BEING WATCHED
1143 Words
Chapter 11
Tara knew something was wrong the moment she walked into the office.
People looked away too quickly. Whispers stopped when she passed and somehow every time she lifted her head Jaden was already looking at her.
It started three days ago after the conversation in his office. After the strange questions about Ken.
Since then, the atmosphere around him had changed completely.
“Tara.”
She looked up immediately from her desk.
Clara stood beside her holding another stack of files. “Mr. Jaden needs these revised before noon.”
Tara stared at the papers in disbelief. “This is impossible.”
Clara lowered her voice slightly. “I’d recommend not saying that to him today.” Her stomach tightened.
“Why?” Clara hesitated Then quietly
“He’s been watching everything.” A strange chill slid down Tara’s spine.
Before she could ask more questions Clara walked away the entire morning felt suffocating.
Emails flooded nonstop, Meeting schedules changed twice, Investors kept calling.
By lunchtime, Tara was exhausted.
She grabbed her coffee and hurried toward the elevator, desperate for five minutes alone.
But the second the doors opened Jaden stood inside.
Her steps stopped instantly. His gray eyes lifted toward her slowly.
“Get in.”
Tara stepped inside reluctantly.
The elevator doors shut heavily behind her. Silence swallowed the small space immediately.
“You missed the updated projection file,” Jaden said calmly.
Tara gripped her coffee tighter. “I was fixing it.”
“You should’ve fixed it earlier.” Annoyance flared instantly.
“I’m handling three departments alone.”
“And still making mistakes.” Her jaw tightened hard.
The elevator continued rising. Jaden’s eyes stayed on her the entire time watching her Like he was trying to solve something.
Finally Tara snapped.
“Why do you keep staring at me?”
“Because something doesn’t add up.”
The answer sent unease crawling beneath her skin.
“What does that even mean?”
Jaden stepped slightly closer.
His voice lowered.
“You tell me.”
The elevator doors opened before she could respond.
Tara walked out immediately without looking back but she still felt his eyes following her down the hallway.
The feeling only worsened throughout the day.
Everywhere she went—she felt watched.
At first she thought she was imagining it. Until she entered the records room that evening.
The lights flickered softly overhead while Tara searched through archived investor files.
Then suddenly the security camera above the door moved directly toward her.
Her stomach dropped.
Slowly, Tara stared at it a strange uncomfortable feeling crept over her skin.
Across the building, Jaden sat alone inside the security office.
Eyes fixed on the monitor.
His jaw tightened as Tara looked directly into the camera. Almost like she could feel him there.
Beside him, the head of security looked deeply uncomfortable.
“Sir… company cameras are for security purposes.”
“I’m aware.”
The man hesitated carefully. “Monitoring one employee specifically could become a legal issue.”
Jaden’s expression never changed.
“Then stop talking.”
Silence filled the room instantly. His eyes returned to the screen.
Tara looked exhausted tonight. Her shoulders tense her eyes tired.
Yet every time he looked at her all he saw was four years ago.
The hotel room the woman who vanished before sunrise.
And now—a child with his eyes.
His pulse tightened again because every instinct inside him screamed the same thing.
Ken was his son but Tara didn’t know.
She genuinely didn’t know. And somehow that realization disturbed him more every hour.
Back downstairs, Tara quickly grabbed the files and left the records room.
Her chest still felt tight. The camera movement couldn’t have been accidental.
Could it? No, that impossible.
Yet the uneasy feeling followed her all the way back to her desk.
Ethan noticed immediately.
“You look pale.”
“I’m fine.”
“That’s becoming your favorite lie.”
Tara forced a weak smile.
Then her phone buzzed.
Ken’s school.
Her heart dropped instantly.
She answered immediately. “Hello?”
“Miss Winters? Ken has a slight fever.”
Everything else disappeared immediately.
“I’m coming.” She grabbed her bag quickly.
But before she could leave her intercom buzzed again.
CEO OFFICE.
Tara closed her eyes.
She stepped into Jaden’s office two minutes later already stressed beyond patience.
“You called me?”
Jaden looked up from his desk slowly.
“You’re leaving.”
“My son is sick.”
Something shifted briefly in his expression. Too fast to fully catch.
“How serious?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Jaden stood immediately.
“I’ll have my driver take you.”
Tara blinked in surprise. “That’s unnecessary.”
“It wasn’t a suggestion.”
Irritation flashed instantly across her face.
“There it is again.”
Jaden frowned slightly. “What?”
“You acting like you control everything.”
Silence. Then quietly—
“I’m trying to help you.”
The words caught her off guard.
Because somehow he sounded sincere.
But instead of comforting her, it made the tension worse.
Tara shook her head immediately. “I can handle my own problems.”
“I never said you couldn’t.”
“Then stop watching me like I’m some kind of puzzle.”
The room went still Dangerously still.
Jaden’s eyes darkened slightly.
“What makes you think I’m watching you?”
Her pulse stumbled. Because she suddenly realized she didn’t actually know. She Only felt it.
Like his attention followed her through the building.
Tara stepped backward.
“I need to go.”
Jaden stared at her for one long second before nodding once.
“Fine.”
She turned quickly toward the door.
But just before leaving his voice stopped her again.
“Tara.”
Her hand tightened around the doorknob.
“Yes?”
A pause.
Then quietly—
“You really don’t remember me?”
Fear slid instantly down her spine.
Slowly she turned around.
“What?”
But Jaden’s expression had already closed off again. Like he regretted saying it.
“You should go.”
Confused unease twisted harder inside her chest as she left the office.
By the time Tara finally arrived home hours later, exhaustion crushed her completely.
Ken slept curled beside her mother on the couch, his forehead slightly warm.
“He kept asking for you,” her mother whispered softly.
Guilt hit immediately. Tara sat beside Ken carefully and brushed his hair back gently.
“I’m here now.”
Her phone buzzed suddenly in her pocket.
Unknown Number.
Her stomach tightened uneasily.
Slowly, she opened the message.
“You should remember me.”
Every blood vessel in her body went cold.
And somewhere across the city Jaden stared silently at his own phone.
Waiting for he to reply.
- Writer
