2. Ella

One thing Ella absolutely hates about Mr. Whitaker is that he casually extends the lecture from ten to twenty minutes on a regular basis. She could have absolutely no problem studying for an extra hour if it wasn't for her part-time job.

She was late today as well. Ella can't lose this job. She would have to swallow her ego and beg for forgiveness. She was running and just running till she was at the store

Many things were occupying her brain but then all of the thinking took a pause when she saw her boss standing on the counter with a monstrous complexion.

Ella engulfed the air hard. Tightened the grip on her bag, she stepped into the store

The moment she entered, a blasting shout welcomed her from the counter

"WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU?" She knew she was in a bad situation. A really bad one and this shouting makes it worse.

Ella hasn't allowed the word sorry to touch her lips. It was too much. She was just keeping her mouth shut and letting Hunk say whatever he wanted to. But when she saw him taking giant steps in her direction, her mouth threw the seal away "I- I a sorry, Boss. I- it won't happen again" It itched her pride to say it.

When Ella lifted her face, he was still some steps away. The worst thing about the moment was that there was no customer in the shop and now Hunk can kill her in peace if he needs to. "A fucking sorry woulf fix nothing" he was walking towards her and she was terrified for herself. Her fingers were crossed at the back and her eyes were on the floor when she felt a sharp sting on her cheeks. Hunk slapped her. He was a big man and his one slap made her lose balance. She barely held herself from meeting the ground

"This was your last chance. If it happens again you would be fired" Ella nodded. Even though she was still feeling a little dizzy from that hit, she still nodded because if she lost this job, she would be on the road. "Now, go to the counter and start the freaking word" her head was still moving up and down. She moved to the counter while Hank was still staring at her with a frightening stare.

She could have just called a bodyguard and made him beat the living hell out of Hunk, she was imagining things and there was literally nothing she could do other than rubbing her cheek but it won't take the pain away.

When Ella went to her place at the counter, her eyes saw something terrible. More terrible than Hunk and the slap. She saw someone through the window. It was Alex. He was standing outside the door and he was smirking. He wasn't looking at Ella but Hunk. She did not know what was happening nor did she want to know.

She doesn't care if Alex has seen her getting slapped. What mattered was that she didn't lose the job. Hunk was kind to a percent equivalent to zero. The only reason she could think why he let her stay was that no one would work for him at this low salary.

"Why the hell are you not moving?" It was that Hunk again. "I am sorry" she jerked her mind and when she spared another glance to the window, he was gone.

Ella was unable to spot him. She could swear that he was just standing outside the window but now there was nothing.

Driving her attention away from it, she shifted the entire focus to the work and Hunk walked out of the door.

She breathed for the first time since she entered the store.

Ella tried to focus on work but it was still hurting. She saw her reflection in the table mirror and she saw blood on her cheek "Fucking hunk" she cursed under her breath. It must be from his ring, she thought to herself. That ring that he won in gambling. Ella hated it so much because it wasn't the first time it had given her a bruise.

She quickly took a tissue paper out and wiped the blood off.

Ella sat on the chair. There were not many customers and she was actually grateful for it. She was unable to keep her mind straight because there was too much to think about.

She should reach Danial by any possible source. Maybe if they worked together they would be able to find something against the club, after all she could not let her father's work go to waste. He has spent years collecting information about Eclipse. Countless stressful nights and days full of hard work.

She has to do it for her father. She has to end it all at once.

For now, Danial was her only chance. He was, too, an amazing lawyer and Ella would complete her degree very soon. She could assist Danial and they could bring Eclipse down with the help of her father's research, if they could recur it by any chance.

•••

Ella remembers how the days used to be. Whenever she would come home after hanging out with friends, her father would stop working and come to welcome her home with a hug. The bond was so strong and so beautiful. Maybe this was the reason why she still felt her father was near her and even though this house was nothing like her old home, she could feel him there.

Ella took a deep sigh and entered the residential building instead of her castle. She was grateful to Danial for sending her money for the first month. They were enough to cover the bills for that one month and for the next, she worked really hard, earned the rent and sent his money back.

Ella's home was a small apartment. It was okay to live in but not enough to give her a peace of mind. It sometimes feels too depressing and then the feeling. The feeling of fear that envelopes her wherever she goes. She has been noticing it for weeks now.

At first, she thought she was hallucinating. The sounds of steps that follow her to the door, those stares from the window, and the feeling of being watched every second. It doesn't feel like an illusion anymore. She has seen him a couple of times but he hides every time. She didn't have an idea about who he is and if he is real then it freaks the living hell out of her.

Ella was smart, she could make sense of everything but she couldn't run her mind on this one. Most importantly what he can get from her?

The thoughts were roaming around her brain. Trying to make sense of anything that would untwist this anonymous person. But it was of no use. She has done it over and over again and gotten nothing.

As Ella walked to the door of her apartment, she saw something. A note on the handle of her door. She looked around but there was no one. The hallway was empty.

Confused and a little afraid, she took it out of the handle and then unfolded it. Ella found a bandage on it.

Her eyes widened and hand abruptly flew to the bruise on her cheek. She scanned the place for another time but she found no human

It had to be a coincidence, she thought to herself but when she turned the note around, she found some words. Some words that gave her a sense of familiarity "See you soon, Princess" The memory flinched into her mind. She has a repeated nightmare. These words give her a memory of them but she could not tell if they were the same. Because the memories were blurred.

She yanked her brain. This wasn't the time to think about it.

Ella unlocked the door and then ran to her room. She had seen him through the window once and if it was really the stalker, she might see him again.

Ella threw her bag on the bed and opened the window.

There was no one. The road was as silent as dead. She took a step back and then in fear, she fell to her bed.

"Maybe it's a coincidence" he tried to convince herself but she was too clever to trick herself like this.

She was thinking about those dreams. Ella has a strong feeling of them not being the dreams but reality. And a piece of good evidence to support this statement was that she was drunk in all of those moments. She doesn't remember anything when she is drunk.

The face wasn't clear, she doesn't remember it but it was someone who had been there for her when there was no one. He would make his presence feel so obvious yet not show himself.

She has been having these dreams for about six months. And now she needs these dreams to be a reality. Something that has really happened because no matter how stubborn she makes herself look.

She yearned for someone like him.

Someone who cares about her even when she doesn't.