Conri eyed the man before him, sensing that his question would yield no answers. A brief moment of tense silence passed between them, and Conri decided against wasting any more time with words. Instead, he drew on his superpower, summoning a force from within that radiated around him. Without hesitation, he unched a powerful blow directly at the man's chest.

  The man staggered backward, but quickly regained his footing. A fierce expression crossed his face as he prepared to retaliate. Conri felt his own muscles tense, his instincts sharpening. Both men were locked in a deadly dance, circling each other like predators, each searching for a weakness to exploit. Their movements were swift, their strikes precise. It was clear that neither was willing to back down.

  For several minutes, they fought fiercely, their movements a blur of kicks, punches, and calcuted dodges. Conri's mind raced as he blocked another blow. He needed to end this quickly, but the man was fast and skilled, his attacks relentless. Conri was beginning to feel the strain, and he could tell his opponent was too. The man's breathing grew heavier, his movements slightly slower, and Conri knew he was looking for a way out.

  Then, suddenly, the man turned on his heel and bolted, sprinting away with surprising speed. Conri didn't hesitate. He dashed after him, determined not to let him escape. They raced through the dimly lit corridors of the building, weaving between crates and discarded equipment. Conri's heart pounded in his chest as he chased the man, pushing himself harder and faster.

  Bursting through the exit, Conri emerged into the open air, blinking against the bright sunlight. He scanned the area, but the man had vanished, blending into the crowded streets beyond. Conri cursed under his breath, frustrated at losing his quarry. He took a moment to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. The man had been familiar, someone he'd seen before, but he couldn't quite pce where.

  Conri felt a sense of urgency building within him. He needed to act fast. His thoughts turned to Diana. She could be in danger. He couldn't be in two pces at once, but he knew he had to protect her. Pulling out his phone, he dialed a number quickly. "Hello, I need you to protect someone."

  A gruff voice on the other end replied, "Who do you need me to protect?"

  "Her name is Diana. She's staying at Mont-Saint-Aignan, Haute-Normandie, 76130. Follow her wherever she goes, but if you see anyone suspicious, don't confront them. Just take a photo and report back to me."

  "Understood. Anything else?"

  "This is your current task. I'll let you know if I need anything else," Conri responded.

  "Okay."

  Conri ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket. His mind repyed the events that had just occurred. There was something oddly familiar about the man he had fought. He felt an uneasy sensation settle in his gut, a sense that he had seen that face somewhere before.

  Conri headed back to his room, his mind racing with questions. He rifled through a stack of files on his desk, searching for a clue. One file caught his eye - a case regarding stalking. He recalled the details: a series of incidents where a person had been shadowing various individuals. The handler of the case had mysteriously gone missing, and now, it seemed, the same person was back in py.

  He leaned closer to examine the documents, hoping to find a connection. As he read through the papers, a faint memory tugged at the back of his mind. Could the person he had fought just now be connected to this case?

  The morning passed quickly, and before he knew it, there was a knock on his door. "Sir, your lunch is ready," came a voice from outside.

  Conri looked up, momentarily distracted from his thoughts. "Thank you. And can you call John to come today? Arrange for 2 pm. I need to speak with him."

  "Yes, sir, I'll call him right away."

  Conri ate his lunch in silence, his mind still occupied with the mystery. He needed to regroup, to figure out his next move. Picking up his phone, he called his secretary. "Reschedule my meetings and bring the company documents to my house. I won't be going to the office today."

  He gnced at Diana's number saved on his phone. He was tempted to call her, to warn her directly, but he knew that would only cause panic. Instead, he needed a subtler approach, a way to get closer to her without raising arm.

  His phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts. It was the same person he had assigned to watch over Diana. "Hello. Can you keep an eye on where Diana goes and who she meets? After she gets home tonight, come over. We need to talk."

  "Understood. She's at the school field now. Someone approached her. Hold on, sir, let me take a photo."

  "Bring the photo to me tonight," Conri instructed before ending the call.

  He decided to call a good friend next. "Hey, can you come over tonight? We need to brainstorm."

  His friend chuckled on the other end. "Wow! A morning call from you? Okay, wine and steak tonight?"

  "Sure, no problem. But I'll need your help with something," Conri replied.

  "Sounds serious. I'll be there after 8:30 pm," his friend said.

  "Great, see you then," Conri said, ending the call.

  Meanwhile, at the school, Diana noticed a stranger approaching her. The man stopped in front of her. "Are you Diana?" he asked.

  "Who are you? I don't know you," Diana replied, frowning.

