As the weeks and months went by, Cobra found himself becoming more daring and reckless in his attempts to get closer to Anastasia.
He started following her home from school, watching which route her car took through the town streets.
Sometimes he even managed to slip past the security guards and into the packhouse grounds.
On those thrilling nights, he would make his way up to Anastasia's bedroom and lurk in the shadows, simply gazing upon her sleeping form for hours.
He drank in every detail like a man dying of thirst - the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, the tiny wrinkle in her brow as she dreamed, the slightly parted fullness of her lips.
His entire world narrowed to the vision of her at peace, beautiful and untouchable as a classical marble statue.
From the balcony, bathed in moonlight, he kept his yearning vigil while Anastasia slumbered unaware of the dangerous devotion born in the shadows mere feet away.