Chapter Six – Coffee and Questions
Oct 04, 2025
“Long day?” he asked.
“You could say that.” She tilted her head. “So what do you do, Elias? You always come and go at strange hours.”
“Curious?”
“Neighborly,” she said.
For once, he answered more than a word. “Consulting work. Private contracts. The hours are… unconventional.”
“Consulting,” she repeated, skeptical. “That’s vague.”
“Vague keeps me alive.” He studied her for a beat. “And you, Lena? You sit up late listening at doors. Occupational hazard?”
Her pulse stumbled. He’d noticed.
He hesitated, then finally offered more. “You can call me Elias D’Ardenne.” His voice softened slightly. “But Elias is enough.”
The surname settled in her chest—foreign, elegant, old. It didn’t belong in a crumbling high-rise.
“D’Ardenne,” she echoed.
His gray eyes narrowed. “Careful. Names have power.”
Recommendation for you
-
Recommendation
Secunda
Romance Fantasy 43.2k likes
-
Recommendation
Silence | book 2
LGBTQ+ 32.3k likes
-
Recommendation
What Makes a Monster
BL 75.2k likes
-
Recommendation
Mariposas
Slice of life 220 likes
-
Recommendation
The Sum of our Parts
BL 8.6k likes
-
Recommendation
Siena (Forestfolk, Book 1)
Fantasy 8.3k likes
-
Feeling lucky
Random series you may like
The Apartment Across The Hall
129 views0 subscribers
When Lena Hayes finally escapes her controlling ex and moves into a charming old apartment building, she thinks she’s found the fresh start she desperately needs. The building seems ordinary enough—an elegant lobby, a polished elevator, neighbors who keep to themselves. But behind the faint, metallic tang in the air and the whispers that seep through thin walls, secrets are waiting.
Across the hall lives Elias D’Ardenne, a man who is equal parts captivating and unsettling. He’s charming in moments, evasive in others, with a past that never quite adds up. Lena's notebook gets stolen—along with receiving cryptic symbols and an anonymous photograph that points straight back to her—she realizes she’s caught in a web much larger than her own broken past.
As paranoia builds and trust grows harder to grasp, Lena is forced to question not only who Elias truly is, but whether the most dangerous secrets are hidden in the building… or inside her own apartment.
Because in this place, doors are never just doors, and sometimes the one thing more terrifying than the neighbor across the hall—is knowing he might be the only one who can protect you.
Across the hall lives Elias D’Ardenne, a man who is equal parts captivating and unsettling. He’s charming in moments, evasive in others, with a past that never quite adds up. Lena's notebook gets stolen—along with receiving cryptic symbols and an anonymous photograph that points straight back to her—she realizes she’s caught in a web much larger than her own broken past.
As paranoia builds and trust grows harder to grasp, Lena is forced to question not only who Elias truly is, but whether the most dangerous secrets are hidden in the building… or inside her own apartment.
Because in this place, doors are never just doors, and sometimes the one thing more terrifying than the neighbor across the hall—is knowing he might be the only one who can protect you.
Comments (0)
See all