Chapter 1
Caterina
Something is wrong.
I turn around instinctively, the giggle of my cousin triggering my nerves to twitch painfully.
The uncomfortable sense of dread rises in my stomach as I feel like being watched and I turn around to scan the room.
Nothing seems to be awkward.
People are dancing and chatting leisurely as the flashing lights mix with the strong beams of the city lights shining into the large apartment.
I know that I’m a bit more on edge since I have been getting texts from the anonymous number, but I really can’t shake the feeling that something is off.
“Whose party did you say it is?” I ask Larissa.
“Don’t know. But the building belongs to some heir. His family is in finance or something,” she answers my question with a shrug before she returns to her flirtatious conversation.
Blowing my cheeks, I turn around once more.
Well, a finance heir would definitely make sense. The rooms are breathtaking, and I know that we are not on the top floor, so I guess this location has to belong to the lucky guy living in the penthouse.
I look at my cousin who is already giggling again as her tanned prince charming passes her hand through his long blond hair while flashing her a toothpaste-ad smile.
Clicking my tongue, I walk away, trying to calm my racing heart.
I reject the advances of a man, who definitely exaggerated with his cologne, and decide to walk to the large windows to distract myself with the view.
Admiring the skyline of New York with sparkling eyes, I suddenly feel at peace with myself.
Even if I grew up in the idyllic valleys of Napa, I always loved to visit New York with my parents. My mother used to joke about how The City was engraved in my heart by her and my father’s genes.
I take a deep breath, clinking my nails against the stylishly formed glass of my Manhattan as I halt.
The deja vu hits me hard as I notice the centered view of the Central Park.
I chuckle to myself, shaking my head as I push out a deep breath to calm my racing heart down.
Just as I‘m about to convince myself that it’s just a coincidence and that it isn’t the same, my eyes fall on the higher houses on the left side of the view.
My eyes run along them and get caught by a special sight, which makes my heart still in my chest.
Recognizing the view onto the lovingly decorated rooftop, I gulp panicky as I saw it just a few nights ago.
Just from a few floors above.
Fuck.
Turning around, I’m already planning to get Larissa and disappear as my phone chimes, announcing a DM.
I close my eyes, knowing exactly who it is, even before checking it.
‘I knew you loved the view too much to stay away for too long.’
Damn it!
As panic streams through me, I walk straight to my cousin and tug at her sleeve. “Reese, we have to go.”
She just waves at me dismissively, without even looking at me as she is still talking to her crush.
“Please, we have to go,” I urge her again, getting her to shoot me an angry glare.
“Stop it, Cat! Don’t you see that I’m busy!” She lifts her brows and I sulk.
“Whatever,” I say but she couldn’t care less as she is already back talking with her idiotic obsession.
I decide that I can’t wait any longer and will call my brother on the way out. I can surely wait for him in the foyer or something.
Taking fast steps to get to the elevator, I push myself forward through the crowd.
I dodge new folks getting out of it and ignore their judgemental looks as I slip into the elevator before the doors can close fully.
I flash a shy smile to the people standing outside as I press the button to the foyer.
The doors slide close and I exhale a deep breath of relief as I put my hand onto my chest.
Watching the numbers decrease, I start to feel better and better.
I must have already reached the twentieth floor as the elevator suddenly stops.
My breathing gets faster as I feel panic stream up from my legs to my core, twisting my guts into a painful knot.
I try to convince myself that it’s just a temporary skip in the electricity, fighting to keep my heartbeat at a healthy pace.
Things happen like this in New York.
All the time.
Even in big ass towers like this one.
My heart flips in my chest at the elevator starting to move again.
The hope that this makes flicker up in my chest doesn’t last long as I notice that the elevator rises back up instead of descending further to where I wanted to go.
“No! No! No!” I shout, starting to press the button to the foyer repeatedly. “Stupid thing!”
Giving the metal wall a punch, I step back crossing my arms, giving up to face another round of elevator ride just because of its malfunction.
I just hope there aren’t many people waiting for it.
Pushing out an exhausted sigh, I watch the numbers rise to the 60th floor. I’m already prepared to get out a few floors later as I sense the elevator keep going.
I stare back up at the numbers, my eyes widening as it doesn’t stop.
It continues rising, the shiny display showing a PH1.
PH2.
PH3.
As my phone chimes again, the text message preview makes my heart stop.
‘Did you think you could get away just like that?’