  The man leaned in slightly. "Just know you're being targeted. It would be wise to surrender the item."

  Diana stared at him, bewildered. "What are you talking about? I don't know anything."

  He shrugged nonchantly. "It seems you're pretending. Fine, I've done my part by warning you."

  With that, he walked away, leaving Diana confused and slightly unnerved. She watched as he disappeared into the crowd. What was he talking about? She shook her head and headed towards the canteen, her mind still buzzing with questions.

  As she joined the long queue at the drink stall, she noticed someone who looked familiar. Her heart skipped a beat. It was Lowe. 'Since when did this guy start studying at my school?' she thought. Quickly, she turned her head away, trying to avoid his gaze.

  Lowe, standing at a distance, felt a sense of recognition but couldn't quite pce it. Before he could investigate further, a friend called him away, and he left without seeing Diana.

  Diana breathed a sigh of relief and continued to wait in line. Suddenly, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. It was Alice, her good friend. Alice smiled and hugged her. "What are you looking at?"

  "Nothing. Where were you? I waited for you forever!" Diana replied, trying to sound casual.

  Alice sensed something was off but decided not to press. "Since you're in line for drinks, let me grab some food. What do you want?"

  "Chicken rice, extra chili," Diana answered. She couldn't help but smile, imagining the fragrant, fvorful dish she loved so much.

  "Sure thing!" Alice chirped and headed off.

  As Diana stood in line, she received a message from Alice saying, "I'm getting your food now. Lowe is in the canteen somewhere too." Diana quickly scanned the area, but there was no sign of Lowe.

  By the time Alice returned with the food, Diana had finally gotten her drink. They found a table and sat down. Alice noticed Diana's distracted expression but chose to let it slide.

  Hours passed, and it was time for their pnned movie. As they approached the cinema, Diana noticed someone bumping into her. Her drink spilled, spshing onto the ground.

  A tall, handsome man immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

  Diana smiled politely. "It's okay."

  The man offered to buy her another drink, but she declined, not wanting to wait in the long line again. He nodded, smiling. "If we meet again, drinks are on me."

  Diana ughed and joined Alice, who was waving at her from a distance.

  The movie went on, but throughout, Alice seemed restless. Diana noticed her friend's anxious behavior and wondered what was wrong. As they left the cinema, Alice's phone buzzed. She quickly checked it and turned pale. Diana noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing," Alice mumbled, but Diana could tell she was lying.

  Outside the cinema, Diana and Alice parted ways, but Diana couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She texted Alice to make sure she was safe, and when Alice confirmed, Diana decided to head home.

  Back in his car, Conri's mind was still on the man who had escaped. His phone rang, and it was Edward, his contact keeping an eye on Diana. "Conri, someone's following Diana's taxi. What should we do?"

  Conri's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Keep an eye on them and send me their location."

  He sped towards the st known location, feeling the urgency in his chest. When he reached the scene, he saw the taxi running out of fuel, and a suspicious car still trailing behind. Acting fast, he approached the taxi driver, throwing a stack of cash into the front seat. "Consider this a reward for helping out. Stop the car, I'll take over."

  With Diana now on the back of his motorcycle, they sped off into the night, leaving the pursuers behind.

  At the drink stall, Diana sighed at the long queue but had no choice but to be parched under the sun. As she waited, something caught her eye. A familiar figure. Her heart skipped a beat.

  Lowe? Since when did he start studying here?

  Diana instinctively turned her head away, pretending not to notice him. She kept her eyes forward, but curiosity got the better of her. Using the reflective surface of the gss stall, she peeked.

  Lowe was already walking away, called by someone else. Diana let out a breath of relief.

  "Diana!"

  She turned just in time to see Alice approaching. Her best friend pulled her into a hug.

  "What were you looking at?" Alice asked, her eyes narrowing pyfully.

  "Nothing," Diana said quickly. "Where were you? I waited for you forever!"

  Alice tilted her head but didn't press further. "You're still in line? Alright, I'll go buy food. What do you want?"

  "Chicken rice, extra chili," Diana said.

  Alice grinned. "Got it. I'll find us a seat."

  As Alice walked away, Diana returned to the queue. She knew avoiding Lowe forever was impossible, especially if he was attending the same school.

  Meanwhile, Alice's phone buzzed as she ordered their food.

  Lowe: Are you at the canteen? I think I saw Diana, but I'm not sure.

  Alice smirked and typed back.

  Alice: Yeah, we're here. But I didn't see you.

  Lowe: I got dragged away. No wonder...

