Chapter 3 The Stranger with the Smile

Bianca didn't remember falling asleep. All she remembered was staring at her phone screen until dawn bled through the curtains, her own reflection haunting her from that live feed. By the time her alarm rang, she felt hollow, her body trembling with exhaustion and fear.

She went through the motions-shower, makeup, black coffee-but her thoughts never left the app. Whoever "Ares" was, he had seen her. He had a camera somewhere inside her apartment. He was closer than she had ever dared to imagine.

And yet... she hadn't told anyone. Not Dede, not the police, not a single soul. Something in her chest tightened at the thought of explaining it. They would call her paranoid. They would think she was exaggerating, or worse, losing her mind.

By the time she reached the café across the street from her office, her legs carried her out of habit rather than intention. She ordered her usual chamomile tea and sat by the window, her bag clutched close to her side as if it could shield her.

And that was when she saw him.

Across the room, leaning casually against the counter, stood a man who seemed to draw the attention of every person in the café. His hair was dark, a little tousled, his jaw sharp enough to look like it belonged on a magazine cover. But it wasn't his looks that froze her in place-it was his eyes.

They weren't just looking at the barista. They weren't idly scanning the room. They were fixed directly on her.

Bianca's throat went dry.

The man smirked, a small curve of his lips that felt both dangerous and oddly familiar. He collected his order, adjusted the sleeve of his shirt, and began walking-straight toward her.

Her heart hammered so loudly she was certain the entire café could hear it.

"Mind if I sit?" His voice was smooth, rich, carrying an easy confidence that made the words sound less like a question and more like a statement.

Bianca blinked, forcing her lips to part. "I-um-I don't think-"

He sat down anyway, setting his coffee on the table between them. "You looked like you could use some company."

Her pulse quickened. "Do I know you?"

His smirk deepened. "Not yet. But I think you should."

The words were simple, but they hit her like a thunderclap. Not yet. But you will.

The exact phrase Ares had used the first night.

Bianca's blood ran cold.

"Who are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling despite her attempt at calm.

The man leaned back, tilting his head. "Jace." He offered the name like a gift, his eyes glinting with something unreadable. "And you are Bianca."

Her stomach dropped.

"How-how do you know my name?" she demanded.

He shrugged casually, sipping his coffee. "You look like a Bianca. Was I wrong?"

It was too smooth. Too playful. The kind of answer meant to disarm. And maybe it would have-if she hadn't spent the last twenty-four hours living in fear of someone who knew everything about her.

She grabbed her bag, ready to bolt, but his hand shot out, resting lightly on the table. Not touching her, but close enough that she felt the tension radiating.

"Relax," he said softly, his smirk softening into something gentler. "I'm not a stalker. I'm just a guy who thought you looked interesting."

But Bianca's instincts screamed otherwise.

"Stay away from me," she snapped, standing so quickly her chair scraped against the floor. Every head in the café turned toward her, heat flooding her cheeks. She muttered an apology to no one in particular and hurried out the door, the sound of his quiet chuckle following her like smoke.

---

The rest of the day passed in a blur. She couldn't focus at work, couldn't laugh at Dede's jokes, couldn't think about anything except those piercing eyes and that smirk.

By the time she returned home that night, exhaustion weighed her down like chains. She locked her door twice, checked the windows again, and searched every corner of the apartment for hidden cameras. She found nothing.

But when she sat on the bed, her phone buzzed.

Her chest tightened as she unlocked it.

Ares: He's handsome, isn't he?

Bianca's breath caught.

Her fingers flew across the screen.

Bia_23: You were there. You saw him. Who IS he?

The reply came instantly.

Ares: He's not what he seems. Don't trust him.

She gritted her teeth, typing furiously.

Bia_23: And I'm supposed to trust you? The stranger who watches me through my own phone?

The screen flickered once, as though in response, before another message appeared.

Ares: I told you-I'll protect you. Even if you hate me for it.

Her hands shook so badly she dropped the phone onto the bed.

Tears burned in her eyes. She didn't know what was worse-the charming stranger who seemed to know her name without asking, or the invisible watcher who claimed to want her trust.

Both terrified her.

Both pulled her deeper into a web she couldn't escape.

---

The following evening, Dede insisted on dragging her out for drinks. "You need fresh air, a little fun. Stop moping around like some tragic heroine," she teased.

Bianca forced a laugh, letting herself be led into the crowded bar. Music pounded, glasses clinked, and the smell of whiskey and perfume filled the air. For a moment, she almost felt normal again.

Until she saw him.

Jace.

Leaning against the bar, his shirt sleeves rolled up, his lips curved into that same infuriating smirk. His gaze locked on her instantly, like he had known she'd be there.

Bianca froze in her tracks, her heart slamming against her ribs.

"Do you know him?" Dede whispered, following her gaze.

"I-I don't..." The lie stuck in her throat.

Before she could think, Jace pushed off the bar and walked toward them, the crowd parting like water around him.

"Bianca," he greeted smoothly, ignoring Dede entirely. "We meet again."

Her stomach twisted.

Dede raised an eyebrow, glancing between them. "Uh, excuse me, but who exactly are you?"

"Someone who's been dying to get to know your friend," Jace replied with a grin, his eyes never leaving Bianca.

Bianca's skin prickled. Every instinct screamed to run, but her legs refused to move. His presence was magnetic, overwhelming, pulling her in despite the alarm bells blaring in her head.

She opened her mouth to tell him off, to demand answers, but before a single word escaped, her phone buzzed in her purse.

She didn't even need to look. She knew.

The message glowed across the screen when she finally dared to pull it out.

Ares: I told you not to trust him. Leave. Now.

Her breath caught.

Jace's smirk deepened, as if he somehow knew what she'd just read. His gaze sharpened, amusement flickering into something darker.

And then he leaned closer, his voice low enough only she could hear.

"Careful, Bianca. Not every stranger who wants you is a danger..." He paused, his lips brushing dangerously close to her ear. "...but not every protector is your friend, either."

Bianca's entire body went rigid, her blood running cold.

Because at that moment, she realized one terrifying truth-Jace knew about Ares.