**Olivia’s POV**
The hum of the diner was all too familiar—clinking glasses, the sizzle of food on the grill, the occasional sound of a dropped fork. I wiped down the counter, my eyes scanning the half-empty room for any signs of trouble. It had been another long shift, and all I wanted was to get home to Leo.
But Silverhaven always felt like something was lurking just beyond my reach, something I couldn’t quite see but could always feel. I wasn’t sure when it started, this sense that something was off. Maybe it was when I first moved to the town with Leo, desperate to escape the life I’d left behind. Or maybe it was after I found out who his father was.
A deep breath. Focus. I needed to focus.
“Olivia, table four needs another round of coffee,” Janine called from the back, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Got it.” I grabbed the pot and made my way to the table. My feet ached from standing all day, but there was no room for weakness. I had a son to take care of. I couldn’t afford to falter.
The couple at table four barely looked up as I filled their cups. They were talking, but their words were too low for me to catch. It didn’t matter. My mind was already racing with other thoughts.
Suddenly, a voice from across the room caught my attention.
“Is she staring at us?”
I froze.
I didn’t recognize the man who’d spoken. He was sitting at the bar with a group of others, all dressed in expensive, well-tailored suits that stood out like sore thumbs in the dim, unpretentious atmosphere of Silverhaven’s local diner. They were too clean, too polished for this town.
I forced myself to keep moving, not wanting to draw attention to myself. But as I passed the table, I couldn’t shake the feeling that their eyes were on me.
The man’s voice came again, colder this time. “She’s definitely staring.”
I pretended not to hear. It wasn’t uncommon for strangers to come through here, especially when the nearby CrossCorp headquarters was hosting some kind of event. Silverhaven was a town dominated by wealth, but the people here—like me—were the ones who got stuck in the cracks, invisible to the powerful.
I kept my head down, but as I passed by the man’s table, our eyes met for a split second. There was something in his gaze—an intensity that sent a chill down my spine. He was... watching me. It was unsettling, but I couldn’t let it show.
I quickly turned away and returned to the counter, trying to focus on the routine. My thoughts kept drifting back to that stare. He couldn’t have been looking at me, could he?
“Olivia, are you okay?” Janine asked, her voice soft.
I blinked and realized I was still standing by the counter, staring into space.
“Yeah, just... tired. Long day,” I said, forcing a smile. “I’ll finish up and head home soon.”
Janine didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t push. She’d known me long enough to understand when I needed space. I started wiping down the counter again, but my mind kept returning to the strangers. There were five of them in total. They weren’t locals. And they certainly didn’t look like the kind of people who would find themselves in Silverhaven unless they had a reason to be here.
I grabbed my purse when my shift ended, glancing one last time at the men by the bar. They weren’t paying me any attention now, but I couldn’t shake the feeling they were still watching.
The walk home was long, especially after a tiring shift. The streets of Silverhaven were quiet as usual, the fog rolling in like a blanket over the sleepy town. I always felt like I was walking through a dream when I made my way home. It wasn’t that I was scared—it was more like the whole place was holding its breath, waiting for something.
Maybe that was just me. I’d spent so long looking over my shoulder that it had become second nature.
The wind picked up, the trees creaking as the mist thickened. I clutched my jacket tighter around me and quickened my pace. I couldn’t afford to be paranoid, not with Leo waiting for me at home.
When I reached our apartment building, I felt a brief moment of relief. It wasn’t much, just a small two-bedroom place on the second floor, but it was ours. It was all I needed. I had Leo, and that was enough.
I fumbled for my keys, my hands still shaking from the unsettling feeling that had followed me all day. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, the familiar smell of baby lotion and clean sheets greeting me. Leo was in his crib, sound asleep, his little chest rising and falling with every soft breath.
I walked over to him, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead.
“You’re safe here, baby,” I whispered, brushing my lips over his temple. “Mommy’s got you.”
I smiled down at him, trying to push the dark thoughts away. He was my world, the reason I kept going every day.
But as I reached for the baby monitor to check on him one last time, I froze.
There, on the pillow next to Leo, was something I hadn’t noticed before.
A piece of paper.
I hesitated, staring at it. My heart skipped a beat.
No one had been in here, right?
I glanced over my shoulder, expecting someone to jump out from the shadows, but the apartment was silent. I walked slowly toward the crib, my pulse racing.
I had no idea how the note had gotten there. I hadn’t left Leo alone for more than a few minutes. It was too soon for him to have grabbed it himself.
I gently picked it up, unfolding the paper with trembling hands. My eyes scanned the short message, and with each word, my stomach dropped further.
“He’s ours now. We’re watching.”
The room felt suddenly colder. My breath came in shallow bursts. Who would leave this? And how did they know about Leo?
I turned to the window, half-expecting to see someone lurking outside. The blinds were still, the world outside frozen in the mist. But the note... it wasn’t just a threat. It was a warning.
Who were they?
I couldn’t think clearly. I couldn’t breathe. I stuffed the note in my pocket, my hands shaking. I needed to get out of here. I needed to make sure Leo was safe.
But as I turned to grab my phone, a sound—soft but distinct—came from behind me. The unmistakable sound of footsteps on the floor.
Someone was inside the apartment.
My heart stopped.
I spun around, but the room was empty.
The air was thick with tension as I strained to hear any more sounds. I should have felt scared, but all I could feel was the overwhelming sense that someone was playing with me, toying with us.
I grabbed Leo out of his crib, holding him close to my chest. I couldn’t let him go—not now, not ever.
The footsteps stopped. But something felt wrong, like the world had shifted beneath me, and I couldn’t find my footing.
I reached for the door, but as I stepped toward it, something caught my eye.
A shadow moved under the crack of the door.
Someone was out there.
I held my breath, listening. The air was thick with silence.
And then I heard the softest sound—a whisper, barely audible.
“We’re coming for him, Olivia.”
The doorbell rang.