The bouquet of champagne roses sat quietly in the living room for a few days.

The edges of the petals had started to curl slightly, and the scent had faded, but Evelyn couldn't bring herself to throw them away. She tucked the card into her journal; occasionally, she'd flip through the pages, and that sharp calligraphy still felt incredibly striking.

Maybe it was just a prank from some old classmate I don't talk to anymore, she told herself. She put the thought out of her mind and dove back into her work.

Evelyn logged into the game once again. She noticed that the time flow inside was getting faster and faster. Before, each refresh meant two weeks or a month had passed, but now, every time she logged in, months had gone by.

In reality, only a week had passed, but Adrian had already been accepted early into the Computer Science department at a top university and had been studying there for months. She had even missed his eighteenth birthday.

"These developers are the worst," she grumbled under her breath. "How could they just skip over such huge milestones? What about the graduation ceremony? I thought this was supposed to be a high-freedom game!"

Most importantly, it was his eighteenth.

I can't believe I missed it...

"Evelyn."

"Sorry, I'm so sorry!" Evelyn pressed her hands together in a sincere apology. "I missed your birthday and your graduation. I didn't mean to."

She looked at him and realized he was taller than the last time they met. His features were more defined and deep, losing the last traces of boyhood and gaining some cold, sharp edges.

The art team really outdid themselves!

The detail was so realistic that she felt a genuine sense of immersion, as if she really had watched him grow up.

"It's okay." Seeing her again after two long months, Adrian couldn't help but let out a breath of relief. "As long as you stay by my side, that's all that matters."

As long as you come back, it's enough.

When you're with me, I feel like I'm truly alive.

Evelyn was charmed by the sheer dependency and longing in his voice. Her annoyance with the game developers vanished instantly.

How is he so good with words?!

...

Friday night, the company annual gala.

As a top-ranking artist on the new shoujo manga charts, Evelyn had been invited. She wore a burgundy velvet slip dress that perfectly traced her curves.

Her skin was naturally pale, and against the deep red, she looked absolutely radiant.

The ballroom was brilliant with lights, the air thick with the scent of perfume and red wine.

Men and women in glamorous outfits moved through the crowd, socializing and clinking glasses.

Evelyn chatted with a few acquaintances before finding a quiet corner to sit by herself.

"Miss Carter?"

A shy male voice spoke beside her.

She turned to see a young man who looked like a fresh-out-of-college intern.

"Hello," Evelyn gave him a polite smile.

"I... I'm a new concept art assistant. I absolutely love your series, Summer Cicada! The pacing and panels are incredible!" The guy was so excited he was tripping over his words. "You... you look beautiful today. That dress really suits you."

Being praised to her face made Evelyn offer a gracious response: "I'm glad you like it. Good luck with your work."

They chatted briefly about the industry and were surprised to find they both loved the same obscure old anime.

The shared interest bridged the gap instantly. He was shy and timid but surprisingly funny once he got talking, and Evelyn found herself opening up, her eyes crinkling into a bright, clear smile.

In the middle of their conversation, the phone in her clutch vibrated.

She gave an apologetic smile and pulled it out. The screen showed a text from a random number.

[Why are you talking to that man?]

Evelyn's smile froze.

She instinctively scanned the room. The ballroom was loud and crowded; everyone was busy with their own conversations, and nobody seemed to be paying attention to this corner.

Whose idea of a prank was this?

Before she could process it, her phone buzzed again.

[Keep your distance from strangers.]

[You look beautiful today, darling.]

[Those maggots shouldn't be that close to you.]

[I want to kiss you. I want to hold you. I like you so much. I love you.]

Text after text flooded in, bringing a bone-chilling, eerie sensation that sent Evelyn into a panic.

The anonymous roses on her birthday and the "To my Evelyn" on the card flashed back into her mind.

If the person sending the flowers and the texts was the same person... was this still just a prank?

"Miss Carter? Are you okay? You look pale," the junior asked with concern.

"Oh... I'm fine," Evelyn forced a smile and quickly stuffed her phone back into her bag. "It's just a bit stuffy. I'm going to get some air."

She hurried away with a flimsy excuse and walked out onto the terrace.

The evening breeze hit her, and she realized her back was covered in a cold sweat.

She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and dialed the unknown number.

No answer.

She typed a message and sent it: [Who is this?]

It also vanished into the void with no response.

That person was right there in the ballroom. In some corner she couldn't see, they were like a venomous snake, silently watching her.

The thought made her skin crawl.

Evelyn blocked the number, as if that could cut off the sticky, unsettling gaze. She went back to her seat and took a sip of wine to calm her nerves.

Who would do something this twisted?

She sat for a while, her mind a complete blank. She set her glass down and decided to head to the restroom to splash some cold water on her face.

A few minutes later, when she returned to her seat, she froze.

The table was empty. Her glass of red wine, which she had barely touched, was gone.

What is going on? Too many weird things were happening lately! Did someone take it by mistake? But there was no one else around.

Just as she was spiraling into doubt, her phone buzzed again. It was a completely new number. This time there was no text, only a picture.

In the photo, a lean, beautiful hand was holding a wine glass. The burgundy liquid swirled slightly inside, and on the rim, a faint, suggestive smudge of lipstick was clearly visible.

It was her missing glass.

Then, another message popped up.

[You’re a lightweight, Evie. Don’t have too much.]

WHO IS THIS!!!

This person knew her birthday, her address, what she was wearing to the gala, who she was talking to, and even that she couldn't hold her liquor!

Evelyn ran through everyone she knew in her head and ruled them out one by one.

Friends? Impossible. None of them would joke like this.

Colleagues? That new junior? Unlikely. He didn't have the guts or the motive, and they had just met; he couldn't know her that well.

College admirers? Even more unlikely. They didn't even know where she lived.

This person knew her habits intimately, or they could easily investigate everything about her. They had even managed to sneak into this event and taunt her right under her nose.

But why?

Why would a powerful person notice an obscure manga artist like her?

She was certain that in her social circle, she didn't have a single friend who had crossed into the elite class of wealth and power.

Second floor, VIP lounge.

The heavy soundproof glass completely cut off the noise from below.

Adrian Vale stood before the massive one-way floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the ballroom.

His gaze was locked onto the figure in burgundy. He watched her go from smiling and laughing to looking grave and then clearly unsettled.

Evelyn... my Evelyn...

You didn't do what you promised. You abandoned me without a second thought. Did you really think this day wouldn't come?

Were you that sure I wouldn't find you?

He slowly raised the glass in his hand—the very one he had taken from her table.

His thumb brushed the rim of the glass. Then, he lowered his head, his thin lips pressing against that lingering lipstick mark as he drained the rest of the wine.

The sharp alcohol seemed to carry her sweetness as it slid down his throat, igniting the long-suppressed hunger within him.

Watching her grip her phone in a panic, like a startled young deer, he felt his heart being squeezed by an invisible hand.

On one side was an uncontrollable, crazed urge to drag her completely into his world.

On the other was a sharp, unbearable ache in his chest when he saw her distressed and frowning.

She had once reached out to him in the dark. She smiled at him, encouraged him, and lit a lamp for him. She was the only person willing to step into his life.

She should live freely and brightly, not wear a look of terror because of him.

Adrian lowered his eyes, masking the churning possessiveness and destructive desire within.

Wait a little longer.

He told himself.

Soon, very soon, she would get used to the fact that he was everywhere.