The café had just emptied out for the night, the last customer's footsteps fading into the quiet street outside.

Andrea wiped down the counter, sighing softly, enjoying the rare moment of peace.

She turned to gather her things, something caught her eye, a small, elegantly wrapped package sitting at the far end of the counter, behind the flowerpot.

Frowning, she glanced around.

The café was empty, the door still locked from when the last customer had left.

No one had walked in, unnoticed.

Her heart started pounding, she slowly reached for the package, untying the ribbon with careful fingers.

Inside was a book, one she had mentioned in passing weeks ago while chatting.

A limited edition, original, leather binding, autographed by the author.

She stood their stunned, holding the book.

Just a note was tucked inside, which said

" Have a good reading time."

Nothing else, no name at all.

Her fingers trembled as she traced the title on the cover. It was the one she had been looking for past week and now she was holding it.

Someone was listening.

Someone remembered.

And that someone could only be one person.

Alfonso Rodríguez

After closing, Andrea stirred her coffee absentmindedly, her fingers curled around the warm mug as Olivia sat across from her, face tense, lips pressed into a thin line.

The café was quiet, the usual hum of conversation replaced by the weight of something unspoken.

" Andrea! Papa mentioned something last night,"

Olivia finally murmured, breaking the silence.

Andrea glanced up, sensing the unease in her friend's voice.

" About what? "

Olivia exhaled sharply, leaning in.

"About Alfonso."

A chill crept up Andrea's spine.

" Well, I asked him about Alfonso, he said he is a business tycoon, no doubt.

But he isn't just limited to that...

He asked me why I'm asking about him all of a sudden. Then, I mentioned you...

He went quiet for a while

Then, he told me that if Alfonso is after you... you need to be careful.

Like really careful."

Olivia said, her voice barely above a whisper.

" Because he doesn't chase anyone."

Andrea frowned, her stomach twisting.

"What do you mean?"

Olivia's jaw tightened.

"He doesn't chase, doesn't play games, doesn't waste time.

He marks. He decides."

Andrea set her coffee down, her hands suddenly unsteady.

"Olivia... he's just been coming to the café. That doesn't mean.."

"Doesn't it?"

Olivia cut in, her gaze sharp.

"Are you still defending him? Andrea! Think about it.

The questions, the way he watches you all the time, hangouts with you, the invitations, all the gifts?

He's not just being friendly."

After a moment, she said when Andrea didn't answer but she knew she is thinking something

" Ok... If he is being friendly, then why only you?

Mia also serves him and Sienna even try talked to him what she met with.... a cold glare...

And that one girl, what was her name...Nova..Nora, whatever, who gave him the magazine...he asked her to leave because she speaks too much

When Emilia went to his table, he asked her to sent you, to him."

She hesitated, then added,

" Look! Papa said if Alfonso is paying this much attention to you and only you, it's not by accident.

And if he's already giving you attention, then it means one thing."

Andrea swallowed hard. "What?"

Olivia's expression darkened.

"He already has something on his mind."

A heavy silence settled between them.

"Papa said he never stop once he want something."

Olivia reached across the table, gripping Andrea's hand.

" He Didn't say any further but just, you need to be careful."

Andrea felt her pulse hammering in her ears.

Because deep down, she already knew Olivia was right.

Andrea's fingers trembled slightly as she locked up the café for the night.

The streets were quieter than usual, the distant hum of the city feeling strangely muted.

Olivia was waiting just outside, arms crossed, eyes scanning the street like she was expecting something or someone to appear.

They started walking together, neither speaking at first.

Andrea wanted to convince herself that everything was fine, that she was just been over thinking again.

But Olivia's presence alone said otherwise.

Before she could stop overthinking, she said,

" Liv... He isn't making a move... maybe, its just..."

Olivia had enough of Andrea being so naive, she snapped, interrupted her, getting her back to reality

" If he's not making a move yet, it's because he's planning something,"

she murmured.

"Men like him don't wait without a reason."

