Chapter 34: The Man in the Dark

The moment the door clicked shut, I sagged against it, pressing my forehead to the cool wood. My heartbeat refused to slow.

I stared at the message again, its words pulsing like a heartbeat of their own.

You did the right thing. Trust me. Don’t tell him yet.

My thumb hovered above the reply box. Who are you? What do you want? But before I could type, the screen dimmed.

I sat on the edge of the bed, fingers tangling in the blanket. The night outside seemed heavier now, thick with unseen eyes.

Downstairs, I could hear Gabriel sweeping up glass. The rhythmic scrape of the broom against the tiles was oddly grounding—so normal it almost made me doubt myself.

Almost.

But that sound at the door. That shadow. The messages. Those weren’t my imagination.

I opened my phone again, this time swiping to the number. No name. No contact photo. The number wasn’t even local—an unregistered line masked through some kind of encryption app.

My stomach dropped.

This wasn’t Emily’s style. Emily would want me to see my tormentor. To watch me squirm publicly. This was different. Precise. Controlled.

My mind flashed to the only person capable of something like that. Someone who’d once told me, ‘If I wanted to know everything about someone, I would.

Sebastian.

My breath caught.

Could it be him?

It made sense—he’d helped me before, given me information when I’d needed it most. But why hide? Why scare me like this?

My chest twisted with uncertainty. There was only one way to know.

I opened our last message thread.

Sebastian, it’s me. I think someone’s watching the house. Please call me.

I hit send.

The typing dots appeared almost instantly. Then—

Stay calm. I’m outside. Don’t open the door.

My heart lurched.

Outside?

The curtain fluttered slightly from the open window. I crept closer, hand trembling as I peered through a slit in the blinds.

A dark shape leaned against the hood of a car parked across the street. Cigarette embers glowing faintly in the dark.

I caught the outline of his face when he turned his head—the sharp jawline, the coat collar turned up.

Sebastian.

My exhale fogged the glass.

Relief crashed over me, messy and dizzying. But it didn’t last. Because if he was here—watching—then that meant my paranoia hadn’t been paranoia at all.

And worse: whatever he was protecting me from was still coming.

I turned back toward the bed, phone buzzing again.

Don’t tell Gabriel yet. Not until I’m sure who’s moving against you.

I typed fast, thumbs shaking.

Emily. It has to be her.

The reply came slower this time.

Maybe. But if it isn’t… you’re in more danger than you realise.

—

The air outside bit at my skin, sharp and damp, carrying the smell of rain that hadn’t fallen yet. I eased the back door open just enough to slip through, wincing as the hinges groaned.

Every nerve in my body screamed that this was a mistake. Gabriel was upstairs, asleep—or pretending to be. If he woke and found me gone, he’d think the worst.

But I needed answers.

The garden grass was cold under my feet as I crossed it, robe hem brushing against my ankles. The street stretched silent beyond the hedge. The same car idled across the road, its headlights off, its shape swallowed by shadow.

He was there. Leaning against the hood.

Sebastian.

I hadn’t seen him in weeks, not since I’d begged him to find proof that Emily’s pregnancy was a lie. That night, he’d promised to “dig until there’s nothing left to hide.”

Now he was here in the flesh—coat collar up, hair tousled, face half-hidden by the glow of his cigarette.

When he looked up, our eyes met, and for the first time all night, my breath slowed.

He dropped the cigarette, crushed it under his boot, and said quietly, “You shouldn’t be out here.”

I crossed the street before I could second-guess myself. “You scared me half to death.”

“Good,” he said. “Means you’re still alive.”

My arms folded tight across my chest. “Why are you watching my house? Why didn’t you just tell me it was you?”

He glanced past my shoulder, scanning the house before answering. “Because I wasn’t sure who else might be watching me.”

A chill crawled up my spine. “What do you mean?”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Your friend Emily isn’t acting alone. I’ve been tracing her calls, her bank activity, and the photos she’s been posting. None of it adds up. Someone’s feeding her information—stuff she couldn’t possibly get by herself.”

My mouth went dry. “Someone from Gabriel’s company?”

He nodded once. “Possibly. Or someone close to him.”

I took a step back. “Close to him? Who?”

Sebastian’s eyes softened. “You want the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Then stop trusting that man in your house.”

My heart lurched. “Gabriel?”

“I said don’t trust him,” Sebastian repeated, voice low and firm. “Not until I can prove what he’s hiding.”

I shook my head, anger flashing beneath my fear. “He’s not hiding anything. He’s broken. He doesn’t even remember—”

“Memory loss doesn’t erase motive, Eve.”

The way he said it—quiet, unflinching—cut through me.

My voice cracked. “You think he’s helping her?”

“I think someone is. And Emily’s too bold for someone who’s working alone.”

They stood in silence, the streetlamp flickering above them, throwing both their shadows long across the pavement.

I hated how easily Sebastian’s presence steadied me. How I could still read concern in his eyes even when his words stung.

“I’m doing this for you,” he said, softer now. “But you need to stop telling him everything. Until we know where the leak is.”

My breath trembled. “He’s my husband.”

Sebastian’s jaw tightened. “And I’m trying to make sure he stays alive long enough to stay that way.”

Before I could reply, a light snapped on in the upstairs window.

Gabriel’s silhouette moved across the curtain.

My stomach dropped.

Sebastian’s gaze followed mine. “Go,” he said. “Before he sees.”

“But—”

“Now, Eve.”

I turned, robe whispering around my legs as I hurried back across the lawn. My pulse thundered in my ears.

Behind me, Sebastian lit another cigarette, its ember briefly painting his face in orange light. There was worry there. And something else—fear.

Inside, I eased the back door shut, pressing my palm flat against it to steady my breathing.

Upstairs, Gabriel’s footsteps creaked toward the landing.

My phone buzzed again.

Don’t tell him we talked.

I slipped the phone into my pocket just as Gabriel’s shadow appeared in the hall.

“Eve?” He called, voice low and wary. “Where were you?”

My mouth opened. Nothing came out.