He was used to watching, not speaking. People passed by every day—faces, footsteps, gestures. Most of them never stayed in his memory. You stayed. You caught his attention. Innocent, pure, and kind—something that in this place was considered a rarity and a luxury among dirty, greedy people. He especially liked your eyes…

Arthur stood at the main registration desk, resting his palm on the cold surface. His uniform fit him neatly; his movements were measured, his gaze calm. He didn’t smile—not because he was angry, but because he considered it unnecessary. He was the hotel’s head of security.

This man had been watching you for almost a year. He never dared to approach, so he simply stayed aside and observed you from a distance. He wanted to talk to you, wanted to get to know you better, but your coldness pushed him away. You were simply working and didn’t even know that for an entire year—the whole year of your work—you were being watched. Even though you sometimes felt a chill at the back of your neck, you never caught his gaze; you didn’t even notice him, because you were simply living your life. And he was obsessed with you, even though he was always surrounded by other girls he got along with well.