The book she never read pt3

"The Editor in the Shadows" Ethan didn't sleep. The two text messages echoed in his head all night. You were never the reason she disappeared. Stop looking for love. Start looking for who has been watching you. Whoever sent them knew about Ava. Whoever sent them knew about him. That meant one thing... Someone had been paying attention long before Ethan realized he was being watched. The next morning, Ethan skipped work for the first time in four years. He drove to the restaurant where he and Ava had shared their second date. The hostess looked at him with polite confusion. "I'm sorry," she said. "Can I help you?" "I know this is a strange question... but do you remember a woman named Ava? We were here together about eight months ago." The hostess thought for a moment. "I don't remember names." She turned toward an older waiter. "Tony!" An elderly waiter walked over. Ethan showed him a picture. The old man's eyes widened. "I remember her." Ethan leaned forward. "You do?" Tony nodded. "Beautiful young lady." "What do you remember?" The old waiter hesitated. "I remember... she looked nervous." "Nervous?" "She kept looking over your shoulder." Ethan frowned. "I thought she was looking at me." Tony slowly shook his head. "No..." "...she was watching somebody behind you." A chill crawled up Ethan's spine. "Was someone there?" Tony pointed toward the corner of the restaurant. "Booth Seven." Ethan turned. It sat empty now. But on that night... Someone had apparently occupied it. "They never ordered food," Tony continued. "They just drank coffee." "For almost three hours." "What did they look like?" Tony closed his eyes. "I honestly couldn't tell you." "Man?" "I think so." "Old?" "Maybe." "You don't remember anything?" Tony sighed. "I remember one thing." "What?" "They left before you did." "And?" "They paid for your dinner." Ethan's heartbeat stopped. "What?" Tony nodded. "They told me not to mention it." "Why wouldn't you tell me that?" "You never asked." Outside, Ethan stood in the parking lot trying to make sense of everything. Someone had watched his date. Paid for his meal. Disappeared. Now anonymous messages were arriving months later. None of it felt random anymore. That afternoon, Ethan met Noah at a small park overlooking the river. Noah listened quietly. Then he asked one question. "Did every woman leave suddenly?" Ethan thought about it. Ashley... Blocked overnight. Brianna... Gone after a perfectly normal phone call. Kayla... Deleted every social media account they shared. Mia... Changed jobs without telling him. Ava... Vanished. Every single one... Had disappeared without a real argument. Without closure. Without warning. Noah folded his arms. "I don't think you've had five failed relationships." "What do you mean?" "I think you've had one problem..." "...repeated five different times." Before Ethan could respond, his phone buzzed. Another unknown number. This time... It wasn't a text. It was a photograph. His stomach turned. It was him. Standing outside Ashley's apartment. The picture had been taken from across the street. He had never seen it before. Another photo arrived. Ethan and Brianna walking through Millennium Park. Another. Him laughing with Mia at a bookstore. Another. Him holding Ava's hand outside the restaurant. Someone had photographed every relationship he'd ever had. His breathing became shallow. Then one final image appeared. It wasn't a picture. It was a screenshot. A fake social media profile. His own face. His own name. But beneath it... Dozens of messages. Threatening. Obsessive. Controlling. Messages he had never written. One read: If I can't have you, nobody will. Another: You're making the biggest mistake of your life. Another: I'll always know where you are. His blood ran cold. Someone had been impersonating him. Destroying his relationships before they ever had a chance to grow. His phone rang immediately. Unknown number. For the first time... He answered. Silence. Then... A woman's voice. Barely above a whisper. "Ethan..." He froze. "...Ava?" She began crying. "You have to stop looking for me." "Ava, where are you?" "You were never the danger..." "What are you talking about?" "You don't understand." "Then help me understand!" Her breathing became frantic. "I thought leaving would protect you." "Protect me from who?" She whispered four words that shattered everything Ethan believed. "He's sitting behind you." Ethan slowly turned around. The park bench behind him... Was empty. Or so he thought. A man in a gray hoodie stood fifty feet away beneath an old oak tree, holding a phone to his ear. The moment their eyes met... The man smiled. Hung up. And disappeared into the crowd. Ethan stood frozen. For the first time in his life... He realized he wasn't chasing a woman anymore. He was chasing someone who had been rewriting every chapter of his life from the shadows.