The glass doors of the apartment lobby shimmered in the night, offering a glimpse into the warm glow emanating from within. Yohan paused his advance, finally releasing Kian's wrist as they stepped inside. His face, still etched with anger and annoyance, betrayed a deeper fear that gnawed at his insides.
He had thought the mysterious figure had vanished into the darkness of the alleyway when he disappeared from view. But it seemed he was wrong. The figure hadn't left; instead, it remained hidden in the darkness, watching them, and interrupted them once more.
How strange, Yohan thought with growing unease. This person had been stalking him – for how long he couldn't say, without ever revealing themselves. Now he chose this moment to emerge from his hidden perch with that unsettling expression – an obsession bordering on madness that chilled Yohan to his core.
Yohan couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched even now as they stood inside the relative safety of the building entrance. He shivered, glancing back through the lobby glass door at the streetlights painting long shadows across the alleyway - was the man still there, watching? Yohan hoped he wasn't crazy enough to try and force his way into the secure building.
"Since you heard that loud noise earlier, you look strange," Kian said softly, his voice breaking through Yohan's anxious thoughts.
Yohan took a deep breath and met Kian's gaze with newfound seriousness.
"I lied earlier," he admitted quietly. "There was something in that alleyway." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Someone suspicious - someone who seemed... off... That person caused the commotion that interrupted us twice."
Kian's face hardened, his eyes turning icy with a mix of anger and disappointment.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded, his voice low. "I could have tried to stop him earlier. What if he hurt you later?"
Yohan met Kian's gaze directly, squeezing his hand gently in reassurance.
"I know you would have tried," he said softly, "but what if that man had a weapon? He looked dangerous...and the way he looked at you..." Yohan trailed off, unable to articulate the chilling intensity in the stranger's eyes. "I couldn't take any chances. That's why I waited until now to tell you."
Despite the softening of his eyes slightly at Yohan's touch, Kian remained visibly agitated.
"Yohan, letting someone like that go poses a greater risk in the long run. It would be best to deal with this now before it becomes more dangerous." He paused, a flicker of suspicion crossing his features. "Besides, if that man felt hostile towards me...it could be someone from my business dealings – a rival or even someone I fired who harbors resentment." Kian's gaze intensified as he added, "And now that he saw us together… you'll be involved too, putting yourself at risk."
Yohan shook his head gently. "Kian," he said softly but firmly, "you misunderstand. That person isn't after you; he has nothing to do with your life or work." His voice dropped to a whisper, "He seems to be someone who has been watching me for a long time..."
Kian's eyes widened in alarm, he released Yohan's hand before he instinctively reached out to grasp both of Yohan's shoulders.
"What do you mean?! That guy is your stalker?!"
Yohan simply nodded, a grim expression settling on his face.
A pang of regret shot through Kian that they weren't back in the capital where he could call upon more resources for protection. But at least Nathan had brought some bodyguards along; word was N City was embroiled in chaos due to territorial disputes involving corrupt officials, so it wasn't uncommon for people like them to have extra security even if they weren't involved.
Without another word, Kian pulled away from Yohan and strode towards the glass doors of the lobby, pulling out his cell phone as he went. He peered through the translucent glass at the alley where Yohan had mentioned seeing his stalker.
After ending the call, he dialed again, this time speaking to someone else in a hushed tone. Finally, he closed his phone and turned back to Yohan.
"I've sent my bodyguards to check that alley," Kian said calmly. "And I called the police. Let's wait from here."
Yohan was taken aback by Kian's swift action – involving the police had not been something he expected. But despite his surprise, he nodded in silent agreement with Kian's decisive move.
He then remembered Landon's plan to trap the stalker. If the mysterious figure was as powerful as Landon had surmised, then it stood to reason that the stalker might not be an ordinary person either. But what if this stalker wasn't connected to the mysterious figure at all? Was there someone else keeping tabs on him now?
He hadn't expected continued surveillance after escaping his uncle's watchful eyes – CCTV cameras and servants couldn't compare to the unsettling feeling of being tracked by unknown individuals.
Kian reached out, gently stroking Yohan's hair as if trying to soothe away his anxieties. His expression was laced with frustration as he shook his head disapprovingly at Yohan.
"If you knew you were being stalked," Kian said sharply, "you should have called the police earlier."
"My friend said he would try to trap and catch the stalker," Yohan mumbled, avoiding Kian's gaze.
"So you blindly trusted your friend without considering the risks if things went wrong?"
Yohan rubbed his nose awkwardly, a sheepish smile playing on his lips.
"Well, I believed him… Besides… the stalker was probably just one of the people following me…"
"You have another stalker?! So there are two stalkers following you?!"
Kian's eyes widened in shock. His usually calm and collected demeanor shattered for a moment; his voice echoed through the lobby, drawing startled glances from nearby security guards who furrowed their brows at mention of 'stalkers'.
Yohan shook his head vigorously. "No, that's just a guess," he insisted. "As far as I know, someone has been watching me, but I don't know if it's actually this stalker."
"What exactly happened?" Kian pressed. "Why did you come to that conclusion?"
Just then, Kian's phone rang, the shrill tone cutting through the tense silence. He snatched it up immediately. A voice crackled from the receiver:
"Sir," it said urgently, "that person is now—!"