Chapter 2

...The next day ...

The next morning, Nella moved through her day in a haze, her thoughts circling back to the man in the alley. The blood, his warning, the weight of his gaze all of it lingered like a shadow she couldn’t shake. His face haunted her, his dark, striking features, eyes so deep they seemed to hide both secrets and danger. Just remembering them sent a shiver down her spine.

By evening, her curiosity won. Guilt tugged at her too she needed to know if he had survived. She made her way to the hospital, her heart pounding as she asked for him. But the nurse only frowned. No records, no admissions, nothing. It was as if the bleeding stranger had never existed at all.

Nella walked out into the cold air, more unsettled than before. Why did she feel this hollow ache without him? Why did her chest tighten like she had lost something precious someone precious after only one meeting? It didn’t make sense. And yet, she couldn’t let him go.

Days passed. Snow continued to fall over

Moscow, blanketing the streets in silence. Nella threw herself into helping her parents at the flower shop, arranging bouquets, sweeping petals from the floor, counting every ruble

carefully. Her mother’s cough was getting worse, and money had to be saved for medicine. But even with her hands busy, her mind betrayed her.

The man from that snowy night was always there in her thoughts, in her dreams, in the

hollow space between heartbeats. His voice echoed still

"Run Bunny."

And though she tried, she couldn’t escape the feeling that their paths weren’t finished crossing. The shop bell chimed softly as Nella arranged roses in the front window.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months since that night, but his shadow lingered. Every time the bell rang, her heart leapt half with hope, half with fear.

This time, it was only a customer, an older

woman buying lilies. Still, Nella couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that someone was watching her. The street outside seemed too quiet, the snow muffling footsteps that might be there or might not.

That evening, as she closed the shop, a black car rolled slowly past. Its windows were tinted, its engine a low growl in the silence. Nella froze, her hand tightening on the keys. For a moment, she thought she saw someone in the back seat

staring at her. Then the car disappeared into the night.

At home, she tried to push it away. Her mother’s smile, weak but warm, reminded her why she had to stay strong. She brewed tea, helped her father carry boxes of ornaments, and pretended everything was normal. But when she went up stairs.

Her phone buzzed. An unknown number.

With shaking fingers, she opened the message. Just few words, sharp against the screen

"Stay loyal to me bunny, I will come soon."

Her heart skipped. Who could it be?

She stared at the message until her screen dimmed, her reflection staring back at her with wide, frightened eyes. She told herself it was nothing a prank, a mistake. But deep down, she knew

It was him.

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