“You heartless little thing,” Stephan muttered.


    As he propped himself up with one hand, he bent his leanwaist slightly, bringing his face level with Felicia’s as she sat on the couch.


    In that fleeting moment, the distance between thein was almost nonexistent.


    In Stephan’s dark, piercing eyes, Felicia caught a fleeting glimpse of something possessive. It was an almost tyrannical thirst for control, tinged with a predatory hunger. It exuded a domineering sense of ownership, as though he wanted to brand her as his


    But just as quickly, Stephan pulled back. He reached out with his other hand and ruffled her hair before standing up and walking away.


    That intense, heart–stopping gaze and his subtle intention of wanting to kiss her seemed to have been nothing more <b>than </b>an illusion.


    Felicia snapped out of it, realizing <b>that </b>aside from feeling nervous, there was also a faint trace of excitement bubbling within her. It was as if a part of her <b>had </b>been secretly hoping he’d follow through with that loss.


    Shaking her head, she refocused her thoughts on something more important and immediately grabbed herptop. Quickly, she pulled up the vi’s surveince footage from the night before.


    The cameras had been installed long before she moved in, covering every corner from the front gate to the front yard and the back garden, leaving no blind spots.


    She had <b>never </b><b>recalled </b>being a sleepwalker before, but when she reviewed the footage, it clearly showed <b>that </b>at precisely 3:20:05 am, she walked out of the house barefoot in her pajamas. Her steps were slow, steadily heading forward.


    She tried to recall the events, but her memory only extended to falling asleep on the rooftop terrace under the evening breeze. She had no recollection of walking such a distance.


    If not for the undeniable evidence that was the surveince footage, she wouldn’t have believed it no matter what people said!


    Frowning, she zoomed in on the footage.


    She noticed that throughout the sleepwalking episode, her eyes remained closed, and her actions appeared guided by some unseen force. There was even a faint expression of resistance on her face.


    A dull ache throbbed in her <b>head</b>. Was her problem physical or psychological?


    Or perhaps…


    A sudden memory struck her. Right before losing control of her <b>body</b>, she had faintly <b>heard </b>the sound of a bell ringing <b>Where </b>did that sounde from? Could it have anything to do with her sleepwalking?


    And if so, who was behind <b>it</b>, and what were they trying to achieve?


    Taking a deep breath, Felicia resolved to remain vignt at all times no matter where she <b>was</b>. She also called the vi’s property management to report having seen someone suspicious lurking around the area the previous night. novelbin


    Of course, that was just a fabricated story, but the property manager immediately promised to enhance nighttime security and patrols to ensure the safety of <b>all </b>residents.


    After hanging up, she let out a sigh of relief.


    The following days were calm and uneventful. She didn’t hear the bells again, nor did she experience another sleepwalking episode. This brought her some


    Besides that, even Maurice, who had a habit of behaving like a madman, hadn’t made an appearance. Amidst her busy schedule, Felicia couldn’t help but think of Steplun asionally.


    Since that early morning encounter, he hadn’t shown up <b>again</b>. Instead, there were the asional phone calls and messages, but the calls neversted more than a minute before he was hurriedly interrupted.


    Thest text message be sent was three days ago, and it contained just two words, “Miss me?


    Even through the phone, Felicia could vividly picture the mischievous expression on <b>his </b>face as he typed those words.


    She hadn’t replied


    Yet in the moments of idleness, she would find her thoughts <b>wandering</b>. <b>She </b>would wonder where Stephan might be and what he was doing at that moment.


    No matter how hard she tried to suppress it, some thoughts were simply impossible <b>to </b>control. She could only sigh helplessly, then threw herself into her work with greater focus. She hoped to redirect her attention elsewhere.