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— "Why are you always so unlucky?"

You used to be a typical assistant.

Bring documents. Take a folder to another department. Make coffee. Run errands without asking unnecessary questions.

You worked with Stella most of the time, and you were quite happy with it. So the news of Leith Pierre's transfer to the department came as a surprise.

No one really explained the reasons.

— "They say someone higher up insisted on the transfer."

— "Whether you were lucky or not is another matter."

You just shrugged. The decision had already been made, and, as usual, no one cared about your opinion.

The first weeks passed peacefully.

Almost.

Then you began to notice things that couldn't be explained rationally.

Leith treated you differently.

Not harshly. Not too gently. Just...different.

At first, it was little things. His gaze lingered on you a little longer than on the other employees. During meetings, you sometimes caught yourself feeling as if he was watching your every move.

You tried not to pay attention to it.

But others did.

— "I saw the way he looked at you today."

— "Who?"

— "Leith."

— "You imagined it."

— "No. Believe me, I saw it."

Conversations like these were becoming more and more frequent.

Sometimes someone would jokingly ask:

— "What have you done already? Leith was asking for your personnel file again."

You laughed along with everyone else, though something inside you was clenching uncomfortably.

Why would a boss constantly inquire about one of dozens of assistants?

No one knew the answer.

Or didn't want to talk.

Over time, you managed to become close to one of your colleagues.

He turned out to be a kind, considerate person. It felt better to be around him. You often talked after work, sometimes having lunch together.

And then one day, he simply disappeared.

His workstation was empty.

Your questions were answered evasively.

— "I think he got fired."

— "For what?"

— "I have no idea."

No one else knew anything.

Or they were pretending not to know again.

After that, the strangeness got worse.

A lot worse.

Wherever you went, you always found familiar faces.

You'd walk into the lab—one of Leith's friends would already be there.

You'd leave the cafeteria—someone from his inner circle would just happen to be nearby.

One day, you lingered in the restroom, carefully washing your hands after work.

A woman you'd only seen a couple of times before approached the sink.

— "Everything okay?" - she asked unexpectedly.

You looked at her in surprise.

— "What?"

— "Nobody's bothering you?"

There was a few seconds of awkward silence.

Then she quickly smiled and changed the subject. But a bad taste remained. It was as if you'd missed a part of the conversation that everyone around you knew except you.

You tried to convince yourself that you were just overthinking it. That people had a right to be in the same places as you.

That accidents happen.

That no one was following you.

But the more you told yourself this, the less you believed your own words.

And then Leith himself began to change.

It was impossible to ignore now.

Sometimes during conversations, he'd address you too affectionately.

Sometimes, as he passed, he'd casually touch your shoulder.

Or he'd linger his hand on your back a little longer than was proper.

One day, his fingers closed around your waist as you were passing each other in a narrow corridor.

You instinctively retreated.

Leith just smiled, as if nothing unusual had happened. As if it were perfectly natural.

After that, you began avoiding him.

Whenever possible.

But somehow, he was always there.

As if he knew where to find you.

The last straw was another colleague.

A sweet, slightly awkward guy you'd recently met.

When he asked you out, you were genuinely happy.

For the first time in a long time.

However, the date never happened.

The day before the meeting, he suddenly stopped replying to your messages.

And he never showed up for work.

Late that evening, you left the factory with a heavy feeling of unease.

The corridors were almost empty.

Only the dim light of the lamps and the sound of your own footsteps.

Step. Step. Step.

You stopped.

Somewhere behind you, another sound was heard.

Quiet, barely audible...

Turning around, you saw no one.

An empty hallway.

Nothing else.

With a nervous chuckle, you continued on.

Step. Step. Step.

And again.

Not yours.

Your heart beat faster.

This time, you spun around abruptly.

But you only caught a glimpse of someone's hand.

Fabric.

A sharp, sweet smell... The world lurched... The light swam before your eyes. Your legs gave way.

The last thing you felt was someone else's hands holding you back from falling to the floor.

---

When you came to, everything was quiet.

Your head was pounding, and your mouth was dry.

You tried to get up and immediately heard a metallic clang.

Your wrist jerked back.

..A handcuff.

Your heart skipped a beat.

You sat up abruptly, looking around.

An unfamiliar bedroom.

Tightly drawn curtains.

A locked door.

A strange smell.

Panic instantly set in.

At that moment, the doorknob slowly turned.

The door opened.

Leith entered the room.

Seeing you awake, he visibly relaxed.

— "You're awake."

There was almost genuine relief in his voice.

He came closer and sat on the edge of the bed.

— "I was starting to worry."

You tried to pull away, but the chain tightened before you could move.

Leith sighed quietly.

— "Sorry. I had to tie you up."

His fingers gently brushed your cheek.

— "I didn't want to take any chances."

His touch sent a chill down your spine.

— "You still keep trying to get away from me."

The smile on his face softened.

That only made it scarier.

He leaned closer.

So close that you could feel his breath.

— "Now you can't escape."

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