Chapter 2: The Secret in the Portrait
Three days later, Lena Hartley was at her dorm room, organizing her psychology assignments. The desk was cluttered with academic journals and notebooks. Her roommate, Sophie Adler, sat in front of her vanity, recording a video for her fashion blog.
"Today, let's talk about autumn campus fashion..." Sophie said into the camera, her voice sweet and bubbly, though it was clear her attention wasn't entirely on her filming.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"I'll get it," Lena said, standing up and walking to the door. "Probably the building manager."
But when she opened the door, she was surprised to see a delivery man holding a beautifully wrapped gift box.
"Are you Lena Hartley?" the delivery man asked politely.
"Yes, I am," Lena said, slightly confused as she took the box from him.
"This is from Mr. William Langston. Please sign here."
Upon hearing William's name, Lena's heart skipped a beat. She quickly signed for the package, and after the delivery man left, she carefully closed the door.
"Oh, looks like someone's receiving a mysterious gift," Sophie said, pausing her recording and eyeing Lena with interest. "Who's it from?"
"It's... from that art guy I met in the library," Lena replied, her face flushing slightly.
Sophie immediately put down her cosmetics and eagerly moved closer. "The one who helped you find the materials? Open it, let's see!"
Lena carefully unwrapped the box. Inside was a delicate picture frame, wrapped in satin fabric. As she gently lifted the cloth, both girls gasped.
It was a charcoal portrait, and it was of Lena. But this wasn't just a simple sketch—it was a masterful piece of art, rich in detail. The portrait showed Lena with her head bent, reading a book, bathed in soft sunlight from the side, casting gentle shadows across her face. Every strand of hair, every eyelash, even the slight smile at the corner of her lips as she focused, was perfectly captured.
"Oh my God," Sophie breathed in awe. "This is a work of art! When did he draw this?"
"It must have been in the library," Lena said, running her fingers along the frame. "But I never noticed him drawing me."
At the bottom of the frame was an elegantly written note:To Lena, beauty in concentration. – William.
Lena felt a wave of warmth spread through her. No one had ever observed her so closely, let alone captured her likeness in such a beautiful way. The portrait made her feel cherished, admired, almost as though she were the most beautiful girl in the world.
"He must really like you," Sophie said, but her voice carried an unspoken unease.
"What do you think?" Lena turned to look at her roommate, her eyes sparkling with hope.
Sophie studied the portrait carefully, her brow furrowing. As a fashion blogger, she had seen many artworks and met many artists. But there was something about this portrait that felt... off.
"Lena," Sophie said cautiously, "don't you think this portrait is... a bit too detailed?"
"What do you mean?" Lena asked, puzzled.
"I mean," Sophie pointed to the details in the portrait, "look here—he's captured the texture of your clothes, even the marks on your watch are crystal clear. And your expression, this focused look... How long do you think he must have observed you to get such precise details?"
Lena looked at the portrait, starting to realize that Sophie had a point. This wasn't the kind of sketch that could be done quickly; it required a long period of careful observation to create something so intricate.
"Maybe he has a great memory," Lena defended William. "Artists often have exceptional observation and recall abilities."
Sophie frowned. "And the angle. Look, this angle shows he must have been observing you from behind, at a fixed position. Lena, are you sure you only 'happened' to meet him in the library?"
"Of course I'm sure," Lena's tone grew a bit defensive. "Sophie, are you overthinking this? It's just a painting."
Sophie sighed. She knew her roommate had been swept up by the romance of the gift. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just overreacting."
But deep down, Sophie's intuition told her that something about this portrait was off.
At that moment, Lena's phone rang—it was William.
"Hey, Lena," his soft voice came through the phone. "Did you receive my little gift?"
"I did," Lena's voice betrayed her excitement. "William, this portrait is beautiful! I can't believe you captured me so perfectly."
"I'm glad you like it," William's voice was warm with a smile. "You deserve the most beautiful things."
"But I have one question," Lena glanced at Sophie. "This must have taken you a long time to do, right?"
There was a brief silence on the other end, then William answered, "For beautiful things, time is never an issue. I have an exceptional memory. I can recall every beautiful moment."
"I see," Lena breathed a sigh of relief. "You really are talented."
"If you'd like, I'd love to take you out for coffee," William suggested. "I'd like to hear your thoughts on the portrait."
"I'd love to," Lena replied without hesitation.
After hanging up, Lena excitedly started picking out clothes. Sophie sat quietly observing her, the unease growing stronger inside her.
"Lena," Sophie spoke again, her voice hesitant. "I think you should be careful."
"Careful about what?" Lena stopped picking clothes and turned to face her.
"This William," Sophie said cautiously. "He seems to know too much about you. And that portrait... it gives me the feeling of being watched."
"Sophie!" Lena raised her voice, a bit upset. "How can you say that? He's just a talented artist, and he's been nothing but kind to me."
"I know, I know," Sophie quickly tried to soothe her. "I just think you've known him for such a short time. You don't really know him that well yet."
"So what?" Lena's eyes flashed with determination. "Am I supposed to reject everything good just because I'm afraid of the unknown?"
Sophie looked at her roommate, a sense of helplessness washing over her. She knew that when a girl was in love, any rational concern was often seen as jealousy or unnecessary worry.
"Fine," Sophie conceded. "Maybe I'm overthinking it. Go enjoy your date, but... if anything feels off, please tell me."
"I will," Lena said, hugging her. "Thanks for caring about me, Sophie. But I really believe William is a good person."
As Lena left the dorm to meet William, Sophie sat alone in the room, staring at the portrait on the desk.
Upon closer inspection, Sophie noticed more unsettling details: Lena's pupils in the portrait were unusually sharp, even capturing the reflections within them; her lips were exaggeratedly emphasized, almost seductive; and most disturbing of all, the overall composition of the portrait gave the impression of being "watched," as if someone had been observing Lena from the shadows for a long time.
Sophie picked up her phone and began searching for information on William Langston. As a popular fashion blogger with hundreds of thousands of followers, Sophie had a keen eye for internet research.
However, what she found was surprisingly little. William's social media presence was sparse, with few posts, mostly photos of his art. His personal information was nearly blank—no records of friends, no mention of family background, almost as if he had only recently appeared in the online world.
"This is strange," Sophie muttered to herself. "A talented artist like him... and there's almost nothing online about him?"
She continued searching, trying to dig up more details about William, but all she found was a basic university registration. There was nothing more.
Just then, Lena sent her a message:"Sophie, I'm at the café with William. He's really nice! He told me a lot of stories about art, and I feel like we have so much in common. I think you were just worrying for nothing. 😊"
Sophie stared at the message. Her unease hadn't subsided; in fact, it only grew stronger.
A man who was almost invisible in the online world had created such a detailed portrait. A man who claimed to have just met Lena knew every little thing about her.
Sophie looked at the portrait again, and this time, she noticed a small label on the back of the frame:"Observation #47 - Subject: L.H."
"Observation #47?" Sophie felt a chill run through her. "What does that mean?"
Without hesitation, she sent Lena another message:"Lena, which café are you at? I need to tell you something important."
But when she sent the message, it showed as "sent," but there was no reply.
Sophie's heart began to race. She knew she had to find more information about William Langston—and fast.
Meanwhile, in the café, William sat across from Lena, smiling softly as he shared romantic stories of art history. Lena was completely immersed in his charm, completely unaware that her phone was quietly vibrating in her bag.
William's eyes flicked over to Lena's phone, and a small, almost imperceptible smile curved at the corner of his lips.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.