It Started With A Vampire

If only...

The hotel room was quiet again—too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes your ears ring.

Eva stood near the balcony door, her phone still lit up in her palm, the message burning into her retinas.

"You can run to hotels, to security, to the ones who say they love you. But I'm always closer than you think. You're not safe. And neither is he."

Attached: another blurry photo—this time of Malachi. Laughing. Holding her water bottle. From earlier that day on the beach, when she thought they were finally catching their breath.

Her hand trembled as she locked her phone.

"What is it?" Malachi's voice came from behind her, soft but firm.

She turned slowly. "Another message."

He walked toward her, his jaw tight. "Let me see it."

She hesitated—just for a second—but then handed it over. His expression darkened as he read the words.

"They were watching today..." she whispered, arms crossing over her chest.

Ariana, MK, Milo, and Meg were already in the room. Everyone froze when Malachi read the text aloud.

"This is escalating," Milo said, taking the phone carefully. "They got close today. Too close."

"Closer than we thought possible with the security," Meg added, her eyes sharp. "Someone either followed or already knew our location."

"They're watching," Eva said, finally sitting down beside Ariana on the couch. "Even here."

Milo nodded. "We've been analyzing camera footage and background movement all day. And we think we might've found a connection." He grabbed his laptop and projected an image onto the TV.

A blurry frame. A figure in the background of several different photos from different days—sometimes near Eva, sometimes near the trailers, sometimes across the street from the studio.

Felicity.

But now, they could see her handing something off. To a woman.

A woman with a hood, sunglasses, and sharp posture.

"Sierra," Meg muttered.

"We're 80% sure," Milo confirmed. "We don't know how close she's been, but we tracked some financial movements linked to one of Felicity's old accounts. She got a payment. From a dummy company based in Nevada."

"And guess who filed for a legal name change in Nevada last year?" MK said, standing behind the couch, arms crossed. "Sierra Alvarez."

Eva's heart thundered. "So... she paid Felicity to stalk me?"

"We think Felicity was working for her," Milo said. "And possibly others. This goes deeper than just one unhinged ex-friend."

Meg added, "And the PR team is still pushing back. They're upset about your video, Eva. Some of them are trying to say you're manipulating the narrative."

Eva clenched her fists. "So? They've been manipulating me this whole time."

Malachi sat beside her now, placing a hand over hers. "Then maybe it's time we stop playing their game."

She looked at him.

His eyes didn't waver. "We go public. You and me. We don't hide. Not from Sierra. Not from PR. Not from anyone."

Eva hesitated. "You'd do that?"

"I want to do that. But only if you're ready."

Before she could respond, Meg's phone buzzed.

She read the message and frowned. "The studio's demanding a joint interview. Eva and Malachi. To clean up the press mess and ease the public."

Ariana sat up. "So they're forcing them to go public?"

"They're saying it'll calm the fans and reduce danger. But really? It's PR damage control."

Eva sighed. "Fine. If they want a story, I'll give them one. But it's going to be the truth."

Malachi squeezed her hand, proud. "You sure?"

"No," she admitted. "But I'm tired of being scared. If Sierra wants to watch, let her watch me win."

⸻

Later that night

Eva stepped out onto the private balcony again, needing air. The lights of the city twinkled below, but her mind was clouded.

Malachi joined her after a few minutes, standing close, silent.

"I'm scared," she whispered. "I'm really scared."

"I know," he said. "So am I."

She looked at him—really looked. And for once, she didn't fight it. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

He held her like she was breakable, but solid. Like he knew what it meant that she was finally letting him in without hesitation.

And when she finally spoke again, it was soft. But sure.

"If I'm doing this... it's not for PR. It's not even to shut Sierra down."

"Then why?"

She looked up at him. "Because I want to stop pretending I don't love you."