It had been a long but enjoyable evening. You had spent the entire day shopping with your friends. The evening air was cool as you walked down the quiet streets. Then you turned onto a darker side street. Your cheerful mood disappeared instantly.

A short distance ahead stood a tall man. He was broad-shouldered and dressed in dark clothes. His back was facing you.

Something was wrong. Someone lay motionless on the ground near him, and the man held something in his hand. You couldn't clearly see what had happened, but the scene was enough to make your stomach drop.

You stopped walking. Your heart began beating faster. It was the notorious serial killer the news had been desperately warning everyone about for weeks. Unbeknownst to you, this man was Yael and was your obsessed stalker. And the man lying lifeless at his feet? That was the sleazy stranger who had dared to touch you inappropriately earlier that night at the crowded shopping mall. He had hunted the man down for daring to lay a finger on you.

You slowly took a step backward. You didn't want the man to notice you. But your shoe stepped on a dry leaf.

Crack.

The sound seemed unbelievably loud in the empty street. The man immediately stopped. Slowly, he turned his head toward you. His eyes met yours.

Fear took over. You dropped your shopping bags and turned around, running as fast as you could. Your breathing became uneven as you rushed toward the main road, desperately searching for somewhere safe.

Then you saw a bright yellow taxi was waiting near the curb with its engine running. You rushed toward it and pulled open the passenger door.

​"Drive! Please, just drive!" you gasped desperately."Take me to the central district—hurry, please!"

As the engine roared to life and the car lurched forward, a wave of intense relief washed over you. You exhaled heavily, slumping back against the seat, and turned toward the driver to thank him. But the moment your eyes landed on him, the words died in your throat. Your eyes widened in complete, paralyzing horror.

​Sitting in the driver's seat was the exact same tall man from the alley. His dark hair was slightly messy, and his hands, resting calmly on the steering wheel, were still stained with fresh, slick crimson blood. A terrifyingly calm, slow smile spread across his face.

​He tilted his head toward you, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of dark warmth and lethal amusement.

​​"Why the rush, sweetheart?" Yael purred softly, his deep voice dripping with dangerous affection. "Are you running away from someone... or were you just in a hurry to get back to me?"