The morning sunlight streamed through Emma's window, but it did little to ease the heaviness in her chest. She sat at her kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee that had long gone cold, her eyes fixed on her laptop screen.
She'd decided to dig deeper into Ethan. If she was going to protect herself, she needed to know everything she could about him.
She typed his name into the search bar, her fingers trembling slightly. At first, nothing alarming came up—just social media profiles and a few articles about his achievements in business.
But as she scrolled further, she found a discussion thread on a local forum.
"Anyone had a bad experience with Ethan R.?"
Emma's breath caught as she clicked the link.
The thread was filled with anonymous posts, some vague, others disturbingly detailed. Women described unsettling encounters with Ethan—unexpected visits, incessant messages, and a tendency to ignore boundaries.
One post, in particular, stood out:
"He doesn't take no for an answer. Be careful if you cross paths with him."
Emma closed the laptop, her stomach churning. She wasn't alone in this. Ethan had done this before.
---
Ethan, oblivious to Emma's discovery, was busy executing his next step.
He stood in front of a florist's shop, carefully selecting a bouquet of white lilies and soft pink roses. He wanted the flowers to send the right message—something pure, something loving.
He scribbled a note on the small card attached to the bouquet:
Emma,
I'm sorry if I scared you. That was never my intention. I only want to protect you. Please let me explain.
-Ethan
Satisfied, he paid for the flowers and left the shop, heading toward Emma's apartment.
---
Emma's phone buzzed with a notification from her security camera app. She opened it, her heart sinking as she saw Ethan standing outside her door, holding a bouquet of flowers.
Her hands shook as she watched him place the bouquet on the ground, knock on her door, and walk away.
She didn't move until her phone buzzed again—this time, a message from Officer Ramirez:
We'll have someone come by to collect evidence. Don't touch anything.
Emma stared at the flowers through the peephole, her anger bubbling to the surface. Did Ethan really think this was some kind of romantic gesture? Did he think flowers could erase the fear he'd caused her?
She stepped back, pacing the small confines of her apartment. She couldn't keep living like this, constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for the next move.
---
Later that afternoon, Lisa called.
"I need to tell you something," Lisa said, her voice low. "I think you were right about Ethan."
Emma froze. "What happened?"
"I noticed a guy following me after work yesterday," Lisa admitted. "At first, I thought I was being paranoid, but he was there again today. Same guy, same routine."
"Did you get a good look at him?" Emma asked, dread creeping into her voice.
"No, but I think it's him. What do we do?"
Emma clenched her fists. "We document everything. Report it to the police. And Lisa... please be careful."
"You too," Lisa said softly.
---
Ethan watched Emma's apartment from his car, a safe distance away. He felt a pang of disappointment as he noticed the flowers still sitting untouched outside her door.
"She's still scared," he murmured to himself. "She needs time."
But patience wasn't his strong suit.
Ethan opened his laptop, scrolling through the photos he'd taken of Emma. He paused on one of her walking to the coffee shop, her hair catching the sunlight just right.
He smiled, his fingers tracing the edge of the screen.
"Soon," he whispered. "Soon, you'll see we're meant to be."
---
Emma spent the rest of the evening reviewing her options. She called Lisa again, discussing contingency plans in case things escalated further.
As they talked, Emma began packing a small bag—just in case. She hated the idea of leaving her home, but she couldn't ignore the growing sense of danger.
"Stay alert," Lisa said before hanging up. "And Emma... don't let him win."
Emma stared at the bag, her mind racing. She wasn't ready to run—not yet.
But as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across her apartment, she couldn't shake the feeling that Ethan was already too close.