Chapter 19: Shadows on the Screen
1024 Words
The charity gala officially came to an end just before midnight.
One by one, the guests thanked the organizers before leaving the grand ballroom. The laughter and music that had filled the evening slowly disappeared, replaced by the quiet footsteps of hotel staff cleaning the venue.
Sofia remained seated for a moment, absentmindedly looking at the silver bracelet resting inside the navy-blue velvet box.
The delicate white rose charm reflected the soft lights above.
It was beautiful.
Too beautiful.
Yet instead of happiness...
It only made her uneasy.
Mia gently touched her shoulder.
"Are you okay?"
Sofia forced a small smile.
"I don't know."
Jenny looked at the bracelet.
"If I were you, I wouldn't accept it."
"I don't even know who sent it."
Daniel crossed his arms.
"Maybe you should report this."
"I think I will."
Before Sofia could say another word, Ethan suddenly spoke.
"I have a feeling our CEO won't let this slide."
The group turned toward the ballroom entrance.
Adrian was nowhere to be seen.
---
Adrian's POV
Deep inside the hotel's security office, several large monitors displayed footage from every security camera installed throughout the building.
The hotel manager stood nervously beside Adrian.
"We've already collected recordings from the lobby, ballroom, elevators, hallways, parking area, and loading dock, Mr. Montenegro."
Adrian nodded.
"Start from the moment the flowers were delivered."
The security officer immediately replayed the footage.
For nearly an hour...
Everyone watched in complete silence.
Employees entered.
Guests arrived.
Waiters prepared the ballroom.
Nothing seemed unusual.
Then—
"There."
Adrian pointed toward one of the monitors.
A hotel employee appeared carrying the bouquet that had been delivered to Sofia earlier that evening.
"Pause."
The screen froze.
"Zoom in."
The technician enlarged the footage.
The bouquet looked ordinary.
There was no visible sender.
"No one handed it directly to him?" Adrian asked.
The officer shook his head.
"It was already waiting at the reception desk when our staff reported for duty."
Adrian frowned.
"So someone left it before the event officially began."
"Yes, sir."
"Continue."
The footage resumed.
Hours passed.
Guests entered.
The program started.
The dance performances began.
Everything appeared perfectly normal.
Until the velvet box.
"There."
Another pause.
A waiter approached Sofia's table with the navy-blue velvet box.
"Follow him."
The technician switched to another camera.
The waiter had just exited the ballroom moments earlier.
He stopped near one of the service corridors.
Another hotel staff member briefly spoke to him before handing over the small velvet box.
"Who is that employee?"
The hotel manager leaned closer.
"...That's strange."
"What?"
"I don't recognize him."
The room fell silent.
Adrian's expression immediately hardened.
"Find his employee ID."
The manager quickly contacted the hotel's human resources office.
Several minutes later...
His phone rang.
He answered.
Then slowly lowered it.
"Mr. Montenegro..."
"...we don't have anyone by that description working here."
The room suddenly became very quiet.
"What do you mean?"
"He isn't one of our employees."
One of the security officers replayed the footage.
The mysterious man wore the exact same uniform as every other hotel employee.
Name tag.
Gloves.
Everything.
"He disguised himself..." Adrian murmured.
---
Sofia's POV
Back at the company dormitory, Sofia couldn't sleep.
She opened the velvet box once again.
The bracelet sparkled beneath the bedside lamp.
She gently unfolded the note.
> You looked beautiful tonight.
She sighed.
"I wish you would just tell me who you are."
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
It was a message from Mia.
Mia: Have you reached home safely?
Sofia: Yes.
Mia: Promise me you won't go anywhere alone for a while.
Sofia smiled softly.
You're overthinking.
She typed the words...
Then deleted them.
Instead, she replied,
Sofia: I promise.
She placed the phone down.
For some reason...
She couldn't shake the feeling that someone had been watching her all evening.
---
Adrian's POV
"Rewind."
The footage moved backward.
Frame by frame.
The disguised employee walked confidently through the service hallway.
Then—
He disappeared.
The security officer blinked.
"Sir..."
"He never came back out."
"What?"
They checked another camera.
Nothing.
Another hallway.
Nothing.
Loading dock.
Nothing.
Emergency exit.
Nothing.
It was as though the man had vanished inside the hotel.
Adrian stared at the monitor.
"Impossible."
No one could disappear without leaving a trace.
Unless...
"He changed clothes."
The manager immediately understood.
"I'll have security search every changing room."
Within minutes, the hotel staff inspected every employee locker.
Nothing.
No extra uniform.
No abandoned disguise.
No fingerprints.
No clues.
The mysterious admirer had planned everything.
Adrian slowly leaned back in his chair.
For the first time in years...
He had encountered someone who had outplanned him.
---
Unknown POV
Several kilometers away...
The black sedan stopped beside a quiet riverside road.
The mysterious man removed his hotel name tag and dropped it into a small metal container.
A lighter clicked.
The plastic slowly melted.
Within seconds...
The fake identification was gone.
The driver looked through the rearview mirror.
"Everything went as planned, sir."
The man looked out the window.
"Did anyone recognize me?"
"No, sir."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Good."
He reached into his coat pocket.
Another small velvet box rested inside.
Unlike the first one...
This one contained a delicate silver necklace.
He gently closed the lid.
"Not yet."
"There is still plenty of time."
---
Adrian's POV
As Adrian prepared to leave the security office, the hotel manager hurried toward him.
"Mr. Montenegro."
"We found something."
Adrian turned.
"What is it?"
The manager handed him a printed copy of the hotel's guest log.
"There was one guest who entered the service corridor shortly before the velvet box was delivered."
Adrian quickly scanned the page.
Every line contained ordinary names.
Until he reached the last entry.
The handwriting was different.
Almost hurried.
The registered name read:
A. Reyes
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Reyes..."
The same surname as Sofia.
Coincidence?
Or the first real clue?
He folded the paper and slipped it into his coat pocket.
For the first time...
The mysterious admirer had left behind something worth chasing.
And Adrian had no intention of stopping until he uncovered the truth.
- Writer
