Chapter 4

• KELILAH’S POV
• “Kelilah, darling! I’ve been trying to reach you all day.”
• “Sorry, Mom. My phone died while I was working. Didn’t Tyra tell you I was okay?”
• “She did, but I was still worried. You sound… off. Are you sick? Should I come over?”
• I smiled faintly through the lingering tears. “No, Mom, I’m fine. I just woke up from a nap.”
• “Alright, love. Have you eaten?”
• “Yes,” I lied, hoping to keep her from worrying further.
• “Alright then. Tyra sounded a bit off too. Are you sure everything’s fine?”
• The temptation to confide in her lingered, but shame held my tongue. “Everything’s fine, Mom. Tyra’s just tired. Could you also let Loveth know I’m okay?”
• “Of course. Take care, love. I love you, princess.”
• “I love you too, Mom.” I hung up, tossing the phone onto the bed with a sigh.
• I felt hunger gnawing at me and realized there was nothing to eat here. I quickly ordered food from a nearby hotel. Just as I finished placing the order, my phone buzzed.
• Jackson.
• I hit “dismiss,” but he kept calling, his persistence fraying my nerves. With a sigh of frustration, I blocked his number. Maybe, once I was ready, I’d unblock him. For now, the peace was worth more than any closure.
• A knock at the door announced the arrival of my food. I paid the delivery driver and carried the food inside to eat.
• Just as I was done eating, another noise came. It started faintly, like a tap on the door, but grew louder, as if something—or someone—was hitting my door.
• I froze, unease pooling in my stomach. Logic said it was nothing, but a chilling sensation crept up my spine. I hesitated, halfway to the door, the scene playing out like the start of a horror movie. Seeing as it had been a while since I visited this apartment, I wondered if something had gone wrong—maybe an animal had found its way in or a prankster was outside.
• I forced myself to take a deep breath and grabbed my phone, its flashlight casting a shaky glow across the dimly lit room. Step by step, I approached the door, each creak of the wooden floor heightening my nerves. Peeking through the peephole, I saw nothing but the empty hallway outside.
• I decided to check the windows for any symptoms of movement, perhaps someone was outside playing some tricks on me.
• Pulling up the curtains, I scanned the car parking zone. My car was still parked the same way I had left it, and outside seemed normal. But as my eyes trailed low, I noticed something unusual, a dark streak, leading from the brink of the parking lot, up to the base of the building.
• With a frown on my face, I opened the window a bit and leaned out for a better look. It became faint, but however unmistakable—a trail of something thick and darkish had stained the pavement.
• My pulse quickened as I traced the trail’s direction with my gaze. It led directly to the side door of the building that opened to my floor.
• Quickly, I closed the windows, locking it firmly. My mind raced with possibilities, however before I could think properly, a loud thud came from the stairwell outside my apartment.
• I grabbed a heavy item within my reach, a metal vase, readying myself as I moved cautiously closer to the door. Each step made my blood pound in my ears.
• The stairwell door was slightly closed, so I nudged it open with the vase, peeking outside. The fluorescent lights flickered, casting shadows at the walls.
• As my eyes adjusted, I noticed what gave the look of a chunk of cloth snagged on the railing. It was a torn shred of a red jacket with frayed edges.
• My curiosity mixed with dread as I descended the stairs, my flashlight illuminating every step. Getting to the lowest, I observed smudges on the wall, dark and wet, like a paint. But as I moved nearer, the smell hit me, a metallic tang that made my belly churn.
• It wasn’t paint at all. It was blood.
• My breath hitched and I stumbled back, dropping the vase with a loud clang. The sound echoed, and I swore I heard faint footsteps around me.
• My instincts screamed at me to run, and quickly I bolted back up the stairs, slamming my door shut behind me.
• My fingers trembled as I locked the door and called the police, reporting the bloodstains and suspicious movements. They assured me someone was on the way, however every second felt like an eternity.
• As I waited impatiently, the soft sound of a vehicle broke the silence. Relief flooded me, thinking the police had arrived. But as I peeked out through the window, I caught a glimpse of a vehicle speeding away, its taillights disappearing into the darkness.
• I felt like screaming, but I was so scared to even think about it.
• I thought of calling Tyra, but decided against it. She’d be asleep by now, and I didn’t want to alarm her. So Instead, I stayed up with the lights on, mindlessly watching movies until I finally drifted off to sleep.
