The Bargain Undercover

Stalker

Xander met her gaze, as calm as ever, without a single ripple disturbing the depth of his eyes.

They were standing face to face, but the way he looked at Eliana made her feel an insurmountable distance between them. No opening line felt quite right, so in the end, she just greeted him with the simplest of words, "Hey."

Xander nodded to her, shifted his gaze, and was about to walk away.

His aloofness froze Eliana. "Director Lane!" she called out to him instinctively, not wanting him to walk away like that.

Xander stopped and responded in a formal tone, "What's up?"

Eliana suddenly didn't know what to say, their reunion unfolding far differently than she had imagined. Yet she knew she had to speak up. She still needed Xander for the sake of her career.

"Well... The rumors have faded. So, do you..." she muttered as she observed his expression carefully.

But she only saw impatience on his face.

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

He crossed out all their secret meetings and spoke to her as if she had been a stranger, which was enough to reflect his attitude.

She didn't push further, forcing a smile. "Sorry."

It was unnecessary for her to say anything else.

Xander remained silent and walked away without a second glance.

The heavy iron gate of the stairwell clanged shut behind her, trapping her in the small, quiet space. She slowly crouched in the corner, feeling like an abandoned cat.

The man who had bumped into Jeffery's car to save her, defended her in front of Delbert, and covered for her to get rid of Lyla had withdrawn from their undercover relationship. From now on, she was utterly alone.

But life had to go on. Eliana pulled herself together and stood up after only a few minutes. What was lost was gone. Reminiscing was just a waste of time.

The rehearsal progressed. The only interaction Eliana had with Xander now was when he instructed her on her technique in the classroom. Other than that, they didn't even exchange glances.

She had to be strong enough to face this world alone.

But sometimes, life gave her more challenges than she could have imagined.

The second time Eliana was jolted awake in the middle of the night by a series of heavy knocks on her apartment door, she couldn't chalk it up to an intoxicated person mistaking her door for theirs.

Someone was stalking her.

She grabbed her phone with one hand to call the police and held a knife in the other, staring at the door without blinking.

This time, the knocking stopped soon, replaced by something even more unsettling.

Eliana saw with her own eyes that something was pushed into the room through the gap between the floor and the door. Startled, she crouched in the corner, too afraid to approach.

The knocking never came back. When the police arrived, she finally had the nerve to check that small, flat thing on the floor by the door.

It was a card with bloody red words written on it - I'm watching you.

***

"Bloody red words? What did the police say?"

The next day, Ophelia also realized how serious this was by hearing what Eliana said.

Eliana shook her head. "They said since no actual crime was committed, they could only take the card for a DNA test, but I don't have high expectations for the results."

Ophelia frowned. "Do you have any idea who it might be?"

"No." Eliana was completely clueless. "It just happened abruptly."

Ophelia asked, "Did the police check the surveillance cameras around?"

Eliana told her, "There are no surveillance cameras around. The neighborhood where I live is quite rundown."

Ophelia suggested, "You need to move as soon as possible."

Eliana sighed, "I know. I was checking other places this morning, but it's not easy to find somewhere cheap. I'm thinking about buying one surveillance camera for my door. They are also expensive, but one should be affordable."

"Hey!" Ophelia patted her on the shoulder. "What about you coming and living with me for a few days?"

That was an enticing offer, but Eliana had concerns. "What if I get you involved? You're a woman living alone. I could put you in danger."

Ophelia didn't want to worry about that now. "But we're friends. I can't just sit and watch."

Eliana thought about it and made up her mind. "Anyway, I need to solve this by finding out who it is. I'll go get a camera and install it after work before going to your place."

Ophelia agreed with her. But when Eliana went to ask for Alex's help, he had a different idea.

"You want me to help you choose and install a surveillance camera after work? Sure, but why?" he asked.

Eliana told him about what had happened, and he frowned. "Do you think it's someone you know?"

Eliana answered, "I'm not sure. I may recognize them if I can film them."

Alex shook his head. "I don't think a camera can help much. If they wore a mask or something like that, it would still be hard to recognize them. "

Eliana knew he had a point and felt a bit disappointed. "Then I don't know what to do."

Alex grinned, "Come on! Our smartest girl is depleted of ideas now?"

Eliana pulled the corners of her mouth into a bitter smile. "Hey, be nice. Don't make fun of me."

"Alright. Alright." Alex withdrew his teasing tone. "The most important thing is to figure out who it is."

Eliana knew it. "But how?"

Alex looked at her. "Do you live alone?"

Eliana nodded. "Yes."

Alex hesitated for a while before offering her an idea. "How about me crashing at your place for a few days?"

Eliana was surprised to hear that, pausing for a few seconds.

Alex saw the shock flashing across her eyes and immediately explained, "I don't mean to... I was thinking it might be safer for you not to live alone right now. That person targets you probably because you're a woman living by yourself. If I stay with you, I can answer the door and confront them if they come back, which may scare them off since they're usually hesitant to confront men. I believe I'd be more useful than a surveillance camera."

Eliana was amused by his last sentence, fighting a smile. "Then, what do you want for dinner tonight? I'll cook."

Alex realized that was her approval. He beamed with a smile. "Wait a minute! I'll send you a list."

A while later, he really sent Eliana a long list. Eliana could feel his excitement, but when he physically arrived at her place, he turned nervous and shy.

After she opened the door, he stepped in and stood by the wall, not knowing what to do.

"Thank you for helping me out." Eliana offered him a seat and some drink. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"Thank you." Alex seemed to have lost his communication skills, looking around and uttering, "Nice studio!"

"Seriously?" Eliana glanced around her shabby studio.

"Well... No." Alex rubbed his hair, knowing how awkward his compliment was. "Honestly, it's quite rundown. You need to find a safer place."

Eliana smiled at him, "That's why I'm working hard - to earn money for a better place."

Alex waved his hand dismissively. "Don't even worry about that. I'm sure Director Lane intends to promote you to Principal soon."

Eliana didn't know if she was oversensitive, but when she heard this, she wondered if he was probing her relationship with Xander. She looked at him, observing the expression on his face. "You think so?"

"Yeah." Alex nodded seriously with innocence in his eyes. "Your technique is scarily strong. I can tell that both Director Lane and Mrs. Morse appreciate that."

It seemed he was not hinting at anything but basically praising her. She was relieved. "I hope so."

"Trust me." Alex was confident. "I mean... If I were Director Lane, I would value you, too. Why would he need a reason to value his best dancer?"

Eliana paused, realizing why Alex had never asked her if the rumors were true.

He appreciated her technique and believed she deserved what she had achieved.

A trace of joy rose up with a sliver of guilt. She felt she didn't deserve such deep trust from her friends and could only repay it by cooking a big dinner for him.

With Alex around, the night felt much safer for Eliana.

Alex made a bed on the floor a few feet away from her bed, telling her, "Don't worry about anything. If that person comes again, I will handle it."

The alertness and poor sleep before had drained Eliana, and right now, her bed felt cozier than ever. "Thank you, Alex. I really appreciate it."

"Good night." Alex turned off the light.

"Good night." Eliana closed her eyes, her mind still wondering if that person would come again tonight. However, with Alex nearby, she felt much more secure. The waves of tiredness soon overwhelmed her as she relaxed, sending her into a deep sleep.