Angela's heart thundered in her chest as the sound of soft footsteps broke through the stillness of her room. The shadows seemed to swell, her breath catching when the figure stepped closer. The figure moved closer. She clutched her phone tightly, her thumb hovering over the emergency dial, when the silhouette spoke.
"Angela, it's me."
She gasped. "Edmund?"
The familiar voice made her freeze. He stepped into the dim shaft of moonlight spilling through the window. The sharp lines of his face, the unmistakable intensity in his eyes, melted her initial fear into confusion and anger. He stood near her desk, his gaze steady yet shadowed by something unreadable.
She reached for the lamp on her desk, switching it on with a sharp click. The warm light illuminated the room, revealing him standing at the door, hands slightly raised in a gesture of surrender.