Chapter 7 Pandora's box

Sleep came very easily; seconds after my head hit the pillow, I was exhausted and surrendering. My body was wrecked in the best way, muscles loose and humming with the ghost of his touch. And somewhere in the blur between dreams and shadows, he came to me.

He was behind me, arms wrapped around my waist, his lips trailing down my neck. His hands slid up my thighs, his mouth hot on my neck, whispering things that made my skin flush even in sleep.

I arched against him, breathless, lost in the fantasy of his weight pressing me down, his teeth scraping my nipples, hands trailing higher and higher up my lap.

It was dizzying, addictive, sexy, and dangerous. And then, the doorbell rang.

Mystery god paused, his forehead resting against mine, breathing ragged. "Don't move," he murmured. He disappeared from view, and in the next minute, he was at the front door, pulling it open. A delivery man stood there, mask on and dressed in black but somehow familiar.

"This is for Vanessa," the man said.

Mystery god came back into the room, holding a small box in his hands-my box. The same one that sat unopened in my kitchen. My stomach twisted. That's when I woke up.

The sheets were tangled around my legs, my bra strap slipping off my shoulder, my skin still burning with phantom touches that weren't real. My heart pounded, a dull ache between my thighs, but the heat faded quickly, replaced by something colder, dread.

I glanced at my phone. Three forty-two PM. I'd been out for hours.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Three missed calls from Tomford. Two from Kate. And three texts:

"Are you alive?"

"Packing starts in an hour. Don't flake."

"Also, did you open the box yet?"

Shit. Throwing on my satin robe, I padded into the kitchen. The box sat exactly where I left it. Still sealed. Still silent. But now, it felt personal.

It had somehow followed me into my dreams.

Adjusting the strap of my robe, I stared at the box on the counter. It was still there, untouched, as if it had been waiting for me.

Well, it had; it's my name on it anyways.

I picked it up again, turning it over in my hands. No return address. No postage. Just my name.

"Be careful; it might be a bomb."

Kate's words echoed in my head. I rolled my eyes but hesitated before prying the lid open.

I peeled back the tape slowly, my breath shallow. Inside, nestled in crumpled black tissue paper, was a single black USB drive.

But that wasn't what made my blood run cold.

There was a note. Handwritten.

"Slip, and I'll push you off the cliff. There's no room for the weak."

It was signed,

-T

Tomford.

I blinked. "What the actual!"

My disbelief giving way to fear in seconds. I'd always known there was something dangerous about him, but this... this wasn't in my wildest dreams. This was a warning. This was real.

Handshaking, I walked to my room and pulled out my laptop, my heart hammering as I plugged in the USB. The screen blinked; a folder opened. No fancy passwords or encrypted files. Just one file labelled:

"Eyes_Wide_Open"

I clicked. My stomach turned.

The first image was of my mother. Sitting in her faded blue SUV, one hand on the wheel, one hand on the horn, ready to push it like her life depended on it, like she always did during her morning commute to work. The next was my uncle. Jogging at the park in his usual grey tracksuit.

Then my younger cousin Betty, stepping out of her school gates with her backpack slung over one shoulder.

Photo after photo. Daylight. Night. Street corners. Gas stations. Homes. Routine.

They'd been watched. My entire family.

And then came the final message. Just a blank screen with words in plain white text.

"Keep your mouth shut. You're not the only one who knows things they're not supposed to know."

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. They were safe, for now. I just had to make sure to handle this with wisdom. I'd been threatened before-but this was different. This was personal. This was war.

And the worst part?

He knew everything; that was his message.

And if I ran my mouth, my actions would have consequences.

A sharp knock at the door made me jump. I snapped the laptop shut, heart hammering, pulse racing.

"Vanessa? You in there?" Kate's voice sounded clear as day.

I exhaled shakily, stuffing the USB into my robe pocket before opening the door.

Kate stood there, arms loaded with packing tape and boxes, her eyebrows lifting at the sight of me.

"Damn. You look like hell."

"Feel like it too," I muttered, stepping aside to let her in.

"Who said it was a great idea to drink that much?"

She dropped the supplies on the counter, eyeing me. "You open that creepy little present yet?"

Should I tell her? I hesitated. Letting T's message ring loud in my head.

"Yeah," I lied through my teeth.

"Just some old work files Tomford wants me to memorise. In his words, "You have to represent the company to the fullest." Just some of old T's crap. Nothing important." "Just let me know if you need me to break a certain person's car window; I'm up for the task."

Kate said with her fists balled up, quite cute rather than scary if you ask me, but I let her have her moment.

"No, tiger, I will not need you to do that; in fact, stay as far as possible away from old T, and yes, we are calling him that now."

Kate studied me for a beat too long before shrugging. "Alright, well, let's get packing. Big move tomorrow, remember?"

I forced a smile. "Right."

But as she started pulling dishes from the cabinets, my mind raced.

As we headed into my room , she chatted about logistics and bubble wrap, but my thoughts were miles away.

Because now, I wasn't just moving cities.

I was being watched, manipulated, and blackmailed.

And Tomford-whoever the hell he truly was-had just made it clear:

If I slipped, I wouldn't fall.

I'd be pushed. All I can ask is that Southern View treats me well and Tomford doesn't hurt my family.

Well, isn't my life cheery?

Three hours later, the apartment was half in boxes, and my nerves were in a twist. Kate tossed a roll of tape onto the counter and wiped her hands. "Done. Mostly. You look like you're about to crawl out of your skin. Let's get dinner."

I swallowed hard, the USB still burning a hole in my pocket. "Yeah. I could use a distraction."

The restaurant was cosy-low lighting, the hum of conversation, the scent of pasta and wine wrapping around us like perfume. For the first time all day, my shoulders loosened. Maybe I could pretend, just for an hour, that everything was normal.

Kate raised her glass. "To new beginnings and the possibilities of meeting Greek gods in Southern View."

I snorted, clinking my wine against hers. "Cheers to that."

Kate's smile faded. Her eyes flicked past me, widening slightly. She was staring at something or rather someone behind me. "What?" I started to turn.

Her hand shot out, gripping my wrist. "Don't." My pulse spiked. "Kate."

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Just... don't look." But it was too late. I turned.

And there he was, seated in the corner of the restaurant, watching us with a smile on his face...