Of course, Koray had been watching Donovan—his mission had always been to observe. But today, he couldn't help but feel unsettled as Donovan’s eyes kept drifting to Connor. It was amusing, really, but Koray couldn't quite decide how to feel about it.

Back at the club, Donovan had left quite an impression on him. There was something magnetic about the way Donovan had made him feel, like he was the only one in the room who mattered at that moment. He’d played it cool, but the adrenaline had shot through him in a way that made him crave more—more of Donovan’s attention, more of that rush. He had felt in control, like he could easily manipulate Donovan into anything he desired.

But today? Today was different. Donovan’s focus was firmly on Connor, and for some reason, that made something shift inside Koray. Was it jealousy? Or was it simply the realization that his power over Donovan wasn’t as absolute as he'd thought? Either way, it gnawed at him. The thrill he had felt when Donovan was under his gaze was now replaced by something unfamiliar, something he wasn’t quite ready to confront.

Koray leaned back, his eyes flicking from Donovan to Connor. A dangerous smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he navigated the fine line between amusement and frustration. It was shaping up to be an interesting day, but for now, all he could do was watch.

He’d noticed something in Donovan’s gaze that unsettled Agatha, a look reminiscent of how drunk people used to eye Asher, the most handsome bartender at The Star Fall. Those stares had always made her uncomfortable, but this felt worse, much more intense. 

Unlike Asher, who thrived in the spotlight, this time the lecherous looks Donovan was throwing weren’t aimed at random targets. No, they were directed at two people Agatha once called two of her favorites—Connor and Koray. And that, more than anything, made Koray’s stomach churn. Agatha didn’t deserve to be caught in this mess.

Koray’s lips curled into a tight smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. That wasn’t the kind of attention he wanted. His mind raced with the thought. He could easily steal Donovan’s focus, redirect it all to himself. 

It seemed so simple, so perfect. 

Agatha would finally be able to breathe, free from the constant pressure of Donovan’s prying gaze. And he would have a clearer view of everything, an even better chance to keep tabs on him. But as the thought lingered, Koray felt a knot tighten in his chest. Was it really worth it? Could he risk putting more attention on himself when she needed him to stay calm, stay controlled?

Agatha was already dealing with enough of Donovan’s attention—she didn’t need him complicating things further by drawing it all onto himself. No, he was better off just playing along, letting Connor continue to bask in the spotlight, while he subtly gathered information about their alluring stalker. 

He could get the answers he needed, while keeping him at arm’s length.

Koray pretended to finally notice Donovan, setting his coffee down with a quiet clink, somehow managing to make even a plastic cup sound refined. "Who’s the guy glaring at us?"

Connor followed his gaze and snorted, as if this was just another routine observation. "Oh, that’s Donovan. He does that."

"Is he always like that?" Koray raised an eyebrow, his tone casual, though his mind was already working overtime. This was new information. Agatha had made it sound like her friends hadn’t noticed Donovan. In fact, she’d mentioned only seeing him a couple of times. But the way Connor reacted—it almost sounded like this was a normal, ongoing issue. 

The surprise on Agatha’s face didn’t escape him either. Something was off. He could feel the weight of her, but instead of acknowledging it, he pushed forward, playing the clueless outsider. "Is he okay?" The question hung in the air, light and teasing, but there was an edge to it—he was digging for something more.

Allison, entertained by the whole situation, shrugged casually. "Yeah, he’s fine. Just... always like that. Don’t let it bother you." She grinned, clearly finding the whole thing more amusing than concerning. "Though, I’ll admit, he’s got quite the reputation as a stalker." 

"Well, now I’m intrigued," Koray chuckled, his tone light and casual, as if he were talking about the weather rather than researching a potential assassination target. "I’ve never been stalked quite openly like this before."

"Yeah." Ezra chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "He’s got this... thing for us. But he's especially fixated on Connor." He paused, glancing at Agatha, who was visibly trying to tune out the conversation, her discomfort quite palpable to the group.

"He’s been keeping tabs on us for ages, and it’s not like we actually want to do anything about it. He’ll disappear for a bit, but he always comes back. It’s like a weird little game for us at this point," Connor chimed in with a grin, "You’ll get used to him. He’s quite interesting, to say the least."

