Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Get inside, Vivian, and stop staring at the pavement," Silas said, his hand tightening on my elbow as he pulled me through a heavy wooden door.

The smell of stale beer and fried food hit my nose immediately.

"A pub, Silas? Really?" I whispered, looking around at the sticky tables and the dim neon signs. "I do not think the Baroness belongs here."

"That is exactly why we are here," Silas said, steering me to a small booth in the back corner. "It is the last place anyone would look for you."

I was not born rich, but my family had never frequented places like this, and the rowdy atmosphere made my stomach twist with nerves. A weary bartender with a dirty apron over his shoulder appeared beside our table.

"What can I get you two?" the bartender asked.

"Just water for me, please," I said quickly.

Silas gave a short, dry laugh. "Water is not allowed in a place like this. Give her a Cosmopolitan. And I will have a neat whiskey."

The bartender nodded and shuffled away.

Once he was gone, the silence between us became heavy. Silas sat back, his eyes locked onto mine. I felt incredibly uneasy under his gaze, my hands trembling slightly in my lap. I wanted to look away, but I forced myself to hold his stare. He did not say a single word to me. He just watched me until the bartender returned and slid our glasses onto the sticky wood.

I reached for my drink, taking a small, quick sip of the sweet pink liquid to wet my dry throat. Silas picked up his whiskey, took a slow drink, and then leaned forward over the table.

"I am sorry," Silas whispered.

I paused, my glass hovering near my lips. The words took me completely by surprise. "You are sorry?"

"I am," he said. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his digital tablet. He looked around the bar carefully before he tapped the screen and slid it across the table to me. "Look at this."

The screen showed the financial charts of Vance Shipping. The line representing Julian's primary account was sliding straight down to zero.

"I am not the type of man who manhandles a woman, Vivian," Silas said, his voice quiet but intense. "But I do not like when people go behind my back to make deals. We have too much at stake here."

"I know how much is at stake," I mumbled, staring at the plunging line. "It is my life on the line, not yours."

"I am glad you realize that," Silas said. "Because your life being on the line means that any single wrong move will put you in grave danger. If Julian suspects anything, you will not just go back to prison. You will disappear."

A strange feeling stirred in my chest. Looking at him, I actually believed that Silas cared about what happened to me. Of course, I told myself, it was only because I was his weapon to destroy Julian. If I failed, his hundred million dollars and his plans would fail too.

"I only asked for his stock portfolio because I wanted to see his backup funds," I explained, trying to defend my actions. "If we know how much he has in reserve, we can predict his next move."

Silas nodded slowly. "It was a smart move, Vivian. I will give you that. But you must understand that I already know everything about his finances. I have eyes on his bank accounts every second of the day."

"Then why did you get so angry?" I asked.

"Because Julian is an egomaniac, but he is not an idiot," Silas warned, leaning in closer. "He is paranoid. If he gets even a tiny hint that you are playing him, the entire plan goes down the drain."

I sat in silence, absorbing his words. He was right. I had let my desire for quick results cloud my professional judgment.

"Okay," I said softly, looking down at my drink. "I see your point. I will communicate my ideas with you before I do anything else."

Silas looked at me for a moment, and the tension in his shoulders finally melted. "Good. If we work together, we can end this quickly."

He gestured to the bartender. "Bring us another round."

He picked up the tablet again, scrolling through a new sheet of data. "We only have a few more hours before the bank audit hits his office. Julian will come crawling to you very soon."

"And what do I say when he does?" I asked.

Before Silas could answer, a loud burst of laughter came from behind us.

"Silas! I knew that was you!" a shrill voice squealed.

Two beautiful women dressed in expensive silk dresses suddenly appeared at our table. Before I could even blink, they slid into the booth, flanking Silas on both sides. One of them draped her arm over his shoulder, while the other giggled and touched his hand.

Silas reacted instantly. He switched off the tablet screen so fast it was almost a blur, hiding the financial data from view.

I blinked in absolute shock, my mouth parting slightly.

"We missed you at the club last night," the blonde woman on his left cooed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "What are you doing in a dusty place like this?"

"Just a quick business meeting," Silas said smoothly, flashing them a warm smile.

He did not introduce me. In fact, he completely sidelined me, turning his attention to the two women as if I were not even sitting across from him. He laughed at their jokes and let them whisper in his ear, totally ignoring my existence.

My blood ran hot with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. I felt like a cheap prop he had discarded the moment something more interesting arrived. The noise, the smell of the pub, and the sudden betrayal made my head spin.

"Excuse me," I muttered, but neither of them looked up as I stood.

I pushed past the crowded tables and walked straight out the front door, the cool night air hitting my face. I felt slightly dizzy, my chest tight.

A black sedan pulled up to the curb right in front of me. The window rolled down, and Ivan looked out at me.

"Get in," Ivan said. "The boss ordered me to take you home."

The rejection rose in my throat. I wanted to tell him to go to hell and walk back to the apartment myself. But my feet ached, and I was too tired to fight.

"Fine," I snapped, opening the door and sliding into the leather back seat.

The drive back was completely silent. When we arrived at the apartment, I did not say goodbye to Ivan. I walked straight up the stairs, unlocked my door, and threw my bag onto the table.

I collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to change out of my clothes. My mind was a chaotic mess of Silas's touch, the red countdown timer, and the smug look on Julian's face. I closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion drag me into a deep sleep.

A sharp, heavy knock on the front door woke me up.

I sat up quickly, my heart pounding in my ears. I glanced at the digital clock on my nightstand.

12:00 AM. Exactly midnight.

"Who is that?" I whispered to myself, rubbing my eyes.

Without thinking, still groggy and disoriented, I walked to the door and pulled it open.

Julian stood on the threshold, a desperate, wild look in his eyes.

"Veronica, thank God you are home," Julian gasped, stepping forward.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. But before I could speak, my eyes darted past his shoulder toward the hallway.

At the very end of the corridor, the elevator doors were wide open.

Silas was standing inside the elevator, his arms crossed over his chest, watching us with a cold, terrifying smile.