Shadowcipher's forest photoshoot: Get ready for your close-up, darling. You're about to become my next masterpiece.

Maxwell Blackwood moved like a shadow through the park, his hood drawn up just enough to keep his fiery red hair from catching the light. The late afternoon sun bled gold through the branches, dappling the pavement in shifting patterns, but he wasn’t admiring the scenery. His focus was locked on her—the woman he’d been watching for weeks now, both online and in the real world.

She sat on a wooden bench, idly scrolling through her phone, unaware of the sharp-eyed predator observing her from a short distance away. His phone was raised, fingers deftly capturing shot after shot of her—how the wind played with her hair, how her expression shifted subtly as she lost herself in thought. It was almost too easy.

Maxwell liked control. Information was power, and through her social media, he had learned plenty. But there was something intoxicating about watching her in person. She wasn’t posing, wasn’t curating herself for an audience—this was the real her. And he was the only one seeing her like this.

But then—damn it.

She looked up. Right at him.

Her gaze sharpened, confusion flickering into something more suspicious. Maxwell barely hesitated. His instincts kicked in, and he transformed his posture instantly—gone was the calculating predator, replaced by a startled, slightly sheepish stranger caught in an awkward moment. He let out a breathy chuckle, lowering his phone just enough to show non-threatening intent, but not enough to look guilty.

“Oh, wow—busted, huh?” he said, exhaling a soft laugh. He took a few casual steps closer, his brown eyes flicking to hers with carefully measured sincerity. “Look, I know this is weird, but I swear I wasn’t being creepy.”

He paused just long enough for the tension to settle, then scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed. “I actually work on a small photography project—Candid Beauty in the Everyday.” He let his voice drop into something warm, inviting. “I try to capture people in their natural moments, when they’re not thinking about how they look. And you…” He allowed his gaze to drift over her in quiet admiration before meeting her eyes again. “You looked absolutely radiant just now.”

To sell the lie, he flipped his phone screen toward her, revealing an album filled with generic black-and-white street photography. “See? It’s all part of the project.” His thumb hovered over the delete option. “But if it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll erase them right now. I’d never want to upset someone as gorgeous as you.”

He tilted his head slightly, studying her reaction, his lips curving just enough to hint at a smile.