about work all the time.]
M paused, then sent another message. [Get some sleep early. Don't let this nonsense affect your rest.]
After closing the chat window, I stared at the screen blankly. Could it be him?
No, really impossible. If Igor was that kind of person, if he'd really found me, he wouldn't use such a lukewarm approach.
He'd appear directly, trap me in that suffocatingly domineering way, just like five years ago—suddenly appearing in my life, surrounding me with his charm until I could see nothing but him.
I shook my head, closed the computer, and got up to wash up in the bathroom. But when I opened the closet for pajamas, I froze.
Where was that silk nightgown? My favorite one—champagne colored, fabric soft as flowing water. Last week it was hanging right here. I remembered clearly because I'd planned to wear it to sleep this weekend.
But now it was gone.
I started searching through the entire closet, taking out clothes one by one to check.
Nothing.
And those pieces of underwear. My few black lace panties, my most frequently worn light blue cotton bra—all missing.
My hands started shaking. This wasn't forgetfulness. I couldn't have misplaced three items simultaneously. Someone had been in my room. Someone had taken my things. My breathing quickened, my chest felt compressed.
I rushed to the window, checking the locks forcefully. The door lock was fine—no signs of forced entry on the window frame. I carefully examined the window edges, even running my fingers along them, searching for any evidence of tampering.
Nothing. Not a trace.
What about the front door?
I ran to the entrance, turning on all the lights. The security door lock was new—I'd replaced it last year, specifically choosing the safest model. I checked the keyhole—clean, no signs of picking. I examined the floor by the door for strange footprints.
Nothing.
I leaned against the doorframe, my legs weak. How was this possible? How could someone slip into my apartment unnoticed, take my things, and leave no trace?
Unless... unless he had a key. Or he didn't need one.
I thought of those flowers. The flowers that appeared punctually every morning. No one saw who delivered them, no one knew how they got in. This person, whoever he was, had some ability I couldn't comprehend.
A tall figure flashed in my mind—deep green eyes, impossibly perfect features.
"No," I whispered, as if convincing myself. "Not him. It can't be him."
I forced myself to calm down. Maybe I was misremembering? Maybe I'd put those clothes somewhere else?
Yes, that had to be it. I'd been so busy lately, work stress was high, caring for Stella was exhausting—memory lapses were inevitable. Maybe I'd taken that nightgown to the dry cleaner last week and just forgot. The underwear might be in some corner of the house. I'd look for them later.
It had to be that.
I comforted myself this way, forcing myself to go shower. Warm water flowed over my body. I closed my eyes, but those white dahlias kept appearing in my mind.
They bloomed in the darkness like countless eyes watching me.
The next day at three-thirty sharp, I arrived at the kindergarten entrance.
Stella's kindergarten was a cozy little place with a beautiful garden, several large trees, and colorful playground equipment.
I usually arrived a few minutes early to wait for dismissal. But today, before I even reached the entrance, Stella's teacher Angela hurried out to meet me. She was a gentle middle-aged woman, always smiling, but her face showed obvious worry now.
"Ms. Jensen, could I speak with you for a moment?" Her voice was soft but tense.
My heart clenched, immediately thinking the worst. "What happened to Stella? Is she hurt?"
"No, no, she's fine. She's very good." Angela waved her hands quickly, but her eyes scanned the surroundings as if checking for something. "It's just... there's something I feel I must tell you. Please come with me."
She led me to the office and pulled several drawings from a folder. "These are pictures Stella's been drawing recently. They've got me confused and somewhat worried."
I took them, and my breathing stopped at the first one.
The drawing showed a tall man standing behind a large tree. His outline was blurry, but you could tell he was powerfully built, proportionally much larger than the other figures in the picture—the little girl, swings, slides... everything else looked so small.
And that man loomed like a giant, like a shadow over everything.
"This is..." My voice was hoarse.
"Stella says this is a man she saw in the garden." She explained. "She's drawn several similar ones this week. At first, I thought it was her imagination—children often make up stories. But there are too many, and they're all consistent."
I quickly flipped through the others. Every single drawing had that man.
I gripped the papers tightly. "Did she... did she say what this person did? Has he tried to approach her?"
"No." She shook her head. "She told me this person never comes close, just watches her from far away. But Ms. Jensen, this makes me very uneasy. I wanted to ask—is this man a relative of yours? Or... someone you know?"
I opened my mouth but couldn't make a sound. I couldn't imagine some stranger might be stalking my daughter.
"I..."
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Another teacher poked her head in. "Angela, the children should be dismissed now."
"Right away." Angela nodded at her, then turned to me. "Ms. Jensen, whether or not you know this person, we'll be increasing security. The kindergarten's responsibility is protecting children. We can't let any suspicious individuals near the little ones."
"I understand." I struggled to keep my voice steady. "Thank you for telling me. Really, thank you."
"If necessary, we can call the police," Angela said seriously. "Children's safety comes first. Starting tomorrow, we'll increase patrols around the grounds. If we spot any suspicious individuals again, we'll notify authorities immediately."
