The night air was thick with tension as Emily, Mindy, and Camille lingered at the corporate party, their unease palpable despite the cheerful atmosphere. The grand hall of Versailles was filled with the sound of laughter and music, but for Emily, every noise seemed distant, muffled by the overwhelming sense of dread that had settled over her like a dark cloud. Doug's threats had left her shaken, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, that every move she made was being monitored by unseen eyes.
"I can't take this anymore," Emily finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper as she turned to Mindy and Camille. Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched her glass of champagne, her gaze darting nervously around the room. "I need to get out of here. I feel like I'm going to break down if I stay any longer."
Camille, ever the protective friend, immediately nodded in agreement. "You don't have to explain, Emily. We'll leave. This party isn't worth it if it's making you feel like this."
Mindy placed a comforting hand on Emily's shoulder. "Yeah, let's get out of here. We'll go back to my place and just chill. It's not worth staying if you're uncomfortable."
Emily felt a surge of relief wash over her, grateful for their understanding. "Thank you, both of you. I just… I feel like I can't breathe in here."
They quickly made their way through the crowd, saying hurried goodbyes to their colleagues. Sylvie barely noticed their departure, too engrossed in her conversation with a potential client, and Julien was still laughing it up with Luc, clearly not giving a second thought to Emily's earlier distress.
As they headed toward the exit, Mindy suddenly stopped in her tracks, a puzzled expression crossing her face. "Hey, I need to use the restroom before we leave. I'll be right back."
Emily nodded, though she felt a pang of anxiety at the thought of being left alone, even for a moment. "Okay, but hurry, please."
"I will," Mindy promised with a reassuring smile before slipping away into the crowd.
As Mindy navigated the winding corridors of Versailles, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She'd been on edge all night, ever since Emily's encounter in the gardens, and the unease had only grown stronger as the evening wore on. She pushed open the door to the restroom, but as she did, a figure caught her eye—a man standing just a few feet away, leaning casually against the wall.
Her heart skipped a beat as she took in his appearance. He looked eerily similar to Doug—the same build, the same dark hair, even the same intense gaze. Mindy's breath hitched in her throat as she hesitated, her instincts screaming at her to turn around and walk away. But curiosity and concern for Emily got the better of her, and she approached the man cautiously.
"Doug?" she asked, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides.
The man looked up, his expression neutral but slightly surprised. "No, I'm not Doug. My name's Derek. Can I help you with something?"
Mindy's heart was pounding in her chest, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Sorry, you just… you look a lot like someone I know. What brings you to Paris, Derek?"
Derek smiled, though there was something unsettling about the way his eyes lingered on her. "I'm here for business, actually. I just flew in from Oregon for a meeting with Savoir."
Mindy's suspicion deepened. There was something about this man that didn't sit right with her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Oregon? That's a long way from Paris. What kind of business are you in?"
"Marketing," Derek replied smoothly. "I've been in the industry for years. Thought it was time to expand my horizons, and what better place to do that than Paris?"
Mindy nodded, though her mind was racing with a million thoughts. Was this just a coincidence, or was there something more sinister at play? She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but the resemblance to Doug was too striking to ignore.
"Well, good luck with your meeting," she said, offering a polite smile. "Enjoy Paris."
"Thanks," Derek replied, his smile never quite reaching his eyes. "Maybe I'll see you around."
Mindy forced herself to nod before quickly heading into the restroom, her mind buzzing with questions. Was this Derek really who he said he was, or was he somehow connected to Doug? The timing of his appearance was too suspicious, and she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than met the eye.
After using the restroom, she hurried back to the grand hall, her thoughts still racing. She rejoined Emily and Camille, who were waiting anxiously by the exit.
"Are you okay?" Emily asked, noticing the look of unease on Mindy's face.
Mindy hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. But we need to get out of here. I'll tell you everything once we're back at my place."
The three women quickly made their way out of Versailles, the tension between them thickening with each passing moment. As they finally reached the car, Emily let out a shaky breath, grateful to be away from the oppressive atmosphere of the party.
"Thank God we're out of there," she muttered as they climbed into the car.
Camille, who was driving, glanced at Mindy in the rearview mirror. "What happened, Mindy? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Mindy bit her lip, debating how much to share. "I saw a guy outside the restroom… He looked exactly like Doug. But when I asked him, he said his name was Derek, and that he was here for a meeting with Savoir. He's from Oregon."
Emily's blood ran cold. "Derek? Are you sure that's what he said?"
Mindy nodded. "Yeah, but something about him didn't feel right. The way he looked at me… it was like he was hiding something."
Emily felt her stomach churn with unease. "Do you think he's lying? That he's really Doug?"
"I don't know," Mindy admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "But it's too much of a coincidence, don't you think? Doug's been harassing you, and now this guy who looks exactly like him shows up at the same party? Something's not adding up."
Camille tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her face set in a grim expression. "We need to be careful. Whether it's Doug or someone else, we can't take any chances. Let's just get back to your place, Mindy, and figure out what to do next."
The drive back to Mindy's apartment was filled with a heavy silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Emily couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that Doug—or Derek, or whoever he was—was somehow still following them, lurking just out of sight. The fear that had gripped her earlier now felt suffocating, wrapping around her like a vice.
When they finally arrived at Mindy's apartment, they hurried inside, locking the door behind them. The apartment, usually a place of warmth and comfort, now felt like a fragile sanctuary against the encroaching darkness.
Once they were settled in the living room, Mindy poured each of them a glass of wine, though none of them seemed particularly interested in drinking. The tension in the room was palpable, each of them waiting for the other to speak.
Emily was the first to break the silence. "What if it really was Doug? What if he's been following us this whole time, pretending to be someone else?"
Mindy shook her head, though her expression was conflicted. "I don't know, Emily. It's possible, but… he seemed so convincing when he said he was Derek. But then again, why would someone fly all the way from Oregon just to be at this party?"
Camille leaned forward, her voice low and serious. "We need to consider the possibility that Doug is capable of more than just stalking. If he's willing to manipulate us, he might have gone to great lengths to hide his identity."
Emily felt a shiver run down her spine. "You mean… he could have faked everything? The name, the story, all of it?"
"It's possible," Camille said, her voice steady but grim. "We can't rule anything out."
Mindy took a sip of her wine, her hands trembling slightly. "We need to be careful. If Doug—or Derek, or whoever he is—is really following us, we can't let our guard down. We need to stick together and stay vigilant."
Emily nodded, though the fear in her chest was almost overwhelming. "What do we do now? We can't just keep running. We need to find a way to stop him."
"We will," Camille said firmly. "But first, we need to figure out who we're dealing with. Tomorrow, we should try to find out more about this 'Derek.' If he's lying, we'll expose him."
Mindy set her glass down, her expression determined. "Agreed. We'll get to the bottom of this. But for now, let's try to get some rest. We'll need our strength for whatever comes next."
The three of them sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their situation pressing down on them like a heavy shroud. As they prepared to settle in for the night, each of them couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that the danger was far from over. But together, they knew they stood a better chance of facing whatever horrors awaited them. And with that thought in mind, they steeled themselves for the battle ahead, determined not to let fear control them any longer.