Juliette sat in the quiet restaurant with Leo. The clinking of cutlery and the low murmur of hushed conversations were the only sounds filling the room. The number of guests could probably be counted on one hand, as most people still chose to stay at home even though the government had reopened public facilities and given the green light to resume normal activities. She stared blankly at the menu in front of her, her mind elsewhere. Juliette had hoped to forget yesterday’s events by spending time with Leo, but it seemed her efforts could have been better. Anxiety and fear continued to loom over her.
“Jullie? Baby? What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?” Leo’s gentle yet attentive voice snapped her out of her trance. Juliette blinked, startled, as Leo waved his hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention. “Jullie? Do you have something on your mind? You don’t seem like yourself.”
For a moment, Juliette was taken aback, then quickly shook her head and closed the menu she had been holding. “Nothing. I’m just a bit tired, that’s all.” She sighed softly before forcing a small smile on her face. “So, who’s this friend you wanted to introduce to me?”
Leo smiled warmly, squeezing her hand. “He’s my friend from college,” he said, his tone tinged with nostalgia. “We talk a lot on the phone. My friend lives in Europe, but he returned to New York just a few days ago.”
Juliette nodded slowly, trying to focus despite her clouded thoughts. “Did you talk about me with him?” she asked, hesitating.
Leo smiled even more comprehensively, radiating ease. “Yes, of course. especially since he works as one of the managers at your family’s hotel. In fact, I remember he came to your birthday party once, though I can’t quite recall when.”
Juliette’s breath caught in her throat. She had been suspicious of Leo; now, there was another possibility that the man she was about to meet could be her stalker. Her mouth opened as if to ask more questions, adrenaline rushing through her veins. She wanted to demand answers but stopped when she heard the soft chime of the door opening. A moment later, Leo stood up from his chair, greeting a man in a black leather jacket with a casual nod without making physical contact. The two men then sat down at the table. The atmosphere suddenly felt heavier for Juliette, who found breathing harder.
Juliette inhaled deeply, her heart pounding faster as she observed the handsome man with dark, neatly styled hair that perfectly complemented his piercing crystal-blue eyes, which carried a mysterious sharpness. The contrast made him striking yet unsettling. His thick eyebrows and sharp nose formed an almost perfect profile. Juliette froze as the man removed the mask covering his face, revealing a solid jawline and alluring red lips. Is it him? she thought suspiciously, but she remained silent.
“Jullie, meet my friend, Dion. Dion, you’ve met my girlfriend, Juliette,” Leo said. Juliette offered a polite smile and nodded briefly, and Dion did the same.
The man’s gaze was intense, almost as if he scrutinized her every move. “Well, Dion,” Leo continued, “I was just telling Juliette that you worked at her family’s hotel and attended her birthday party.”
Juliette nodded again, though her heart raced. Something about this man made her feel deeply uneasy, though she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
“Ah yes… that’s right,” Dion responded smoothly. “If I remember correctly, it was about five years ago. The hotel is where I work, but I was transferred and just returned a few days ago. I’m now the deputy director at the hotel.”
Juliette hid her clenched fists under the table. Her heartbeat quickened with each word Dion spoke. She fought hard to keep herself from spiraling into a panic attack as Dion explained his situation. Dion… D… Master D… Could it be him…? Her mind raced, desperately trying to piece together the terrifying puzzle she feared to acknowledge.
Leo, oblivious to Juliette’s inner turmoil, smiled warmly. “Thanks to Dion, I got the job at your family’s company. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have met my angel here,” he said, affectionately squeezing Juliette’s hand.
Dion smiled as well. “Angel?” he said teasingly. “To me, she’s more like a kitten.” He chuckled, waving over a server.
“Of course, I’m kidding. She’s more like a goddess,” Dion added with a playful grin. Leo laughed at Dion’s praise, but Juliette’s reaction differed. Her face turned pale, and her body trembled, struggling to contain the terror rising within her. Dion’s words felt like a veiled threat, and her heart raced so fast that she felt as if she couldn’t breathe. Her breaths grew shallow and erratic as though the air in the room had suddenly vanished.
Unable to hold it in any longer, Juliette abruptly stood up. With a faint murmur, she excused herself to the restroom in a voice barely audible. Her steps were hurried and unstable as if she were fleeing from something terrifying.
