Ava’s POV
When the knocking finally stopped, I stayed frozen for several seconds, my pulse hammering so hard it felt like it was pushing against my ribs. The silence that followed didn’t feel like relief, it felt like something was waiting for me to move first. I didn’t breathe properly until the sound of the rain outside returned to fill the apartment again. Even then, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t alone.
Slowly, I forced myself toward the door, moving carefully like the air itself might react to me. I checked the peephole and saw nothing except a medium-sized package sitting neatly outside. My stomach tightened immediately because nothing about it felt accidental or harmless. I stood there too long before finally unlocking the door and dragging it inside.
The box had no r
