The car ride was silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was charged, every glance and every brush of their hands speaking louder than words.
When they arrived at the mansion, Silas stepped out first and offered his hand. Elise hesitated for a breath, then placed her hand in his. His grip was steady, grounding.
Inside, the house was dimly lit, the soft glow of chandeliers casting shadows along the marble floors. Silas didn't lead her toward the sitting room or the dining hall.No.He led her upstairs.
At the door to her bedroom, he stopped. His thumb traced lazy circles against her knuckles, but he didn't push. Didn't pull.
He waited.
"Are you sure?" he asked, voice low, rough around the edges.
Elise lifted her eyes to him. Silas. The man who hadn't bought her like an object, but had given her the keys to her own damn kingdom.
And somewhere along the way, without her realizing it, he had become the one place that felt like home.
Instead of answering, Elise rose on her toes and pressed her lips against his.
It wasn't a tentative kiss. It was a claiming. A fierce, shattering kiss that stole the air from her lungs and rewrote the rules of her world.
Silas groaned low in his throat and hauled her closer, his arms wrapping around her like he could shield her from everything — even from the ghosts that still clawed at her mind.
They stumbled into the room, the door slamming shut behind them. Jackets hit the floor. Buttons slipped free. Walls—both literal and emotional—came crashing down.
But just as Silas pulled her against him, his phone buzzed urgently in his pocket. He cursed under his breath, pulling away slightly.
"Ignore it," Elise whispered, her fingers fisting in his shirt.
But when the screen lit up again, Silas glanced down—and his entire body stiffened.
"What is it?" she asked, heart sinking.
Silas's jaw tightened. His hand closed around the phone like he wanted to crush it.
"Bad news," he said grimly. "Very bad."
He looked at her then—like he was memorizing her face before the storm hit.
"Elise... it's starting. The people who sold you out—they're making moves again."
And just like that, reality slammed back in.
The battle wasn't over.It had only just begun.