Evelyn stepped inside the room, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. Silas was in the middle of a Zoom meeting, moving with that calm authority that made the air feel heavier around him. She paused, glancing at the other side of the screen—and froze slightly when she heard a voice ask,
"Is that your woman?"
Silas chuckled softly, not saying a word, his attention remaining sharp, controlled.
Bored and frustrated with herself, Evelyn dragged a hand down her face. Bored? Angry? Disgusted at my own lies… She moved silently behind him, watching as he leaned back in his chair, still commanding the call. Stephan and two other men appeared on the screen, their expressions flickering between curiosity and surprise. Wait—wasn't that the Stephan they were waiting for?
Her hand reached out, almost instinctively, toward the controls to end the call. Before she could, Silas's hand caught her wrist, firm but not harsh, and he guided her to sit beside him. He said nothing.
Evelyn felt her cheeks heat, her pulse quickening, and forced herself to look away from him, though she caught the quick, astonished glances of the men on the screen. Their questions remained unspoken as Silas calmly ended the call. The screen went dark.
He finally turned to her, eyes piercing but unreadable. He stretched for his keys, and as his hand brushed lightly across her collarbone, a shiver ran down her spine. She quickly looked away.
Without a word, Silas took her hands and led her out of the room. Evelyn opened her mouth to protest when he guided her to the elevator, but he ignored her complaints entirely. The elevator hummed upward, and she followed, tense and alert.
On the third floor, he stopped and gestured for her to look down. Through the glass, Melissa's phone glowed in her hands. She moved nervously, shaking as she made a call, darting her gaze side to side. Evelyn's lips parted in a soft gasp.
"She's terrified," Evelyn whispered, pity flooding her voice.
"She's leverage," Silas corrected, his tone flat, unyielding.
Evelyn's frustration flared. "She's a human, not a tool!"
Silas's hand came around her back, firm at the nape of her neck, tilting her downward toward Melissa again. "Look," he commanded softly.
Melissa hesitated, then gently slipped away from the guards. She pulled something from her bag, placing it carefully at the corners of the walls. Evelyn's heart seized. No…
Before she could react, one of the bodyguards barked, "She's planting explosives!"
Evelyn covered her mouth, disbelief and a sickening pang of betrayal twisting through her. Pain and helplessness collided in her chest.
Silas didn't flinch. He only watched, expression serious, unreadable, like a shadow settling over the room.
Silas's dark gaze lingered on Evelyn. "Should I handle this… or do you think you can?" His voice was calm, but the edge underneath was enough to make her swallow hard. "Take her… to prison if necessary."
Evelyn couldn't speak. Her throat felt tight, heavy with disbelief. Why… why would Melissa do this?
Before she could respond, the bodyguards moved in swiftly. Melissa's feet dragged across the floor, her hands flailing slightly, eyes wide with terror. The front door loomed closer and closer, a path she never wanted to walk.
Evelyn's heart hammered in her chest. She followed silently, Silas's hand brushing hers as they moved, steady, unyielding. Her gaze finally met Melissa's just as the girl's eyes flicked up, full of questions, fear, and apology all at once.
Evelyn's lips pressed into a thin line, her mind racing with the why.
Then the sound of approaching footsteps cut through the tension. Stephan had arrived, hands tucked casually in his pockets, but his presence radiated authority.
"I was right," he said quietly, almost to himself. His eyes swept over Melissa, sharp but not cruel.
Melissa's shoulders shook as she tried to shrink further, unable to escape the weight of the moment. Stephan didn't move aggressively; instead, he guided her gently toward a room, letting her sit on the chair, free to move but not free from the consequences she now faced.
Tears pricked her eyes almost immediately. "I… I didn't mean to… I had no choice," she whispered, voice trembling. Evelyn's heart clenched as she watched Melissa's guilt pour out in waves.
Silas took a seat at the far end of the room, dark eyes flicking between Evelyn and the girl, his expression unreadable. He didn't speak, but the tension in the room felt heavier because of his silent presence.
Stephan leaned slightly forward, voice steady but firm.
"Tell me the truth, Melissa. Everything."
Melissa's hands twisted in her lap. Her breathing came in short, shallow bursts. Her voice shook as she tried to start, then faltered. Stephan's gaze sharpened, warning her of the consequences if she hesitated too long.
"I… I'll talk," she whispered finally, voice barely audible. Her eyes flicked to Evelyn's for strength.
"Mr… Monk found out about the address," she began, voice quivering. "I… I gave it to Evelyn. He knew it was me… He came to me, threatened to—" She faltered, glancing between Silas and Stephan. "To kill my… my mother… at the hospital. And then he… he told me he had a mission for me…"
She paused, her chest rising and falling unevenly, searching their faces for judgment. She met Evelyn's eyes, full of pleading.
"He told me… that Silas offended—"
"Mr. Montclair," Stephan corrected softly, his tone sharp but controlled.
Melissa swallowed hard and nodded, continuing. "He's… his enemy now. He said I had to… to explode his building. I… I refused. But he… he went to the hospital, stopped my mother's treatment, and I had no choice. I—I had to go. The bomb… it was in my bag. I left it outside… and then I saw you, Evelyn. I—I didn't know what to do. I had to lie… I'm sorry."
Her body shook as sobs threatened to overtake her. "I didn't want to… to do it. Especially… especially when you said he could protect me too. I… I had to ask if Silas meant anything to you… because I couldn't hurt someone you love."
Evelyn bit her lip to keep from speaking, her fists tightening at her sides.
"I… I tried to take you away from the building with me," Melissa continued, tears streaming down her face. "But Silas… Mr. Montclair insisted you stayed. I was scared… my time was ticking. Monk was at the hospital… pointing a gun…"
She couldn't finish. Her sobs broke through as she buried her face in her hands, the weight of everything pressing down on her small frame.
"To my mom's head…" she whispered between sobs. "I had to do it… I'm sorry."
Stephan rose slowly, his anger not at her, but at the cruelty of Monk, at the impossibility of the situation, at the world that forced this girl to choose between life and loyalty. His gaze swept the room, dark and stormy.
The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. Even Silas remained still, unreadable, as Evelyn's mind raced, heart pounding, trying to reconcile the betrayal, the fear, and the truth of what had just been revealed.
Evelyn stood, her polished boots clicking softly against the floor. She walked toward Melissa, each step deliberate, measured—but the heat coiling in her chest could have ignited the air around them.
Melissa shrank back instinctively, burying her face in her hands. She trembled, shoulders shaking with silent sobs, expecting anger, scolding… maybe even a curse.
"I—I'm sorry, Evelyn," she whispered, voice cracking. "I didn't… I didn't mean—"
Evelyn stopped a mere foot away. The air between them felt electric. She dropped her gaze to meet Melissa's, eyes dark, stormy—but not without purpose.
Then came the words Melissa didn't expect. A low, deadly calm:
"I'll burn Monk alive if I have to."