Tonight was the most exhausting night for Denara Begin Bahira Zerin.Today had been the biggest mistake she'd made all year. The project she'd been working on for two months suddenly vanished into thin air—just one day before the deadline. Inevitably, she had to stay at the office until midnight. Fortunately, she managed to finish it before the clock struck morning.
But as if that wasn't enough, her luck had run out again—not a single taxi passed by. With no other choice, she kept walking toward her apartment, still clinging to the hope that a miracle taxi might show up.
"Oh my God… today was so exhausting. But at least everything will be okay tomorrow. I've finished the project proposal," Denara mumbled, letting out a long sigh as she walked along the dim sidewalk.
Feeling drained, Denara decided to sit on a nearby bench.
Click!
Just as she settled in, she clearly heard the distinct sound of a camera shutter.
She froze. Her eyes swept across the empty street. No footsteps. No voices. No one.
She turned around—nothing there either.
"Who's there?"
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
Silence.
A trace of fear crept into her eyes. Slowly, she rose from the bench, her body tense. She began to walk, her gaze shifting left and right.
"Calm down, Denara… there's no one here. Maybe you just imagined it," she whispered to herself, trying to steady her breath.
But with every step, her pace quickened—until it turned into a full sprint.Unseen, a man emerged from the shadows. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Still as the night. In his hand, a small camera.
He stared at the screen, studying the photo he had just taken.
His lips curled into a slow, twisted grin. "Beautiful. Always... beautiful."
He slipped the camera into the inner pocket of his long coat, then casually lit a cigarette, the brief flame reflecting in his sharp, hawk-like eyes.
"An independent woman like you... afraid of something so small. Adorable."
Moments later, a sleek black car pulled up. He stepped inside without a word.As the car glided through the quiet city streets, he reached for a leather-bound album resting beside him.
He opened it carefully.The pages were filled with photographs. All of Denara.Some candid. Some close-up. Some taken from a distance. Others… from disturbingly close angles.Not just ordinary pictures—some were private, invasive… wrong.
He ran his fingers along the edges of the latest photo.
And smiled."It's almost time, Denara. I'm done waiting…"