CHAPTER 8

Daphne sat on the edge of a curb, the late afternoon sun pressing gently against her skin. The world bustled around her cars moving, people chattering, lives continuing as if hers hadn’t just crumbled into pieces. Her phone rested in her palm, screen dim, still displaying the message:

“Let me help you.”

She hadn't replied. Not right away. She didn’t know if she could trust a stranger,especially now. But the truth was, she had no one else. Stella hadn’t answered. Her job was gone. Joe… she never wanted to say his name again.

Her thumb hovered, then tapped out a reply.

“Where can I meet you?”

The response came within seconds.

But before she could read the text, her phone started buzzing.. It was Joe, She thought of picking up but that was the last thing she needed, she was certain that he has nothing to spew but bullshit and she was not ready for that.

“Stay where you are. I’ll come to you.” 

She finally clicked on the anonymous message 

Daphne’s heart pounded. She glanced around the street as if expecting the danger to come from the shadows. She was used to fear sneaking up on her. But this felt different. Calculated. Quiet.

Fifteen minutes passed.

Twenty minutes passed.

Thirty minutes passed.

She was beginning to think maybe it was someone trying to play with her emotions.

Then a car pulled up across the street. A black sedan. Sleek, polished, and out of place in this rundown part of town. The driver’s door opened, and a man stepped out.

He looked mid-thirties. Dark hair, neatly cut. Clean-shaven jaw. A long, grey coat hung over his tall frame, and his shoes clicked softly against the pavement. He looked… expensive. But not flashy.

His eyes found hers instantly.

“Daphne?”

She stood slowly, hand protectively on her belly. “Yes?”

He smiled. It was soft. Non-threatening. “Roman. I was the one who texted you.”

A pause. She studied him, cautious.

“I’m the one who took you to the hospital.”

 Her face flickered. “That was you?”

He nodded. “You were in bad shape. I didn’t want to just leave you there… so I kept checking in. I didn’t mean to scare you by texting.I just… you looked like someone who needed a way out.”

Daphne’s throat tightened. Emotions formed  in her chest, but she shoved it down.

“I didn’t know who else to call,” she whispered.

“You don’t have to explain anything,” Roman said, stepping closer. “You don’t look okay. Let me take you somewhere safe.”

“Where?” she asked.

“A place I use when I need to get off the grid. You’ll have privacy. A hot shower. Food. No questions.”

Still, she hesitated. Trust wasn’t something she gave out anymore.

Roman raised his hands in surrender. “You don’t have to say yes. But I won’t leave you here, Daphne. Not like this.”

She looked into his eyes…dark, unreadable, but calm.

After a moment, she nodded.

He opened the car door, and she got in 

The inside of the car smelled faintly of leather and something else. pine, maybe, or cologne. Everything was in perfect condition, from the dashboard to the stitched seats. Daphne shifted uncomfortably, aware of her wrinkled dress, her swollen ankles, her trembling hands. Roman didn’t look at her like she was a burden though. He adjusted the temperature, silent at first, giving her space.

“Seat warmers are on,” he finally said. “Let me know if you’re too hot.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, eyes on the window.

For a while, the only sound was the hum of the engine and the occasional honk of traffic. The silence should’ve been awkward, but instead, it felt like a fragile bubble,something Daphne didn’t want to pop. She didn’t trust her voice. Didn’t trust herself.

Roman broke the quiet gently. “Do you want something to eat? I can stop somewhere.”

She shook her head. “Not now. Maybe later.”

He nodded as if he understood more than she was saying.

“I’ve been where you are, you know,” he said after a pause.

Daphne glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve seen the kind of darkness that makes you forget who you are. That convinces you you're worthless. I saw it in you… the day I found you outside that building.” His fingers gripped the wheels tighter. “You reminded me of someone I used to care about.”

She didn't know what to say to that.

“I hope they’re okay,” she offered, because it felt like the right thing.

“They’re not,” he replied, his voice flat. “That’s why I help now, when I can.”

A lump rose in Daphne’s throat,she didn’t know what to believe or who to trust. She turned her head, pretending to watch the blur of the passing world, though her reflection stared back at her,tired, lost, and unsure.

“You don’t have to tell me anything about him,” Roman continued. “Joe. But if you ever feel like it, I’ll listen. No judgement.”

Daphne didn’t answer. She wasn’t ready. But a small piece of her,the piece that was always desperate for a safe place wanted to believe him.

“Thank you,” she finally said, her voice thin.

“Anytime.”

Another long pause passed before she spoke again, almost in a whisper. “Why did you come back?”

Roman glanced at her, just briefly. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

That sentence sat between them. Neither romantic nor creepy. But heavy. A little too heavy.

He quickly added, “I mean, your condition. The baby. The bruises. You looked like someone who needed someone. And I guess… I’ve always had a soft spot for the weaker party.”

Daphne nodded slowly, her fingers gently rubbing her belly. “I’m not used to kindness anymore.”

“Well,” he said with a soft chuckle, “get used to it. You’ve got at least one person in your corner now.”

“I wasn’t sure what size,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guessed. Hope that’s okay.”

She gave him a small, tired but awkward smile. “It’s more than okay.”

They finally arrive at a house tucked away from the city, on a quiet stretch of land surrounded by trees. The house is simple yet beautiful, with a stone facade and tall windows that let in the glow of the lights inside. The yard is well-kept, with flowers lining the edges of the path that leads up to the door.

When they pull up to the long driveway, the car slows to a stop near the front of the house. The area feels peaceful, almost isolated,with nothing but the rustling of the trees in the background. This made Daphne feel quite uneasy but she brushes it off. Roman steps out first, moves around to open the door for Daphne, and waits patiently as she takes a moment to look around.

