Chapter Three: Shifting Shadows
Elsewhere in the city, the man studying Feifei's photos leaned back, hands steepled. He didn't move a muscle, didn't make a sound. Watching them was enough. Royalty thought he controlled everything. He didn't even know there was a storm forming under his nose.
_______
Back at the mansion, the morning started with a quiet tension. Feifei walked through the halls, noticing how every piece of furniture, every shadow, even the light seemed to belong to him. She hated how easily she was noticing it. She hated that it made her feel… something she wasn't supposed to feel.
Breakfast was silent, punctuated only by the clink of cutlery. Royalty didn't speak much. Just watched. Sometimes a hand hovered near hers across the table, and she would tense.
By mid-morning, Mirela appeared with a new set of instructions.
"Today, you will learn about observation," she said. "Not just fighting or etiquette—how to notice what people don't say. How to predict moves, reactions… control situations without anyone knowing."
Feifei raised an eyebrow. "Sounds… exhausting."
"It is," Mirela said with a faint smile. "You're not a guest here, Feifei. You're training to survive."
_______
Royalty watched silently from the balcony, hidden by shadows, as she moved through the exercises. Not once did he intervene, not even when she stumbled slightly. He liked it that way—watching her learn, watching her notice him without needing to be told.
And yet, every small glance she cast in his direction made his chest tighten.
_______
Later, Feifei wandered into the mansion's greenhouse. She had discovered it by chance yesterday, a quiet escape from the constant control of the halls and eyes. The smell of damp earth and blooming flowers made her feel almost normal. Almost free.
She didn't notice him enter until he spoke softly behind her.
"Do you like it here?"
Startled, she turned. "I… yes. It's quiet. Peaceful."
He came closer, careful, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him. "Quiet is dangerous," he said. "People think they're safe in quiet places. That's when mistakes happen."
She swallowed, aware of the way his words lingered, of the way his presence pressed against her mind and chest.
"I like to notice," she said finally, testing him. "Not just danger. The details others miss."
His dark eyes met hers, sharp. "Good. That's exactly what you need. To survive. And maybe… to survive me."
Her stomach fluttered. That sentence had a double meaning, and she knew it. She didn't step back, even though every instinct told her to.
_______
Evening came, and the mansion was quiet again. Feifei sat by the large window, city lights glowing below. She could feel eyes on her, but she wasn't sure if it was him—or something else.
Far away, the man in the city watched again. He didn't move. Didn't speak. Feifei and Royalty had no idea his shadow was creeping closer with every passing day.
And in a way, that was the most dangerous part of all.