CHAPTER 13: THE OTHER WATCHER
961 Words
Then headlights suddenly flooded the garage.
A car screeched to a stop.
Daniel.
He stepped out.
His expression was terrifyingly calm.
“Walk away.”
The stranger smiled.
“This isn’t your game anymore.”
Daniel moved toward him.
“It never was.”
The stranger laughed softly.
Then disappeared between the cars.
Sarah stood frozen.
Daniel turned toward her.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“Who was that?”
Daniel looked toward the darkness.
“Someone who should have stayed in the past.”
Sarah stared at him.
“Your past?”
Daniel’s eyes met hers.
“No.”
A pause.
“Michael’s.”
Sarah’s heart sank.
And suddenly, she understood.
The secret between Daniel and Michael wasn’t buried.
It was coming back for all of them.
Sarah stared at Daniel.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
He was still watching the space where the stranger had disappeared.
“Daniel.”
Nothing.
She stepped closer.
“You said this was Michael’s past.”
His jaw tightened.
“I did.”
“Then who was he?”
Daniel finally looked at her.
“Someone Michael thought was gone.”
Sarah’s stomach twisted.
“Gone where?”
Daniel walked toward her.
“Dead.”
Sarah froze.
“What?”
“That’s what everyone believed.”
She stared at him.
“You’re telling me that man is supposed to be dead?”
Daniel nodded slowly.
“He disappeared years ago.”
“Then how do you know him?”
“I don’t.”
Sarah frowned.
“You just told him to walk away.”
“I recognized him.”
“That sounds like knowing him.”
Daniel looked away.
“There’s a difference.”
Sarah’s frustration exploded.
“You keep doing this!”
“Doing what?”
“Giving me half-answers!”
Her voice echoed through the garage.
“You know everything about Michael. You know everything about me. You knew someone was watching my apartment. You knew someone would be here tonight. And every time I ask you a question, you give me another mystery.”
Daniel remained silent.
Sarah stepped closer.
“Was this part of your plan?”
His eyes sharpened.
“What?”
“Everything that’s happening to me.”
She pointed toward the exit.
“The messages. The photograph. The man outside my apartment. This.”
Daniel stared at her.
“No.”
Sarah studied his face.
For the first time, she didn’t know whether she believed him.
“Then what do you want from me?”
Daniel’s expression softened.
“You already know.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You want the truth.”
“Yes.”
“And I want you.”
Sarah’s breath caught.
He stepped closer.
“But those two things were never supposed to become connected.”
Sarah searched his face.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
Instead, he reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone.
He showed her a photograph.
Sarah’s eyes widened.
It was Michael.
Standing outside a university building.
But he wasn’t alone.
The same stranger from the garage stood beside him.
And between them—
Adrian.
Sarah stared.
“That’s them.”
Daniel nodded.
“Michael. Adrian. And him.”
“Who is he?”
Daniel’s eyes darkened.
“His name is Victor.”
Sarah looked at him.
“What did they do?”
Daniel lowered the phone.
“That is the question I’ve spent years trying to answer.”
Sarah’s voice softened.
“And you still don’t know?”
Daniel looked at her.
“I know enough to hate Michael.”
A silence settled between them.
Then Sarah whispered:
“Did Michael ruin your life?”
Daniel’s expression changed.
For a second, Sarah saw something raw behind his eyes.
“Yes.”
“How?”
Daniel looked toward the garage entrance.
“Not tonight.”
She sighed.
“Of course.”
He looked back at her.
“Sarah, I need you to understand something.”
“What?”
“Whatever Michael tells you next…”
He stepped closer.
“Don’t believe him immediately.”
Sarah stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because he’s going to try to make you believe I’m the only monster in this story.”
Sarah swallowed.
“And are you?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
That silence was more frightening than any confession.
A car suddenly appeared at the end of the garage.
Michael.
He slammed the brakes and jumped out.
“Sarah!”
She turned.
Michael rushed toward them.
His eyes immediately landed on Daniel.
The hatred between them was instant.
“Get away from my wife.”
Daniel smiled coldly.
“Still calling her yours?”
Michael stopped.
Sarah looked between them.
“Enough.”
Neither man moved.
Michael pointed at Daniel.
“You need to leave.”
Daniel’s gaze never left him.
“You’re still giving orders.”
“I’m warning you.”
“No.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You’re afraid.”
Michael’s face tightened.
Sarah suddenly noticed something.
Michael wasn’t looking at Daniel like a jealous husband.
He was looking at him like a man who had seen a ghost.
Michael turned to Sarah.
“Come with me.”
Sarah didn’t move.
“Tell me the truth first.”
“Sarah—”
“What happened between you?”
Michael’s eyes flickered toward Daniel.
Then back to her.
“You don’t want to know.”
Sarah’s voice hardened.
“That’s not your decision anymore.”
Daniel watched silently.
Michael looked exhausted.
Then he whispered:
“It started with Adrian.”
Sarah’s heart stopped.
Daniel’s expression changed.
And for the first time, Sarah realized that whatever happened years ago…
both men were terrified of the same name.
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