Chapter 118: Face to Face With the Stalker

The doorknob turned slowly.

Click.

The old wooden door creaked open. A narrow beam of light stretched across the floor.

Liliana instinctively moved backward until her shoulders pressed against the cold wall. Her wrists still ached from the ropes binding them.

She forced herself to breathe.

Stay calm.

Don’t panic.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the room. Then, Harry Finn stepped inside carrying a small tray with a bowl of warm soup, a bottle of water and a folded blanket hanging on his arm.

He closed the door behind him with deliberate care before placing the tray on the small table.

For several seconds, he simply looked at her. Not speaking. He was just staring..His expression softened into what he probably believed was a comforting smile.

"Lily."

His voice was gentle.

"You finally woke up."

Liliana didn’t answer immediately..Her heart pounded so loudly she thought he might hear it.

Harry noticed the fear in her eyes..His smile faltered.

"...You’re afraid of me."

It wasn’t a question. He sounded almost... disappointed.

Liliana swallowed.

"Harry..."

"What is this?"

He tilted his head as though genuinely confused.

"What do you mean?"

"My hands..."

She lifted her bound wrists slightly.

"My feet..."

"Why am I tied up?"

Harry sighed quietly.

"I had to. You would’ve run."

Liliana stared at him.

"Of course I would."

He lowered his eyes.

"I know."

Silence settled between them.

Harry slowly pulled out a chair and sat several feet away from her. He kept a respectful distance, almost as if trying to prove he wasn’t a threat.

"I don’t want to hurt you."

Liliana’s voice remained steady despite the fear inside her.

"Then let me go."

Harry looked at her sadly.

"I can’t. You’ll go back to him."

The room became quiet again.

Liliana realized something. He truly believed what he was saying. There wasn’t anger in his voice. There wasn’t any excitement. Only certainty.

That frightened her more than shouting ever could.

She took a slow breath.

"Harry, we’ve known each other since we were children."

He smiled faintly.

"Yes. You remember."

"I remember school, the old Finn house near Grandma Lucia’s house, and I also remember our teachers."

Harry nodded happily.

"I remember all of it."

His eyes brightened.

"I remember the first day of kindergarten. You wore two brown pigtails. You cried because you couldn’t find your classroom."

Liliana blinked. She had no memory of that.

Harry continued quietly.

"You liked peach juice. You hated tomatoes. You always finished your homework before everyone else.nYou always stayed after class to help clean."

His smile widened slightly.

"You still tuck your hair behind your ear whenever you’re nervous."

Almost unconsciously, Liliana realized her hand would have done exactly that if it hadn’t been tied.

A chill ran through her body. He had noticed everything. For years.

Harry noticed her expression and misunderstood it.

"I paid attention. Because you were important."

Liliana carefully chose her next words.

"You remembered... all of that?"

He nodded.

"No one else did. But I did."

He looked around the room almost proudly.

"I remembered everything."

Liliana lowered her gaze briefly.

Victor’s words echoed in her mind.

This started in childhood.

She understood now..This wasn’t sudden. This obsession had grown for decades.

She couldn’t confront him directly. Not yet. She needed him calm. She needed him talking. She needed time.

She forced herself to soften her voice.

"Harry..."

"Can I ask you something?"

His face immediately brightened.

"You can ask me anything."

"Where are we?"

He hesitated. Then smiled mysteriously.

"Somewhere safe."

Safe.

The word made her heart ache. Safe for whom?

She continued gently.

"You brought me here?"

"I did."

"Why?"

Harry leaned back slightly.

"So you could finally rest. You’ve worked too hard. Everyone keeps taking you away."

"The company. The media. Chris. Especially him."

He spoke Chris’s name without raising his voice. Yet there was unmistakable bitterness beneath it.

"They all want something from you. But I don’t."

"I just..."

He paused.

"...wanted us to come home."

Liliana looked at him carefully.

"What do you mean... us?"

Harry smiled.

"You and me. We’ve always been alike. We both lost our parents. We both grew up lonely. We understand each other."

His voice carried absolute conviction.

"As children, I thought someday you’d realize that. But then Chris was always there."

His hands slowly tightened together.

"He walked you home. He carried your school bag. He sat beside you. He always reached you first."

Harry lowered his eyes.

"I was always too late."

He lifted his gaze again, something darker flickering within it.

"And even now... if the world hadn’t found out about you, do you really think he would have acknowledged you?"

Liliana froze slightly.

Harry’s voice remained calm, but each word carried weight.

"You would have stayed hidden. An unappreciated secret wife of an international idol. He would have kept you in the shadows forever."

His lips curved faintly, almost pitying.

"But I’m different. Even without the spotlight... even without showing my face, I’ve always been proud of you. I knew how beautiful you were long before anyone else noticed."

Liliana listened quietly. She wanted to argue. To tell him none of this was true. But instinct told her otherwise.

If she challenged his beliefs now, he might become unpredictable.

Instead she asked softly,

"You’ve been watching me... all these years?"

Harry answered without shame.

"Yes. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

He smiled gently.

"When you cried after your parents died, I cried too. When you smiled again, I was happy. When you became a model, I was proud."

Liliana felt tears sting her eyes. Not because his words were touching. Because they revealed how deeply disconnected from reality he had become.

Harry stood and picked up the tray.

"You should eat."

"You’ll feel stronger."

He carefully placed it within her reach. Then noticed she couldn’t use her hands.

His expression became troubled.

"Oh, I forgot."

He immediately knelt beside her. Liliana’s body tensed.

He stopped before touching her.

"I won’t hurt you."

Very carefully, he loosened the rope around one wrist just enough for her to move her hand. Not enough to escape. Just enough to hold a spoon.

"There. You’ll be more comfortable."

Liliana quietly noted every detail. He wanted her comfortable..He wanted her to trust him.

That meant, he wasn’t planning to harm her immediately. It also meant she still had a chance.

She looked at him.

"Thank you."

Harry smiled. A genuine smile. One that might have looked ordinary on anyone else.

On him, it was unsettling. Because behind it was years of fantasy, loneliness, and obsession.

As he stood to leave, he paused at the doorway.

"Lily?"

She looked up.

"You don’t have to be afraid anymore."

He smiled once again.

"You’re home."

The door closed with a soft click.

Liliana waited until his footsteps disappeared. Only then did she let out the breath she had been holding.

She looked around the dim room once more.

Stay calm.

Keep him talking.

Gain his trust.

Because she knew one thing with certainty.

Somewhere outside, Chris was searching for her.

And when the opportunity finally came, she had to be ready.