Page 63 of The Rules

The main road was too far away, and the office building was behind her, offering no refuge. The shops lining the street were closed for the night, their darkened windows providing no solace. Even the bar on the corner, while open, seemed too empty and isolated to offer any real protection.

Tightening her grip on her bag, Katherine kept moving, her steps purposeful yet measured. Don't stop. Don't freeze.

Those were the rules she clung to, the mantra that kept her from panicking.

With trembling fingers, she dug for her phone, her mind racing through the options. Ian was too far away to be of any immediate help. Calling Lisa was out of the question—shecouldn't risk involving her sister in this potential danger.

Joshua crossed her mind, but something held her back.

Then, without hesitation, her thumb hovered over Ben’s name— and tapped.

The phone rang.

Once.

Twice.

The sound echoed in her ear like a countdown. Her breath caught. The prayer was simple:Pick up. Please, just pick up.

Katherine's fingers trembled as she clutched her phone, the sound of footsteps behind her growing louder with each passing second. Her heart pounded desperate.

The line clicked, his voice—smooth, in control—slid through the speaker. Oblivious to the panic gripping her. "Winters.

To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She opened her mouth, but the words caught in her throat, tangled by the fear that threatened to overwhelm her. "Ben—" she managed, her voice rushed and uneven.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

His tone sharpened immediately, instincts attuned to the undercurrent of distress in her voice. "Kath?"

The footsteps stayed steady. Unapologetic. Closer. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she whispered, "Someone's following me."

A weighted silence hung between them, brief but loaded with tension. Ben didn't panic or ask unnecessary questions. Instead, he flipped a switch, his voice dropping into a calm, steady cadence that became a lifeline for her frayed nerves.

"Okay. Listen to me." The words were firm, absolute, demanding her attention.

He didn't doubt or hesitate. Simply took control of the situation. "I need you to breathe, Katherine."

She tried, but her body betrayed her, shaking too hard to draw a full breath. His voice, however, anchored her, grounding in the midst of her spiraling panic.

"Again," he coaxed, his tone gentler now, encouraging her.

She inhaled, the breath shallow but present—something for Ben to work with.

Kath's pulse thundered in her ears, legs tight with tension as she glanced over her shoulder again. The voice in her phone cut through the rising panic—not gentle, not soft, but anchored. Solid.

His words weren’t a suggestion. They hit her nervous system like orders—and her body responded before her brain caught up.

She obeyed.

"Keep walking. Stay in the light. Don't stop."

Her voice emerged as a terrified whisper, cracking under the weight of her fear. "I don't know where to go."

Ben didn't allow her to spiral further into panic. "Yes, you do. Just listen to me."

On the other end of the line, she heard the unmistakable sounds of Ben taking action. His chair scraped back aggressively, papers scattering in his haste. The door to his office flew open with a bang.