Page 65 of Fractured Devotion
“Where did you get this?” My voice is thin, almost brittle.
Mara doesn’t answer right away as her throat works around something invisible. “It was slipped into my locker. There was no note, no explanation. Just that.”
I look at her, really look. Her fear isn’t loud, but it’s deep, drawn in the lines beneath her eyes. “You think they’re watching you now, too?”
She shakes her head slowly. “I think they always were. But this isn’t just surveillance. This is personal. This is targeted.”
I fold the photo again, tighter this time, into a square that feels too sharp.
“Someone broke into my apartment.”
Mara nods. “And they wanted you to know.”
“Remember the other day I wanted us to talk offsite?” I say. “I’d wanted someone to talk to about how I’ve been feeling like I’m being watched, but we never got the chance to talk.”
“Oh my God, Dr. Varon,” she says, almost looking like she’ll burst into tears. “How long has this been going on?”
My stomach twists. This isn’t just about being watched anymore. It’s about being hunted.
“We need to trace this,” I whisper. “We need to know who sent it, who had access.” I was strategically ignoring the question.
Mara reaches across the table, her hand brushing mine briefly. “I’ll help you. Whatever you need.”
For the first time in days, I don’t feel entirely alone.
But the fear doesn’t ease. It sharpens.
Because now, I know what I’m up against.
And it’s only just begun.
I look at Mara again, the image of the photo still burning in my mind. “There’s something else,” I say. “I haven’t told you about the van. It’s been parked near my apartment for weeks, maybe longer. Sometimes, it moves away, but then, it’ll be back again. I tried to ignore it, thought maybe I was being paranoid.”
Her expression sharpens. “That’s… unsettling. You’ve seen it more than once?”
I nod. “And there’s someone else. Someone who brought it up to me before I said anything. Who claimed to see it too.”
“Who?”
“Kade,” I whisper, the name tasting foreign in my mouth. “He stopped me outside the clinic yesterday, out of nowhere,and said he noticed the same van. He said it looked like someone was watching. That he feels like he’s being watched too.”
I glance at Mara, then away. “I didn’t even know he lived nearby. The way he said it… it was like it wasn’t a coincidence. Like we were somehow in this together.” My voice falters, the weight of his words clinging to me.
Mara blinks. The name seems to knock her off balance for a moment. “And you believed him?”
“I don’t know. That’s the worst part. I don’t know what I believe anymore.” I exhale sharply, pressing my palms to my knees. “He didn’t seem surprised. Just… concerned. But I haven’t ruled out that it’s manipulation.”
“We should assume everyone is compromised,” Mara mutters. “Anyone who’s noticed the van, and anyone showing sudden interest in your behavior. Kade included.”
I nod, but the weight in my chest thickens.
“You think others might be watched too?” I ask. “Reyes, Alec, maybe even you?”
“If they’re tracking you, they’re tracking proximity. That’s how these systems work. It’s not about you alone. It’s about who you’re close to.”
I shiver. “Then we’re all exposed.”
Mara folds her arms tightly across her chest. “Then we fight smarter. We go with caution, and we trace the data ourselves. No emails. No shared drives. Just us.”