  Alice: I'm buying food for Diana. Talk ter.

  Lowe: Bill me. Since it's for Diana.

  Alice raised a brow.

  Alice: Oh? Will you pay for her movie too?

  Lowe: Yes. Bill me.

  Alice grinned, amused.

  She found a table and waited for Diana. After a few minutes, Diana finally got her drink and started walking over when-

  Bump!

  Her drink spilled slightly as she collided with someone.

  "Ah, sorry! Are you alright?"

  Diana looked up to see a handsome guy staring down at her with concerned eyes.

  "It's my fault, I wasn't looking," she said.

  The guy smiled. "Let me buy you another drink."

  Diana shook her head. "It's okay. The queue is long."

  "Then if we meet again, I owe you one," he said with a wink before walking off.

  Diana blinked. That was...unexpected.

  She spotted Alice waving at her and walked over.

  "You okay?" Alice asked.

  "Yeah, just bumped into someone. Spilled a little of my drink."

  Alice shrugged. "As long as you're fine. Let's eat. Oh, and we're watching a movie ter, right?"

  Diana nodded. "Yeah. You coming?"

  Alice grinned. "Of course! But you're paying for the tickets since you invited me."

  Diana ughed. "Fine."

  A few hours ter, at the cinema, Alice lined up for snacks while Diana purchased tickets.

  Someone tapped Alice's shoulder.

  "Hey, you're here?"

  Alice turned, her face immediately paling.

  It was Dolph.

  She froze.

  Dolph smirked. "What movie?"

  Alice struggled to form words. "Uh... my friend bought the tickets."

  Dolph signaled to his friend, who discreetly moved toward the ticket counter.

  Alice clenched her fists. She was trapped.

  Dolph gnced at the snacks she was ordering. "Popcorn, nachos, and coke? Double it." He paid without hesitation.

  Alice gred. "Why are you paying?"

  Dolph smirked. "Because I can't let you pay."

  Alice grabbed the snacks and hurried back to Diana.

  Diana noticed Alice's tense expression. "Who was that?"

  Alice whispered, "Dolph. He's been following me."

  Diana raised a brow. "Well, he's good-looking."

  Alice lightly smacked her arm.

  Dolph overheard. His smirk widened.

  By the time they entered the cinema, Dolph's friend had swapped Diana's ticket so she'd be seated between him and Alice.

  Alice panicked. She whispered, "Diana, swap seats with me!"

  Diana refused. "This is the best spot."

  Alice groaned.

  She messaged Lowe: Come to the cinema. Now.

  Dolph saw the message before she sent it. His smirk didn't fade.

  Ten minutes ter, Lowe walked in.

  Alice immediately stood, giving up her seat for him.

  Dolph raised a brow, then casually grabbed Alice's wrist and pulled her into his own seat.

  Alice's stomach twisted. She was still next to him.

  Dolph leaned closer. "Comfortable?"

  Alice scowled but stayed silent.

  Diana watched, amused. She handed nachos to Lowe, who accepted them with a grin.

  Dolph pointed at them. "You two seem close."

  Alice rolled her eyes.

  Midway through the movie, Alice got up to leave.

  Dolph grabbed her hand. "Where are you going?"

  "The washroom," Alice muttered, shoving the popcorn at him.

  Dolph let her go.

  Fifteen minutes passed.

  Dolph frowned. "She's been gone too long."

  He went outside, waiting near the female restroom.

  Girls walking past stared at him, giggling.

  Dolph asked one of them, "Did you see a girl inside, this tall, fair, long hair?"

  The girl blinked. "No one else was inside."

  Dolph's eyes darkened.

  He stormed back into the theater. "Alice is missing."

  Diana checked her phone calls, but no messages. "I'll step outside to call her."

  Lowe and Dolph followed.

  Diana dialed Alice. No answer.

  "Try searching the mall," she suggested.

  Dolph nodded. "Give me your number in case we find her first."

  Diana hesitated, then shared her number.

  Lowe quickly saved it too. "Thanks."

  Diana gnced at Lowe, unimpressed.

  They split up.

  Diana, alone now, sent Alice a message: Are you okay?

  Alice replied immediately: I went home. Don't tell Dolph. It's dangerous at night, so go home too.

  Diana sighed in relief. Okay. I'll head back.

  She slipped away unnoticed, took a taxi, and sent Dolph a final message: Alice is safe. I'm heading home.

  Dolph responded: Thanks.

  Meanwhile, Lowe, still searching the mall, realized he'd been abandoned.

  He clenched his fists.