Call

She sat in front of her computer, fingers moving across the keyboard absentmindedly.

People passed by—some talking, some glancing her way—but she paid them no mind.

Her thoughts were elsewhere.

Four days. Four days had slipped through her fingers like wind, yet the memory of that meeting remained sharp, every detail etched into her mind.

The first time she had met Adrian Voss, Leo had been there, cradled in his arms. Somehow, that had softened the intensity of his presence. But this time—sitting face to face with him in his office—it had been suffocating. Overwhelming. He had spoken little, yet she remembered every word.

She could still see his cold, assessing gaze, the way it had settled on her, making her skin prickle with unease.

And now, she couldn't believe she had actually done it. She had shown the guts to go to him—and even more unbelievable, he had invited her to his house.

But should she go?

Should she not?

What was the right choice?

As much as she wanted to help her son, walking into Adrian Voss's home was something she could hardly fathom.Just being in his office had nearly made her heart stop from sheer pressure.

A sudden tug on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Eve."

She blinked and turned. Maria stood beside her, a curious look in her eyes.

"Where were you lost, girl? It's time to leave," she said.

Maria worked at the desk beside hers. They weren't exactly friends, but she had always been polite and helpful—a woman in her early forties with a composed demeanor and long black hair. She had been with the company for years.

"Thanks, Maria. I was just lost in thought," Eve replied, forcing a small smile as she turned back to her computer.

Her breath caught.

The screen.

Her document was filled with nonsensical, repeated sentences.

"Should I. Should I not. How. Why. Yes. No. You should hurry."

A chill ran through her. It looked as though her own mind had spilled onto the screen, exposing every frantic thought.

Quickly, she closed the document and shut down her computer. She grabbed her things, slung her bag over her shoulder, and stood up.

Most of the office was empty now, save for the few working the night shift.

"Let's go," Maria said, walking beside her as they headed for the elevator.

Inside the lift, Eve felt the tension coiling in her chest. As the doors slid open on the ground floor, she instinctively scanned the hall.

Where was Leo?

Then it hit her—Saturday. His school was closed today. He was probably at home.

Outside the building, she said goodbye to Maria and walked toward the bus stop.

She glanced at her phone.

Damn it.

She had missed her bus. The next one wouldn't come for another thirty minutes.

A sigh left her lips. She didn't have the patience or energy to wait that long today.

Pulling out her phone, she tapped at the screen and booked a taxi.

The yellow car pulled up in front of her a minute later. Without thinking much of it, she opened the door and slid inside.

She leaned back against the seat, letting out a slow breath as she closed her eyes. The weight of the day pressed down on her, exhaustion wrapping around her like a heavy cloak.

The car rumbled forward, slipping into the steady hum of the city night. She could feel the faint glow of passing streetlights flickering behind her eyelids, the soft vibrations of the road beneath her.

For a while, she let herself drift.

But then—

Something felt off.

Her eyes fluttered open.

She blinked at the passing streets, watching as the familiar routes blurred into something unrecognizable. The towering buildings, the the empty roads—this wasn't the way home.

A frown creased her forehead.

"Excuse me," she called to the driver, leaning forward slightly. "I think you took the wrong turn."

The driver didn't respond.

A chill crept up her spine.

She glanced at the dashboard screen, her heartbeat slowing as something cold and unsettling settled in her chest.

The address.

It wasn't her home.

It was the one on the card.

Adrian Voss's address.

Her breath hitched. Her fingers trembled as she scrambled for her phone, quickly typing in her actual home address.

"Take me here instead," she said, forcing her voice to stay steady.

This time, the driver nodded. "Of course, ma'am." He smoothly adjusted the route.

She exhaled, pressing a hand against her chest to steady her racing heart.

How had this happened?

Had she done it absentmindedly?

Or…

Had she done it on purpose?

She swallowed, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag.

She told herself it was just a mistake.

That was all it was.

And yet, as the car turned onto a familiar street, a part of her wondered why—if it had been just a mistake—her hands were still trembling.

The car soon pulled up in front of her residential building as she paid the driver and stepped out. She the walked inside the building but the taxi did not drive away as the drive, a middle aged man watched her disappearing inside the building before he picked up his phone. 

She walked out of the lift and pulled her keys as she turned them inside the lock and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. 

She scanned the living room. No one there. 

She checked his room and found him sitting behind the desk as she wrote something on his notebook. 

"Hello, Leo" She greeted as she placed her bag on his bed and walked behind him. 

"How was your day love" She asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder. 

He looked up at her and nodded in response. 

She looked at his notebook, he was doing his homework. 

He kept looking at her, his eyes questioning. 

"What, is something the matter" She asked as she gestured to his eyes before pointing to her. 

"Oh, its nothing I just had a long day" She smiled as she bent down and placed a kiss on his head.

"Dont work to much and rest up okay" She said to him as she stood up. "I will freshen up, then make us some dinner" She added before walking out of the room. 

He got back to his books as he heard the door close behind him and paid it no heed. 

Then after three minutes a faint buzzing sounded in the room. 

At first he Pais it no mind but then he looked back his dark eyes focusing on the bag she had left behind on his bed. 

She stood and walked to the bed before hesitantly opening the bag and taking the phone out. 

Private number. only these words flashed on the screen, He looked at it for moment before swiping across the screen. 

"Hello Leo" A voice said on the other side. 

Leo's eyes widened slightly.

"Do you remember me?" The voice on the other end was smooth, deliberate.

Slowly, Leo nodded.

"Look at the window, Leo."

His breath hitched, but he obeyed, turning toward the glass.

"Good boy."

A shiver traced down his spine.

"You trust me, don't you?" The voice was calm, patient.

Leo nodded again.

"You want to see me again."

Another nod. This time, quicker.

"Then you need to speak, Leo."

He stilled.

"Not too much. Not too easily." The words were a quiet murmur now, weaving their way into his head, slow and careful.

"You can do that for me, can't you? You will speak."

Leo swallowed. His fingers curled around the phone.

"Say it, Leo."

There was command in that whisper, subtle but absolute.

For a moment, he hesitated. Then, the words slipped out—soft, obedient, inevitable.

"Yes, sir."

A satisfied hum.

"Such a good boy you are, Leo."

The voice almost had a strange satisfaction.