She steps out slowly, her shoes making a soft crunch on the gravel. Roman, noticing her hesitation, offers her a reassuring smile. "It's okay," he says quietly, offering his hand to her.

“No, I'm okay”.Daphne refused to take his hand, giving Roman an awkward look, she gave her a reassuring smile and Daphne walked with him up the stone steps, the night air cool against her skin. The door opens easily, and they step inside to a quiet, warm home. The crackling sound of a fire in the fireplace fills the room, and the soft lighting gives the space a cozy, safe feel. It’s the kind of place that makes her feel like she can breathe again.

He led her to an empty room. Just like how the house looked, the room was cozy, the medium sized bed felt so soft. The room was painted lavender which was Daphne’s favorite colour, it was decorated with vines which made her low-key wonder who had once stayed in the room.

“So I will leave you to freshen up if that's okay”. “Yeah sure, totally” Daphne responded.

He started to leave, then paused in the doorway. “There’s tea in the kitchen. And a first-aid kit if you need anything.”

“Roman?”

He turned back.

“Thank you. Really.”

His gaze lingered on her for a moment too long before he nodded and walked away.

Daphne sank onto the bed, the soft sheets enveloping her like a cocoon. The room smelled faintly of lavender, the kind of scent that made her feel like she could breathe for the first time in days. She glanced around,there were no signs of any immediate threat, no sharp edges, nothing that screamed danger. Still, there was something… off.

The house was eerily quiet, too quiet. And when she looked out the window, all she could see was the expanse of empty land no neighbors, no familiar faces. It was almost as though Roman had set up this place just for her, like it was a place meant to keep her isolated. And while she couldn’t deny that she was grateful for his help, a small part of her questioned why someone like him would go to such lengths for a stranger.

She peeled off her shoes and padded toward the bathroom. The first thing she noticed was the medicine cabinet locked. Her brows furrowed. It was an odd detail, but the kind of thing that made her feel like a visitor, not someone who was being helped.

She walked back into the room and hesitated. Maybe she was just paranoid. But she had learned, over the years, to trust her instincts. If something didn’t sit right, it usually wasn’t. She couldn’t quite place why, but this place felt like it was tooperfect.

A knock on the door startled her, and she jumped. “Daphne?”

It was Roman’s voice, smooth and calm, like everything was normal.

“Yeah?” she called out, her heart beating faster.

“Dinner’s ready if you’re hungry.”

Daphne stood up and walked to the door. She hadn’t realized how much her stomach had rumbled until the smell of food wafted through the crack as she opened it. She hadn’t eaten anything all day, and her body was begging for sustenance.

When she entered the kitchen, Roman had already set the table. The food was simple,pasta with a light tomato sauce, salad, and fresh bread. Nothing fancy. But still… how did he know her taste so well?

“It’s your favorite,” he said, gesturing toward the plate.

Her stomach clenched. “How do you know that?”

Roman smiled easily, almost too easily. “I didn’t. I just guessed. I’m a pretty good cook, though, so I thought I’d make something comforting.”

“Thank you,” Daphne murmured, her voice uncertain.

They ate in silence at first. The warmth of the food helped her relax, but there was something in the air,an electricity. Roman sat across from her, his eyes not leaving her face as she ate. Every so often, he would ask about her day, about her life,his questions never too intrusive, but always probing, as if he was gathering information without making it obvious.

“How did you end up with Joe?” he asked suddenly, as if it were the most natural question in the world.

Daphne froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. She hadn’t expected him to ask that. Not so directly. But there was something in his tone that made it hard to refuse.

“I… I don’t know,” she answered after a long pause, swallowing hard. “I thought I could fix things. I thought love could fix things. But... it never does, does it?”

Roman leaned back in his chair, his gaze softening. “No, it doesn’t. Sometimes we choose the wrong people because we don’t know our own worth. I’ve seen it happen too many times.”

His words resonated with her, and she felt her chest tighten, the familiar mix of longing and regretful feeling inside. She looked down at her plate, pushing the food around, not hungry anymore.

Roman cleared his throat, shifting the conversation. “I know it’s hard, but you’re in a safe place now. No one’s going to hurt you here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

His voice was low, reassuring. It made her want to believe him. But as he spoke, a small, troubling thought crawled into her mind.

Why is he so sure of that?

It was a question she didn’t voice. Not yet.

That night, Daphne lay awake in the soft bed, staring at the ceiling. Her mind was racing, a hundred thoughts coming around. Every little sound in the house felt amplified,the creak of the floorboards, the whisper of wind outside. She had almost convinced herself to relax when her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

It was a message from an unknown number. Her pulse quickened.

“I hope you’re feeling better. Take care of yourself, okay?”

She sat up in bed, confused. Who was this? Another message from an unknown number? She glanced toward the door, half-expecting Roman to be standing there. But there was nothing. No one.

She didn’t respond. But she soon noticed it was Roman, She had not saved his number.The unsettling feeling was creeping back, and it was no longer just about Joe. It was about Roman but she tried not to think anything of it or maybe it was just the pregnancy hormones.

The house was too quiet. The locked cabinets. The carefully constructed kindness. She’d seen too many smiles that hid something darker in the past. Maybe Roman was different, but her instincts screamed that he wasn’t as he appeared. He was playing a role. A very good one.

She sighed, lying back down. The thought of how he was able to know such things about her that she rarely even told anyone made her feel uneasy.

She was safe for now. But at what cost?.