The words sent a cold shiver down Andrea's spine. Alfonso Rodríguez hadn't approached her in days.

No messages.

No surprise visits.

Nothing.

But his presence lingered. It was in the way people glanced at her differently.

In the way the city suddenly felt smaller.

They turned a corner, and Andrea's breath caught.

Across the street, one of Alfonso's men stood beside a sleek black car, arms casually folded.

He wasn't trying to hide. He wasn't even pretending to be doing something else. He was just... there.

Watching.

Olivia exhaled sharply.

"Look, they're not just keeping an eye on you,"

she muttered.

"They're making sure you don't forget he's still watching."

Andrea clenched her jaw and forced herself to keep walking. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of reacting.

The next morning, she found it.

A small black box sitting on the café counter.

No name

No note

Just her name, written in neat, deliberate handwriting. Her stomach turned as she lifted the lid.

Inside was a delicate silver bracelet.

It was fragile but best of designs. It was exactly what she liked.

It was truly the gift she didn't want to return.

She decided not to tell Olivia about this because she would ask her to return it but it was really nice.

Only if she knew, accepting gifts is only making him taking the next step.

And that was the most scary part, she was unaware of by now.

Andrea and Olivia took a break and decided to go somewhere, they were walking side by side, their conversation hushed as they entered the shopping district.

The usual evening buzz filled the air-people laughing, cars honking, the rhythmic hum of a city that never truly slept.

But Andrea's senses were sharper now, tuned into every lingering glance, every familiar black car parked in the distance.

As they passed by a bookstore, a security guard stepped forward.

He wasn't any of Alfonso's men that much she was sure of but there was something in his expression that made her pause.

He looked at her with careful consideration, his voice lowered when he finally spoke.

" You're Andrea, right? "

She hesitated before nodding.

His gaze flickered past her shoulder, as if checking to make sure no one was listening.

Then, his voice turned low.

" You should be careful,"

He said quietly.

" The men who follow you, they aren't nice people."

Andrea felt Olivia stiffen beside her. She swallowed, forcing her voice to remain steady.

"I don't know what you mean."

The guard exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

" Maybe you don't. But the rest of us do."

He took a step back, his warning clear.

" Be careful, Miss. Before it's too late."

Andrea felt herself froze, she didn't respond. She just walked away, Olivia at her side.

Neither of them spoke for several blocks.

Then, Olivia muttered,

"Even strangers can see it."

Andrea couldn't argue. The weight of Alfonso's presence wasn't just in her mind anymore.

It was everywhere.

And no one, not even a single person dared to stand in his way.

Andrea and her friend leave the café, a black car is parked outside. A man steps out and, with perfect politeness, said,

" Mr. Rodríguez would like to meet you."

Her friend immediately steps between them.

"She has her own way home."

The man doesn't argue, simply nodded, but the car remains there as they walk away.

Before leaving, one of the men glances at Andrea and says in a low, almost amused voice, same one from few days back.

"He'll see you soon, one way or another."

That night, her phone rang.

The number was unknown, but she knew who it was before she even answered. She accepted the call, the voice she immediately recognized, said

"You shouldn't be afraid of me, Andrea,"

Alfonso's voice was smooth.

"I only take what's mine. "

Her pulse pounded in her ears.

"You'll know when it's time,"

He added, and then the line went dead.

The silence that followed was worse than any threat.

But Andrea decided to ask that security guard more about what he knows.

The next day, there was another guard standing in front of building, she asked about him but he said he doesn't know anyone like him.

For next few days, she kept looking for that guard but everyone told he left the town and no longer work here.

Nobody knew where he went.

She stood at the main gate of the building, deep in thoughts not knowing why this situation feels worst then it should have but it did disturbed her.

That man literally disappeared, not just disappeared, he just vanished in thin air.

The most surprising thing was he disappeared the very next day, when he tried to help her or more like warned her about Alfonso.

Yet strangely, no one was there listening, still he vanished, like he never existed.

But she thought Alfonso won't be that cruel or free to pay attention to these things.

But she was wrong.