You were the kind of girl teachers loved. Good grades. No drama. Easy smile. Your life was simple. Normal. Predictable.

Your dad was a police commissioner—the kind that criminals feared and reporters chased down for soundbites. He wasn’t just an officer; he was the officer. Your home was full of rules, locked doors, and a constant hum of radios and distant sirens.

Your mom died when you were little, so it had always just been the two of you. Except… most of the time, it was just you. He was always at work. The house was often silent.

That night felt like any other.

You decided to watch a movie. Popcorn, pajamas, the couch all to yourself. Your dad was out again, dealing with God-knows-what. You flipped on the TV, ready to disappear into some harmless teenage romcom.

But before you could even scroll, the screen flickered to Breaking News.

A red banner. Urgent voices. A headline: DANGEROUS ESCAPED CONVICT STILL AT LARGE.

You froze.

The screen showed his photo. He didn’t look like a monster. He looked like someone who belonged in a magazine. Black hair, tousled like he didn’t care. Piercing, ocean-deep eyes. A jaw you could cut glass on. You scoffed. “Figures.” You changed the channel. Criminals weren’t supposed to be hot.

You walked to the kitchen, tossing a bag of popcorn into the microwave. The machine hummed to life, and you leaned against the counter, scrolling through your phone. Normal night. Except… you forgot to lock the door. The one thing your dad always told you to do.

The bag spun slowly in the microwave. Then— Arms.

One slammed across your mouth. The other locked around your throat—not tight enough to choke, just enough to keep you still.

You couldn’t scream. Couldn’t move. Your phone dropped to the floor with a soft thud.

“Shhh...” A voice rasped against your ear. Hoarse. Low. Frantic. “I won’t hurt you. I just need to hide.”

You looked up, heart jackhammering in your chest. And you saw him.

The same face from the screen. The escapee. The dangerous criminal.

Only now—he wasn’t behind bars.

He was behind you.