The night was eerily quiet, with only the faint rustling of the leaves outside and the occasional flicker of distant streetlights breaking the silence. Lia stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at the city skyline. The weight of the night's events hung heavily in the air, suffocating her every breath. Adrian's presence still loomed over her, but it was the mysterious stranger who had begun to haunt her thoughts, much more than she cared to admit.
It had been days since she had seen him—the man who claimed to be her lover. A man whose voice echoed in her mind, resonating with familiarity, despite her conviction that she had never laid eyes on him before. She could still hear the way he spoke to her, with a warmth and urgency that felt oddly right. And yet, how could that be possible? Her life had always been firmly rooted in reality. The idea of some stranger walking into her life and claiming her heart seemed impossible—until now.
Adrian had tried, in his own way, to bring her back into his world. She had felt his regret, though she remained uncertain whether it was for her or the empire he stood to lose. He had looked at her with desperation, yet there was something else in his gaze—something that hinted at his own secrets. But Lia had no intention of returning to the mansion, of falling back into the trap of servitude that had once bound her. She had escaped with the money. She was free. At least, that's what she told herself every time the doubts crept in.
The knock at the door startled her, shattering her reverie. She turned quickly, heart racing in her chest, and approached the door cautiously. She had been avoiding visitors—her life was far too complicated now. No one knew her address, and she intended to keep it that way.
Opening the door, her breath caught in her throat. There he was. The stranger. The man whose voice had become her haunting melody, the man whose presence both unsettled and comforted her. He was standing on her doorstep, his striking figure illuminated by the soft glow of the hallway light. His face was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something that made the ground beneath her feet feel unsteady.
"You..." Her voice faltered. "What are you doing here?"
The man, dressed in a dark suit that only seemed to accentuate his commanding presence, didn't answer immediately. His gaze swept over her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken, but it wasn't until he spoke that the weight of his words sank in.
"I've been looking for you, Lia."
Her name on his lips felt like a forgotten memory rushing back to her. How did he know it? She didn't know him, not truly. She had no recollection of ever meeting him, yet the sound of her name slipping from his mouth felt natural—like it belonged there. His voice, deep and velvety, wrapped around her like a warm blanket, making it hard to think clearly.
"What do you want?" she asked, though it came out more as a breath than a question.
His lips curved into a faint smile, a sad one, as though he had been waiting for this moment for far too long. "I know you don't remember me, but I need you to trust me. I'm not just some stranger."
The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet. "How do you know about me? What do you want with me?" Her heart raced with confusion, her instincts screaming that something wasn't right. "Who are you?"
"I'm someone who's been watching over you for a very long time," he replied softly, as though every word weighed heavily on him. "I'm someone who's never stopped searching for you."
Lia's mind reeled, but she didn't know how to process the flood of emotions and memories that suddenly surged inside her. Something was terribly wrong. If he truly knew her, why couldn't she remember him? Why did his presence feel like an ache in her soul, a longing she couldn't place?
"Please…" His voice broke through her swirling thoughts. "Just listen to me."
She wanted to push him away, to tell him to leave her alone. But the pain in his eyes—the quiet desperation—held her in place, like a moth drawn to a flame. She stepped aside, allowing him into the apartment, her heart pounding in her chest.
Once inside, the man took a moment to look around the modest space, his gaze lingering on the simplicity of it all, as though absorbing the reality of what she had become. He didn't look like the type to be comfortable in places like this, but something about him suggested he wasn't just another rich, entitled man. There was a quiet depth to him, a sense of familiarity that seemed to resonate with her on a level she couldn't explain.
"I know you don't remember," he said again, his voice steady but laced with emotion. "But I promise you, everything that happened—the voice in your head, the money, Adrian—it's all connected. It's all a part of something bigger."
Lia shook her head, trying to clear the fog in her mind. "What are you talking about? What connection?"
The man sighed, and for a moment, there was a flicker of something—regret, pain, perhaps even fear. "The voice you heard all those years—telling you what to do, guiding you… it wasn't just a random occurrence. It was me. I've been with you every step of the way. I've been there, in your mind, guiding you. But you couldn't know. You weren't ready to remember."
Lia's breath caught. "You… you've been in my head?"
He nodded. "Yes. I was the voice you trusted. The one who led you to Adrian. I was the one who made sure you obeyed his every command." He paused, as though choosing his words carefully. "But I also knew that one day, when the time was right, you would need to make a choice. And that's why I'm here now."
Her mind reeled, her pulse hammering in her ears. "You were the voice. But why… why didn't you just tell me? Why all the games, the secrets?"
"I couldn't. You weren't supposed to remember until now. It's part of a much larger plan, something you and I are meant to fulfill together." He stepped closer, his eyes intense, unwavering. "You're not just a servant, Lia. You're something much more."
She swallowed hard, trying to make sense of it all. The man before her, the one who claimed to have been in her mind all this time, wasn't just a stranger. He was something more—something familiar. But how could that be?
Just then, the sound of a car screeching to a halt outside caught their attention. Lia's heart skipped a beat as she recognized the familiar roar of an engine. Adrian.
The man in front of her stiffened, his gaze narrowing toward the door. "He's here."
Lia's chest tightened, and for the first time in years, she felt trapped. This wasn't just about money anymore. This wasn't about escaping Adrian or finding freedom. This was about something far deeper. Something that would change everything.
The doorbell rang. The tension in the room was palpable, and Lia's thoughts were in chaos. She didn't know who to trust. The man who had just told her he was the voice inside her head—or the man who had held her captive for three years and now sought her back?
This was only the beginning. And the truth… the truth was more than she could ever have imagined.
As she moved toward the door, the silence in the room grew thicker. The choice she had to make was imminent, and whatever happened next would alter the course of her life forever.