I couldn't breathe.
Three of them.
Three pairs of eyes on me.
And none of them looked… normal.
⸻
"Who is she?" the second one asked, his voice lighter… almost amused.
He leaned against the wall like this was entertainment.
Like I was entertainment.
⸻
"I walked into the apartment," the first one said calmly.
Still too close.
Still watching me like I was something he hadn't decided what to do with yet.
"I didn't walk into anything," I said quickly, my voice shaking.
"I rented this place. I paid for it. I have the keys—"
"Keys don't mean ownership," he cut in.
Cold. Sharp. Final.
⸻
The third one hadn't spoken yet.
He just stood there. Watching quietly
But somehow… he felt the most dangerous.
"Say your name," the second one said, pushing himself off the wall.
He walked toward me slowly.
Too confidently.
Too comfortably.
"Elena…" I whispered.
"Elena Rossi."
He smiled.
Not kindly.
Not softly.
But like he just found something interesting.
"Innocent name," he said.
My chest tightened.
"Who gave you this apartment, Elena?" the first one asked again.
I hesitated.
Something about answering felt wrong.
Like I was giving them more than just information.
⸻
"The landlord," I said finally.
"He said it was available—"
"It wasn't."
⸻
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Terrifying.
⸻
My grip on my bag tightened.
"I can leave," I said quickly.
"I'll find somewhere else, I didn't know—"
"No," the first one said again.
My heart dropped.
⸻
"You keep saying that," the second one added, stepping closer behind me.
I could feel him now.
Too close.
My body went stiff instantly.
⸻
"But you don't understand something," he continued, his voice lower now.
More serious.
More dangerous.
⸻
"You already walked in."
A pause.
"And we don't let people walk out so easily."
My stomach dropped.
"What does that even mean?" I asked, my voice breaking.
The quiet one finally moved.
Slow.
Controlled.
He stopped right in front of me.
Closer than the first one.
Closer than anyone should be.
⸻
And when he spoke…
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
⸻
"It means," he said,
"you're involved now."
"I don't want to be involved in anything," I said quickly, panic rising in my chest.
"I'm just a student, I don't even know you people, I don't want problems—"
"You should have thought about that," the first one said,
"before you stepped into our property."
Our.
The word echoed in my head.
"This… this is your apartment?" I asked slowly.
⸻
No one answered.
But the silence said everything.
My chest tightened
"I'll go," I said again, turning slightly toward the door.
A hand grabbed my wrist.
I gasped.
It was him.
The second one.
"Relax," he said softly.
Too softly.
Too close to my ear.
⸻
My body froze instantly.
⸻
"We're not done talking to you."
⸻
"Let go of me," I whispered.
⸻
He didn't.
⸻
Instead, his grip tightened slightly.
Not painful.
But controlled.
Like a warning.
"Matteo," the first one said.
The name hung in the air.
⸻
"Don't scare her."
⸻
Matteo smirked.
⸻
"I'm not scaring her," he said.
Then his voice dropped lower.
⸻
"She's already scared."
⸻
My breathing got heavier.
Faster.
Unstable.
⸻
"Please…" I whispered.
"I just want to go."
⸻
The quiet one looked at me.
Really looked at me this time.
⸻
And something in his expression shifted.
Just slightly.
⸻
"Let her go," he said.
⸻
Matteo sighed dramatically but released my wrist.
⸻
I stepped back immediately.
Heart racing.
Mind spinning.
⸻
"Thank you," I said quickly, moving toward the door.
⸻
My fingers touched the handle.
Freedom.
I turned it.
Nothing.
It didn't open.
My heart dropped instantly.
"What…?" I tried again.
Harder.
Nothing.
A quiet chuckle filled the room.
"You really thought it would be that easy?" Matteo said.
I turned slowly.
Fear creeping into every part of me.
The first one — the leader — was watching me again.
Calm.
Unbothered.
In control.
"The door locks from the inside," he said.
My stomach twisted.
⸻
"Why would you lock it?" I asked.
⸻
He didn't answer immediately.
⸻
He just looked at me.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like he was enjoying this.
⸻
Then he said:
⸻
"Because we don't let problems walk away."
⸻
My breath caught.
⸻
"And right now, Elena…"
⸻
He stepped closer again.
⸻
"You are a problem."
⸻
Silence.
⸻
Heavy.
Final.
And in that moment…
I realized something even worse than before.
This wasn't just a mistake.
This was a trap.
And I had just locked myself inside it.