• The following morning, my telephone’s ring jolted me conscious. Groggy, I picked up.
• “Hello?”
• “How’s my favourite troublemaker?” Tyra’s voice chirped from the opposite end.
• I chuckled, thankful for her humor. “Good morning, Tyra. Well, your troublemaker remains alive and well.”
• “Glad to hear that. See you at work today? I actually have tons of gossip to percentage.”
• “Sure.” I spoke back with a chuckle as I hung up, placed my smartphone at the sofa, and went off to get ready for the day.
• As soon as I was ready, I drove to the office, although this time the journey felt unusually tense.
• Just as I stepped out of my car, someone bumped into me, inflicting my bag to fall. He didn’t even care to express regret, striding away in a tailor-made black fit.
• “Hey!!!, watch it”, I yelled, but he didn’t even flip round.
• “Rude,” I muttered, picking up my things.
• As I glanced up again, I spotted another guy in a comparable suit leaning in opposition to the wall, and further down stood another. A sinking feeling twisted in my intestine..
• Why were they dressed like mafias. Was I being followed? Does this have something to do with last night?
• Trying to shake off the unease, I moved quickly inside, stealing one closing look over my shoulder.
• Through the one-way glass of the workplace, I watched as one of the men positioned himself outside, staring directly at the building. He couldn’t see me, but somehow, it felt like he could.
• “Who on earth are those guys?” I murmured to myself, shaken from my thoughts when my boss’s voice snapped through the office.
• “Late again, Kelilah,” he stated, his tone dripping with disdain.
• I quickly shifted my gaze from the window to him, standing from my space. “Go.. good morning, Sir,” I stammered, as I tried to brace myself.
• He barely acknowledged my greeting, throwing me a disapproving glare before walking away.
• As a princess, it was a choice of mine to work and get paid. Although I was working for an influential company, and their pay was high, it was still difficult dealing with sir Mateo as my boss. It seems like he doesn’t like me one bit, perhaps because he dislikes my late coming. But what could I do? It was more like a part of me already.
• The day passed uneventfully, and as soon as I clocked out, I headed straight for the palace. I had no intention of returning to my old apartment—not after last night.
• Besides, I was never going to tell anyone what had happened to me. And for the strangers following me, I was certain that they wouldn’t be able to monitor my movement in the palace, because the palace was heavily guided with so many guards and warriors.
• Once inside, the tension that had gripped me all day began to ease. This was my sanctuary, my fortress. Whoever those men were, they wouldn’t dare breach the palace walls.
• “Welcome back, Princess Kelilah,” the head guard greeted as I stepped out of the car.
• I smiled faintly. “Thank you, Izo. Is my father in?”
• “Yes, Your Highness. He’s in the council chamber with the ministers,” he replied, bowing slightly.
• Nodding, I headed inside, determined to push the previous night’s events out of my mind.
• As I walked toward my chambers, I heard a familiar voice call my name.
• “Kelilah!” It was Tyra, rushing toward me with her usual energetic bounce. “You didn’t call me back last night! What happened?”
• I hesitated, unsure how much to share. “Nothing major. Just a bit of drama at my old apartment.”
• Her eyes widened. “Drama? Spill it!”
• “Tyra, it’s not worth worrying about. Just some noise, and I got spooked, that’s all.”
• She didn’t look convinced but let it drop. “Alright, fine. But you owe me dinner for keeping secrets.”
• “Deal,” I said with a small laugh, grateful she didn’t press further.
• Later that evening, as I sat in my chambers, the weight of the day began to settle on me.
• I couldn’t shake the image of the men in suits, their cold stares haunting my thoughts.
• Who were they, and what did they want? Were they connected to the blood outside my apartment? My mind raced with questions.
• Unable to sit idle, I decided to call my father. If anyone could get to the bottom of this, it was him.
• “Father,” I said when he answered, his voice warm and steady on the other end. “I need your help.”
• “Kelilah, what’s wrong?” he asked, concern lacing his tone.
• I hesitated, then recounted the events of the previous night and the strange men I had seen today. “I don’t know if I’m just being paranoid, but something feels…off.”
• There was a long pause before he spoke. “You did the right thing by coming back to the palace. I’ll have the guards look into this immediately. And Kelilah, stay within the palace grounds for now. Promise me.”
• “I promise, Father,” I said, feeling a sense of relief. If anyone could ensure my safety, it was him.