She stumbled, clutching her ankle as sharp stings pierced her skin. When she lifted her foot, thin streaks of red ran down her heel.
Hidden beneath the flowers were thorns.
Dozens of them.
Small, jagged, and invisible beneath the soft petals.
Evelyn winced, lowering herself carefully to the ground. Her breathing quickened as she pulled one thorn free.
"You—" she hissed, glaring up at him.
Silas remained where he stood.
Calm.
Unmoved.
"You trusted the surface," he said quietly.
Evelyn clenched her jaw.
"They were flowers."
"Yes."
He took a slow step closer.
"And yet they hid something else."
The wind rustled softly through the garden.
Silas stopped a few feet away, his shadow falling across her.
"This city works the same way."
His voice remained steady, almost thoughtful.
"People trust what looks beautiful. What looks harmless."
He glanced at the blood on her foot.
"And they suffer when they discover the truth too late."
Evelyn slowly pushed herself upright, still wincing.
"You set that up," she said.
Silas tilted his head slightly.
"I created the conditions."
He looked toward the scattered petals.
"You chose to walk."
Evelyn grabbed her shoes, brushing dirt from her hands.
"You're insane."
Silas smiled faintly.
"Perhaps."
He turned and began walking back toward the glass doors.
"But you learned something."
He glanced back at her.
"And that was only the first test."
Silas didn't comment on the blood.
He simply looked at Evelyn's foot for a moment, then turned toward the glass doors.
"Get someone from the medical room," he said to one of the guards standing near the entrance.
The man moved immediately.
Within minutes Evelyn was sitting on a marble bench in the hallway while a medic carefully cleaned the thin cuts on her sole. Antiseptic stung sharply, making her hiss under her breath.
Silas stood a few feet away, silent, watching the process like it was nothing more than routine maintenance.
"You didn't have to put thorns there," Evelyn muttered.
Silas didn't respond.
The medic wrapped her foot lightly with gauze.
"You'll be fine," the man said before stepping away.
Evelyn slid her shoe back on slowly, testing the pressure.
Then her phone vibrated.
The sudden sound felt strange in the quiet hallway.
She pulled it out.
Tyler.
Her chest tightened slightly.
Silas noticed the name immediately.
He didn't say anything.
He just watched.
Evelyn answered.
"Hello?"
"Evelyn?" Tyler's voice came through, tense. "Where are you? I've been trying to reach you all morning."
She felt Silas's eyes on her.
Sharp.
Measuring.
"I'm… fine," she said quickly. "Just working on something."
"You sure?" Tyler pressed. "You sound weird."
Evelyn forced a small laugh.
"I'm literally just tired, Tyler. Relax."
Silas tilted his head slightly, studying her expression.
"Call me when you're done, okay?" Tyler said.
"I will."
She hung up.
For a moment the hallway was silent again.
Then Silas turned.
Silas stopped near the glass doors leading back into the estate.
Evelyn followed slowly, each step reminding her of the thorns still lodged in her memory. The medic's bandage softened the pain, but it hadn't erased it.
Silas glanced at her limping pace.
"Consider it motivation," he said calmly.
She shot him a glare.
"You stabbed my feet with a garden."
"I revealed the truth about it."
He opened the door and stepped inside.
Cool air swallowed them again.
As they walked down the hallway, Silas spoke without looking back.
"You will go to work today."
Evelyn frowned.
"What?"
"You heard me."
She stopped walking.
"You think I'm just going to—"
Silas turned his head slightly.
"You will be a good girl."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it carried weight.
"I'm not asking you to drop your investigation," he continued calmly. "That would be suspicious."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes.
"So what exactly do you want?"
Silas finally turned fully toward her.
"Listen."
A pause.
"Watch."
Another step closer.
"And report."
Her stomach tightened.
"You want me to spy on my own colleagues?"
Silas tilted his head slightly.
"I want information."
His gaze drifted briefly to her bandaged foot.
"And if you decide to keep secrets from me…"
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Next time it won't just be your feet that hurt."
Silence hung between them.
Evelyn swallowed.
*******
The newsroom buzzed with its usual chaos when Evelyn stepped inside.
Phones rang.
Keyboards clattered.
Reporters argued across desks.
But several heads turned immediately when they noticed her limp.
"Evelyn?"
Collins looked up from his desk.
"What happened to your leg?"
"Small cut," she said quickly. "Nothing serious."
He didn't look convinced.
Tyler approached next, concern written all over his face.
"You look like hell."
"Thanks."
"You disappeared last night."
"I told you," she said lightly. "Work."
Tyler studied her for another moment before sighing.
"Come on. Meeting's starting."
--------
A long conference table filled the center of the room.
Several members of the investigative panel were already seated.
Maps.
Files.
Photos.
Everything pointed to one topic.
Silas Montclair.
Evelyn felt her chest tighten as she took a seat.
Collins began speaking.
"We've gathered enough circumstantial evidence to move forward."
Evelyn cleared her throat.
"With respect, none of this directly connects Montclair to anything illegal."
Several heads turned toward her.
"We need stronger proof before pushing accusations like this," she continued.
One of the senior editors shook his head.
"That won't be necessary."
Evelyn frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Tyler stepped forward.
A strange tension sat in his shoulders.
"We found someone," he said.
"A witness."
Evelyn's stomach dropped.
"A witness to what?"
Tyler gestured toward the doorway.
"Come in."
The lights near the back of the room flickered slightly as someone stepped out of the shadows.
Evelyn froze.
Her throat went dry.
No.
Not her.
Melissa stepped forward slowly.
Her new friend.
At the brothel.
Melissa's eyes met hers.
Shock flickered across her face.
"Evelyn?"
The room fell silent.
Every head turned toward Evelyn.
Then back to Melissa.
Collins leaned forward.
"You two know each other?"
Evelyn's pulse hammered in her ears.
Because suddenly, this case had just become far more dangerous.
For both of them.