For Elara, the house on Willow Lane was a sanctuary. She was about to learn it was a specimen jar... and she was the prize.Seeking a fresh start, Elara Dawson buys a stunning, secluded Craftsman house, sold for a price that feels like a secret. It's beautiful, peaceful-and from the very first day, profoundly watchful.It starts with small things: a misplaced book, a chill with no source, a reflection in the antique mirror that smiles a half-second too late. Her family thinks she's imagining things. But Elara, a woman who has always noticed the details others miss, knows the truth. The house isn't haunted. It's attentive. It's studying her.When she discovers the hidden journal of the first owner, Eleanor Vance, her worst fears are confirmed. Eleanor's final, frantic entry reads: "It has my smile now. It is learning the rest." The house isn't trying to scare her away. It's practicing. Perfecting its imitation. As her connection to the house deepens, Elara's own world begins to fade-friends forget her, calls won't connect, photos blur her face.Now, a flawless, silent copy of her is starting to appear in its halls. To survive, Elara must do the impossible: not just escape the house, but destroy the lonely, hungry heart at its foundation-before the thing wearing her face steps out of the shadows for good.A chilling tale of gothic horror and psychological suspense, The House That Watched asks: What happens when your home doesn't want a tenant... it wants a replacement?