Once inside the restroom, Juliette couldn’t hold back the nausea any longer and retched violently, emptying her stomach in a miserable display. She continued until there was nothing left, only retching up vile, bitter bile.
When her body finally stopped revolting, and she began to calm down, Juliette slumped weakly against the wall. Her breathing was labored, and her body shook uncontrollably. After a few minutes, she took a deep breath and forced herself to stand up. She washed her face, now drenched in sweat and tears, at the sink, hoping to erase any trace of the fear that still clung to her before stepping out of the restroom.
As she returned to the table, both men looked at her with concern. “Jullie? Are you alright?” Leo’s voice was full of concern. “You look so pale.”
Juliette cleared her throat softly and replied, “I’m fine. I think I ate something bad, and now it’s making me feel nauseous.”
This time, Dion spoke. “Are you sure? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
With a forced smile, her lips trembling slightly, Juliette murmured, “No, really, it’s nothing.” Dion gave a brief nod while Leo chose to rub her back gently in a soothing motion as if trying to chase away the invisible fear.
Juliette lowered her head, staring at her trembling hands, which she couldn’t control. Suddenly, her body tensed as if she could feel an intense gaze piercing her. She snapped her head up and found Dion staring at her, his gaze sharp and fierce, as if he could see into the deepest corners of her soul. “So, Juliette, do you like roses?” he asked softly yet cuttingly.
Juliette bit her lower lip, trying to suppress the anxiety that suddenly bubbled up inside her. She felt a pain-not physical, but emotional. She wanted so badly to escape this place, far from the man before her. But she said nothing. Her lips were sealed by the fear that haunted her.
Juliette was genuinely terrified.
Because Dion might have been that man.
Leo, sensing the sudden silence, clicked his tongue in discomfort and finally spoke for Juliette, “Jullie doesn’t like roses. She hates them. The first time I gave her roses, she yelled at me and threw them away. But when I found out she was allergic to them, I understood. Juliette loves sunflowers. Isn’t that right, baby?”
Juliette grimaced internally and smiled, but it didn’t last long. She flinched suddenly as her phone vibrated inside her bag. Though she tried to remain calm, she couldn’t help but feel afraid every time her phone rang or vibrated, even though that psychopath shouldn’t be able to contact her anymore since she had changed her phone. But she knew he could do anything.
With hesitation, Juliette took her phone out of her bag and saw the incoming call notification. “Did you get a new phone, Jullie?” Leo asked when he noticed the different device in her hand. Juliette nodded in response and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was her mother calling.
“No wonder you texted me this morning and said you changed your number. Does your family know?” Leo continued.
“Of course. I’ve already told my family and those I do business with,” Juliette muttered quietly, her voice barely audible. “I need to take this, excuse me,” she added, stepping away to answer the call, her heart still pounding.
Juliette walked to a quiet corner of the room and swiped the green button on her screen, her hand trembling as she did so. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before speaking, her voice slightly shaky. “What is it, Mom?” she asked.
On the other end, her mother’s voice was full of worry. “Juliette! You need to come home now, dear!”
Juliette’s heart began to race. Her mother’s voice was panicked. “What’s wrong, Mom?” she asked anxiously.
“Anthony… he’s dead…”
Juliette’s eyes widened in shock. After ensuring her mother was okay, she ended the call and hurried back to the table where Leo and Dion sat. “I need to leave right away,” she said hastily, her eyes betraying her growing anxiety.
Leo looked at her with concern. “What’s going on? What happened?”
Juliette swallowed hard, trying to steady her trembling voice. “It’s nothing. Just a small issue at the De Lavigne estate.” She tried to sound calm, but it was clear that something much bigger was going on. She grabbed her bag and jacket before rushing out of the restaurant without waiting for a response.
In the taxi, Juliette leaned back in her seat, her emotions in turmoil. Her hands were still shaking as she tried to take a deep breath. Her mind was filled with the news she had just received.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated again. She quickly pulled it out, fearing something might have happened to her mother. But her heart stopped when she saw a message from a private number. With trembling hands, Juliette opened the message.
Tears instantly welled up in her eyes as she read the five words written there.
–It’s time for your punishment, kitten.-
Juliette felt her body go limp, her breath ragged. Dark and terrifying memories from her past resurfaced before her eyes. All the fears she had buried deep inside came rushing back, and she realized, with a sinking feeling, that she had never been genuinely safe.
…..