- AUTHOR'S POV -

The house was wrapped in an almost unnatural quiet, the kind that made even the smallest sounds feel louder than they should-the faint rustle of pages turning, the steady rhythm of breathing, the occasional creak of furniture settling into place. Chaya sat curled slightly on the couch in the living room, a book open in her hands, her eyes fixed on the words but her mind nowhere near them. Because it was impossible to focus... when she could feel it. That gaze. Intense. Unapologetic. Completely undeterred.