Nine

*Kelilah's POV*

My screams echoed through the night, attracting a small crowd of neighbors. Soon, the area was swarmed with curious onlookers, and then a police squad arrived, their flashlights illuminating the trail of blood stretching further down the road—a detail I hadn’t noticed in my panic.

Morgana, my elderly neighbor who once served as a palace cook, approached and wrapped me in a thick blanket, her comforting presence grounding me in the chaos. Before long, a police officer approached.

"I need a word with you, ma'am," he said, his tone gentle but firm. I tried to stand, but Morgana held me back, protesting, "She’s in shock, sir. Can’t you see?"

The officer held his ground politely. "It’ll be brief, ma’am. Just a few questions." I reassured Morgana with a nod, whispering, "It’s alright. Maybe I can help."

The officer led me to a quieter corner. As I tightened the blanket around my shoulders, he opened his notepad, ready to listen. "I know this must be overwhelming," he said kindly. "But could you tell us what happened?"

I took a shaky breath. "This is an old apartment of mine. I came here for some peace and took a nap in the early evening. When I woke up, I ordered some pizza, and as I was eating, I heard a noise outside—at first, I thought it was someone knocking, so I ignored it."

He nodded, jotting down my words. "Why did you visit your old apartment after so long, and why did you ignore the knock? Was there someone you wanted to avoid?"

I hesitated, then admitted, "My ex. I recently found out he was seeing someone else, so I ended things. He wasn’t taking it well, so I thought he’d come to talk. But then I heard a scream, louder this time. That’s when I called the police. Through the window, I saw a car driving away, and when I went outside, I saw the blood."

The officer scribbled something on his notepad. "Did you catch the license plate?"

"No," I replied, frustrated. "It was dark, and I didn’t realize anything was wrong until I saw the blood."

"Any cameras in the area?" he asked.

"Not that I know of, but the estate management might have information on that."

He nodded, writing it down. "We’ll get in touch with them." Turning to another officer, he instructed, "Kyle, check the door for any prints or blood. She mentioned a noise."

As I watched a tall officer named Kyle move toward my door, a haunting thought hit me. "Did...did someone get hurt?"

The officer with the notepad replied cautiously. "We’re not sure yet. There’s no body, so it could be someone trying to scare you."

"Scare me? But why?" I asked, feeling a mix of fear and confusion.

He held my gaze. "We’re not certain, ma’am. But here’s my number. If anything unusual happens, call me. And for your safety, I’d advise you not to stay alone tonight."

A chill ran down my spine. "Is there something you’re not telling me?"

"Just a precaution," he said, avoiding my question. "We’ve gathered what we need. We’ll clean up here and let you know if we find anything." And with that, he began walking away.

"Are you leaving just like that?" I called after him, but he didn’t look back. While the man Kyle of a guy, passed me by, but not without send a glare my way.

I watched them leave, a sinking feeling settling in my stomach. I felt like they weren’t telling me everything.

As the officers departed, I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that they knew more than they were sharing. Morgana’s soft voice broke into my thoughts.

"Are you alright, dear?"

I tried to give her a reassuring smile. "Yes, thank you. You should get some rest—it’s late."

She hesitated, her gaze filled with concern. "Are you sure, Princess? I don’t mind staying."

"Yes, please go. I’ll head back to the palace tomorrow." Her presence had been a comfort, but I didn’t want to trouble her further.

After a final, gentle kiss on my cheek, Morgana returned to her home. I went inside, bolting the door behind me. The officer’s words lingered in my mind, and the thought of leaving in the middle of the night seemed reckless. What if whoever left that blood was still lurking nearby?

I considered calling Tyra but decided against it. She’d be asleep by now, and I didn’t want to alarm her. Instead, I stayed up with the lights on, mindlessly watching movies until I finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, my phone’s ring jolted me awake. Groggy, I picked up. "Hello?"

"How’s my favorite troublemaker?" Tyra’s voice chirped on the other end.

I chuckled, grateful for her humor. "Good morning, Tyra. The ‘troublemaker’ is alive and well."

"Glad to hear it! See you at work? I have tons of gossip to share."

"Sure." I replied with a chuckle as I hung up, placed my phone on the couch, and got ready for the day.

Once I was ready, I drove to the office, but the journey felt unusually tense. As I stepped out of my car, someone bumped into me, causing my bag to fall. The person didn’t even stop to apologize, striding away in a tailored black suit.

"Rude," I muttered, picking up my things. As I glanced up, I spotted another man in a similar suit leaning against the wall—and further down, another. A sinking feeling twisted in my gut.

Was I being followed? Did this have anything to do with last night? Trying to shake off the unease, I hurried inside, stealing one last glance over my shoulder. Through the one-way glass of the office, I watched as one of the men stationed himself outside, staring intently at the building. He couldn’t see me, yet somehow, it felt like he could.

"Who on earth are these men?" I murmured to myself, shaken from my thoughts when my boss's voice snapped through the office.

"Late again, Kelilah," he said, his tone dripping with disdain. 

I quickly shifted my gaze from the window to him, standing from my desk. "Good morning, Sir," I stammered, bracing 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? I was more like a part of me already. Besides no one here knows that I was a princess, because I had chosen to work at another distant kingdom, and wouldn't let my guards follow me around. It was just my driver, who I ensured stares inside the car till I was ready to go back home.

Finally closed for the day, I drove back to the palace, not even having a second thought of returning to my old apartment. 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.

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.