LOGINBecause he was barely surviving as it was? Because pretending to love Beatrice while loving someone else was slowly destroying him?He clenched his jaw hard, “This place isn't comfortable.”Beatrice folded her arms immediately.“You live here perfectly fine.”Silas didn't say another word, he didn't want to argue with her in the open where the servants were listening in on them.The hallway felt too exposed, there were too many eyes and ears. Beatrice stood there watching him, waiting for a reaction that wasn’t coming fast enough. Silas exhaled slowly, forcing his tone to stay controlled.“Beatrice, what? You didn't have to move in.”“Why?” she asked immediately. “Aren't we couples? You're too distant to me and I want us to be closer.”His jaw tightened, “I already told you that I don't like you neither do I want us to get married to each other.”That should have ended it, but Beatrice didn't flinch. She have always been haunted by those words that she now dreamt about them, waking u
Calvin searched her expression for several long seconds. Then finally, he nodded slowly.“Good.” He murmured again though this time it sounded more like a warning than reassurance.And somewhere down the hallway hidden behind the shadows near the staircase, Silas stood completely still after hearing every single word."Still..." Calvin started as he pulled his arm around her waist, '"I will just make you open up to me slowly and slowly, until the only person you have to look at is, me..." He said before stealing a kiss to her lips and she didn't stop him. Elara and Silas never met again for the next coming days.Silas was busy escorting Calvin everywhere he went for political functions and private meetings. To be more precise, Calvin wanted him away from Elara. He didn't want to see them together unless Beatrice was involved somehow, and Calvin always deliberately invited Beatrice over anytime he was going away with the President while Elara stayed behind to attend to matters of stat
Her chest tightened, “And how exactly does he look at me?” She asked carefully.“Like you're his.” Calvin replied without hesitation. “Like he forgets who he is whenever you're around.”Elara crossed her arms tightly. “You're imagining things.”“No.” Calvin shook his head slowly. “What I'm imagining is you looking at him the same way.”Silence stretched between them.The music from the party echoed faintly from down the hallway but here, away from the crowd, everything suddenly felt too close. Too tense.Calvin exhaled slowly before speaking again.“Elara...I've been patient with you.”She looked away immediately.“Twelve years.” He continued. “Twelve years waiting for you to come back. Twelve years listening to your father promise me that one day you would return and things would finally move forward.”“That wasn't my decision.” She replied coldly.“I know.” He nodded. “But you're here now.”He reached for her hand but she pulled it away instantly. That hurt him more than he wanted t
“So do I.”His fingers tightened around hers for one lingering second before he finally slipped into the dark passage.Elara shut the panel immediately and inhaled sharply. Then she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like pure disaster. Just a little kiss from Silas and her entire world had flipped upside down and when Calvin had kissed her earlier, she didn't feel this way. But with Silas... Her lips were flushed. Her hair slightly messy. Her breathing still uneven.She grabbed cold water quickly, pressing trembling fingers against her neck and mouth before forcing herself to calm down.Another knock.“Elara.” Calvin's voice had dropped lower now. Dangerous.She unlocked the restroom door finally. Calvin stepped in immediately. His eyes scanned her face first. Then her hair moving lower. Calvin have always been someone who was too observant, never failed to be and why was he even here instead of waiting outside for her? “You've been crying?” He asked quietly.“No.” she sa
But she won't. She have been burned once by that rash decision, for twelve years, she had reaped what she sowed for herself. She can't run away from her problems anymore. She is going to face it all and conquer it all. Then Calvin suddenly lifted his glass again. “To the future,” he announced smoothly.The crowd echoed loudly, “To the future!”Glasses clinked across the room. Silas finally pulled his arm gently away from Beatrice. His gaze drifted back toward Elara again.And this time, she was already looking at him and then she was leaving. He followed her until he finally caught her arm before she made it to the restroom.“Elara...” He started saying while she pushed his arm away without looking to see his face or how much of how all this is starting to get to him.“Please don't treat me coldly, Elara...” He begged desperately almost at the verge of breaking, “None of this is right Elara, I love you. You're the one I love.” He admitted while she didn't even turn for more than a m
“Don’t you?” Calvin continued, his smile widening slightly. “I mean, it’s our engagement, isn’t it? Aren’t you happy getting engaged to the love of your life, Beatrice?”The room laughed softly, some people even clapped, Silas felt his jaw tighten. The love of your life? What sort of joke was that? Elara belonged to him. Elara was his and he belonged to her alone. But Beatrice already started nudging him, Elara's eyes fixated on the two of them. The words sounded almost mocking.“We have a lot to say,” Beatrice suddenly cut in brightly before Silas could respond.Then she grabbed his arm, “Let’s say something to everyone. Our love story.”Silas stiffened immediately, love story? They had no love story.Nothing between them was real enough to stand under lights and be celebrated.But Beatrice was already pulling him forward through the crowd before he could stop her.Straight toward Calvin and Elara, straight into the center and the room opened for them instantly. More eyes turned,
A strangled cry tore through the darkness of the elevator, raw and primal, echoing against the narrow metal walls before dissolving into ragged breaths.Silas collapsed over Elara, his body heavy against hers, trembling from the force of his release. Heat still lingered between them, their bodies t
Elara managed to pull away, her chest heaving as she gasped for air that felt far too thin. In the absolute blackness of the elevator, she couldn't see his face.All she could perceive was his towering silhouette, a shadow darker than the night and the ragged, desperate sound of his breathing that
Elara felt like the air was being sucked right out of her lungs. Standing that close to him, she could feel the heat radiating off his body.That scent of his was no longer just a hint; it was a wave, crashing over her and drowning out her common sense.She knew she should look away. She knew she s
The yard was a chaos of high-pitched screams and small, thundering footsteps. Silas was right in the middle of it, laughing more than Elara had ever heard him. He tried to pick them up one after another, his massive arms easily hoisting two toddlers at a time while the others clung to his legs like







