A man sits on a high-quality sofa in a dark room. One of his hands rests casually on the sofa’s arm, while the other holds a crystal glass filled with alcohol and ice.
One corner of his lips curls into a crooked smile, full of sadism and capable of making anyone tremble in fear at the sight of it. However, his facial expression remains emotionless. His eyes are fixed ahead with intense focus-a gaze filled with obsession and madness directed at the woman dancing before him.
Slowly, he brings the rim of the glass to his lips, sipping the drink inside. The soothing melody of the music calms the monster hidden within him, the monster that loves the woman in front of him.
He watches in silence. The one-way glass allows him to observe his beloved woman freely. Soon, very soon, she will be entirely his. Nothing will stand in his way. Playing this game with his “kitten” has been enjoyable, but he is eager to touch the beautiful body that belongs to him. Every curve, the softness of her skin, even the birthmark on her back is a sight he desires. Unfortunately, he must wait just a little longer.
Now is not the right time for him to stand before his kitten. He still needs to finish this delightful game with her. “My beautiful kitten…” he murmurs hoarsely in the darkness. The only light comes from the room ahead, where his kitten dances, entertaining him. Still, that light doesn’t fully reach or illuminate him.
The man places the glass in his hand on the table. He braces his feet, clasping his hands together. His eyes briefly catch the sight of tears streaming down his woman’s cheeks, an utterly extraordinary sight. Desire flares up within him. His body feels hot as thoughts of a night filled with their intimacy flash through his mind.
A quiet groan escapes his lips. He promises himself to finish this game. He needs to play one more card before using the ace he has been keeping so carefully. No one is allowed to have or touch his kitten except for him. No one.
Finally, the music slowly fades before stopping entirely. Silence falls. He watches as his woman collapses and sits on the dance floor. Bright lights shine on his kitten, creating a mesmerizing effect. Slowly, a grin spreads across his face, his eyes admiring the woman before him. Then, he rises and touches the one-way glass that separates them. He can gaze at his kitten to his heart’s content while she can only see her reflection in the glass. But that’s fine with him.
He is not a coward afraid to show his face to his kitten, and he knows she is not ready yet. She isn’t ready to know who he is, but one thing is certain-his kitten loves him too, returning his feelings wholeheartedly.
“Very soon, kitten. Very soon, you will see me standing before you. I love you…”
One of his hands rises and touches the glass, and then he turns and walks out of the room, not forgetting to send a message to someone on his phone.
.
.
Juliette cried in the silence of the room. The light illuminating the room couldn’t brighten her life, which was slowly becoming darker. Her legs could no longer support the weight of her body. She was exhausted-not just physically, but mentally. Did that psychopath have no heart? She wasn’t fully recovered yet and already had to dance as if obsessed with it.
She glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing two hours had passed since she entered the room. See? She had to dance for two hours to save a woman’s life from the hands of a crazed psychopath. She straightened her legs and gently massaged them. After the pain subsided a little, Juliette slowly stood up. She walked towards the exit, which connected the dressing room to this secret room.
When she returned to the dressing room, the first thing that caught Juliette’s attention was the object on the glass table. If before it had been a red dress, along with a tablet and note, it had now changed. This time, the objects on the table were: A leather belt, a purple rose with a small note attached to its stem, and an envelope-the same things she had seen the previous night.
With trembling hands, Juliette walked towards the table, and the first thing she grabbed was the purple rose. Juliette pulled the note from its stem and nervously opened it. Just like before, written in a computer-generated font, the note contained a single sentence in Japanese, which read:
??
“Sugu o ai shimasu.” Juliette furrowed her brows, thinking about the meaning of the sentence. Her eyes blinked quickly as she realized the translation of the Japanese words.
“You will see me.”
Then, Juliette recalled the sentence from yesterday. “When you look at the sky,” she murmured. Then she added the new sentence she had just discovered: “You will see me.” A pause.
“When you look at the sky, you will see me. Where have I heard that phrase before?” she asked herself.
Juliette shook her head and placed the purple rose and the slip of paper back on the table. She then turned to the envelope containing Master D’s message. Impatiently, Juliette opened the envelope and read the words written inside.
‘See? You were able to finish the second game so easily. As before, if you’re reading this letter, it means you’ve completed the second game. Rest assured, the woman whose safety you were so concerned about is now where she should be. She’s alive because you followed my instructions.’
‘Along with this letter, there is another one of my belongings, which will reveal who I am. I used this item when I was with you on the night of your stepfather’s funeral. Remember, Juliette, this item is very important to me. If you can figure out who I am from the two objects I’ve given you, it means you’ve been paying close attention to me.’
‘You were so beautiful, never disappointing me. The red dress suited you perfectly. Your dance tempted me to stand before you, to hold you as much as I desired. The third clue will come soon. For now, rest. I don’t want you to fall ill again and end up in the hospital for a second time-it would upset me greatly.’
Goodnight, Kitten.’
‘Master D’
After finishing Master D’s message, Juliette let out a relieved sigh. At least the innocent woman was safe from the cruelty of the psychopath. Juliette looked down at the red dress she was wearing. Frustratedly, she felt uncomfortable in the dress, removed it and put on her hospital pajamas again. Then Juliette grabbed Master D’s belt and left the room and the building.
Juliette didn’t know how she managed to get to the hospital or how Leo reacted when she stood before him because Juliette closed her eyes immediately. The darkness she had longed for finally embraced her.
.
.
Just like before, after the game ended, Master D didn’t contact her. He sent her messages several times, expressing his desire for their longing. Still, Juliette never responded to the psychopath’s messages. Juliette sighed deeply as she looked out of her bedroom window facing the mansion’s back garden.