I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.
"Also." Angela hesitated. "I suggest you be extra careful when picking up and dropping off your child. Maybe have other family members accompany you, or change your pickup routes and times."
"Okay, I will. Thank you."
A few minutes after talking with Angela, Stella bounced out, wearing her little backpack and beaming innocently.
"Mommy!" She threw herself into my arms, her soft little body hitting my legs.
I crouched down and hugged her tightly.
"Baby." I kissed her hair. "Did you have fun today?"
"Yes! I drew lots of pictures! Teacher Angela said I drew very well!"
"Really?" I forced a smile. "Teacher said you drew a man?"
"Yes!" Her blue eyes sparkled, completely unaware of the seriousness of this topic. "I drew the gentleman in the garden! He always watches me and Mommy."
My spine went cold, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Where does he usually watch you from?"
"In the garden." She turned around, pointing toward the public garden outside the kindergarten. "When I play in the yard, he stands over there."
I followed her finger's direction. It was a small garden connecting to the kindergarten's side entrance. A few large oak trees, some benches, and neatly trimmed shrubs. Empty now.
"What... what does he look like?" I tried to make my tone sound like we were playing a game.
Stella tilted her head, her little hand under her chin in serious thought. "I can't see clearly. He always stands far away, and he's very tall, like a giant, even taller than Uncle Marco."
Like a giant, taller than Marco. God, Marco was six feet tall.
"Let's go see this gentleman." I smiled stiffly, coaxing her. "Mommy wants to meet him."
"Okay!" She pulled my hand, bouncing toward the garden.
I followed her, each step feeling like walking on cotton, everything around me becoming unreal. We entered the garden. Stella let go of my hand and ran toward the largest oak tree.
"Right here!" She pointed toward a row of trees at the garden's edge.
That spot was well hidden. Dense trees, with an abandoned flower bed nearby overgrown with waist-high weeds. If someone stood there, they could clearly see the entire garden. I took Stella's hand and slowly walked over, my heart pounding in my chest.
There were impressions in the grass, as if someone had stood there for long periods. The grass was flattened, forming two vague footprint shapes. And they were large footprints.
Who would stand here every day, watching my daughter? Who would know I loved white dahlias? Who could slip into my studio and apartment without a trace?
"Mommy?" Stella's voice pulled me back to reality. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing, baby." I took her hand, my voice distant. "Let's go home."
On the way home, I kept checking our surroundings. Every tall figure made my heart race. Every black car parked on the street made me alert. At every corner, I instinctively looked back to see if anyone was following.
But there was nothing.
The street showed normal evening scenes. People getting off work, elderly walking dogs, young people on bicycles. No one paid attention to us, no one looked suspicious.
Yet I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
The next morning, I arrived at the studio with huge dark circles under my eyes.
I hadn't slept all night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that tall figure standing behind trees, watching my daughter.
I changed the studio locks and installed surveillance cameras. This would be safer. Even if that person could slip in quietly, the cameras would capture his face.
"Elena, you look terrible." Anna came in with coffee, exclaiming when she saw me. "God, didn't you sleep last night?"
"Oh, insomnia," I responded absently while opening my computer.
"You really need rest." She looked at me with concern.
I smiled bitterly. The feeling of being stalked and watched was terrifying—I couldn't sleep normally at all.
"The scheduled client is arriving soon. Can you handle this in your condition?" Anna frowned at me, worriedly handing over strong coffee.
"No problem." I took the coffee and gulped it down, trying to let caffeine pull me from the fog.
I straightened my clothes and forced myself to perk up. Whatever was happening, work had to continue. I couldn't let that mysterious stalker destroy everything I'd worked so hard to build.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Anna went to answer it, bringing in a middle-aged man wearing an expensive Italian-tailored suit. He was about fifty, hair combed perfectly, shoes polished to a shine, radiating successful businessman energy.
"Ms. Jensen?" The man extended his hand with a proper, warm smile, showing perfect white teeth. "I'm Antonio, purchasing director for Aurora Jewels in Milan. I've heard so much about you."
I stood up and quickly shook his hand. "Hello."
"I've seen your latest collection." He got straight to the point. "Excellent work. We'd like to collaborate on next season's high-end jewelry line. We need a batch of unique designs."
My heart raced. Aurora Jewels was one of Italy's top brands. Collaborating with them would be a huge breakthrough for my career.
"Of course, I'd be honored." I tried to look more professional. "Please sit. Let's discuss details."
For the next hour, we talked about design direction, quantities, timelines. Antonio praised my work effusively and placed an order on the spot.
"We'll advance fifty percent as deposit." He stood up and shook my hand again. "Looking forward to our collaboration, Ms. Jensen."
"Me too." I smiled as I saw him out.
After the door closed, Anna screamed: "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Elena! Do you know what this means? Aurora Jewels! This is Aurora Jewels!"
"I know." I couldn't help smiling, too.
This was a big breakthrough. With this collaboration, my brand would rise to a new level.
I could give Stella a better life, better education, a better future.