His Dark Obsession ✨🖤

Chapter One The first time I saw him, I thought I was going to die. Not in a dramatic way. Not like in movies where everything slows down and you get a chance to think. No. It was instant. Final. Like my body had already accepted that survival was no longer part of the plan. I stood frozen at the edge of the café, fingers still wrapped around the strap of my bag, staring at the man who had just walked in. Everything about the room changed the moment he entered. Conversations dropped mid-sentence. Chairs stopped moving. Even the air felt heavier, like it was suddenly aware of him. Enzo Moretti. I didn’t even need to hear his name to know. Some names don’t need introductions in Italy. They arrive with silence. My chest tightened as he walked in like he owned the entire building. Not rushing. Not searching. Just… certain. Like nothing in this world could interrupt him. Black suit. Clean lines. Expensive watch that caught the light once before disappearing back into darkness. And eyes— God. Even from across the room, I felt them before I met them. When they finally landed on me, I forgot how to breathe. It wasn’t a glance. It was recognition. That was the part that didn’t make sense. I had never seen him before yesterday. He should not know me. Yet he looked at me like I was already part of something he understood perfectly. I quickly looked away. Stupid. Why did I look away like I had something to hide? “Issa, you okay?” Sofia whispered. I nodded too fast. “Yeah. Just tired.” But I wasn’t tired. I was aware. Of him. Of the fact that even without looking, I could still feel where he was sitting. Behind me. Not far. Too close. My coffee sat untouched in front of me. My appetite was gone. My thoughts weren’t mine anymore. “Stop staring,” Sofia muttered. “I’m not—” “You are.” I swallowed. Because she was right. I wasn’t staring. I was checking. Every few seconds, my eyes betrayed me. And every time I looked back— He was already looking at me. --- Something inside me told me to leave. Not fear exactly. Something deeper. Instinct. The kind that doesn’t explain itself. It just screams. But I stayed. Because leaving would mean admitting I noticed him. And I didn’t want that. Not from him. Not from anyone. I picked up my bag slowly. “I’m going to the restroom.” Sofia frowned. “You’ve been here twenty minutes.” “I’ll be quick.” But as I stood up, I felt it again. That weight. That pressure. Like the room was watching me move. I didn’t look back. I refused. Because I already knew what I would see. And I was right. When I passed behind his table— Everything in me stopped again. He wasn’t looking at his phone. He wasn’t talking. He was waiting. Like he knew I would pass there. Like the entire café was just background noise for that exact moment. My steps slowed without permission. For half a second— Just half— I saw his hand resting on the table. Relaxed. Controlled. And then his voice. Low. Calm. Directed at me. “You walk like you’re trying not to be seen.” I froze. Every nerve in my body locked in place. I didn’t turn. I couldn’t. Because I knew if I did, I wouldn’t be able to pretend anymore. I forced my feet forward. Kept walking. Like I hadn’t heard him. Like I wasn’t shaking. But behind me— I heard something else. A faint sound. Almost like a laugh. Not amused. Not kind. Interested. And I knew then— My life had already started changing. I just hadn’t realised it yet.