Chapter 12

Sunlight spilled through the curtains, washing the room in a soft glow as Kemi stirred beside Zara on the bed. Zara had barely slept. Her eyes were tired, heavy, yet wired with unease.

Kemi stretched, yawned, and rolled over to look at her. “You haven’t slept, have you?”

Zara shook her head. “Not really.”

Kemi sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. “Is it about the message?”

Zara nodded. “Kemi, I know you said I shouldn’t call him… but I can’t shake this off. I need to ask him myself.”

Kemi sighed. “Zara…”

“I know,” Zara said, standing up and grabbing her phone. “I know I should let it go, but I need answers. What if it is him? What if this is some sick joke?”

Kemi leaned back against the headboard, watching her. “I get it. But if he says it’s not him, are you going to believe him?”

Zara hesitated, then whispered, “I don’t know. But I have to hear him say it.”

With trembling fingers, she dialed Regan’s number. He picked up after a few rings.

“Zara?” His voice was low, surprised.

“Yeah… it’s me.” She glanced at Kemi, who quietly got off the bed to give her space. “I just… I wanted to ask you something.”

“Okay?” Regan sounded cautious.

“I got a text. Again. It wasn’t from a saved number. It said stuff like ‘still curious, aren’t you?’” Her voice cracked slightly. “Are you the one sending these messages?”

There was silence on the other end, then a frustrated sigh. “Zara, no. I swear on everything—I don’t even have the time or reason to do something like that.”

“I just had to ask,” she mumbled.

“I get it,” he said quietly. “But it’s not me. I wouldn’t play with your head like that.”

Zara was silent.

“Did you get one just now?” he asked.

“No, not now. Last night.”

Regan’s jaw clenched. “Zara… I think I know who it might be.”

Her breath hitched. “Who?”

“I’m not sure yet,” he said. “But I have my suspicions. Just be careful, okay? Don’t go anywhere alone. And don’t ignore these messages.”

The call ended, but Zara still felt like her stomach was in knots.

Kemi came back in. “Well?”

“He said it’s not him,” Zara replied.

“And you believe him?”

“I don’t know. But he sounded sincere.”

Just then, her phone buzzed again.

Unknown Number:

Still curious, aren’t you? You should be careful what you dig for.

Zara’s hands trembled. “Kemi… look.”

Kemi leaned in, eyes narrowing. “This person is watching you. This is not a coincidence.”

“I know.” Zara’s voice was a whisper now. “This isn’t some prank anymore.”

Kemi clenched her fists. “We can’t ignore this anymore.”

Meanwhile, across town, Regan sat in his study, eyes narrowed at his phone. The message Zara mentioned had come again. He didn’t need more proof to push his instincts forward. One name lingered in his mind—Imani.

He remembered her face at the café. Her laughter. Her snide comments.

“You think I’m done with you? I don’t give up that easily, Regan.”

He picked up his phone and called her.

Imani answered after a pause. “Hmm. Missing me already?”

“Did you send Zara any messages?” he cut straight to the point.

There was a short laugh. “What messages?”

“Don’t act clueless,” Regan said. “She’s getting disturbing texts from an unknown number. Ever since we saw you.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault now?” Imani replied, voice sharp. “Because I had the audacity to still care about you?”

“This isn’t about caring,” Regan snapped. “It’s creepy and wrong. Just tell me the truth.”

“You really think I’d stalk her?” she asked, mockingly. “If I had a problem with her, I’d say it to her face.”

“Then who else could it be?”

Imani paused. “That’s your mess to figure out, sweetheart. Maybe you pissed off someone else.”

Regan exhaled, frustrated. “Imani—”

“Goodbye, Regan,” she said, voice calm now. “And next time, don’t assume I’m the villain just because I didn’t end up your bride.”

The call ended.

Back in Zara’s room, she stared out the window in silence. Kemi paced behind her, fuming.

“I don’t like this,” Kemi said. “You need to be watched, Zara. This is bigger than us.”

Zara remained quiet, staring into the morning light, wondering what she had gotten herself into—and who was hiding behind that unknown number.

Kemi scooted closer to Zara on the bed, her brows furrowed as she stared at the screen. “So this one was the first text, right?” she asked, scrolling through Zara’s messages.

“Yeah,” Zara nodded, pulling the covers tighter around her legs. “It came in the night after our shoot… when we saw Regan and Imani.”

Kemi’s eyes darted across the screen, reading aloud. “‘You looked pretty on camera today. Red suits you.’” She flinched. “Zara, this is giving full-blown creep vibes. How does he even know what you were wearing?”

Zara shrugged helplessly. “That’s what I don’t understand. It’s like… whoever it is, they’re watching me—like literally, all the time.”

Kemi tapped on the next message. “‘Hope you didn’t eat too much ice cream. You’ll need your energy soon.’” She shuddered. “What does that even mean? Ugh! This isn’t normal.”

“It’s like he’s trying to sound playful, but it’s twisted,” Zara whispered. Her voice shook slightly. “And the worst part is, I don’t know if it’s someone trying to hurt me… or scare me… or just mess with my head.”

“Let’s think,” Kemi said, sitting up straighter. “Have you noticed anyone new around lately? Any strange faces at the shoot? Maybe someone who keeps popping up?”

Zara thought for a long moment, then shook her head. “Not really. Everyone on set looked like professionals. And no one followed us to the eatery.”

Kemi kept scrolling. “What about the timing of the texts? Has it been random or tied to something specific?”

Zara’s brows drew together. “They always come after something significant. After the shoot… after I bumped into Regan… it’s almost like… like this person is close.”

Kemi turned to look her in the eye. “Do you think it could be Regan?”

“I called him,” Zara replied quickly. “I asked him straight up. And he sounded confused. Like genuinely thrown off.”

Kemi narrowed her eyes. “Or he’s a good actor.”

Zara sighed. “I know you don’t trust him, but it didn’t feel like he was pretending. Plus, if it was Regan… why would he text me weird riddles instead of just confronting me?”

They both sat in silence for a beat, eyes fixed on the screen.

Then Kemi leaned forward and asked, “Can I reply to one?”

Zara’s eyes widened. “Are you mad?! What if that triggers him?”

“I just want to poke the bear,” Kemi said, grinning slightly. “Shake him up a little. See if he replies. It might help us figure out who he is.”

Zara bit her lip, thinking it through. Then, after a long pause, she nodded slowly. “Okay. But keep it vague.”

Kemi began typing: “Who are you really? If you’re brave enough to watch me, be brave enough to speak.”

She hovered over the send button, looking at Zara for approval.

Zara gave a tense nod.

Kemi tapped it. Message sent.

They stared at the screen in silence.

A minute passed.

Then another.

No reply.

Just the quiet hum of Zara’s AC and the sound of their synchronized breaths.

Kemi exhaled. “He read it. Two ticks turned blue.”

Zara swallowed hard.

They waited.

Still nothing.