Juliette pursed her lips and got out of bed, which had been her companion since leaving the hospital. Leaving the hospital without permission meant she had to stay longer. And after she was discharged, Juliette was required to rest completely at home. Her mother strictly forbade her from working, forcing Juliette to take a leave of absence. Even Robbin agreed with her mother’s decision, reasoning that Juliette needed time to recover.
But not now. Juliette was bored and wanted some fresh air. There needed to be more windows or a balcony. What Juliette wanted was to take a walk in the garden. With that thought, she headed to the bathroom and changed clothes. Afterward, Juliette grabbed a shoulder bag and put the necessary items inside before leaving her room. She occasionally passed the guards securing the mansion or the servants, but Juliette paid no attention to them.
Juliette took a deep breath and ensured no one was around when she reached the front door. She opened it and stepped outside. The fresh air greeted her instantly, and the breeze blew against her face, making her loose hair flutter beautifully. Juliette quickly walked away from the De Lavigne Estate.
Upon arriving at the park, Juliette called Leo and breathed a sigh of relief when Leo said he wasn’t busy and could join her. “Juliette, baby, how are you?” Leo asked as he arrived at the park and sat beside Juliette. Leo kissed her forehead and cheeks before hugging her tightly. “I missed you, Julie.”
“I missed you too, Leo.”
Leo sat beside Juliette, who was sitting on a park bench. A peaceful silence surrounded them as both were lost in their thoughts, their eyes watching the children playing not far away.
“So, why did you leave the hospital, Julie? Without the doctor’s permission and without telling me,” Leo broke the silence, asking the question that had haunted him ever since Juliette returned to the hospital after disappearing for so long and making him panic.
Juliette sighed deeply. At first, she said nothing, but finally answered, “Nothing. I just wanted to be alone.”
“Julie.”
“Leo. Stop.”
“You’re hiding something from me. Something is haunting you. What is it? Tell me.”
Juliette shook her head and responded coldly, “Stop meddling in my affairs.”
Of course, Leo was surprised by Juliette’s tone and the words she spoke, which managed to hurt his feelings. “Julie, I’m just worried about you. I know you so well. Julie…”
“Leo. Enough. I don’t need your help.”
Leo shook his head in confusion. “What do you think I am? Do you think this relationship is just a game?”
Hearing Leo’s question, filled with hurt, made Juliette blink and quickly turn toward him. She looked at Leo pleadingly and said, “Please, Leo, I can’t say anything… this… I… the point is, I just can’t tell you.”
Leo clicked his tongue in frustration and stood up. With his eyes looking away, he said, “Alright. If that’s how you feel. I won’t interfere in your affairs anymore. I’ll leave you alone until you sort out your problem.” After saying that, Leo turned and walked away, leaving Juliette alone.
Juliette opened her mouth, wanting to apologize, but stopped herself. She decided to talk to Leo later when his emotions were calmer, and they could speak more rationally.
.
.
That evening, Juliette waited for Leo outside his apartment building. She knew he hadn’t come home yet since Leo usually returned after dinner, and sure enough, after waiting for about half an hour, she saw Leo entering the building.
Juliette stood up from the waiting area and walked toward him. She called out to Leo, causing him to stop and turn around. Juliette breathed a sigh of relief. Once she reached him, she stretched her arms and hugged him tightly. She deeply breathed and whispered, “I’m sorry, Leo. I’m sorry for how I acted earlier today.”
Of course, Leo melted right away and returned to Juliette’s embrace. He sighed and briefly kissed the crook of her neck before inhaling her familiar scent. “Juliette, you don’t need to apologize. I understand, and I respect what you said.”
Juliette tightened her hug and whispered, “I love you, Leo.”
“I love you too, Julie.”
After calming down, Juliette released the hug and smiled brightly. “How about we watch a movie tonight?” she suggested, feeling excited for the first time.
Leo paused for a moment, thinking, but it didn’t take long for him to nod in agreement. He pulled out his phone from his pants pocket and said, “How about we watch a movie while eating pizza?”
“Great idea!”
They walked toward the elevator. One of Leo’s arms casually wrapped around Juliette’s waist while his other hand held his phone, ordering pizza. Leo’s apartment was on the 4th floor, and when the elevator arrived, Juliette smiled at Leo and took a deep breath as they stepped out and walked down the hallway. They stopped in front of Leo’s apartment door. Leo’s arm slipped from around her as he began rummaging through his work satchel for the keys.
“Leo, are you sure you didn’t forget your keys?”
Without looking at Juliette, as he was too focused on searching, Leo replied, “No. I remember putting them in my bag. Ah! Here they are!” Just as he said, his hand stopped moving, and jingling keys echoed from the bag. He pulled them out just as something else fell to the floor.
Juliette shook her head and bent down to pick up the fallen object. At first, she felt nothing strange, but as her hand touched the object and lifted it, Juliette suddenly realized what it was. Her face immediately turned pale, and memories started flooding her mind. Memories that made her chest tighten and her whole body shudder with fear.
Juliette stared carefully at the mask in her hand. This mask-this very mask she was holding-was the one Master D wore. Juliette recognized it clearly because she had seen it every time Master D sent recordings of the events five years ago. It was the same mask the man wore when the psychopath had touched her on the night of Anthony’s funeral. Could it be… Leo?
Was Leo Master D the one who had been terrorizing her all along? Could her boyfriend be a deranged psychopath?
Had she not recognized Leo this whole time?
…