Strength After Him

Chapter 18 - The Caller Revealed

“Whatever you feel is best for you also works fine for me,” Charles said, a small smile tugging at his lips, as he leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers loosely clasped on the table. “As long as you’re not pushing me away, then I’m okay with it.”

We both laughed out loud, the sound spilling across the table. We quickly tried to stifle it, leaning a little closer to each other, hands brushing briefly as if trying to keep our laughter contained, careful not to disturb the other diners around us.

My phone beeped, and when I read the message, my blood ran cold: “Ava, I am watching you closely. I can see you now have a new catch enjoying yourself. I am coming sooner than you think,” I froze, my mind spinning, heart pounding. I could feel my hands trembling slightly as I gripped the phone. My thoughts scattered, and I wasn’t fully present anymore.

Charles noticed my sudden absence, his brow furrowing. “Ava, what’s wrong?” he asked, leaning slightly forward, concern etched across his face. I wanted to keep it to myself but not anymore. Charles needed to know the number stalking me. “Charles,” I called softly, my voice a bit shaky. “A private number has been stalking me for a while now… since I got back from California.”

His face went blank for a second, the smile disappearing. “Someone’s been stalking you?” he asked, leaning forward a little. I nodded, holding my phone tight, trying to stay calm. He gently took my phone from me, scrolling through the messages with a focused look on his face. His expression was a mix of concern and anger in his eyes. He looked up at me briefly, then continued checking.

“The caller doesn’t seem to live in London,” Charles said, his voice serious now. “Have you reported it to the police? At least the number can be traced. From what you’ve said, this has been happening for a long time, and you don’t have to keep quiet about it.” He leaned back slightly, waiting for my response.

“Yes, they promised to track the number,” Ava said, her voice low and a bit shaky. “But up until now, I haven’t heard anything from them about the investigation.” She sighed, rubbing her palm nervously against her dress.

Charles noticed how tense I’d become and leaned forward slightly. “You need to take it easy, Ava,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “We’ll find out who this person is. Now that I’m involved, something must be done.”

I took a shaky breath, twisting the napkin between my fingers as my heart raced. Charles reached across the table, gently covering my hand with his. His warm grip held me still, and I felt a small shiver run through me.

He leaned closer, his eyes locking onto mine. “I will handle this, Ava. You don’t have to face it alone,” he said firmly, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. I nodded. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and met his gaze, whispering, “Thank you.”

As we left the restaurant, my phone rang again. I wanted to ignore it since it was still the private number, but Charles gently pressed my hand. “Pick up the call,” he insisted, his eyes watching me steadily.

I hesitated, then put the phone to my ear, waiting for the caller to speak first. We both stayed silent for a few seconds. Charles watched me closely as I made a small shake of my head, signaling that the caller still hadn’t said anything.“Ava, it’s been a while…” the voice spoke. It was a man’s voice, and for a moment, it sounded familiar, maybe one of the clients I had worked with. I glanced at Charles, who raised an eyebrow, waiting to see my reaction.

“Yes, what can I do for you? And… who is this?” I asked, holding the phone a little tighter, my eyes flicking toward Charles for support. He leaned slightly closer, but silent, letting me handle the call.

There was a pause at the other end. Then the voice finally replied, “You don’t remember me, Ava? It’s been a while…”

I frowned, trying to place the voice. “I’m sorry, I really don’t. Can you remind me who this is?” I said, my grip on the phone tightening slightly.

Charles, noticing my tension, rested a hand gently on my shoulder. I gave him a small nod, signaling I was fine but tense.

The caller chuckled softly. “Let’s just say someone who’s been keeping an eye on you.”

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. “Keeping an eye on me? What do you mean?”

Charles stepped closer, his eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced at me, clearly ready to intervene if needed.

The voice laughed again, low and unnerving. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to hurt you… yet. Just remember, I know where you are.” I swallowed hard, my pulse racing as I ended the call quickly.

I glanced down at my phone again, my fingers tightening around it. “Why did you end the call? I thought you were going to get more details,” he asked, his voice calm but insistent.

“I… I just didn’t feel safe, and I can’t continue speaking with someone who won’t reveal their identity,” I admitted, my thumb hovering over the screen.

Charles reached out, tapping my shoulder gently. “Ava, it’s okay. We’ll figure this out together, okay? I just need to know you’re safe,” he said, his gaze steady and firm.

I nodded, trying to steady my racing heart. “I’m fine… really. I just… I don’t know who it is,” I whispered.

He gave a small, confident squeeze to my hand. “Then we’ll find out. Don’t worry about it,” he said.

He asked if we should stay back a little before leaving, just to let me calm down. Then he offered to leave his car and drive me home himself, saying he’d get a taxi back to the restaurant later.

“Ava, I need to make sure you’re safe. I can’t leave you in this state,” he said, his voice steady and firm.

I had no reason to say no, I was genuinely scared. What if the caller showed up or tried to attack me on the way home? He seemed to know exactly where I was every time he called.

We drove straight to Maria’s place to pick up Ivy. As soon as we arrived, I hurried inside, urging Ivy to grab her things quickly.

Maria stepped closer. “Why the rush?” she asked softly, her voice low and uneasy.

I glanced at her, fear still heavy in my eyes. “We’ll talk about it later,” I said quietly, helping Ivy with her bag as we headed for the door.

Charles was waiting in the car. Ivy, excited to see him, immediately began sharing everything that had happened in school. Her laughter filled the car as they talked back and forth. I stayed quiet in my seat, watching them from the corner of my eye, my mind still clouded by what was happening. When we arrived at my apartment, Charles had already booked a taxi. He stood by his car, watching us walk into the house, making sure we were safely inside before he left.

Ivy noticed I wasn’t my usual self and frowned with concern. “Mom, are you okay?” she asked softly. I hesitated. For now, I just smiled and said, “Everything’s perfectly okay, Ivy.” She nodded, smiling.

A week later, after dropping Ivy at school, I got back home to prepare for an arts event. A knock at the door made me pause. I wasn’t expecting anyone this morning. I ignored it, but the knock kept coming, pausing only for a moment before starting again. Maybe it was an important message from the postman, I thought as I went to the door. But the moment I opened it, I froze, my eyes wide in shock.