Chapter 3 Shadows From the Past (Part 1)

The apartment felt suffocating. The second message still burned in my mind like a warning I couldn't ignore. Every shadow in the room seemed to stretch toward me, every creak of the floorboards made my heart skip a beat.

David sat on the edge of the couch, his hands clasped together, jaw tight. He was tense-more than I'd ever seen him. And for the first time since he'd appeared at my door, I sensed uncertainty in him.

"We need to know who's behind this," I said, pacing the small living room. "We can't just wait for someone to... I don't know... hurt me."

David nodded, rubbing his temples. "I agree. But whoever it is... they're smart. Careful. And they know about us. That makes it dangerous."

I stopped pacing and glared at him. "About us? What do you mean? Do you know who this is?"

He shook his head slowly. "No. But... the wording of the messages, the urgency of the woman who came-there's something familiar here. Someone connected to my past... and maybe yours too."

I froze. My past. Did this have anything to do with the mistakes I made? Or the people I thought I'd left behind?

"David..." I hesitated. "If it's someone from your past... are they dangerous?"

His eyes darkened, haunted. "Possibly. More than you realize. I thought I'd put all of it behind me. But... apparently, the past doesn't stay buried."

A chill ran down my spine. My instincts screamed danger, and my heart screamed for him. I wanted to run. I wanted to hide. And yet... I couldn't stay away from him.

"I don't know if I can do this," I admitted, my voice small. "I don't know if I can trust you... not completely."

David stood and walked toward me, closing the distance between us. His presence was overwhelming, magnetic, impossible to resist. "I don't expect blind trust, Emma. I'm asking for a chance. One chance to protect you, to prove that I'm not the man who left you five years ago. I'm still me... but I've changed."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to. But fear clawed at my chest, reminding me that someone was out there... someone who wanted to hurt me.

Suddenly, the lights flickered. A low hum vibrated through the apartment, like electricity running through the walls. My stomach sank.

"David..." I whispered, my hand clutching his arm. "Did you feel that?"

His eyes scanned the room, sharp and alert. "Yes. Stay close to me. Something isn't right."

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. The apartment, our supposed safe space, felt vulnerable, exposed. Whoever had returned wasn't just sending warnings-they were escalating.

I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling as I clutched his hand. "I... I don't want to be afraid," I said.

"You won't be," he said firmly. "Not while I'm here. I promise."

The promise felt like a fragile lifeline, and I gripped it desperately. But deep down, I knew it wasn't enough. Whoever was behind the warnings... was closer than we thought.

Then, just as I was about to ask him what we should do next, a shadow moved outside the window. A figure, tall and hooded, watching. And for the first time since David returned... I realized that the danger wasn't just a warning anymore.

It was real.

I froze, my eyes locked on the shadow outside the window. David immediately stepped in front of me, his body shielding mine.

"Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice low but firm. Every muscle in him was taut, ready for action.

The figure didn't move. It was impossible to make out any features-just the outline of someone standing, watching us intently. My heart pounded, my chest tightening with fear.

"Who... who is that?" I whispered.

David didn't answer immediately. Instead, he moved to the window slowly, careful not to alert the stranger. He pulled back the curtain just enough to peek. His face went pale.

"Emma... it's him," he muttered. His grip on my hand tightened. "The one I warned you about... the one I thought was gone."

I felt my stomach drop. "Gone? But... why now? Why here?"

David turned to me, his eyes fierce. "I don't know. But I promise you, he won't get to you. Not if I can help it."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to feel safe. But the fear was creeping in, unrelenting. Someone from David's past... watching us... had returned, and their intentions were unclear.

"Emma," David said gently, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. "We have to be careful. No one comes in, no one leaves. I'm going to find out who this is, and we'll handle it together."

I nodded, trying to steady my shaking hands. "Together," I echoed, though a part of me questioned how much danger we were really in.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed again. Another message. My fingers trembled as I opened it:

"You have one chance to leave him... or you'll regret it. Forever."

I gasped, my body rigid with panic. The message wasn't just a warning anymore-it was a threat.

David's eyes darkened as he read over my shoulder. "That's not just a warning. They're trying to intimidate you... to make you leave me."

I shook my head. "But why? What did I do to them?"

He pulled me into his chest, holding me tightly as if his arms could shield me from the world. "Emma, it's not you. It's me. Something from my past... something I should have dealt with years ago... is coming back. And it's dangerous."

I buried my face in his shoulder, the mixture of fear and longing tearing through me. I wanted to run. I wanted to fight. And I wanted to cling to him, even if the world was collapsing around us.

A sudden knock at the door made us both freeze. Not the polite knock of a visitor... this was sharp, deliberate, and filled with malice.

David's hand moved instinctively to the doorknob. "Don't move," he said. "Emma... stay back. And whatever you do... don't answer it."

I could barely breathe as he opened the door just a crack. Outside, the same hooded figure stood.

Then, the figure spoke-a voice I would never forget, cold, familiar, and threatening:

"David... it's been a long time. And now... so has she."