Obsession of Ex

PART 3 – THE NETWORK OF DARKNESS

NADINE

Tonight felt colder than usual. Nadine sat on the edge of her bed, her hands trembling as she tried to lift the cup of warm tea she had just made. The unease settled in her chest, refusing to fade since the incident at campus earlier that day.

That message...

"Don’t go home alone tonight."

She had already deleted it from her phone, hoping that doing so would erase her fear as well. But the words kept echoing in her mind, like a whisper clinging to her ears, reminding her that she was never truly alone. The feeling of being watched hadn’t gone away; in fact, it had only intensified as the day wore on.

Nadine took a shaky breath, trying to calm her nerves. She tried to convince herself that it was just her imagination running wild—maybe the stress of school, the looming graduation, and everything else was simply getting to her. But deep down, she knew something was off. She couldn’t shake the paranoia.

She reached for her phone and typed a message to Lucas. She needed reassurance, needed to hear his voice to calm the panic that was building inside her.

Nadine: Are you sure Adrian is still in prison?

The message was sent, and within seconds, her phone vibrated. Lucas was calling.

She picked up immediately. "Lucas..."

"What happened? Did something else happen?" His voice was filled with concern, and Nadine could almost feel his protective nature from the other side of the phone.

Nadine bit her lip. She didn’t want to worry him further, but she couldn’t keep the fear inside any longer. "I feel like someone was following me today. And I got a strange message."

There was a long pause, and Nadine could hear Lucas breathing heavily, as if he was trying to process what she had said. Then, his voice broke the silence. "Look outside your window."

Nadine stood up slowly, feeling the chill in the air. Her body stiffened with unease, but she forced herself to move. She pulled back the bedroom curtain and peeked outside.

The street was empty. There was no one there.

She let out a sigh of relief, but her instincts told her something wasn’t right. The feeling of being watched didn’t go away just because there was no one in sight.

"There’s no one there," she whispered into the phone.

"Close your curtains and lock your door," Lucas said firmly. "I’m going to investigate something. I promise, I won’t let him touch you again."

Nadine nodded, even though Lucas couldn’t see her. Her heart ached at the thought of him putting himself in danger again, all for her. But she didn’t argue. She knew Lucas would do anything to protect her, and it gave her some comfort in the midst of the fear that gripped her chest.

But deep down, she knew—Adrian had never truly left.

ADRIAN

From the screen in his dimly lit room, Adrian watched everything.

Nadine, standing by her bedroom window. Lucas, speaking to her over the phone.

A smirk played on Adrian’s lips as he observed the scene unfold. The game was in motion, and everything was falling into place.

How sweet. Lucas thought he could protect Nadine, as if he could actually stop him.

But Lucas had already lost before this game even started. Adrian had been waiting for this moment. He had bided his time, watching, manipulating. He had paid the right people—those powerful enough to create the illusion that he was still locked behind bars. No one knew the truth. No one knew he was free. And as long as they were unaware, he could move in the shadows, pulling the strings that controlled everything.

Adrian leaned back in his chair, his eyes glinting with satisfaction as he continued to watch. He had planned every detail perfectly. Nadine had always been so strong, but even the strongest minds could break under pressure. The more vulnerable she became, the closer he would be to making her his.

And now, with Lucas actively trying to protect her, it only made the game more interesting.

Adrian chuckled softly. "Soon, Nadine, soon... You’ll realize you belong to me."

LUCAS

Lucas slammed his laptop shut, the sound echoing in the quiet room. His mind was racing, and the frustration boiled inside him like a storm about to break. He had always been a step ahead of his enemies, but Adrian Callway... Adrian was something else. Something far more dangerous.

Lucas had spent hours pouring over every document, every financial record. The more he dug, the more he found. Everything seemed normal on the surface—the reports on Adrian’s arrest, the news about the trial, and the supposed prison sentence. But something didn’t add up. Lucas had a gut feeling. He couldn’t shake the suspicion gnawing at him.

He opened the file again and scrolled through the massive transactions on Adrian’s company accounts. The numbers were staggering, and they had been increasing over the past few months—months when Adrian was supposedly behind bars.

Lucas clenched his fists. He wasn’t an investigator, but he knew enough to recognize when something wasn’t right. Adrian’s financial dealings, the connections he had, all pointed to the fact that he had never truly been behind bars. He was out there, somewhere, and he was watching.

"Dammit," Lucas muttered, running a hand through his hair. He couldn’t risk scaring Nadine further, but he had to know the truth. Was Adrian really still in prison, or was he out there, planning his next move?

He picked up his phone and quickly typed a message to Queen.

Lucas: I need to investigate something about Adrian. I need your help.

Queen would know what to do. She always did. But he hated involving her in this, especially when he knew it would just bring her closer to the danger.

QUEEN DIOR

Queen Dior sat inside her car, the engine idling softly as she stared at her phone screen. She had just read a message from Lucas, and her heart ached at the words.

I need to investigate something about Adrian. I need your help.

She bit her lip, staring at the message for a long time. Lucas had always come to her when there was a problem. Always relied on her. And every time it happened, Queen couldn’t help but feel a sharp pang of longing in her chest. She loved him—she had for as long as she could remember—but Lucas had never seen her the way she had always seen him. His heart was with Nadine, and Queen had accepted that. Or at least, she tried to.

But now, with everything happening, the jealousy was creeping in again. She hated seeing Nadine in danger, and yet, a part of her couldn’t help but feel possessive when Lucas spoke to Nadine the way he did.

Queen took a deep breath, trying to push the emotions away. She couldn’t let herself get caught up in her feelings now. Not when Nadine was at risk.

She tapped out a quick response to Lucas.

Queen: I’m on my way. Tell me what you need.

Queen wasn’t sure what she was getting herself into, but she knew one thing—she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. Someone had to protect Nadine. Even if it meant putting her own heart at risk.

And in this game, Queen knew someone would get hurt. But she could only hope it wouldn’t be her.