Koray’s curiosity deepened, his gaze flickering back to Donovan, still hiding in the shadows. His attention never wavered, like a predator sizing up its prey. "That’s... unsettling. But also, kind of impressive. How does he do it without getting noticed?"

Connor shrugged, taking a sip from Koray’s coffee, unfazed. "Oh, trust me, we notice. He thinks we don’t, but he’s not subtle at all."

"We’re just used to it by now. It’s a bit funny at this point, honestly. The guy’s obsessed with Connor," Allison added with a playful tone. "He’s had a crush on you for what, about a year now, or more?"

Koray tilted his head, genuinely fascinated. "Is this something you guys put up with?"

"Pretty much," Ezra said, "it’s a bit like he’s collecting data on us for some kind of... personal research. Every time we go somewhere, he’s there. It’s a bit of an inside joke at this point. You’ll be amazed at how much this guy can stare without blinking."

"If you actually called him out, he’d probably just shrug it off and say something like, ‘I was just making sure you were all okay,’" Allison added, her voice mimicking Donovan's flat tone. "But, yeah, he’s definitely obsessed."

Connor, as usual, wasn’t done poking fun just yet. "But, hey, Koray, you should really ask him about his ‘research’ sometime. It’d be fun to watch him squirm when he realizes we know."

Agatha wasn’t sure what made her more nervous—the conversation, the fact that Donovan looked seconds away from marching over, or the fact that Koray, for once, seemed genuinely interested in someone else’s reaction. She had always known her brother could read people, but now, she wasn’t so sure how she felt about him probing so much into Donovan’s behavior.

The conversation had taken a sharp turn, making Agatha question everything. She had only noticed Donovan’s everyday stalking after that night—after he became an issue. But now, they were saying he had been stalking Connor for over a year? How had she been so blind? It was like she had been living in a fog, only seeing what she wanted to see.

Koray noticed the change in her expression but didn’t comment. Instead, he leaned in slightly, his voice quieter now, "So, if he’s been doing this for so long, what’s the endgame? What’s he actually trying to get out of all this?"

"Who knows?" Ezra laughed. "You should ask him, it might be interesting to know."

"Oh," Allison mockingly pouted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But then Connor would be losing his number one fan."

"Hey! That would be me, thank you very much." Agatha finally joined back into the conversation, her voice sharp but with a playful undertone.

Koray smirked, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint that reminded Agatha of herself. "Well, maybe I am curious enough about him to ask." His smile was almost a perfect copy of the one she wore when she had an 'evil plan' brewing.

Agatha couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. "Careful, Koray," she warned, half-amused and half-nervous. "You might just make things more interesting than you want."

"Well, you brought me here to make friends outside of work, didn’t you?" Koray's words hung in the air, light but with a hint of challenge in his tone.

Agatha's eyes narrowed slightly, and then it clicked. Oh, she finally got it. It was time to make a move. They needed to talk to Donovan. She could feel the shift in the air—the tension building as their stalker’s presence hovered over their conversation like a timebomb.

Her gaze flickered to her brother, who was clearly enjoying the game, and then back to the lurking figure in the distance. There was no more avoiding it. If they were going to control the situation, now was the time.

"Fineee," she sighed, dragging out the word for effect, clearly pretending to be reluctant. "Maybe if we head somewhere else, he'll follow. Then you'll get your chance to talk to him."

Koray’s eyes lit up, his excitement a little too exaggerated to be entirely convincing—yet part of him wondered if it might be real after all. He just hoped Agatha wouldn’t see through it.

Koray’s grin stretched wider, almost too eager as he leaned in, his voice light with a touch of excitement. "Sounds like a plan!" His eyes flicked to Donovan once more, the weight of the other man’s gaze making his smile falter for a moment. But he quickly masked it, refocusing on his sister. 

The idea of confronting him now felt less like a necessity and more like an opportunity—if they didn’t act quickly, things could spiral out of control. There could be no more waiting. No more hesitation. He could already feel the tension in the air, the nagging sense that they were running out of time. 

Donovan wasn’t just some nuisance—he was an obstacle, one that was preventing Agatha from stepping into her rightful role as the leader of The Dauntless Shadows. She couldn’t move freely, couldn’t lead them as she was meant to, because Donovan was always there, watching, following her every step. She didn’t want to risk leading him into their territory again. It was clear now: this couldn’t wait any longer. They had to confront him before things went too far, before he exposed them all.