Chapter Six:The Face Behind The Scent
1101 Words
Tessa took a slow, steady breath, forcing herself to calm down.
“You’re overthinking again,” she whispered to herself.
The bouquet…
The message…
The strange scent…
None of it made sense.
She shook her head, trying to push the unsettling thoughts aside.
“I need groceries,” she muttered. “Nothing more.”
A change of environment would help.
At least, that’s what she hoped.
⸻
The shopping mall was unusually crowded that afternoon.
Families wandered from store to store, children ran through the hallways laughing, and long queues stretched outside several popular cafés. It was an off day, so the overwhelming crowd wasn’t surprising.
Tessa pushed a shopping cart through the supermarket, checking the grocery list on her phone.
Milk.
Pasta.
Coffee.
Eggs.
She absentmindedly tossed each item into the cart.
Then…
A familiar scent drifted through the air.
Her footsteps stopped instantly.
Her heartbeat skipped.
That cologne…
It was the exact same scent she had smelled inside her apartment.
Slowly, she lifted her head and looked around.
People.
So many people.
A young couple arguing over cereal.
An elderly woman comparing tea brands.
A child crying because his mother refused to buy chocolate.
Everything looked…
Normal.
Too normal.
A few seconds later, the scent faded.
Tessa frowned.
Maybe I imagined it…
Trying to ignore the uneasy feeling, she continued shopping.
When she reached the chocolate aisle, she stopped in front of the shelf.
“Hmm…”
“Should I buy some?”
Before she could decide—
Her phone vibrated.
A new message.
She frowned.
Unknown Number.
She opened it.
Take it.
It’s your favorite… isn’t it?
Her blood ran cold.
The color drained from her face.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
She looked around.
Someone…
Someone was watching her.
She could feel it.
Her breathing became uneven as she searched every face around her.
Nothing.
No one was looking at her.
No one seemed interested.
Yet…
Someone knew exactly what she was standing in front of.
Without another thought, she abandoned the chocolate aisle entirely.
She wasn’t hungry anymore.
⸻
A few minutes later, she wandered into the bookstore inside the mall.
Unlike the supermarket, it was quiet.
Peaceful.
Only a handful of customers browsed the shelves.
The silence should have comforted her.
Instead…
It made her feel exposed.
She slowly ran her fingers across the spines of several novels before pulling one halfway off the shelf.
She smiled faintly as she read the synopsis.
Beside her…
Someone stopped.
A man wearing a black hoodie.
His face remained hidden beneath the shadow of the hood.
Tessa barely acknowledged him.
People browsed bookstores all the time.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and continued reading the back cover of the novel.
Without realizing it…
The man took one slow step closer.
Then another.
The distance between them quietly disappeared.
Only then did Tessa notice.
She shifted a little farther away without saying anything.
The stranger remained where he was.
She tried to ignore him and returned her attention to the bookshelf.
Then…
That scent returned.
Stronger this time.
Every muscle in her body froze.
No…
No, no, no…
It couldn’t be.
Her fingers tightened around the book.
Slowly…
She turned her head.
The man was still standing there.
His face remained hidden beneath the oversized hood.
But somehow…
She knew.
It was him.
Fear crashed over her like a wave.
Without another thought, she gripped the book tightly and turned to leave.
The stranger watched her take the first step.
Then the second.
He understood.
She knew.
In one swift movement…
His hand closed gently—but firmly—around her wrist.
Tessa gasped.
She spun around immediately.
“W-What are you doing?”
“Let go of me.”
She tried to pull free.
His grip didn’t tighten.
It didn’t need to.
With one effortless pull…
He guided her backward into the narrow space between two bookshelves.
Her back met the wall.
Before she could react, he trapped both of her wrists above her head with one hand.
His other hand covered her mouth.
The world seemed to stop.
Tessa’s terrified eyes met his.
Slowly…
He lowered his hood.
Dark, slightly messy hair fell across his forehead.
Sharp features.
A defined jawline.
And piercing green eyes that calmly studied every expression on her face.
He was…
Beautiful.
Dangerously so.
But there was something deeply unsettling behind those eyes.
Something that made her heart pound even faster.
She stared at him, desperately trying to remember where she had seen him before.
Nothing.
She didn’t know him.
A slow smile curved across his lips.
“So…”
His voice was low.
Almost gentle.
“Where are you going?”
Tessa’s breathing grew heavier.
“You wanted me to come in front of you…”
He leaned slightly closer.
“And now that I finally have…”
“You’re running away?”
For a long moment…
Neither of them moved.
Then…
He slowly removed his hand from her mouth.
Tessa inhaled sharply.
“I-I’ll scream…”
Her voice trembled.
“Let me go…”
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
“Scream?”
He glanced toward the crowded mall beyond the bookshelves.
“Weren’t there enough people outside your apartment this morning?”
His green eyes returned to hers.
“Do you really want another audience?”
A shiver ran down her spine.
“W-What do you want from me?”
“Why are you following me?”
For a second…
He simply looked at her.
As though the answer were obvious.
Then he slowly lifted his free hand.
His fingertips brushed gently against her cheek.
His thumb wiped away a strand of hair that had fallen across her face.
His touch was unexpectedly careful.
Almost…
Affectionate.
His smile deepened.
“You.”
Just one word.
Quiet.
Certain.
Terrifying.
Tessa couldn’t speak.
Her fear had stolen every word from her throat.
He finally released her wrists.
Neither of them moved.
He reached into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper.
He placed it in her trembling hand.
“My reward…”
He tilted his head slightly.
“…for finally letting you see my face.”
Before Tessa could react…
He pulled the hood back over his head.
Within seconds…
He disappeared into the crowd beyond the bookstore.
As though he had never been there.
Tessa remained frozen between the shelves.
The folded paper trembled in her hand.
She stared at it.
Every instinct told her to unfold it.
Yet…
For reasons she couldn’t explain…
She was terrified of what she might find.
- Writer
